On the Road to Vancouver - Any new programs?

[evangeline]

I agree. I loved watchig Shizuka skate to Turandot when she won her national title, and I really liked her Fantasie Impromtu LP in the 2005-06 season. Her LP at the olympics was so flat however, all the choreography was gone, all the spins looked exactly the same, there was no emotion. I am not starting a "she was robbed" argument, i don't have a beef with her winning, but we all knew should do so much more.

I agree, especially since we saw how spectacularly Shizuka skated to Turandot when she won her 2004 World title!

As much as I like to see new programs, I wouldn't terribly mind if Yu-Na kept her Danse Macabre SP. She's performed it very well for almost every event she's skated it in, and she sure can sell it. Ditto for Mukortova/Trankov's Nobody Home SP, it's simply beautiful and they seem much more comfortable with it (especially when compared to their LP).

I also hope that Lysacek will avoid the old warhorses he's been using for ages.

 

[Morning Glory]

Yukari Nakano has announced her new programs for the next season.

http://yukarinakano.jp/en/profile/pgs0910.html

SP--The Phantom of the Opera from Phantasia
FP--The Firebird

Both are choreographed by Marina Zueva

EX1--Harem choreographed by Kenji Miyamoto
EX2--Sparkling Diamonds from Moulin Rouge! choreographed by Kumiko Sato

Perhaps she doesn't want to have same programs with other skaters anymore.

 

[gio]

SP--The Phantom of the Opera from Phantasia
FP--The Firebird

Excellent choices Yukari!!

 

[merrybari]

I think a smart competitor will go with music that works for him/her. If it's old warhorses so be it. The warhorse music is used over and over again because it DOES work. It's about points!

Besides, even old music becomes new with each skater bringing his/her own strengths to it and making it their own. Also different cuts make a difference.

For me, I don't care what they skate to as long as it suits their style, and they can make me believe they believe!

The EX is the place to experiment. imo

 

[Buttercup]

I think a smart competitor will go with music that works for him/her. If it's old warhorses so be it. The warhorse music is used over and over again because it DOES work. It's about points!

What does using the same old music have to do with getting points? You get points for how you skate, not what you skate to. The warhorse music is not used over and over because it works, it's used over and over because people lack imagination and go with what they know, which is not necessarily what they could skate best to.

Yagudin's Winter wasn't an old warhorse, and neither were Gladiator and The Man in the Iron Mask. Plushy had his Carmens and Toscas but he also did Tribute to Nijinski and St. Petersburg 300 (and that Michael Jackson medley, but that's best forgotten ). Michelle Kwan managed to achieve great results while making many original music choices - Salome, Lyra Angelica, Dumky Trio and East of Eden, to name a few. If you're good, you'll get the marks without giving us Carmen/Swan Lake/Tosca/Nessun Dorma/Rach 2, version 300.0.

You can say that it's a great way to get audiences involved, but I didn't get the sense that audiences and judges found it difficult to appreciate Brian Joubert's Metalica LP, or Aliona and Robin's Lost in Space, or Del/Schoe's Pink Floyd FD, even though the music hasn't been used to death in skating.

There are two separate threads on this board, one with classical music ideas and one for film scores. There are excellent suggestions on both. I know FSUniverse also has a thread on this (it is a popular off-season topic ). Normally I'd say it's best for skaters to stay away from fan forums, but in this case, I wish they'd drop by and get some interesting ideas .

I would say that the best place to experiment is ice dance. But singles and pairs skaters should still take creative risks and try new things, not just recycle music and ideas we've heard and seen a million times. At this point, what possible new interpretation can anyone offer to these pieces? Unless a skater is extraordinarily talented or the choreographer really original, I don't think it's possible to create something new and interesting.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

Figure Skating Programs like Ballet performances are limited due to their content of tricks. It takes a clever choreographer like Nichol or Ballanchine to do something with these limited moves. There are other choreographers, of course, and there should be.

Sometimes, I can't differentiate the feelings of fans' importance of the music. Is it the crescendos in Turandot that inspire you? or is it the skater? Would not that skater's triple salchow look just as great to another piece of music?

Ovation time comes at the last minute of a program leading to a clean skate. If there are more than one 'clean programs' in the event, then the skater who handled the emotional impact of the music to the audience will be the winner.

Of course, I am speaking about viewing skating in an arena which is far different than viewing the closeups on computer or TV. Figure Skating competition is theatre in the round, not theatre on a procenium stage, and appears on TV to be on a precenium stage.

Good choreography plus clean skating gets the audience on their feet. It in itself carries a certain emotional implact. The music? It helps but it is not that important.

Can't help but think of Evan in LA skating to two warhorse music pieces.

 

[elanna]

Yukari Nakano has announced her new programs for the next season.

http://yukarinakano.jp/en/profile/pgs0910.html

SP--The Phantom of the Opera from Phantasia
FP--The Firebird

Both are choreographed by Marina Zueva

Very glad that Yukari is continueing her cooperation with M.Zueva! I just adore her "Giselle"!

 

[gourry]

Yukari Nakano has announced her new programs for the next season.

http://yukarinakano.jp/en/profile/pgs0910.html

SP--The Phantom of the Opera from Phantasia
FP--The Firebird

Both are choreographed by Marina Zueva

EX1--Harem choreographed by Kenji Miyamoto
EX2--Sparkling Diamonds from Moulin Rouge! choreographed by Kumiko Sato

Perhaps she doesn't want to have same programs with other skaters anymore.

Wow! That was fast! To keep working with Zueva is a good idea I think. I really enjoyed her LP last season than I expected. I wish she can make it to the olympic team.

 

[~tapdancer]

As far as the ice dancers go, I'm under the impression that it's somewhat suicidal for dancers to repeat a program. Especially in an Olympic year. So I would expect that most of them will have new programs. Although it would make sense for some of them (the injured ones) to want to perform programs they didn't get to use much at all. Guess we'll see what happens.

And much as I loved D/W's S&D, they performed the heck out of it last season, it was awesome from Skate Canada all the way to Worlds. I would imagine they are ready for another freedance. On the flip side, V/M hardly got to perform their Pink Floyd much at all. They've said that they didn't get it anywhere near what they think they could do with it.

 

[Tinymavy15]

Yukari Nakano has announced her new programs for the next season.

http://yukarinakano.jp/en/profile/pgs0910.html

SP--The Phantom of the Opera from Phantasia
FP--The Firebird

Both are choreographed by Marina Zueva

EX1--Harem choreographed by Kenji Miyamoto
EX2--Sparkling Diamonds from Moulin Rouge! choreographed by Kumiko Sato

Perhaps she doesn't want to have same programs with other skaters anymore.

This is really soon!

I think they are excellent choices for her. I hope she makes the Olympic team!