What is the difference between aristry and musicality?
- Thread starter passion
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- Nov 26, 2004
passion said:
I would think you're comparing apples to oranges. Good musicality is like school figures. It's the basis of your music. It's the arrangement of the music, the instruments and the style it's played, jazz, country, etc. of the music. In figureskating, It's Artistry is more aesthetics for instance, placing an Ena Bauer in the right position in the music or multiple spins stopping right when the music stops. IMHO. Thanks.
Hm, good question! In some ways artistry and musicality seem to go hand in hand. But sometimes I think they are two different things! Here's how I see it:
Musicality has to do with interpreting the music and having the choreography set to with the music. A skater with good musicality has a understanding of the piece they are interpreting. The 1st time I truly understood that was seeing Michelle in 1996, skating to Salome and Romanza. She understood the characters she was portraying, and the little naunces went so well to the music...if that makes sense!
Artistry has to do with the effect a program has on the audience. It's an art, or a skill the skater has that they impart on the viewers. I think an artist doesn't neccessary have to gave great musicality to give a moving performance.
And vice versa!
I agree with both of your assessments, just adding my own two cents!
Musicality has to do with interpreting the music and having the choreography set to with the music. A skater with good musicality has a understanding of the piece they are interpreting. The 1st time I truly understood that was seeing Michelle in 1996, skating to Salome and Romanza. She understood the characters she was portraying, and the little naunces went so well to the music...if that makes sense!
Artistry has to do with the effect a program has on the audience. It's an art, or a skill the skater has that they impart on the viewers. I think an artist doesn't neccessary have to gave great musicality to give a moving performance.
And vice versa!
I agree with both of your assessments, just adding my own two cents!
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- Mar 14, 2006
I like what MKFSfan said about musicality.
I'm not sure about this but I think of artistry almost as an extra "layer" on top of technique. It is the extra "je ne sais quoi" that makes skating beautiful and moving, not just athletic. It can be very different from one skater to another... for one it could be attention to the fine details of finished technique (pointed toes, use of head and hands, etc.), for another it could be more of an inner glow or passion, for another the brilliant personal touches added to the choreography, etc. But the metaphor of layers is a bit misleading, because it is inseparable from the technique.
I'm not sure about this but I think of artistry almost as an extra "layer" on top of technique. It is the extra "je ne sais quoi" that makes skating beautiful and moving, not just athletic. It can be very different from one skater to another... for one it could be attention to the fine details of finished technique (pointed toes, use of head and hands, etc.), for another it could be more of an inner glow or passion, for another the brilliant personal touches added to the choreography, etc. But the metaphor of layers is a bit misleading, because it is inseparable from the technique.
I know less about the technicality of skating than most,, but this is how I interpret the therms musicality and artistry. Musicality is when the skater moves with and through the music with natural ease. It comes from within and not easily learned or taught. Artistry is the interpretation of the music and presentation of the story. Musicality is more often associated with "feminine" of softer numbers, while artistry with "masculine" or harder music, though they overlap. I view Yagudin's Winter as more musical, Man In The Iron Mask as artistric and Overcome an even combination of both, although both elements are obviously present in the three numbers. Most of his numbers are a blend of both. Not surprisingly, I think Winter and Overcome were two of the finest numbers ever skated in the sport. Man In The Iron Mask, while effective in telling the story and strong physically, was not among my all time favorites.
Other examples: Gordeeva and Grinkhov, Todd Eldridge for musicality. Sale and Pelletier for artistry, Torvil and Dean's Bolero an equal combination of both.
Other examples: Gordeeva and Grinkhov, Todd Eldridge for musicality. Sale and Pelletier for artistry, Torvil and Dean's Bolero an equal combination of both.
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- Jul 28, 2003
passion said:
You have pretty much answered your own question, however, not all skaters who are good artistically have the musical sense of say a Jeff Buttle or a Kurt Browning. Being able to interpret music well on the ice does has to do with ones musical sensibilities. It's not really something that can be taught, the skater has to feel the music and go with it. The artistic side of figure skating is all the finishing touches the skater puts into his or her program - pointed toe, lovely arm positions, finished jump sequences and excellent spinning positions all add to the artisic side of the program. Interpreting the music well is the "icing on the cake." It really gives a skater a great advantage if he or she is really musical and can capture the feeling of the music.
