The Face as a means for expression | Golden Skate

The Face as a means for expression

blue dog

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Dec 16, 2006
Unlike most sports, skating is one where the face doesn't/shouldn't betray the athletic effort the competitors exert. For some, the face is used to express, while for others, the face remains blank, relying on their body to express the music.

Yuna Kim has been praised and criticized for using facial expressions. Katia Gordeeva and Elena Berezhnaya use a blank face and are praised for artistry, while Tania Totmianina and Maria Petrova are called passionless for not having much facial expression.

Are facial expressions necessary in skating? Early in the 20th century, dance experienced a shift. For years dancers expressed with their face. Then Nijinsky came along and expressed not with his face but his body.

Perhaps its cultural. When watching Kavaguti and Smirnoff, his facial expression differs greatly from hers.
 

Tonichelle

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Jun 27, 2003
I don't think Katia had a blank face... she's just not overly dramatic.
 

skateluvr

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Oct 23, 2011
That is an interesting post and one I have never thought of, really, except to say that there is acting in skating, as in dance. In ballet, the arms are last to become perfect. In FS, the facial expressions tell the audience how "involved" one is musically. Did MK really feel such passion? Was she acting? I use her as example. Does Yuna really express herself, or was it part of the packaging by her team, part of the choreo/make up? If it enhances the performance, it is good, even necessary.

I think expressive skaters get points for it under any system used, as part of their overall presentation. People want to see happy, joyous skaters if it's light music, or intense expressions. I think of a woman named Susan Boyle, who won a TV UK talent competition. She sang "I dreamed a dream" from Les Miz and was criticized for smiling during a very gut-wrenching song. So, after she was completely repackaged and coached, the facial expressions matched the serious song.

In FS I notice that ice dancers must emote everything, while pair skaters (classic would be Katia) don't emote much. It is more important that the ladies emote, while the men can be expressionless as they focus on their jumping passes. Everyone liked Michelle because she was so joyous. I think FS is just like life. Appropriate expressions to the occasion. Interesting topic.
 

skatinginbc

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Aug 26, 2010
Artistry has long been an integral part of figure skating and is scored in the new judging system as well as the old. Doing everything within the rules to enhance artistry is advantageous to the skater's scores. Under the current system, the emotional involvement of the skater/couple/team to translate the intent of the music and choreography is considered part of the Performance. So, are facial expressions necessary in skating? Yes, if we define "skating" as something that includes Performance/Artistry, not merely technical aspects of skating (e.g., jumping competitions).

In my opinion, a "blank face" is a form of facial expressions, so is a "nervous face", "poker face", "concentrating face", or "deer-in-the-spot-light face". There is no such thing as "no facial expression" because human beings are so good at reading faces that even a slightest change or the lack thereof in the face can evoke a whole different interpretation. Now let's compare Elena Berezhnaya with Tatiana Totmianina, both superficially having a "blank face". Elena’s "blank face" looked soft and subtly sad and so went perfectly with her choice of music that conveyed intrinsic subtle sadness (Have you noticed that most of her competitive program music were in a minor scale?). In contrast, Tatiana’s “blank face” projected uniform coldness due to her relatively sharp facial structure and was thus often in discord with her music that demanded a mixture of emotions (e.g., Westside Story).

A “blank face” that emotes through subtlety is like an abstract painting inviting the viewers to fill out the blank. An “expressive face” that gives realistic, detailed expressions is easier for comprehension and thus facilitates an instant connection with the audience. Takeshi Honda, for instance, put on a “blank face” when skating to Concierto de Aranjuez, which demands a mature look with a subtle sadness, whereas he gave a very “expressive face”, so realistically boyish and happy, in his Sing Sing Sing short program.

So, are “facial expressions” necessary? Well, it depends on the music and the natural visage of the skater.
 
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Joined
Aug 16, 2009
And then there's Akiko Suzuki. A more delighted and delightful expression I have yet to see on a skater. Someone else who's always been very expressive is Midori Ito.

This is such a fascinating topic. I'm wondering (and I'm not sure I've processed the idea clearly enough) whether in a truly expressive skater, part of the expression comes from the body, especially things like the tilt of the head and the movement of the arms—not all the face, in other words.
 

brightphoton

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Jan 23, 2009
I've never been fond of facial expressions. For some skaters, not gonna name any names, it's the body part of last resort when they can't figure out what to do with their legs or arms or movements. There are two facial expressions I'm not fond of

1) Scrunched up your cheeks and open your mouth = DRAMATIC
2) The pasted on, ear to ear grin = general upbeat attitude
 

blue dog

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Dec 16, 2006
I agree with the poster who said the music should drive your expression. A friend of mine, though thrilled for Liza Tuktamisheva for winning her first GP ever, was displeased with how "stoic" her facial expressions were in the Latin-themed free skate.

