What Ballets Besides "Swan Lake" Would Make a Good Competitive Skating Program?

Since Rgirl brought up Balanchine, there's a substantial number of works he used that could be great for figure skating; some of the ballets that used them are:

Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto #2 (aka Ballet Imperial, especially the end of the first movement and beginning and end of the third movement.

Allegro Brilliante, set to Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto #3.

A Midsummer Night's Dream, set to Mendelssohn's incidental music for the play, as well as the sublime second movement of his Symphony No. 9 for Strings that is the music for the sublime second act pas de deux.

Ballo Della Regina, set to the ballet music from Verdi's Don Carlo .

Chaconne, with music from Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice. When I hear "Dance of the Blessed Spirits," I always think of Angela Nikodinov, but Shizuka Arakawa could also be beautiful in this.

Tarantella, to Gottschalk's Grand Tarantelle. This would make a superb, high-energy Men's SP.

Walpurgisnacht Ballet, to Gounod's ballet music from Faust.

Pas de Dix/Cortege Hongrois/Raymonda Variations, set to different parts of Glazunov's score for the ballet Raymonda. The great sweeping "famous" adagio would be great for pairs. I can see Cohen in Raymonda's variation to solo piano. (I can also see Sebestyen skating to the same music, and maybe Joannie Rochette.)

Robert Schumann's 'Davidsbundlertanze', especially the second-to-last variation that's a more dramatic repeat of #2. For pairs. The last variation is also gorgeous, but may be a little too somber for skating.

Liebeslieder Walzer, the four-handed piano version. This has some lovely selections that would work beautifully the next time the waltz is an OD selection. Also Brahms' Sixteen Waltzes Op. 39 has another lovely selection.

Concerto Barocco, to Bach's Double Violin Concerto in D Minor, especially the beautiful adagio.

Symphony in C, 17-year-old Bizet's first published symphony, a school exercise. It also has a gorgeous adagio, but the third movement would have some promise as a transition part of a LP, and the fourth movement has lots of spirited, intense music.

Brahms-Schoenberg Quartet, Schoenberg's orchestration of Brahms' Piano Quartet No. 1 in G minor, especially the final "Rondo Alla Zingarese. Slutskaya could kill with this music.

From "Jewels," which Rgirl listed, the luxurious adagio from Diamonds, set to Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 3, would make a great Pairs SP. Some of the Faure's music used for Emeralds would make part of a lovely Ladies' SP. The jazzy four-hand guitar version of Faure's "Pavane" could be terrific for dance.

The Stravinsky used in Rubies has fantastic rhythms, but might be a little tough for the audiences. It would make a great program along with the third theme and the ends of "Melancholic" and "Choleric" from Hindemith's The Four Temperaments.

There's some other music I think would be terrific. If anyone were ever again tempted by West Side Story, Joshua Bell's version of the suite is wonderful, as are two selections from his "Romance of the Violin" CD: "Nocturne" by Chopin could be a wonderful Ladies SP. "Elegie: O Doux Printemps" would be a lovely piece for Pairs or Ladies.

From Swan Lake, I wish someone would use the fourth act adagio, music that is definitely not famous. A famous part, the music in Act II that is played after the pas de deux, and after the solos, when the swans come back, building to Odette's fast and furious passes/beats that move upstage would be a very exciting pairs SP. (I envision the 8 pairs elements when I hear it.)

There's also a wonderful piece of music that the player piano plays in Jean Renior's Rules of the Game. I can't get it out of my head, but I don't know what it is. It might be from Bizet's "L'Arlesienne Suite", or I might be smoking.

Re the second link from the NEW YORK TIMES, since it costs $2.95, could you give us an idea of what's in the article? You can tell from the first paragraph that they're talking about a pregnant skater, I'm just curious as to which ballets she did.

Click to expand...

Sorry about that. It was an interesting article. Apparently Julie Kent is a baseball fan.

Anyway: ballets......

Ms Kent performed leads in "Within You Without You: A Tribute to George Harrison", "Dorian" and "Pillar of Fire", which features, oddly enough, a spinster heroine who unwittingly knocks herself up.

Click to expand...

Some were too taxing. And then there were costume issues with other ballets. Kevin benched me! [Laughs] I was watching the World Series when I got the call that I wouldn't be in "Without Words" and "Petit Mort". I felt like the pitcher at the mound having the ball taken from him. But Kevin thought the costumes were too revealing.

Click to expand...

i like the nutcracker, esp. the dewdrop fairy's music for a singles skater.