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- Feb 5, 2004
MKFSfan said:
That's exactly the season i started to understand musicality too - Kwan's Romanza SP - the straightline steps and the steps that went eh length of the rink into the triple toe...done perfectly to the music, totally in style and keeping with the music, including the facial expressions. Its being able to feel the music rather than having someone skate to spanish music in a read dress and just thrusting a hand up because that's "spanishy"!
Ant
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2003
and not to shake your buns to show your Latin rhythm when doing a European dance to Latin music.antmanb said:
Keeping time to the music is essential! Too many skaters when showing off their 'speed' lose the beat of the music, while others lag behind the beat because they are ever so cautious when preparing for a difficult element.
Once a skater has learned to keep proper timing to the music, he/she should express him/herself in terms of the character of the music. Character does not mean one should be Scarlet O'Hara while skating to the score of GWTW. It means expressing the swells and lows and the varied tempi within the music chosen. In other words, wake me up to the way a skater interprets that piece. I'm not terribly interested in watching Toreadors and Warriors and foresaken or fallen maidens unless the skater can actually express these emotions. Generally speaking a skater who has lived a bit to know what emotion is. Young skaters should take an example of the Olygold teenyboppers who just look so cute while executing big tricks and have this smiling waif like look on their faces. It's a winner!
JMO - Joe
- Joined
- Jul 27, 2003
Re: artists don't need musicality to present programs well to the audience...
Well, I'm not sure how--when music is such an integral part of figure skating--could skaters ignore the music that's playing and present the program well to their audience? To me, music is intrinsically important aspect of artistry--you need to FEEL the music first before anything, or else you might as well skate to music at all. How are you able to convince your audience with your art if you don't even know what it's about?
Well, I'm not sure how--when music is such an integral part of figure skating--could skaters ignore the music that's playing and present the program well to their audience? To me, music is intrinsically important aspect of artistry--you need to FEEL the music first before anything, or else you might as well skate to music at all. How are you able to convince your audience with your art if you don't even know what it's about?
Interesting comments from everybody. Thanks for all the responses so far.
To take my question a little further, do most coaches help a skater work on artistry and musicality once the skater can skate through the program techniquely? (In my opinion, no, because I don't even think there are many coaches out there who understand music that well and are not artists/musical by nature).
How can a coach develop musicality and artistry in a skater? (ie. what specific techniques would be used)?
To take my question a little further, do most coaches help a skater work on artistry and musicality once the skater can skate through the program techniquely? (In my opinion, no, because I don't even think there are many coaches out there who understand music that well and are not artists/musical by nature).
How can a coach develop musicality and artistry in a skater? (ie. what specific techniques would be used)?
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- Jul 11, 2003
The choreographer can set the motion for the 'feel' for the music; the coach can remind the skater to 'put something into it'. In the last analysis, it's the skater's inate quality that will show up. Baiul and Lipinsky will bubble all over the place. Cohen will show some flamenco arms to Malaguena. Does she get from the heart or from the choreographer? You be the judge. Of course if you've never seen flamenco dancing then it doesn't matter.passion said:
Joe
A skater who is musical will be able to 'feel' the music that he/she skaters to. His/her movements will be completely related to the music, as if coming from within, and naturally. Michele Kwan is a good example, and so is Sasha Cohen, who had musicality from a very young age. Ever since she was 14, you could sense the feel of the music in every movement she did and from the way she moved. Also, watch the last moments of her olympic lp. The high kick she does after the salchow is IMO an improvisation. She felt the music so much, she had to give something to that high note! So she kicked her leg 
A very nice moment in my eyes....
Artistry....it's a word that includes a lot really... for me I think that when you have artistry you are able to move people. That's it! And an artistic person should be musical, though not necessarily exceptionally musical.
Don't know if that makes any sense. I don't even know if it does for me Sorry but i'm not that good with words!
A very nice moment in my eyes....Artistry....it's a word that includes a lot really... for me I think that when you have artistry you are able to move people. That's it! And an artistic person should be musical, though not necessarily exceptionally musical.
Don't know if that makes any sense. I don't even know if it does for me
Sorry but i'm not that good with words!