Some have implied that this may be a cultural thing (Europe/NA/Asia), and that NA/Asian skaters tend to emote with their face a lot more, but if you compare the numerous Carmens throughout the years, you might find that in this instance, facial expression is purely the skater's choice:

Lady Carmens:
1. Witt http://youtu.be/57R7aAY5QiM
2. Thomas http://youtu.be/gW4LqC33TiU
3. Kiellmann http://youtu.be/Uwo-uaFsgis
4. Reuben http://youtu.be/_qCr1zQB7T4
5. Fratianne http://youtu.be/CNVmcitWHfo
6. Nagasu http://youtu.be/3rJX0_QqCTE
7. Cohen http://youtu.be/V6jkL3CrAVk
8. Fontana http://youtu.be/WN8H3hxorg0
9. Kim http://youtu.be/cnAjs1k2eEw
10. Asada http://youtu.be/BfFDratp4_Q
11. Kwan http://youtu.be/IvQp_cV3xBI

Carmens in Dance
1. Navka/Kostamarov http://youtu.be/TxAcG1_Pfd8
2. Krylova/Ovsiannikov http://youtu.be/cphQkdw4fmw
3. Bestemianova/Bukin http://youtu.be/F9-bjM8gdRo
4. Lang/Tchernyshev http://youtu.be/rI9qrdQzlw0

Some express through the face, some the body, many use both (with Anzhelika Krylova, she uses every atom of her being).
 
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skfan

Final Flight
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Jul 29, 2009
I don't think Katia had a blank face... she's just not overly dramatic.

IMO Katia G. achieved the best balance between subtlety and communicativeness. Her face is rarely a gargoyle of angst (most ladies look constipated doing this), her mouth is rarely stuck in the dramatic O. And her smile comes across so spontaneous and genuine that it really reaches the audience.

To the OP, if you still doubt Katia is expressive, that her face is anything but blank, watch that exuberant joy from the 1988 olympics long program. Watch her gaze at Sergei during 'the man I love' or 'Bess, you are my woman now.' Or 'Reverie.' It's not sappy or over the top, it expresses intimacy perfectly.

Now, It's also true that even the slight way she inclines her neck towards Sergei in 'Maria' expresses emotion, so she doesn't have to rely entirely on her face to express her feelings or the program.

When you say Katia doesn't express with her face, are you referring to the any particular program--perhaps the Vocalise program? The Vocalise program was about Rodin statues coming to life, the perfection of the physiques (in motion), so I think the level of expression on her face was appropriate to the music and program.

I'm not a G&G uber--I still think M&D should have won in Lillehammer, and I haven't loved every single program Katia's ever skated, but to me, she has the ideal level of expressiveness.

It's odd because I love MK more, but there are times I think MK's expression is a bit over the top. What I liked was this tangible sincerity I felt from MK--it wasn't always joyous--such as in 'Dante's Prayer.'

An over-done expression doesn't always kill my love of a skater / program. I love Silverstein & Pekarek and MK, for goodness sake. But sometimes I feel it doesn't fit the music or mood--i.e. Paul and Islam in one of my favorite programs last season--she made way too many O faces during Casablanca.
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
IMO Katia G. achieved the best balance between subtlety and communicativeness. Her face is rarely a gargoyle of angst (most ladies look constipated doing this), her mouth is rarely stuck in the dramatic O. And her smile comes across so spontaneous and genuine that it really reaches the audience.

To the OP, if you still doubt Katia is expressive, that her face is anything but blank, watch that exuberant joy from the 1988 olympics long program. Watch her gaze at Sergei during 'the man I love' or 'Bess, you are my woman now.' Or 'Reverie.' It's not sappy or over the top, it expresses intimacy perfectly.

Now, It's also true that even the slight way she inclines her neck towards Sergei in 'Maria' expresses emotion, so she doesn't have to rely entirely on her face to express her feelings or the program.

When you say Katia doesn't express with her face, are you referring to the any particular program--perhaps the Vocalise program? The Vocalise program was about Rodin statues coming to life, the perfection of the physiques (in motion), so I think the level of expression on her face was appropriate to the music and program.

I'm not a G&G uber--I still think M&D should have won in Lillehammer, and I haven't loved every single program Katia's ever skated, but to me, she has the ideal level of expressiveness.

