Originality

[TontoK]

It's mind-boggling to watch the totally traditional program (four disconnected pieces of music, each with a different dance rhythm) with which Torvill and Dean won Worlds in 1981 and then watch Mack and Mabel. They revolutionized ice dance in the space of a summer. It's hard to know what to compare that leap to--The Beatles going from Beatles for Sale to Rubber Soul in less than a year?

And agreed: great topic, gkelly!

If I'm remembering correctly, their first WC gold in 1981 was skated to selections from Fame. It was pretty conventional, nothing special. It gave no hint of the revolution that was to come.

 

[SimplyLex]

Okay, let me rave a little bit about Meryl and Charlie in terms of originality.

I always loved this spin entrance, don't think I've ever seen another dance team do this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S65MXD3XHvQ&t=1m20s

Their Indian OD has already been mentioned in this thread, such a masterpiece
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUzchzkitdQ&t=79s

Celebrating the compulsory pattern as the highlight of the dance (it's amazing how perfectly their steps match every beat of the music) rather than putting it awkwardly somewhere at the beginning or in the middle and hoping it would fit the music:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBjRshTZv9Y&t=2m48s

And some examples from other skaters:
John Kerr in a kilt in their iconic Scottish OD:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZFupPQrc5o

Swedish guys:
Adrian Schultheiss and his madhouse FS:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQpZu3HDjpE

And Kristoffer Berntsson and his Amelie SP, always loved this choreo so much:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T70TEACraMQ&t=84s
God. Goetheborg 2008 really was the best Worlds I've ever watched. So many wonderful performances from so many exceptional skaters.

Also the Siudeks and their iconic lifts:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqATVfuthi4&t=1m20s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqATVfuthi4&t=4m33s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTeTXv12F1k&t=6m10s

 

[ribbit]

If I'm remembering correctly, their first WC gold in 1981 was skated to selections from Fame. It was pretty conventional, nothing special. It gave no hint of the revolution that was to come.

Fame, "Caravan", "Red Sails in the Sunset", and "Sing Sing Sing", says Wikipedia. A bit of this, a bit of that--not even all chosen from a single source.

I don't know if the footage exists, but it would be fascinating to watch the FD segment of an entire competition from that 1981-2 season and see Mack and Mabel in the context of everything else being skated that year...and see the audience reaction to it.

 

[TontoK]

Fame, "Caravan", "Red Sails in the Sunset", and "Sing Sing Sing", says Wikipedia. A bit of this, a bit of that--not even all chosen from a single source.

I don't know if the footage exists, but it would be fascinating to watch the FD segment of an entire competition from that 1981-2 season and see Mack and Mabel in the context of everything else being skated that year...and see the audience reaction to it.

Here's a video in which they discuss Mack and Mabel, followed by a good bit of the program. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbXz39WYD2s

In contrast, silver medalists Bestemianova and Bukin skated their free dance to a selection of classical music that included both Romeo and Juliet and William Tell Overture.

I say that NOT to throw shade at B&B, who were legends in their own right, but to highlight how unprepared the rest of the ice dance world was for what T&D were bringing. During that time, it seemed the rest of the world was trying to catch up with what T/D had done the previous season... and meanwhile T/D were blowing past that standard. First with Barnum and then with Bolero.