Skaters who skate to the same music: How do they compare?

[Amei]

I loved Julia's SL but it seemed a bit rushed at times. I would love to see her bring this back maybe for an EX or something once shes a bit more mature.

I would recommend watching some of the exhibitions she did in Russia on Youtube; little to no combinations and not as many transitions.... no points so don't have to pack the program.

 

[LuisRollerArg]

in different seasons

Mao vs. Kiira (Gershwin programs)= WIN Mao!
Joannie vs. Ashley (S&D)= win Ashely!
Zijun vs. Gracie (Sleeping beauty)= win Zijun!
Adelina vs. Caro(Bolero)= OBVIOUSLY win Caro!
Akiko vs. Marchei vs. Yuna (Die Fledermaus)= win Akiko!

 

[Sandpiper]

I think the reason Julia's SL seems rushed is because the number of transitional moves she does to optimize her program for COP. It is very difficult to balance a slow program with the requirement that you are constantly doing something to earn points. In fact, if you skate a slow program like it should be skated, with long, held out moves, you will get hammered on PCS.

Yeah, agreed. As much as I love Yulia, I wish she'd hold some of her movements in SL a bit more. Parts of it come across as very rushed. Despite preferring it over Joshua's, there are definitely aspects of Joshua's that I admire (now, if only Joshua fans would recognize the reverse ). I hope, now that Yulia has built more of a reputation, she will feel more comfortable holding her movements instead of doing the rushed COP frenzy in future programs. And if the judges have any sense at all, they shouldn't hammer her in PCS.

 

[Icey]

I was in disbelief the Olympic year Irina and Michelle used the same music for their short programs and techno at that (for Michelle). Of course, it turned out that Michelle did not get to compete her program against Irina's.

 

[iluvtodd]

My biggest pet peeve is when they use familiar music but use horrendous renditions and/or "Muzak" versions.

Yes!!!! :agree:

 

[Meoima]

Despite preferring it over Joshua's, there are definitely aspects of Joshua's that I admire (now, if only Joshua fans would recognize the reverse ).

I hope so. But frankly until now I only see them call her a robot/gimmick. hwell:
I don't think she is a complete skater yet, who can anyway, at the age of 15-16?
But it's objectively true that SD is a complete package for her, and I don't see SD a complete package for Joshua. Simple as that.

 

[leoncorazon]

While the comments about the Josh vs. Yulia SL programs have sometimes veered into negative territory I have to thank whomever brought this up as it got me to go back and watch both...and really both programs are excellent. Yulia's I think is more memorable because she portrays a character while Josh portrays the emotion...I have to say I prefer Yulia's but mostly because she skated clean while Josh did not.

 

[leoncorazon]

Another fun comparison:

Jason Brown's Riverdance vs. Borne and Kraatz....

and I have to go with Borne and Kraatz for the win...I just felt they were more innovative...of course I liked them both

 

[Sandpiper]

^Both versions are amazing.

 

[Mrs. P]

I agree, I think both offer a fresh take on the music. I think B/K did more of the actual steps of Riverdance while Jason's capture more of the spirit of the music.

 

[Sabrina]

Honestly I've seen Joshua Ferris program on you tube but I didn't even notice he used SL. With Julia I heard the music from the very beginning. I've seen the movie, and I think that who ever had the idea of playing the little girl in the red coat was genius. I understood it was Julia's idea...but I think it could have been her mother. It is not important. But her SL is simply memorable. Her skating, at least in the European Championship was magic.
In my mind only Jason had a program of the same resonance, at least this season. I loved his River dance so much, that I don't think somebody else could have the same success with this music.

 

[heyang]

Umbrellas of Cherbourg

Usova and Platov performed to Umbrellas of Cherbourg in the same pro competition of Punsalan and Swallow. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FarSQOFgtg4
Punsalan and Swallow actually had the better# and beat U/P, but I can't find a link to that performance.

Virtue and Moir also performed to Umbrellas of Cherbourg - this was the 1st routine of their's that got my attention.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRjqNbM9RHM

 

[heyang]

Honestly I've seen Joshua Ferris program on you tube but I didn't even notice he used SL. With Julia I heard the music from the very beginning. I've seen the movie, and I think that who ever had the idea of playing the little girl in the red coat was genius. I understood it was Julia's idea...but I think it could have been her mother. It is not important. But her SL is simply memorable. Her skating, at least in the European Championship was magic.
In my mind only Jason had a program of the same resonance, at least this season. I loved his River dance so much, that I don't think somebody else could have the same success with this music.

Katerina Witt portrayed the girl in the red coat while performing to Schindler's List during one year of SOI - not the same music as most use. That same year, Paul Wylie also performed to Schindler's List on the SOI tour.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qD2AJfafk9I


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usxGTqh4nLs

 

[Bonnie F]

Katerina Witt portrayed the girl in the red coat while performing to Schindler's List during one year of SOI - not the same music as most use. That same year, Paul Wylie also performed to Schindler's List on the SOI tour.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qD2AJfafk9I


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usxGTqh4nLs

Here is my take on Schindler's list. I think it is a difficult piece for a man to perform because there is no really distinctive role for the a male skater to portray (portraying Oscar Schindler himself is difficult for me to imagine) so they just have to interpret the music without really representing a character. For those of us who have seen and know the story of SL I think it makes these types of programs more difficult to relate to. I also think it would be a difficult piece for a pair to skate to for the same reason (there is no real male/female love story or relationship). For me it would be like a female skating to D'Artagnian or a male skating to Little Women. This isn't to say men (or a pair/dance team) can't skate a beautiful SL program, I just think it will be a slightly harder sell. The one distinct figure in SL is the little girl in the red coat which is very easy for anyone familiar with the movie to recognize. So just by wearing a red costume and using the music, to a casual fan the program becomes instantly understandable, needs less interpretation, and this is likely to be more popular.