Surprising no one had used "Dance of the Hours" by Pon.....(sp). Would be fun to watch.

music

I think there is so much music out there, that most skating music should only be limited to 5 skaters per song...

dance teams need to leave spente le stelle/feeling begins/anything by nino rota alone. there's a lot of good ice dance music in today's popular music. a lot of alternative bands have songs that 1. are poetic and 2. have the necessary beat that is required in ice dance. i really like dido's song, here with me. I like the routine nicole performed to it, but i think it's very good for an ice dance team...anyone agree?

Re: music

thisthingcalledlove said:

dance teams need to leave spente le stelle/feeling begins/anything by nino rota alone. there's a lot of good ice dance music in today's popular music. a lot of alternative bands have songs that 1. are poetic and 2. have the necessary beat that is required in ice dance. i really like dido's song, here with me. I like the routine nicole performed to it, but i think it's very good for an ice dance team...anyone agree?

Click to expand...

ITA about ice dancers reusing the same music. If I see an ice dance team use a cut from "Storm" by Vanessa Mae one more time, I will go crazy!!!

I agree with the argument for more popular music in ice dance, but I think the reason you don't see it is the stigma that hangs over ice dance. As the only discipline that allows vocal music, you have so much potential to use so many different kinds and genres of music, yet you always have the judges and the ice dancing elite who look down on you because "it's not traditional" or "the judges won't like that". I'm thinking back to when Lang & Tchernyshev skated to "Parisian Walkways" for their FD and the commentators kept going on about how the program "seemed like an exhibiton" and "really wasn't the kind of thing that would play well with the judges". Ideally, of course, it shouldn't be about the judges, but in ice dancing, a sport notorious for judge conspiracies, how can it not be? The only possibility for breaking out is something along the lines of B&A Elvis routine; the judges like it, but it just seems so cheesy (don't get me wrong, I liked that routine)

Does anyone remember several years ago, when Rahkamo and Kokko (one of my favs. Go Finland!) skated to "Beyond the Invisible" by Enigma? It was only a show program, but it was such an innovative and inspired move (and an excellent routine). Even Grishuk and Platov's routine to "You'll See" by Madonna was more along the lines of what we need. IMHO, screw the judges and go with your gut, people. You're trying to create the effect of a dance and a character; let the music (whatever it is) be what inspires you to that, not opinions (Who knows, the CoP might give better rewards for it?)

PS: If anyone remembers that Rahkamo and Kokko program and knows where I can get a video clip, please tell me. Maybe one of the Finns out there can help me out

ITA about "Storm" as well. Actually, anything with sound effects in it -- wind, bird calls, dripping water, needs to be left alone. Stanick Jeannette, who's a little too weird for my taste to begin with, did something to a Saint-Saens concerto with duck noises or something that sounded like them edited in. By the time he came out to skate at the 01 Worlds, I'd already seen the thing (and worse, heard it) 3 times on TV so since he was the last skater in that group anyway I just took an early cigarette break...

Matt,
Rahkamo and Kokko skated "Beyond the Invisible" during their one-year stint with Stars on Ice. It would have been the year after they retired from eligible competition. So someone might have a tape of the televised version of SOI that year. Also, Janna is from Finland. You might want to PM her and ask if she has any info. Good luck! I love that program. I love R&K and miss them. IMO they were the only ice dance team that ever pulled off a Fellini-inspired Nino Rota program.


Hockeyfan,
Thanks so much for listing all those great Balanchine works and the music. I was thinking about looking to see if there was a list of his ballets and the music for them on the web--I remember some, but my memory gets more like Swiss cheese every day, lol--but your list was great. Actually, what Balanchine did with music and ballet is what I'd like to see more choreographers and coaches do with music and skating. Before Balanchine, the ballet world was all "Swan Lake," "Don Quixote," and a few great classics. Balanchine made it okay to use everything from Bach to Stravinsky for ballet--even John Phillip Sousa. Speaking of Stravinksy, "Rite of Spring" anyone?

BTW, I don't have anything against skaters using "Swan Lake," "Carmen," or any of the other warhorses. It's just that it seems the same mindset that leads to use of the same old same old music also seems to lead to creating the same old same old choreography. While I agree that Sasha only sparkled a couple of times in her performances of "Swan Lake," in the fullest version of the choreography, which was at Trophee Lalique, I thought it was interesting, had some beautifully unique moves, and as a whole was both difficult and well-done. I'm hoping that at Worlds, even if the choreography is not what it was at Lalique that Robin Wagner will help Sasha find a way to convey her joy of skating it.

It seems clear AP has had some problems this season, whether they have to do with injury or attitude, but she didn't choreograph her "Swan Lake" program and nothing against AP--I thought she was absolutely gorgeous last season and really hope she can return to that--but even if she had performed it to the hilt, there wasn't anything in that "SL" choreography that distinguished it, IMO. I don't even mind arm flaps in "SL" or imitation "fan" hand movements in "Carmen" if the rest of the choreography does something beyond the cliché movements.

