Favorite flamenco program over the years

Lambiel and Anissina & Peizerat truly captured the essence of Flamenco IMO. Pechalat & Bourzat's was also great!

Is Malaguena considered Flamenco? It might be in the flamenco family but to me it looks and sounds very different than flamenco.

Many of my favorites have been already named, but I have to vote for them anyway . I'll try to add a few more that I like.

First, I have to name Antonio Najarro too, as EPPEN did before. I won't say all… but many of the programs he has done for figure skaters are masterpieces:

Anissina/Peizerat OD 2002 I still can't understand how she made it to the end of the program, wearing that skirt and not falling over... I read somewhere that they began to work with Najarro two years before the Olympics to prepare that program, it really paid off, Amazing

Hurtado/Diaz SD 2015 It was a pasodoble but they used a lot of flamenco music and flamenco dancing too. I remember watching all those pasodoble programs that season, amazing skating, noone denies that, but the essence was not really there for me. Only two exceptions, Sara&Adri amazing Paso and another one that I'll add later.

Javier Fernández Nothing else to add about his Malagueña Eppen linked probably the best versión of it (W 2017), so I'm gonna go with W 2016 version, with the fall in the quad… I always found very inspiring how he woke up and won the gold that year.

Hurtado/Khaliavin FD 2020
At this point Najarro wants to show a more contemporary flamenco versión. I hope that, in the future, he can continue this new road.

Hurtado/khaliavin FD 2018 This is not exatly a flamenco program (sorry Eppen) but it's a great example of how a classic ballet program, too many times used, can turn into something different, new and charming adding a not-exatly-flamenco but a strong spanish flavor to it.

Lambiel's poeta, I like it but I understand that the choreo was very ambitious. Still a great program. I'm not sure what's the best versión, probably the ex-programs.

He did a couple of things with Elena Ilinikh and Ruslan: Carmen (sd pasodoble) and FRIDA (a non-flamenco, mexican FD)

These for me are the best programs choreographed by Najarro. I think he worked with some other skaters, but not sure about the results.

I have two non-Najarro programs, but I'll let them for another post.

Virtue/Moir's Farrucas definitely but I definitely have fond memories of Slutskaya's Mario Takes a Walk/Rhumba/Flamenco medley, too.

I can't find it but, there was a version of Flamenco where Stephan began with a Flamenco Dancer. That was my favorite.

mrrice said:

I can't find it but, there was a version of Flamenco where Stephan began with a Flamenco Dancer. That was my favorite.

Click to expand...

Amei posted it on the first page of this thread...do take a look! It is indeed wonderful!

I will name a couple of programs that, as far as I know, has nothing to do with Najarro.

- Fournier-Beaudray/Sorensen FD 2019. I like this program as a flamenco program (as opposed to a skating program that uses flamenco music). The first time I saw it, I didn´t like it, but they kept working on it during two seasons (while they changed nationality) and the final result was very good. The main thing I like it's the idea of mixing very classical flamenco guitar sounds with the The Door's Spanish Caravan, that's making contemporary flamenco too!! And I have to say that the idea is brilliant, but not new, Camarón (flamenco singer, probably the best ever) with some friends made some experiments in the late 70s mixing flamenco with other musics and instruments… I bet that The Doors and psychodalia had a clear influence in La leyenda del tiempo. The other thing that I like it's that it's quite evident that they took flamenco lessons (there are flamenco dancers and teachers all over the world!) and it seems that they enjoyed it and learnt enough to make a flamenco ex-program this season.

- The other program that I want to mention it's not flamenco music or dancing, it's a pasodoble but they use latam music (Sorry again Eppen but, at least, it's not a tango ). Zhiganshina/Gazsi SD 2015. I'll try to explain. Many people will probably connect flamenco music and bullfighting but, the truth is that, the only music you can hear in a "corrida" is pasodoble. And maybe there're people that identify flamenco as the most popular dance in Spain… rightnow, the most popular dance here, as in most parts of the world, is reggaeton but, as a traditional dance, the most popular dance in Spain in the XXth century was pasodoble or, at least, a very simple versión of it, a few steps that most of the population, that had no idea of dancing, could dance. Most small villages had a "sunday vermu dance" and, of course the town's fiestas had an orquesta, as good as their budget can pay, where young people (and not so young) danced pasodobles, the only thing they really knew how how to dance... When I see a Pasodoble as ballroom dance or as a show dance, I enjoy it but for me, the original versión of the dance is the image of my elders dancing pasodobles in my family's small village. That's why I like this SD so much and, even when they use Latam music (probably to put the accent in the "popular", a pity, if they had used a real paso or a copla, it would had been perfect) for me it's the best versión of the paso as a "traditional popular spanish dance".

These are the ones that I would choose (apart from Najarro's), but I'm a relatively recent ice skating fan, I enjoy a lot the not-so-recent programs that you are linking here!

You all have excellent taste - I'll take one of each please

Gordeeva & Grinkov 1994 SP Skate Canada
https://youtu.be/rnktC8VGyXs

Olibritt said:

- The other program that I want to mention it's not flamenco music or dancing, it's a pasodoble but they use latam music (Sorry again Eppen but, at least, it's not a tango ).

Click to expand...

Oh dear, hope I did not make people feel offended with that remark on not mixing tango and flamenco... But really, they are two rather distinct music and dance styles!

