Smiling in a serious performance? | Page 3 | Golden Skate

Smiling in a serious performance?

Z

zanadude

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Feb 20, 2016
Country
Japan
For her last competitive program, Miyu Nakashio skated an upbeat program with music from Titanic, a decidedly tragic movie. Didn't seem like a good idea to me, but she used upbeat, instrumental music, steered clear of My Heart Will Go On, and made the effort to change expressions as the song progressed. As a result, that routine...kinda worked.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nERKb2Fr5Ng

So I'm willing to believe that a joyous Hallelujah can be done. But it's not achieved with kd lang's cover.
 
anonymoose_au

anonymoose_au

Insert weird opinion here
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Feb 22, 2014
Country
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jenm said:
Why is this a thread LOL
Click to expand...

I'm not sure either. It seems like the reverse of what I always hear commentators say in old YouTube videos about Russian skaters "Not a smile to be seen!"

I found out that in Russia smiling all the time is actually considered quite weird and if you do it all the time over there the locals might think you have issues :laugh:

But yes, there's something to be said about skaters who skate with smiles, it looks like they're enjoying themselves which is nice. :)

Although some songs really don't work with smiles I suppose, although I often don't hear lyrics because I'm concentrating on the skating. So unless it's an actual funeral march I probably won't notice it's inappropriate.
 
nussnacker

nussnacker

one and only
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Mar 16, 2019
Did this really need a thread of its own? :-/
Mariah, keep your beautiful radiant smile, it’s gorgeous!
 
macy

macy

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Nov 12, 2011
imagine having so much time on your hands you create a thread for the sole purpose of bashing a skater for smiling during her performances
 
silverfoxes

silverfoxes

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Feb 16, 2014
There are definitely certain skaters who I don't care to watch because of their "pageant queen" perma-smile. Mariah is not the only offender. There is absolutely nothing wrong with smiling if it natural and appropriate for the tone of the music, but other times it comes across as fake or superficial. I don't think it's hard to tell the difference. OTOH, there are skaters who look miserable from the moment they set foot on the ice and they aren't enjoyable to watch either. I think being able to give a nuanced performance no matter how you might be feeling inside, and convey a particular mood, is a big part of what makes a skater mature and artistic.

I also hate "Hallelujah" so I'm sure I would not like it in a box, with a fox, etc. I do like Mariah's SP this season, so it's not like she can't interpret different styles.
 
M

Mishaminion

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Joined
Feb 12, 2014
macy said:
imagine having so much time on your hands you create a thread for the sole purpose of bashing a skater for smiling during her performances
Click to expand...

It is one thing to disagree with her interpretation but another to be downright rude about her
 
Mathman

Mathman

Joined
Jun 21, 2003
See, this is why the ISU should not have allowed vocal music. Just one more thing for us to berate skaters for.

Me, I'll stick to unclear edges. ;)
 
dorispulaski

dorispulaski

Wicked Yankee Girl
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Jul 26, 2003
Country
United-States
While it is kosher to criticize Mariah' s interpretation, I have to fight back against any hint that Mariah' s smile is pasted on, fake or inauthentic. Even after skating disasters, of which she had had quite a few, she bounces back, and when you see her walking around, her natural expression is happy.

Mariah has Resting Happy Face :) the lucky girl.
 
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M

Mishaminion

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 12, 2014
Like most lyrics, Hallelujah can indeed have different interpretations. While some elements of the words have a darker tone, others do not. The music itself doesn't seem to have a "miserable" feel to it, not all ballads have to be. The word Hallelujah itself is an uplifting positive one.

Just because some people think Hallelujah should be a "serious performance" doesn't mean it HAS to be.
Also depends what is meant by serious in the first place.

Don't see what the problem is to be honest, she's not offending anyone.
It's not like she's grinning through Schindler's List is it...
 
noskates

noskates

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Jun 11, 2012
Just a word about Hallelujah. Some people in the US may remember the horrific events surrounding the World Trade Center and 9/11. Many of the broadcast channels played the song while they were covering the aftermath. At that time it was meant as a remembrance of the lives lost and had more of a religious connotation. I agree with Mishaminion that the song has different meanings to whomever is listening to it, When I watch Mariah's program I get caught up in K. D. Lang's beautiful voice, remember being at a concert and seeing and hearing her sing the song "live" and the beauty of Mariah's skating. Why does anything else have to be written into it? There are much more important things going on than a beautiful smile on a beautiful young woman skating a beautiful performance?

