Leaping Beauty: Balletic Chen Soars

[mrrice]

Adam has it, imo. It seems to come very natural for him.

Just curious, who is Eman?

I agree with you about Adam. BTW...Eman is actually Emanuel Sandhu. He's a 3 time Champion Canadian Figure Skater, Olympian, and Member of Canada's National Ballet School. He was the 2003 GPG Champion. Here's a clip of his winning LP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jW4NNOEzJL0

He was also on the Canadian Version of "So You Think You Can Dance" Here he is with his partner Kim. This was one of my favorite dances from that season. Eman has a short interview at the beginning of this clip.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=um8fxKteJNE

 

[topaz emerald]

Did you notice that Ilia Kulik (Olympic gold medalist in 1998) was also in that movie. It was, as you say, years ago (2000). :yes:

yep, I remember recognizing him right away in the movie. In fact, he was the only new actor I recognized in the movie.

 

[topaz emerald]

Of course I noticed...Every dancer in Hollywood noticed. Here's a brief clip. I can't tell you how many times we heard "Go Back!!" When I was dancing. I'm sure if you've seen the movie you know there were a couple of scenes where the actors had "Dance Doubles" Including Illia and his partner in this scene, Zoe Saldana. Talented but smart-mouthed Eva Rodriguez (Zoe Saldana; doubled by SAB alumna and former NYCB member Aesha Ash)

Not here though:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVMt5q2Zcow

I saw it at the theater. I loved the movie so much, I bought it. I don't know where it is anymore, though, it's buried somewhere, lol.

 

[Tahuu]

Ah, got to love PR damage control

Poor Nureyev is turning in his grave.

I wouldn’t discount those experts’ opinions as simply a PR.

Look at the ballet video in the article if you were not even curious about it, Nathan’s musicality was totally there. If they didn’t see the artistry in the two 12-13 yo young dancers, they would not have casted them a major role (40-50 sec) in the Garland dance (5-6 min) of their professional production of the Sleeping Beauty.

Further, look at where the two young dancers are now after 5 years from that dance. Nathan is a world medal contender and Madison Young is a Prix de Lausanne winner, a top competition for ballet dancers, and now a hire to a top ballet company Wiener Staatsballet in Austria. She basically goes up the ballerina ranks from BalletII to Apprentice to CdB in 2 years where it normally takes 3-4 years for each rank.

The experts were pretty good at spot talents, I'd say.

 

[sallycinnamon]

Chen is talented and all, but to put his name in the same sentence with Nureyev? Really? The man is a legend, he was one of the greatest of the greats in the 20th century.

It's just too much. Sorry.

 

[mrrice]

Speaking of Dance Movies. Do any of you remember the movie Lambada? I'm in here somewhere. But, like Grease 2, I never talk about it because it sucked....

Lambada Trailer:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GjV5fn5iU8

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

Speaking of Dance Movies. Do any of you remember the movie Lambada? I'm in hear somewhere. But, like Grease 2, I never talk about it because it sucked....

Lambada Trailer:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GjV5fn5iU8

Yes LOL sadly I remember that movie.

 

[KwanIsALegend]

It's interesting that Chen was a gymnast for 7 years, I did not know that about him, and would never see him as a gymnast had you not posted that!

I know there are several other elite skaters that did gymnastics for awhile and then gave it up for skating.

Sasha Cohen started out as a gymnast. Which may explain her flexibility. IIRC she started out training with Nastia Liukin, but don't quote me on that.

 

[Tahuu]

Chen is talented and all, but to put his name in the same sentence with Nureyev? Really? The man is a legend, he was one of the greatest of the greats in the 20th century.

It's just too much. Sorry.

Did you even read the article? "Put the name in the sentence with Nureyev?" All they say is Marina and Nathan model Nathan's moves to Nureyev's. What you Hanyu ubers sneeze at sounds like the article declare Nathan is as great as Nureyev. No.

You can see the similarity by watching this Nureyev Le Corsaire clip. Watching it I can recall Nathan's SP moves, including some improved and more elegant poses.

 

[Li'Kitsu]

Did you even read the article? "Put the name in the sentence with Nureyev?" All they say is Marina and Nathan model Nathan's moves to Nureyev's. What you Hanyu ubers sneeze at sounds like the article declare Nathan is as great as Nureyev. No.

You can see the similarity by watching this Nureyev Le Corsaire clip. Watching it I can recall Nathan's SP moves, including some improved and more elegant poses.

 

[sallycinnamon]

Did you even read the article? "Put the name in the sentence with Nureyev?" All they say is Marina and Nathan model Nathan's moves to Nureyev's. What you Hanyu ubers sneeze at sounds like the article declare Nathan is as great as Nureyev. No.

