They don't do that at the Metropolitan Opera House which is full of 'artistry'. I believe they use a claque from time to time, but that claque is hired by the performer. Do you think figure skaters hire screechers?On the other thread people are conjecturing that NBC must have hired some young girls from the audience to stand next to the microphone and screech into it for the whole show.
Actually, the initial question on this thread is an interesting one. Do we really remember and cherish the way a skater used music in a competitive performance, long after the preformance is over?
I remember Ilia Kulik landing a huge quad at the 1998 Olympics. I don't remember what music was playing.
The Battle of the Brians was thrilling. I do not remember what either of them skated to.
Two of the most memorable performances of all time (for me) were Michelle Kwan's Red Violin and Song of the Black Swan, as performed at 2000 Worlds and 2001 Worlds. Although I remember the names of the programs, I cannot whistle the tunes of either of these pieces.(The farther a skater strays from Carmen, the harder is is to make the music memorable.)
Exhibitions, now, that's another story. Michelle's East of Eden and Fields of Gold utilized every note. We can't imagine the performance without the music.
I have been wondering about the components of "musical skating."
Dance qualities are important and like dancers we see that skaters are judged on their rhythmic ability and how well they skate to the pulse of the music.
Use of body positions can also express music and we see this from dancers and skaters.
There is also an important theatrical element and we see dancers and skaters using facial expressions as well as their arms and body positions to express drama, tranquilty, as well as humor.
When I think of skaters who appear to be good dancers Oksana and Sasha come to mind - but Michelle not nearly as much.
Yet Michelle is considered by many as a supremely musical skater.
Is this where we can begin to see a difference between dancing and skating? I think Michelle was certainly a theatrical skater and through use of superior "boot down" technique used her body to express many nuances of the music in a way that seemd more expressive than many other skaters.
Thinking about the theatrical aspects we see that Rachael can smile and show us a dramatic facial expression. She seems to have rhythmic abilty too. What does seem to be lacking at times is good posture, elegant positions and a natural dancer's grace.
Some of that might have more to do with flexibilty. But Michelle was not the most flexible skater and did not have the long arms and legs we associate with dancers. Yet she still was able to show us beautiful positions and very graceful movements across the ice.
Command of the ice, charisma, "it" factor or whatever we want to call it seems very important in skating. :yes:
Michael Jordan had major "it" factor but because basketball is a real sport he still had to score and play defense in order to win a championship.
Do skaters with big "it" factor still need to interpret their steps as musically as other skaters? Is a pose or flapping arms the same thing as a real transition? Does the "running man" really count for anything more than a laugh?
We see pcs for certain skaters marked very high at times when they really haven't shown superior rhythmic or interpretive skill or very complex choreography.:frown2:
We also see Abbot, a very musical skater - but one who shows a more personal and introverted style of skating getting about the same pcs as skaters who are showing much less music interpretation with simpler choreo and easier transitions.
Maybe Jeremy needs to add the "moonwalk" to his repertoire in order for his artistry to be better recognized
No seriously, I think Jeremy has the potential to skate to all sorts of things. Maybe he SHOULD broaden things about a bit....
Good points, janetfan/B] . .
I think where we sometimes go wrong is by confusing facial expression with musicality. Maybe we need to recognize that it's possible to emote with the body as well as the face. What a skater's feeling, emotionally, may have a more subtle expression on the face and still move me because of their overall expression, but no amount of facial contortion can move me if the skater is not interpreting the music with his/her body.
Since you mention Jeremy , let's just take him as an example .( Though there are many others) He feels the music with his whole body..and not just each beat , but every 1/2 and 1/4 beat in between, so that his movements fill all of the music, and if he moves into half time, or double time, or some little syncopation, he can always come smoothly and perfectly back into time. All of the music is used. Watching him, we experience the music fully through his movements.
Some skaters have this ability naturally , some might have gained it through some form of dance training ( or Gymnastics , or whatever).. it can be taught , to a degree. Those who are naturally gifted will probably always be better , but anyone can improve. I'm just talking about being one with the music here, apart from position, line etc.
E.G. In adult recreational dance classes , you can often see results immediately, when students learn to use that.. "AND"..before the beat..breathe in on the AND, begin...if they're jumpimg , knee bend on the AND, spring..arm movements, slight lift of the arm or reverse motion AND,begin..Eventually many will be using it on their own without being reminded, and their overall musicality improves.
The "It" factor can add an extra dimension...but it just annoys me when it's all used in the promotion of the skater and the program becomes incidental. Plushenko is the major offender here. Amazing athlete..programs bore me to tears. It all looks the same and they're all about " I'm #1..I can moonwalk..I can stand still and wiggle my pelvis."..what a waste of a phenomenal talent.
..Now it's everywhere ; singles , pairs..I can't help imagining the poor kids gorming away into a mirror for hours, trying to perfect it.