Actually, if a skater is going to do "Swan Lake" or "Carmen," I'd rather they do it late in their eligible career, or even wait until they turn pro. Just as the Odette/Odile and Carmen roles go to the older, more experienced prima ballerinas, I think the same approach should be taken with skaters. I too don't think a skater can convey a story in four minutes and much prefer that they focus on interpreting the music with a sense of the character, rather than a literal interpretation. But even to do the former, I think it takes a more mature and experienced skater in conjunction with a creative and experienced choreographer to really express something of depth and artistry in these roles. I think young skaters are anxious to do these roles to prove themselves or because they really "feel" the music or the character--and I'm sure they do. I just wish somebody would talk them out of it, lol.
Rgirl

ballets

I skimmed the thread as it is getting so long. I would like to see
many parts of Nutcraker be chosen. Also Firebird, by Stravinsky.

I love to see Stars and Stripes, by Ballanchine, Jewels by Mr. B.,
Agon, any Balanchine peice tried by singles pairs or adagio couple.

Also Le Bayadere ( loved Sarah's version) and Don Quixote for one of the men. Maybe Johnny Weir.

rgirl, your metioning the ballet from Oklahoma also reminded me of another wonderful ballet score. Agnes De Mille's Rodeo is a great ballet with lots of great musical themes and passages.

"It's not's what's for dinner, it's what to skate to, Sasha!"

Unfortunately the "howdown" section used in the Beef commercials is the most known of the ballet, but it has lots of other interesting music that would be suitable for skating in almost all diciplines.

I also wonder why more skaters don't use overtures to theatrical musicals, as well. Ususally it intertwines all the major themes and is already "cut" from transition to transition.


Just an interesting question, since someone brought up GWTW...
Has anyone ever done a ballet to any Max Stiener music?

Also, Have any skaters besides Vika used Stiener music to skate? I would think his lyric and thematic music would be perfect for some skaters.

bad cuts

JonnyCoop said:

ITA about "Storm" as well. Actually, anything with sound effects in it -- wind, bird calls, dripping water, needs to be left alone. Stanick Jeannette, who's a little too weird for my taste to begin with, did something to a Saint-Saens concerto with duck noises or something that sounded like them edited in. By the time he came out to skate at the 01 Worlds, I'd already seen the thing (and worse, heard it) 3 times on TV so since he was the last skater in that group anyway I just took an early cigarette break...

Click to expand...

I think the French are the biggest offenders of bad cuts. I couldnt' stand the Cyrano De Bergerac free dance performed by Anissina and Peizerat at the Olympics. One day I had to watch Cyrano De Bergerac for my French Lit class, and when the opening credits were rolling, I recognized the music right away.

Does someone remember a few years ago in Nagano when Vanessa Gusmeroli used that horrible music? The four elements program that included Batman, some weird Kenny G sax song with the sound of water flowing in the background, the sound of fire in the background of El Amor Brujo?

JonnyCoop said:

I agree about "Coppelia" -- there's some great music there and I'm surprised it hasn't been used more often. There are also some great selections from "Gaite Parisienne" that never get used. I'd also like to see someone use music from "Sylvia".

Click to expand...

Kristi and Kurt used music from 'Gaite Parisienne' for their respective LPs at 89 Worlds - which happened to be in Paris. Nicole also used it in her 93 SP and her 94 LP.

Kristi and Rudi used music from 'Coppelia' in their 90 LP. Dan and Hao Zhang used it in their 2002 LP.

I have not heard Delibes's 'Sylvia'. On another note, the San Francisco Ballet will be debuting the full-length Sylvia choreographed by Mark Morris this season. I will have the opportunity to see it in May.

Herm (sk8ngnutt)

hrmsk8ngnutt said:

Kristi and Kurt used music from 'Gaite Parisienne' for their respective LPs at 89 Worlds - which happened to be in Paris. Nicole also used it in her 93 SP and her 94 LP.

Click to expand...

I remember that -- but they used the same cuts that everyone else uses when they skate to it. The whole ballet has terrific music; if it's going to be used, I wish skaters would select a few of the selections that haven't already been heard.

swan lake

if anyone in san diego wants to see it, the cal ballet is performing it at the cal centre for the arts in escondido. it's the happy ending version...which i don't like much, as it was the version stalin imposed on the soviets during his reign. the original was better.

anyhoo, i danced with cal ballet once...many many years ago...so i'm putting in a shameless plug...

*end shameless plug*