Skaters and Egyptian Music

[missgn]

Have any skaters used Egyptian-style music for their programs in any discipline? I know there is a Russian ice-dance team this year using Peter Gabriel's "The Feeling Begins" which is sort of Egyptian. Are there any other pieces of music that you can think of that have been used over the years? Thanks!

 

[Johar]

Oksana Baiul and Michelle Kwan also used The Feeling Begins.

 

[STL_Blues_fan]

Grushina and Platov are also using it this season.

Anissina and Peizerat used an Arabian theme in their short program in 96-97 season.

Yana

 

[soogar]

Klimkin's SP this year is using Egyptian music (or Egyptian like as envisioned by Rimsky) according to a source ( I haven't seen it yet).

 

[Doggygirl]

I don't recall off the top of my head what LP music Kimmie is skating too, but wasn't she doing some sort of Egyptian looking moves in her program at Campbell's? Whether "Egyptian" or something else,I didn't care for it but that's probably just me.

DG

 

[attyfan]

According to the usfsa bios, O & L are skating to something called "Egyptian Disco" for their SP

 

[merrywidow]

Years ago Rosalyn Sumners did a performance to "Walk Like An Egyptian". I believe it was for a pro competition.

 

[Mathman]

Thanks for the interesting thread, Missgn, and welcome to the forum!

Actually (ahem -- *launches into professor mode*), "The feeling Begins" is Armenian music. The theme is based on an Armenian folk tune, and the reason it sounds so haunting on the sound track is that it is performed on the traditional Armenia double-reed flute, called a "doudouk" (or duduk). It's kind of like an oboe.

http://www.abdelli.com/Assets/Images/Azerbaidjan/images/DOUDOUK.jpg

Armenian composer Aram Khachaturian ("Sabre Dance") said of the doudouk that it is the only instrument that could make him cry.

In 1997 Michelle skated to Gulistan Bayati Shiraz by Azerbaijan composer Fikrai Amirov. She portrayed the Indian empress Mumtaz Mahal.

http://www.girlpower.gov/girlarea/images/guestphotos/9709710t.jpg

 

[lulu]

Grushina and Platov are also using it this season.

Anissina and Peizerat used an Arabian theme in their short program in 96-97 season.

Yana

I think you mean Grushina & Goncharov.
Oksana Grishuk & Evgeny Platov also performed this routine, much better IMHO, as their FD during the 1996-1997 season.
In 2002-2003 season, Navka & Kostomarov also used "The Feeling Begins"
Which leads to the question of what Ice Dancing team didn't use this music ?

 

[icedancingnut31]

Denkova and Staviyski used it is 2002-2003 as well.

 

[Frau Muller]

Bechke & Petrov used a piece of Arabic music for their LP in (I think) 1990...90 or 91. I remember that it was highly criticized by the US television commentators (not Dick Button in those days). It was called 'ugly music' or similar words.

 

[Eeyora]

Middle Eastern inspired music has always suited Michelle well. Taj Mahal, The Feeling Begins and Salome are three of my favorites,

I remember Maria Butyrskaya attempting to portray Cleopatra during an interpretive program

 

[Eeyora]

I don't recall off the top of my head what LP music Kimmie is skating too, but wasn't she doing some sort of Egyptian looking moves in her program at Campbell's?
DG

Kimmie is skating to the Queen of Sheba

 

[waxel]

I'm not a fan of most Middle-Eastern music, so I usually cringe when a skater uses it for a program. Amber Corwin used a particularly annoying piece a season or two ago. There are exceptions of course- Salome, for instance.

MM, thanks for the "doudouk" seminar!

 

[Johar]

I like that kind of music. Eeyora is right, Maria Butyrskaya did use that kind of music in a program.

 

[Zanzibar]

Sasha Abt Egyptian-style music, in a program many years back - think it was a long program where the costume was gold lame, with gold and black top and an enormous Egyptian eye on the chest. It was probably 2000 and I think he was a last-minute replacement at Worlds. Had some cute little Egyptian-style arm movements and shimmies, LOL, as only Sasha could successfully pull off.

 

[Mathman]

I think he used the same music for both 1998 and 1999. "Songs from the Victorious City" (Cairo). His coach at the time was Raphael Arutunian (Michelle's coach), who steered him to the Arminian/Egyptian music.

His web site describes those "shimmies" as "belly dancing on ice," LOL.

Here he is in his Egyptian get-up.

http://home.snafu.de/figureskating/abt/images/rou_98.jpg

OT -- And here he is as a Chinese dragon!

http://www.iceskate.net/skater pix/abt/alexander_abt_free_bofrost02_by_martin_meissner_apphoto.jpg

(Not sure what this is, LOL.)

http://www.kingonice.com/photo/abt_1.jpg

MM

 

[Piel]

I'm not a fan of most Middle-Eastern music, so I usually cringe when a skater uses it for a program. Amber Corwin used a particularly annoying piece a season or two ago. There are exceptions of course- Salome, for instance.

MM, thanks for the "doudouk" seminar!

Amber's LP was skated to music by Lorenna McKennitt (who is Canadian) from "The Book of Secrets" one of the selections used was "Marco Polo". TBOS was recorded at Peter Gabriel's studio.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

I'm not a fan of most Middle-Eastern music, so I usually cringe when a skater uses it for a program. Amber Corwin used a particularly annoying piece a season or two ago. There are exceptions of course- Salome, for instance.

Salome is by the German composer Ricard Strauss and it is biblical like music centering around Jerusalem. Noting to do with Egypt but very Oscar Wilde. Fabulous opera. Mira Leung uses it in her SP.

Great scene is when Salome kisses the lips of John's severed head on a silver platter. Skaters, somehow do not use this bit as they would use a dagger in Madama Butterfly. I wonder why?

Joe

 

[Piel]

Great scene is when Salome kisses the lips of John's severed head on a silver platter. Skaters, somehow do not use this bit as they would use a dagger in Madama Butterfly. I wonder why?

Joe

Now THAT would separate the skaters from the rest of the pack. Give them the head of Speedy on a platter to hold during the spiral sequence. Much more interesting than the BS were seeing so much of now