Want to get started on Sounds of Silence???????
 
sk8kirsty

sk8kirsty

On the Ice
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Aug 24, 2019
I love Mariah's smile, whenever I see her smile it makes me smile, I wouldn't want her to change it no matter what the music is
When Mariah skates, she is always herself, and she is a happy person, so I love the fact that she brings her happiness into her skating
I love Mariah so much, she is my fav American skater and I think you should leave her alone
 
I

icybear

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Mar 18, 2017
A lot of skaters dont interpret the lyrics of the music for what they mean. Lol imagine Trusova interpreted Big spender for real or all those girls doing tango de roxanne
 
M

Mishaminion

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Joined
Feb 12, 2014
icybear said:
A lot of skaters dont interpret the lyrics of the music for what they mean. Lol imagine Trusova interpreted Big spender for real or all those girls doing tango de roxanne
Click to expand...
Errrrrrrr no

Lol

Who is the junior with the "spank me" lyrics this season? I cringed so hard at that program
 
Mathman

Mathman

Joined
Jun 21, 2003
dorispulaski said:
Even after skating disasters, of which she had had quite a few, she bounces back, and when you see her walking around, her natural expression is happy.

Mariah has Resting Happy Face :) the lucky girl.
Click to expand...

I remember last year she had a mistake-filled performance and was met in the kiss and cry by a dour-faced Rafael Arutunian. She spent the next two minutes jollying him up and coaxing a smile out of him. :)
 
skatingfan4ever

skatingfan4ever

"Our blade takes us in the most amazing places."
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Nov 3, 2012
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So, this thread is all about Mariah, but honestly, when I saw the thread title I thought of Evgenia's 9/11 LP ending, where she receives a devastating phone call with the biggest grin because she skated very well. I expected a more general discussion about those kinds of situations.

As far as Mariah, I got swept up in her actual skating, so everything else hadn't registered. I was so happy because she was skating so well. Does that make me a terrible person for not being sad while Hallelujah was playing? I would be interested to hear what Mariah thinks about the song, why it was chosen, etc.

My favorite skater, Patrick, skated to this song and the only explanation he gave about the choice was "it's written by Leonard Cohen and he's Canadian." (I found it quite funny because for "Dust in the Wind" he always gave a detailed explanation about how the song helped him maintain perspective about where he fit in the universe and how skating and results were just a small part of reality. It was very deep, and then the Hallelujah explanation was so simple). As Patrick's fan, the program became meaningful to me as I interpreted the lyrics in light of the struggles Patrick had that season and how he found his way to the Olympics anyway. He kept skating and rediscovered his joy on the ice despite the "broken Hallelujahs" he experienced. But again, that interpretation arose from me watching as a diehard fan, not from anything Patrick said.

Side note: I'm actually working on a blog post about all of Patrick's LPs that season and how, even though none were delivered perfectly, I found things to appreciate in each outing. I'll give links to the programs, of course, but watching them is not a requirement. :laugh:
 
kwanatic

kwanatic

Check out my YT channel, Bare Ice!
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May 19, 2011
Mariah has range as a performer. It tends to lend itself to the lighter side of the spectrum but I don't find anything wrong with that. Not everyone can do a full range of music. She found her niche and she sticks to it. That's smart IMO.

I think Mariah interprets Hallelujah beautifully. If your perception of the song is as something sad, gloomy or depressing, it would make sense that you find her expression at odds with the music. However, for someone who views that song as uplifting (finding joy despite the sadness from just that word, hallelujah) I find her performance touching, joyful and even spiritual. The meaning of the song is open to interpretation; therefore, her performance should be too.

The OP's feelings are valid as an opinion; however, there was a far less rude way to pose the question. From the original post it sounds like we're dealing with a person who doesn't particularly care for Mariah and/or her skating. Thus, the comments made about her lose a lot of objective weight and just sound like underhanded bashing.
 
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