2023-24 Programs by Discipline | Page 14 | Golden Skate

2023-24 Programs by Discipline

Timothy LeDuc posted a clip and a picture on his Instagram with Deanna & Max. Apparently, Deanna is from Chicago and she went back home to visit, and also stopped by the Oakton rink. It looks like Timothy has worked on a program with Deanna & Max, but I don't see any details mentioned. Deanna also posted about the visit on her Instagram. There's a nice pic of Deanna & Max with Alexa & Chris. 🥰


 
Prince and Parapluies de Cherbourg.. Honestly... not happy... It's kind of Virtue and Moir 2.0 programs. Now, to be fair, Cherbourg wasn't created by IAM... It's iconic though. If I think they can do Prince quite well, not convinced about the 🌂
Johnny Weir skated to Umbrellas of Cherbourg. He's the first skater I think of when I hear that song. Maybe it's been used by other skaters, besides Weir & V/M, but I don't readily recall. I didn't even remember V/M skated to it, which is probably heresy for V/M fans. 😉 Anyhoo, I don't think of UoC as a war horse, but that's just my take.

As a skating fan, I don't see anything wrong with skaters taking on music associated with other skaters. It's often a sign of respect, and a love for the music.
 
Johnny Weir skated to Umbrellas of Cherbourg. He's the first skater I think of when I hear that song. Maybe it's been used by other skaters, besides Weir & V/M, but I don't readily recall. I didn't even remember V/M skated to it, which is probably heresy for V/M fans. 😉 Anyhoo, I don't think of UoC as a war horse, but that's just my take.

As a skating fan, I don't see anything wrong with skaters taking on music associated with other skaters. It's often a sign of respect, and a love for the music.
I don't believe music belongs to skaters. It doesn't even belong to composers as many performers make it live. However, in this particular case, the association is quite strong, and because the SP is also music that is iconic to VM, then it makes it a bit much. Too bad you don't recall this magical program for VM. But you know, I don't recall any programs of Weir so we are even :) We certainly have different tastes. However, this is a piece that should be done in ice dance IMHO, or pairs... it's a love song between two people... sort of weird that Johnny did it as a singles skater... anyhoo...
 
Last edited:
Now we know: definitely Thomas Feiner version

Well, I like the song, Hallelujah. There's something deep and poignant about the lyrics. It works well for a skating program, which is why different versions have been used so often by skaters. The repeated use of Hallelujah reminds me of the popularity of Ave Maria, and of La Boheme.

However, I confess that I don't like this version of Hallelujah that Deniss has chosen. I love his skating, and I love him. Too bad he didn't find something more inspired for his fans. But, if he's inspired, that's the important thing. I can see this version being more than a bit tiresome and clunky over the course of the season, especially for fans who don't like any version of this song.
 
Last edited:
No need for the lecture. I don't believe music belong to skaters. It doesn't even belong to composers as many performers make it live. However, in this particular case, the association is quite strong, and because the SP is also music that is iconic to VM, then it makes it a bit much. Too bad you don't recall this magical program for VM. But you know, I don't recall any programs of Weir so we are even :) We certainly have different tastes. However, this is a piece that should be done in ice dance IMHO, or pairs... it's a love song between two people... sort of weird that Johnny did it as a singles skater... anyhoo...
@4everchan, I don't post anything on GS to lecture anyone. I take it as a great privilege to come here and share my thoughts and opinions with other fans of skating. IMO, it should not be taken personally when fans do not share the same opinions. It's normal for fs fans to disagree with each other, just as there can be agreement on some topics too. 👍

Revisiting Virtue/ Moir's performance to UoC, brings back fond memories, as well as great enjoyment, even though I wasn't following them, nor ice dance that closely circa 2008. I don't characterize my not readily remembering that V/M skated to UoC, yet remembering that Johnny Weir did as something to be 'even' over with a fan of V/M. I enjoy, admire and respect many skaters, whether or not they were special favorites who drew me in as a huge fan during their careers.
(FYI -- This is not a lecture either. It's just how I feel in response to your comments).

Maybe there was something about the music Johnny enjoyed. He skated to an instrumental version in 2000-2001, so the love story is not a factor in his performance.

Of course, lyrics were not allowed in singles and pairs until after the 2014 Sochi Olympics. Lyrics were allowed in ice dance, with some restrictions, beginning in 1997-1998. As their fans would remember, Virtue/ Moir, skated to the movie soundtrack version of UoC, which contained some lyrics.
 
