Lovers of Ballet: Happy or unhappy when ballet music is used in figure skating?

[Mathman]

What is interesting about the Jackson Haines saga, as I understand it, is that the style of skating that he invented was scorned in the U.S. as being too sissy, so he had to take his show on the road to Vienna, where there was a greater appreciation for balletic movement.

 

[layman]

What is interesting about the Jackson Haines saga, as I understand it, is that the style of skating that he invented was scorned in the U.S. as being too sissy, so he had to take his show on the road to Vienna, where there was a greater appreciation for balletic movement.

That is interesting...and the style of skating that he invented was finally accepted in the US in 1914 and that "International Style" has been the only one practiced all around the world ever since.

 

[Dodhiyel]

Thank you so much, layman!

I think ballet is beautiful, and I never mind in the least when ballet music is used in figure skating programs, quite the contrary. I am always delighted to see it.

One of the traditions in all the arts, is to do a new interpretation of an "old" theme. We can see this in oil painting, in cinema, in dance, in plays, etc. Each age adds a layer to the tradition surrounding a theme generally acknowledged to be classic, whether it is an historical theme, a mythological theme, a literary theme, or a musical composition. It is always interesting to me to see the new interpretations by artists, including figure skaters and their choreographers. I don't get tired of the "good stuff" .

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

Figure skating and ballet have always been intimitely associated one with the other.

The man who invented the modern steel blade figure skate in the 1850's (and who also invented Figure Skating itself), Mr. Jackson Haines (1840 - 1875) was a ballet master from New York City. During the American Civil War, he brought ballet on ice shows to Europe.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackson_Haines

He didn't invent figure skating. He contributed to it by putting music to it. It then became Free Skate. Otherwise we would have a bunch of guys knocking off quints today, or jumping 10 laid out barrels.

Born a Canadian and then migrated to the US, and with the music he wowed them in Vienna, and soon the world. He also invented the sitz spin. From those dates you give, ballet was hardly a word in the US. He's not mentioned on this board except for me. Most people find Messrs Salchow and Lutz as the more important free skate influence. But Jackson Haines and skating to music is what we have today.

Joe

 

[pennyfromheaven]

I love ballet music and enjoy seeing it skated too as long as the skater skates well and the program is well choreographed. Actually music aside, I am really happy when I see that skaters have ballet TRAINING in addition to their skating. It makes them so much more graceful and beautiful to watch.

 

[layman]

He didn't invent figure skating. He contributed to it by putting music to it. It then became Free Skate. Otherwise we would have a bunch of guys knocking off quints today, or jumping 10 laid out barrels.
Joe

Since Jackson Haines invented the modern figure skate and also invented the modern method of skating, then he actually DID invent figure skating as we know it today.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

Since Jackson Haines invented the modern figure skate and also invented the modern method of skating, then he actually DID invent figure skating as we know it today.

I agreed. much before that was jumping barrels. However, who was studying ballet in the US at that time? A few little girls who hoped they could get a job with the opera company, if there was an opera company. Did he study ballet in Canada?

Check out Wikipedia for History of Ballet. It's origins in the Western World is Italy; then France where it got it's French names. I think Haines was born the same year that the French created Giselle.

Joe