You can see the similarity by watching this Nureyev Le Corsaire clip. Watching it I can recall Nathan's SP moves, including some improved and more elegant poses.

Yes, I have read the article.

It's very nice that they modeled Le Corseire after Nureyev.

But sentences like this are just so wrong: 'In several instances the parallels between the skater and the dancer are striking. ', And 'That Chen can reflect Nureyev...'

Because you don't compare a figure skater to a ballet legend in a way like this. An another ballet legend can be compared to Nureyev and his skills, but not a skater who took ballet classes for a couple of years and has modeled one of his programs after Nureyev.

I don't think it needs more explanation...

 

[Tahuu]

Try harder Li'Kitsu. Show us a transition of Hanyu's that is as good as Nathan's into this final spin here in his SP.

https://youtu.be/vj8orvf5ic0?t=180

This is the similar move Nureyev performed on stage.

https://youtu.be/fHD6Ly0oYpA?t=32

 

[Tahuu]

Yes, I have read the article.

It's very nice that they modeled Le Corseire after Nureyev.

But sentences like this are just so wrong: 'In several instances the parallels between the skater and the dancer are striking. ', And 'That Chen can reflect Nureyev...'

Because you don't compare a figure skater to a ballet legend in a way like this. An another ballet legend can be compared to Nureyev and his skills, but not a skater who took ballet classes for a couple of years and has modeled one of his programs after Nureyev.

I don't think it needs more explanation...

Did Chen reflect Nureyev's moves after you watching the videos above? Anywhere is the article it says Chen is as great as Nureyev? The article says Marina and Nathan modeled after Nureyev's moves in this specific piece called "Le Corsaire ."

 

[Li'Kitsu]

Try harder Li'Kitsu.

There, 5 smilies is obviously trying harder than only 3

 

[Tahuu]

There, 5 smilies is obviously trying harder than only 3

Harder, please Li'Kitsu

 

[gladiolusc]

Did Chen reflect Nureyev's moves after you watching the videos above? Anywhere is the article it says Chen is as great as Nureyev? The article says Marina and Nathan modeled after Nureyev's moves in this specific piece called "Le Corsaire ."

Unfortunately the article argues that "Chen can reflect Nureyev" and not that his moves reflects Nureyev's moves. So without explicitly saying so, the article is indeed trying to draw connections to Nureyev's greatness. I see Chen's imitation of Nureyev's moves, but it's hard to see the same control of the body and mastery of space clearly exuded by Nureyev and IMO it is going to take much, much more for Chen's performance to be an adequate reflection of Nureyev.

 

[Tahuu]

Unfortunately the article argues that "Chen can reflect Nureyev" and not that his moves reflects Nureyev's moves. So without explicitly saying so, the article is indeed trying to draw connections to Nureyev's greatness. I see Chen's imitation of Nureyev's moves, but it's hard to see the same control of the body and mastery of space clearly exuded by Nureyev and IMO it is going to take much, much more for Chen's performance to be an adequate reflection of Nureyev.

Funny those scared are trying to find faults in such an informative article. What's wrong to imitate and find connections to the greats?

Keep in mind the differences in body control and space on stage vs on ice. I'd also say Marina and Nathan have succeeded at it.

 

[topaz emerald]

I finally read the article. I thought it was an interesting read. I didn't know he had so many years of ballet training. Now I know why I greatly enjoyed his short program and thought he skated like a ballet dancer. Obviously, Nureyev, who I just found out about, never heard of him before, was an inspiration for marina and Nathan's short program choreography. No doubt he had talent when he was a boy doing ballet else he wouldn't have gotten recognition from those ballet professionals. I believe if he kept dancing, he would have become successful as well. I hope he wins worlds and Olympic gold. Go Nathan!

 

[gladiolusc]

Funny those scared are trying to find faults in such an informative article. What's wrong to imitate and find connections to the greats?

Keep in mind the differences in body control and space on stage vs on ice. I'd also say Marina and Nathan have succeeded at it.

Nothing wrong with imitation. Everything wrong with trying to make more out of the imitation than what it actually is. I think Nathan's short program is an adequate figure skating program in composition and he displays enough skills with it. IMO, he doesn't capture the spirit of Nureyev in his performance, to be worthy of the big words the article is trying to pile on him. It's okay, we can disagree.

 

[stella luna]

Makes me yearn for the good old days when bookstores carried two or three skating magazines regularly in the sports section.

(Back when there were bookstores, I mean.)

The B&N by our old house didn't carry any figure skating magazines.