I was a little surprised Lim/Quan chose Umbrellas too, it feels iconic to VM for me as well, but Hannah Lim was 3 years old when they skated to it, so there's an entire generation who don't feel that connection 😅

I'm happy they're skating Prince - I was hoping for When Doves Cry and Let's Go Crazy - should have a pretty different feel than the songs VM used. some of the songs teams are choosing will be interesting to see how they incorporate the Silver Samba
 
Last edited:
@4everchan, I don't post anything on GS to lecture anyone. I take it as a great privilege to come here and share my thoughts and opinions with other fans of skating. IMO, it should not be taken personally when fans do not share the same opinions. It's normal for fs fans to disagree with each other, just as there can be agreement on some topics too. 👍

Revisiting Virtue/ Moir's performance to UoC, brings back fond memories, as well as great enjoyment, even though I wasn't following them, nor ice dance that closely circa 2008. I don't characterize my not readily remembering that V/M skated to UoC, yet remembering that Johnny Weir did as something to be 'even' over with a fan of V/M. I enjoy, admire and respect many skaters, whether or not they were special favorites who drew me in as a huge fan during their careers.
(FYI -- This is not a lecture either. It's just how I feel in response to your comments).

Maybe there was something about the music Johnny enjoyed. He skated to an instrumental version in 2000-2001, so the love story is not a factor in his performance.

Of course, lyrics were not allowed in singles and pairs until after the 2014 Sochi Olympics. Lyrics were allowed in ice dance, with some restrictions, beginning in 1997-1998. As their fans would remember, Virtue/ Moir, skated to the movie soundtrack version of UoC, which contained some lyrics.
No worries...I had removed the first sentence of my post but perhaps a bit too late as it got quoted.. Oups :) This is perhaps a cultural thing about Les parapluies. As a French speaker, instrumental version or not, the movie (melodrama) is so well-known (it did win Palme d'Or at Cannes festival !) , with a young Catherine Deneuve, and of course with Michel Legrand's music, that it just makes no sense without a love story... Ye speaks French perfectly well. It will be fun to see how they portray it. It is not the happiest of love stories... It was released in 1964, so it's 60 years old... and will be well appreciated by the crowd at Montreal worlds. (younger and older folks alike).
 
^^ Thanks for pointing all that out about the history of Les Parapluies de Cherbourg @4everchan. 🌦☔🌈

I see under pairs programs this season that Golubeva/ Giotopoulous of Australia are skating their 2023-24 free program to Umbrellas of Cherbourg. They are a very good young pairs team, so it will be interesting to see which version they are using.

As I mentioned, I wasn't following ice dance that closely in the mid-to-late 2000s, nor did I follow juniors. Thus, I didn't know much about either V/M, nor even Davis/White till the 2009-2010 season. I never witnessed V/M's UofC in real time. After these teams' ascendancy and over the course of their rivalry, I got caught up with some of their early work. I missed out not seeing them when they were in juniors and when they first came up to seniors. I see that V/M were 2nd at Worlds in 2008 with UoC, their first time on the senior Worlds podium. The beginning of an amazing and legendary senior career.
 
Last edited:
Johnny Weir skated to Umbrellas of Cherbourg. He's the first skater I think of when I hear that song. Maybe it's been used by other skaters, besides Weir & V/M, but I don't readily recall. I didn't even remember V/M skated to it, which is probably heresy for V/M fans. 😉 Anyhoo, I don't think of UoC as a war horse, but that's just my take.

As a skating fan, I don't see anything wrong with skaters taking on music associated with other skaters. It's often a sign of respect, and a love for the music.
My first Umbrellas program that I've seen (and first I've ever heard the music) was by the Canadian synchro team Les Supremes in 2001. It was remixed for them, so a unique version.

I wasn't following skating between 2006 and 2010 so I completely missed the VM version, but Peng and Jin skated to it 2016/2017 and I loved their version too.
 
OK, if we are doing favorite Parapluies de Cherbourg programs...

I present to you, Misha Ge. (and I will run away saying that Virtue/Moir have always left me cold, I never saw their Umbrellas program, and I am not going to watch it now. I know that makes me the only person on the skating planet who doesn't like them, but that's OK, I'll live:biggrin:. I do like Johnny's)

 
"Why some music can be problematic"

7qonor.jpg


(just had to make it, even as a Deniss fan :biggrin: )
 
For those who don't know me, I am a Deniss fan. I have loved him since "Putting on the Ritz".

This is THE worst version of Hallelujah I have ever heard, and that is saying something.o_O


I like the choreo and Deniss' commitment is admirable. I will watch on muting for the rest of the season. I will watch, because I like Deniss. But on muting. :(

I tried muting and overlaying with the Jeff Buckley version, maybe I'm biased (I adore Jeff Buckley) but I thought it worked beautifully.
 
This is a program where I don't fully understand the lyrics and their meaning, and I'm not sure how I feel about this. It's so cool that someone uses this kind of music, but this very song ? 🧐
 
Back
Top