It's odd because I love MK more, but there are times I think MK's expression is a bit over the top. What I liked was this tangible sincerity I felt from MK--it wasn't always joyous--such as in 'Dante's Prayer.'

I'll just say yes, indeed!--except that I think I'm probably a G&G uber.
 
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Violet Bliss

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Nov 19, 2010
Facial expressions are a lot more important to TV and online viewers than to live spectators in the nose bleed sections. Even judges don't get to see so much close-up. Female and some male skaters wear makeup to make their facial features more visible.
 

Serious Business

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Jan 7, 2011
Facial expressions are a lot more important to TV and online viewers than to live spectators in the nose bleed sections. Even judges don't get to see so much close-up. Female and some male skaters wear makeup to make their facial features more visible.

As skatinginbc pointed out, the human brain is extraordinarily sensitive to distinguishing faces. If I recall, there was research done that showed people could distinguish pictures of celebrities even when they were reduced to just a few pixels of information! I would definitely not underestimate the impact of facial expression even on the nosebleed section, never mind the judges up front.

In dance, the entire body is a vehicle for expression. It's not that the face is more or less important than any other part in conveying the performance, it's as important as any other part. Some skaters have trouble conveying purpose and art in their leg lines, some with their faces. It doesn't make them bad performers, just incomplete ones.

And no, it doesn't mean every skater skating to every piece should have huge visible facial expressions, such as may be found on the skater in my icon. There are subtler pieces that require subtler expressions. Just as one may dial down the arm flailing for a gentler piece of music. Skaters should feel the music and express it sincerely and thoughtfully with every part of their being.

I think for the most part, though, most of the top skaters do a good job of being open and musical with their facial expressions. I can't think of any top skaters competing right now that I'd complain about.

One area I'd like to see skaters pay more attention to, in terms of expressing the music, emotions and theatricality of their pieces, is their edging and stroking. Daisuke Takahashi is a master at this. He does have the most wonderful facial expressions and body lines, but his feet tell half the story.
 

blue dog

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Dec 16, 2006
I'm not an expert in skating nor dancing. I would like to learn more about his "feet". Can you tell me more about it?

Like John Curry before him, Daisuke is able to get the same amount of power when going slow as he does when he goes fast (unlike most skaters who have to.go fast), so daisuke is able to skate slowly during slow sections and fast during fast sections and not lose power. Other skaters speed through their whole program.
 

Dragonlady

Final Flight
Joined
Aug 23, 2003
So, are “facial expressions” necessary? Well, it depends on the music and the natural visage of the skater.

I hadn't really thought about this before but reading your post, I thought about how facial expressions influenced my opinion of skaters. If a skater looks nervous, it's difficult to relax while watching them. If the skater looks relaxed and confident on the ice, then I can relax and enjoy their program more easily. In terms of performance expressions, it can be distracting to have skaters smile happily through music from tragic ballets and operas, but an expression which matches the mood and tone of the music helps the audience connect with the skater and the performance.
 

Dragonlady

Final Flight
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Aug 23, 2003
I'm not an expert in skating nor dancing. I would like to learn more about his "feet". Can you tell me more about it?

I call Daisuke the Man With the Magic Feet because during footwork sequences his feet become the music. Credit of course must be given to the choreographer for creating the steps, but in Dai's case, this has happened with the various people he has worked with over the years so it is not just them alone, but is due in large part to his ability to bring those steps to life. I know he didn't jump all that well at Skate Canada but look at his feet throughout that program, especially during the footwork. No other explanation will be necessary.
 

Violet Bliss

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Nov 19, 2010
I find facial expression easiest to observe when a skater is not moving fast, at the beginning and end of the program, during spirals and slow part of the music, and when there is a stop, usually between different tempos. Of course some stay in place just to emote. Then their facial expressions actually become the focus. The images immediately coming to my mind are MK's joyous smiles doing her spirals, and Abbott's face starting a program. Contrast of a very nervous look before the program and that of relief after is also very noticeable to me.

And then, there are people who are mostly interested in jump and spin faces.
 
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Joined
Aug 16, 2009
I call Daisuke the Man With the Magic Feet because during footwork sequences his feet become the music. Credit of course must be given to the choreographer for creating the steps, but in Dai's case, this has happened with the various people he has worked with over the years so it is not just them alone, but is due in large part to his ability to bring those steps to life. I know he didn't jump all that well at Skate Canada but look at his feet throughout that program, especially during the footwork. No other explanation will be necessary.


I'm with you!
 
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