I actually think this is fun topic. Since there have been five pages of debate about which 2013/14 SL is best and which worse I'm going to compare some programs to the same music that are different and unique in their own way.

I'll join the SL debate but I'll compare Witt to Lipnitskaia. I think both have very good versions although in different settings (pro vs amateur). I think both had a haunting quality that for Witt was created because of the meaning of a German skating to SL and also because she is one of the more expressive skaters in history. For me the quality of Lipnitskaia's came because she is young with an innocent stoic quality that seems to perfectly capture the "little girl in the red coat." I love both versions but for me Lipnitskaia gives a better performance as the "girl in the red coat," while Witt gives a better performance to the SL music itself.

The Feeling Begins: When you compare the Baiul version to the Kwan version for example, I find that as the music builds Baiul has a more frantic quality while Kwan almost seems to do the opposite - demonstrating a more strong, tense quality almost like she has gone into slow motion while Baiul seems to have gone into speed mode. For me, I love the effect created by both. I also like the Grishuk and Platov interpretation which for me is like a combo of the Baiul and Kwan approaches (even though Kwan's came later), they seem to increase in speed (like Baiul) but also in tension (like Kwan) as the tempo of the music rises. For me these three are examples of the same music done wonderfully in different settings (Pro vs SP vs LP, as well as Single vs Dance).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4W2u0CXryc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5pL8LpFP6k
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Jb8s68EpSM

 

[Meoima]

Here is my take on Schindler's list. I think it is a difficult piece for a man to perform because there is no really distinctive role for the a male skater to portray (portraying Oscar Schindler himself is difficult for me to imagine) so they just have to interpret the music without really representing a character. For those of us who have seen and know the story of SL I think it makes these types of programs more difficult to relate to. I also think it would be a difficult piece for a pair to skate to for the same reason (there is no real male/female love story or relationship). For me it would be like a female skating to D'Artagnian or a male skating to Little Women. This isn't to say men (or a pair/dance team) can't skate a beautiful SL program, I just think it will be a slightly harder sell. The one distinct figure in SL is the little girl in the red coat which is very easy for anyone familiar with the movie to recognize. So just by wearing a red costume and using the music, to a casual fan the program becomes instantly understandable, needs less interpretation, and this is likely to be more popular.

I haven't seen the movie SD and have no intention to.
It's really funny that most people try to connect Yulia's SD and the movie while forgetting that there are plenty of people (mostly who are Asians) have not seen the movie, thus they have little connection to the movie, the characters. There are people that find Yulia's SD awesome without knowing the movie.

 

[Layfan]

I haven't seen the movie SD and have no intention to.
It's really funny that most people try to connect Yulia's SD and the movie while forgetting that there are plenty of people (mostly who are Asians) have not seen the movie, thus they have little connection to the movie, the characters. There are people that find Yulia's SD awesome without knowing the movie.

I think I might have enjoyed Yulia's FS more had I not see seen the film when it first came out and remember the audience's stunned silence and the end and how long it took them to get out of their seats.

I liked Yulia's costume in an of itself. I liked her choreo and I like the music. I even liked her performance, even though I can see the criticism some had that she has a sort of "one-tone" feel to her interpretation.

But knowing what she was trying to portray made me cringe a little.

 

[Sandpiper]

For me it would be like a female skating to D'Artagnian

I... wouldn't mind seeing that, actually.

The Feeling Begins: When you compare the Baiul version to the Kwan version for example, I find that as the music builds Baiul has a more frantic quality while Kwan almost seems to do the opposite - demonstrating a more strong, tense quality almost like she has gone into slow motion while Baiul seems to have gone into speed mode. For me, I love the effect created by both. I also like the Grishuk and Platov interpretation which for me is like a combo of the Baiul and Kwan approaches (even though Kwan's came later), they seem to increase in speed (like Baiul) but also in tension (like Kwan) as the tempo of the music rises. For me these three are examples of the same music done wonderfully in different settings (Pro vs SP vs LP, as well as Single vs Dance).

:thumbsup: The Feeling Begins is one of my favourite Kwan SPs, but Baiul's version is stunning as well. This is a perfect example of how one skater portrays the emotion, while the other portrays the character--yet both work fantastically.

 

[Olympia]

Umbrellas of Cherbourg

Usova and Platov performed to Umbrellas of Cherbourg in the same pro competition of Punsalan and Swallow. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FarSQOFgtg4
Punsalan and Swallow actually had the better# and beat U/P, but I can't find a link to that performance.

Virtue and Moir also performed to Umbrellas of Cherbourg - this was the 1st routine of their's that got my attention.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRjqNbM9RHM

Katia Gordeyeva skated to this music a few times. Here's one, not the strongest example of jumping, but the haunting music suited her at that time of her life, when she was still a rather new widow, and trying to build a singles career. Her speed and lightness on the ice were still unparalleled.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnRLjvCl2Ss

 

[hanca]

What about Black Swan/Swan Lake program? I loved Takahashi's modern version, I loved Mao's version and I loved also Ashley Wagner's version. I think if I saw Ashley and Mao skating the program in the same year, Mao would be the winner for me, but as Ashley skated it a year before, I had a chance appreciate Ashley's program without making any comparison. Before Ashley skated that program, I would never thought that it would be a good idea for her to skate to that music, but it worked better than I could imagine, so it was easy to love it.

 

[Sam-Skwantch]

Here is a Swan Lake that I absolutely love!!

http://youtu.be/7oUIDWF1zRw

Maybe too much fawning in terms of commentary *cough* but what an exquisite skate. So much control and dare I say it....her style is best compared to that of a swan. That spiral is just perfection!!!