Sasha Cohen Journal Updates

[SkateFan4Life]

Attached is a link to Sasha Cohen's journal updates from her official website. Granted, they are a month old, but that's what the contents are. Among other things, Sasha writes that she will be coached by John Nicks through the 2006 Olympic season. It sounds as though she is truly happy to have moved back to her California home, to be close to her family and friends, and to be working with John Nicks.

Good luck, Sasha.

http://www.sashacohen.com/journal.shtml

 

[Doggygirl]

I really hope Sasha comes into her own next season as a mature adult skater. I'm sure the challenges (self inflicted, of course) of the last two seasons with coaching changes, moves across country, etc. presented many learning experiences. And she still managed two world silver medals amidst all that.

It will be interesting to see what music she picks for her programs next year as the first step. Will it be more of the same 'ol? Or something new and different?

It's going to be a long summer waiting for news about all the top skaters.

DG

 

[SkateFan4Life]

I really hope Sasha comes into her own next season as a mature adult skater. I'm sure the challenges (self inflicted, of course) of the last two seasons with coaching changes, moves across country, etc. presented many learning experiences. And she still managed two world silver medals amidst all that.

It will be interesting to see what music she picks for her programs next year as the first step. Will it be more of the same 'ol? Or something new and different?

It's going to be a long summer waiting for news about all the top skaters.

DG

I agree with you, Doggygirl - I would like to see Sasha come into her own next season as a mature adult skater.

This young woman has amazing talent and a real feel for the music. If she skates clean competitive programs, she's going to difficult to beat, IMHO.

 

[Linny]

Feel for Music

Feel for music is exactly what Sasha does NOT have. Perhaps she needs to find her own music, something that allows her to express herself.
Linny

 

[Skate Sandee]

Feel for music is exactly what Sasha does NOT have. Perhaps she needs to find her own music, something that allows her to express herself.
Linny

Amen. For someone with so much talent, it's stunning to see her willingly and happily thinking inside the box and not rising to artistic challenges. Sasha - for the love of everything that is holy on this good Earth, put away the 50 Most Popular Classical Music Selections CD and broaden your horizons! Show me who Sasha really is!

It's like watching a great chef microwave a frozen dinner.

 

[soogar]

Everyone harps on Sasha for her musical choices but has anyone thought that this music is new to HER. Yes she has reused Dark Eyes but I don't really care b/c a) I never saw the old Dark Eyes program and b) I really enjoyed this year's Dark Eyes program. I really love Turandot and whenever I hear it I just think about skating. Yes it's overused but that wouldn't preclude me or anyone else like me from using it. She wants to skate what she wants to skate to. Maybe the music brings back memories or maybe she wants music that will lift her up through a competition.

 

[nicole_l]

Soogar, I agree. I hadn't heard Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto #2 until Sasha used it and I fell in love with it. And you can't really just pick on Cohen, either--plenty of skaters use the same music.

 

[K-Mo]

Some pieces are overused because they are such beautiful and uplifting pieces of music. That being said, skaters should still branch out. I think Sasha gets picked on because she tends to overuse music--even compared to herself. how many Tchaikovsky pieces has she skated to? Granted, they are different songs, but they are still by Tchaikovsky. Don't get me wrong--he's written some good stuff, but using it so many times is what helps people form stereotypes about her. She should pick a different composer. There are so many other wonderful selections to choose from!

 

[Skate Sandee]

There's nothing wrong with her choosing to skate to overused pieces. It's just that she'll never have a "signature piece" unless she takes a piece of music and does something so magical or unique, that it will be immediately associated to her. Nothing she's done (unless you ask her uberfans) to any current piece of music is special or unique. Polished, yes. Pointed toes and straight back - check. Balletic quality, check. Artistically challenging and memorable - nope. Hell, she doesn't even have to choose unknown, never-before-used music. But there are levels of overused music, and she keeps hitting all the top ones. If she'd just move to the next tier of familiar, but not overly used music, that might do the trick in creating a signature piece for her. Maybe something from Shotstakovich or Rossini.

 

[Lucy25]

For what it's worth, I remember Sasha being quite public about how she had to be talked into using Swan Lake because of it being overused. That said, I think she is becoming the queen of overused music, no matter how beautiful the music may be.

 

[Hikaru]

Everyone harps on Sasha for her musical choices but has anyone thought that this music is new to HER. Yes she has reused Dark Eyes but I don't really care b/c a) I never saw the old Dark Eyes program and b) I really enjoyed this year's Dark Eyes program. I really love Turandot and whenever I hear it I just think about skating. Yes it's overused but that wouldn't preclude me or anyone else like me from using it. She wants to skate what she wants to skate to. Maybe the music brings back memories or maybe she wants music that will lift her up through a competition.

ITA with you here. I don't think it is that she uses the same compositor here, she just so happens to have use two pieces of music that are extremely popular in figure skating: Swan Lake and The Nutcracker by Tchaikovsky. What other pieces by him has she used in the past 5 years?? 'cause I only remember those two, so I couldn't call that "overused". Like a poster before said, I enjoyed watching ehr Dark Eyes program, not so much for the music, but because I couldn't see the few competitions she used it in the past (I think it was during that season that she got the back injury). This season many skaters did Romeo and Juliet, but no one mentions anything about it.

