How exciting to hear about shows that I would never be able to see for myself. Thanks especially for the detailed report about "Dreams on Ice."
LuCN, I think I agree with you that in a show, I'd rather see something that stresses artistry. Of course one doesn't want something entirely without jumps, but it's lovely to see something that one wouldn't be able to see in a competition, something that strikes a chord in a viewer. This can be especially true for pairs skaters and ice dancers, who are able to perform an emotional romantic number without worrying about the rule book. Years ago, when ice dancing was very rigid, I went to a small show in which a Canadian couple, Barbara Berezowski and David Porter, skated to the second movement of Borodin's String Quartet number 2, surely one of the most lyrical pieces ever composed. They showed me something new in skating, and from that time on I was a devoted fan of the sport. I would never have seen such possibilities in a competition.
LuCN, I think I agree with you that in a show, I'd rather see something that stresses artistry. Of course one doesn't want something entirely without jumps, but it's lovely to see something that one wouldn't be able to see in a competition, something that strikes a chord in a viewer. This can be especially true for pairs skaters and ice dancers, who are able to perform an emotional romantic number without worrying about the rule book. Years ago, when ice dancing was very rigid, I went to a small show in which a Canadian couple, Barbara Berezowski and David Porter, skated to the second movement of Borodin's String Quartet number 2, surely one of the most lyrical pieces ever composed. They showed me something new in skating, and from that time on I was a devoted fan of the sport. I would never have seen such possibilities in a competition.
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)) - I know that the famous russian coach Alexei Mishin considers jumps to be a very important part of figure skating, and his pupils (Plushenko among them) usually do many jumps also in exhibition programs. But at one of the last year's 'Fantasy on Ice' shows (which also takes place in Japan, and where Mishin's pupils were skating too), the only skater to whom he gave a standing ovation was Stephane Lambiel, who had only two easy jumps in his program. That said, I have to wonder - what would you write about Lambiel, if he had performed in this year's 'Dreams on Ice' shows as he was initially scheduled. Because he is one of the rare artists in the current figure skating, but, as I already mentioned, there are only two simple jumps in some of his programs, and sometimes he makes mistakes even in them. At the same time, it would be completely untrue to say that he is not respectful towards his audience, or that he doesn't work really hard. Simply his view on it is different - for him it's not necessarily about including almost competition level elements in his programs, but rather about putting his heart and soul, and his emotions into his performances (of course, sometimes, when he is especially tired from previous shows or long flights, it's harder to do) and into making his programs, where choreography, musicality and/or image, feeling and that which he wants to express with his program are all more important than difficult jumps (although, at the same time, he is one of the rare non asian skaters who sometimes tries to do quads in his show performances). And also about making new and new programs each year, so that he wouldn't have to repeat himself too often, about rising to new challanges in terms of new style, new kind of music, new and difficult moves and new images/characters which he has to show. I am not writing about Lambiel just because I am his fan, but also as an example, because I know all those things about him more than about anyone else. Of course, Lambiel is different than most of those other skaters. But, still, it's not quite right to say that they don't work hard and don't respect the audience just because they don't include difficult jumps in their gala programs, or because they make mistakes. By the way, I forgot to add - the aforementioned Kurt Browning once made a program without jumps called 'Nyah' (I think there was another one, but that's the most famous of them) - now it's a legendary program, and no figure skating fan in their right mind, who knows something about skating, would say that it's an easy program.
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