I think flamenco and paso doble are often much harder to differentiate - a Spaniard can surely do that without difficulty, but for the rest of us probably have a harder time trying At least paso and flamenco originate in the same country!

Btw, watching all those Najarro choreos, makes you realize that he has a lot of moves he keeps putting into the skating programs - like the Anissina/Peizerat OD made me think of Najarro immediately just based on the style!

Here's one more, not perhaps as successfully executed as many others, but you can see right away that it is a Najarro piece: Brian Joubert's SP to a rock version of Malaguena from 2010-11 season: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgPTU41-Ono A lot of the arm movements were transferred to Javi's Malaguena eventually!

I had not watched Kurt's Nyah in a long time (I remember that the music has been muted for a long time) and it was a mixed reaction in me. When he is stationary, the upper body posture and arm moves are just perfect, but when he skates, the choreo has IMO little to do with flamenco... Weird.

E

eppen said:

Oh dear, hope I did not make people feel offended with that remark on not mixing tango and flamenco... But really, they are two rather distinct music and dance styles!

I think flamenco and paso doble are often much harder to differentiate - a Spaniard can surely do that without difficulty, but for the rest of us probably have a harder time trying At least paso and flamenco originate in the same country!

E

Click to expand...

I was relieved when I saw your remark, because I didn´t need to say it Sometimes I feel a bit tired of the confusión too, but then I remind myself why I use the expression "latam music" or "latin rhythms": the truth is that I can´t make the difference between salsa, rumba, bachata, son, merengue, lambada, cumbia, ballenato… Everybody has limitations

I'm a 100% daughter of that small village of farmers and miners in the north of Spain where my folks used to dance pasodoble: I have not a single musical or dancing gene in my body, so I can´t give a technical explanation of pasodoble or flamenco, music or dancing but, until someone with real knowlegde can help us, there's a trick that may be usefull:

- Pasodoble (double step) sometimes sounds like a march played by a marching band: it's used in the presentation of the toreros (paseíllo) at the beginning of the corrida or in religious processions. You can always dance a pasodoble on hold.

- Flamenco has dozens of palos (=styles, malagueñas is one of them, farrucas is another one) and I can´t make the difference between most of them but I think that I've never heard one that can be danced on hold.

You can practice with the Hurtado/Díaz paso that I linked before, it uses three pieces of music: the first and longer one is a paso, the other two are flamenco pieces.

Ic3Rabbit said:

WeaPo OD 2009

Click to expand...

Love this one!

Farrucas is one of my fave songs for skaters to use. V/M were obviously amazing.

Love this version of Farrucas by Sui/Han:

https://youtu.be/Mx75rRpKi24

And while Kovtun didn’t really have a lot of programs that showed his ability, and he was a bit of a brat, his SP to Farrucas in his early career was one of his most challenging and that step sequence is straight up fire.

https://youtu.be/xgUikqWR9aM

Krylova and Ovsiannikov had an FD to actual flamenco in their first year together and it was one fine program:
https://youtu.be/E-MtIddI4cg.
Not as well studied as A/P’s, but a very good effort still. And these two had so much flair and elegance.

Maybe I’m ignorant, but I had thought flamenco was quite easy to differentiate from paso doble? Ignoring the beats, one is much more melodious, brooding and romantic sounding, while the other much more military/marchy.

Tolstoj said:

Akiko Suzuki 09-10 SP Andalucia

Best flamenco steps sequence i've ever seen in singles skating.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtHMU6SZr9w

Back then it was easier to see skaters really bringing their very best in the steps sequence, nowadays they often feel just on the same tone of the rest of the program, it's not special anymore.

Click to expand...

I agree, that step sequence is just unbelievable :shocked: and to think that her PCS here was 27.48...

Have enjoyed watching the suggestions here..great thread!!

One of my favorites is Mae Berenice Meite's FS at Universiade last year to the Mission Impossible soundtrack, Nyah and Nyah & Ethan. .. not traditional music as it is from a fairly recent film..
Loved this performance..
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JXZGCx5JYzk

This is the film clip.. particularly the ending segment starting at 3:22 where the female matadors make an appearance. .
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gmkHMYQRq2s

This 2019-20 FD from Hawayek/Baker
https://youtu.be/K7Ls3-YEf8c

Had to add this one because Nikolai Majorov really impressed me already at the Europeans and I think this flamenco SP was even better in the junior worlds.

He has the posture and the arms and the general demeanor down very well, the choreo is good. I particularly like the step sequence because firstly, it is cleverly done - the slow loops etc. done at the slow start and then the clusters etc. faster. Secondly, he manages to increase the speed and the intensity of his skating just perfectly with the music which does not happen too often. Compliments to the choreographer (his mom?!) and Nikolaj himself for an excellent routine!

Here the vid from the Europeans which was maybe not as good as the one from Tallinn last week, but they bungled up the end of the program in the Tallinn broadcast... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIdYcOTzcSk

E

I have no idea what makes a good flamenco or not, but thanks to @Labgoat and their Worlds threads, I am now in love with this 2013 Farrucas/Flamenco SP from Misha GE:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_-dDr5UyG0&list=PLYdO1gL5xCr1Ilhd0ghZ2tfQb2XcozO-N&index=15&t=0s