What I would like for Sasha, though, is to use music that is not used often, maybe from contemporary composers, or from classical pieces not used often. I was just listening to my new Edvin Marton CD, there are some good pieces there. I could see her skating to Clair de Lune, it is a famous piece but I don't think it is used so often (although Shen and Zhao used it this season). Whatever she picks though, I hope is something she'll really like.

 

[SkateFan4Life]

Amen. For someone with so much talent, it's stunning to see her willingly and happily thinking inside the box and not rising to artistic challenges. Sasha - for the love of everything that is holy on this good Earth, put away the 50 Most Popular Classical Music Selections CD and broaden your horizons! Show me who Sasha really is!

It's like watching a great chef microwave a frozen dinner.

IMHO, Sasha does have a great feel for music. I agree with you, SkateSandee, in that I'd like to see her compete to music that hasn't been used umpteen times in the past. On the other hand, how many other skaters fall into the habit of skating to "the greatest hits" (classical or otherwise)? Some of this music is really great, you know. I'm sure, however, that there's at least one piece of music Sasha could claim as her own and create a program for the ages.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

Tchaikowsky did 3 children's ballets (he hated them) and Sasha has used two. What is left is The Sleeping Beauty But Emilie did the 'beauty' in last Nationals in Portland and she had a great program. The cuts were very well selected. If Sasha could borrow that Emilie selected recording she would have much more diverse music then she had with Nutcracker.

I think she would do a good job with 'beauty' especially the 'Bluebird' sequence.

Joe

 

[Casper]

Sasha's musical selections receive so much discussion because they don't live up to the hype that has been surrounding her for years. It's the same reason that we all discuss those times that she falls, step outs, puts her hand down, etc. She is supposed to be better than all that because of her talent and ability. Yet she still doesn't do it.

She is hyped as the greatest artistically, but she keeps using pieces of music that make the judges and knowledgable skating fans remember past great performances of other skaters.

Other skaters use this music too, but they are not at the level that they could have their own masterpiece. Sasha has that ability. She needs a piece of music that will scream out Sasha every time that it is heard. Nutcracker, Swan Lake, etc. just aren't going to do that.

 

[rtureck]

There's nothing wrong with her choosing to skate to overused pieces. It's just that she'll never have a "signature piece" unless she takes a piece of music and does something so magical or unique, that it will be immediately associated to her.

Sasha Cohen puts her signature moves in every piece. About her ability to take a piece of music, add to it and make it her own, I don't see it happening anytime soon if at all.

Nothing she's done (unless you ask her uberfans) to any current piece of music is special or unique. Polished, yes. Pointed toes and straight back - check. Balletic quality, check. Artistically challenging and memorable - nope.

I basically agree, but I don' t think she is balletic, gymnastic yes. A performer, soloist, orchestra has to at least skate, perform up to the level of the composition. The legendary performers may even add some to the pieces. Most do not perform up to the level of the pieces, and may even rob the beauty from the music. Sasha Cohen so far at best performs slightly under the standard of most classical pieces. Someone talked about Rachmaninov's 2nd PC. IMO Lu Chen performed up to par of the piece, and Cohen was way below what was set by Rachmaninov.

. But there are levels of overused music, and she keeps hitting all the top ones.

Becuase the top ones, e.g. Tchaikovsky swan lake, nutcracker appeal to the masses.

Maybe something from Shotstakovich or Rossini.

, she already skated pairs with Wagner to Rossini's Duetto Buffo Di Due Gatti .

Shostakovich, that will be a huge stretch and challenge. DSCH's music is taxing even to the best of the best soloists, orchestsras. Just can't see Cohen even able to touch DSCH's music within a mile.

The good news is, fs is a sports, if Sasha Cohen lands her jumps and does her spins, she is capable of doing well in competitions. She has adequate ability to handle to top 20 overused classical music.

 

[SkateFan4Life]

Sasha's musical selections receive so much discussion because they don't live up to the hype that has been surrounding her for years. It's the same reason that we all discuss those times that she falls, step outs, puts her hand down, etc. She is supposed to be better than all that because of her talent and ability. Yet she still doesn't do it.

She is hyped as the greatest artistically, but she keeps using pieces of music that make the judges and knowledgable skating fans remember past great performances of other skaters.

Other skaters use this music too, but they are not at the level that they could have their own masterpiece. Sasha has that ability. She needs a piece of music that will scream out Sasha every time that it is heard. Nutcracker, Swan Lake, etc. just aren't going to do that.

There certainly has been a great deal of hype concerning Sasha Cohen's ability, and I agree with you that one of the reasons we all keep discussing her skating and expectations, etc., is that she's "supposed" to be perfect and skate to her ability. However, she consistently makes mistakes and fails to win competitions she might have won, had she skated cleanly.

IMHO, she needs to find a piece of music that can be her signature piece and choregraph a program that will be memorable for years to come. And, of course, she needs to skate clean programs.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

I've seen thousands of Malaguenas - some good, some not so good. I would rank Sasha's among the best if not the best. It may be the short program but it is a damn good one. I also liked very much her exhibition "Fosse" number Hernando's Hideaway.

Her competitive skating needs consistency but her exhibitions are very entertaining.

Joe

 

[nymkfan51]

I think her Malaguena was one of the best SP's I've ever seen. At Worlds, it was fabulous!