Figure Skating and Classical Ballet
- Thread starter Anna K.
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What is this with Stravinsky's Firebird and pairs who jump in opposite directions?
Techno Firebird!
Kristi and Rudy a bit rough but wonderfully coached by John Nicks. This program is so full of creative ideas that give them such a unique look. You can see that Tai & Randy were their idols. I remember being disappointed that they split as a pair, but am glad they each had success in singles and remain friends much like their idols.
My favorite trick: a quote from a different thread 
However, there is a difference between recurring classics staged by dance companies and recurring music in figure skating that I wanted to mention. In ballet, this music goes with a choreography that allows a dancer to show off a certain level, a certain class. So, ballet fans are ready to pay money to see how different ballerinas do Odile, in example, and hence watch the same ballet several times. It also enables ballet companies to invite guest stars easily. In other words, there is a whole level of ballet culture built on this.
In figure skating, the culture is different. The level and class of a skater is calculated by points with no staging, no story developing from number to number to entertain the viewer. Hence different music is more important to keep the viewer awake for 5 hours
You will be surprised but people who are not ballet fans also tend to leave the music unnoticed (if you are not a classical music fan, it's hard to follow anyway) and get overwhelmed watching those pas. Their reactions may be very different though
However, there is a difference between recurring classics staged by dance companies and recurring music in figure skating that I wanted to mention. In ballet, this music goes with a choreography that allows a dancer to show off a certain level, a certain class. So, ballet fans are ready to pay money to see how different ballerinas do Odile, in example, and hence watch the same ballet several times. It also enables ballet companies to invite guest stars easily. In other words, there is a whole level of ballet culture built on this.
In figure skating, the culture is different. The level and class of a skater is calculated by points with no staging, no story developing from number to number to entertain the viewer. Hence different music is more important to keep the viewer awake for 5 hours
Many creative ideas - that's right. But I didn't find anything which wouldn't be performed today, also. Perhaps except for this awesome entry into the death spiral, Yamaguchi being already in her lying position way before the spiral proper begins.
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Keep in mind this was 1989, for it's time it was pretty special. Both skaters were fresh out of Junior Worlds, having been pairs (1988) and singles champions (Rudy 1987, Kristi 1988). Looking backward and comparing them to today's skaters seems unfair. Their performance qualities were quite exceptional for the time and being a mirror pair gave them that very unique look.
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ermm... it really depends. Can't generalize here. A lot of very musically aware people ONLY go to ballet (like me) because of the musicMy favorite trick: a quote from a different thread
You will be surprised but people who are not ballet fans also tend to leave the music unnoticed (if you are not a classical music fan, it's hard to follow anyway) and get overwhelmed watching those pas. Their reactions may be very different though
However, there is a difference between recurring classics staged by dance companies and recurring music in figure skating that I wanted to mention. In ballet, this music goes with a choreography that allows a dancer to show off a certain level, a certain class. So, ballet fans are ready to pay money to see how different ballerinas do Odile, in example, and hence watch the same ballet several times. It also enables ballet companies to invite guest stars easily. In other words, there is a whole level of ballet culture built on this.
In figure skating, the culture is different. The level and class of a skater is calculated by points with no staging, no story developing from number to number to entertain the viewer. Hence different music is more important to keep the viewer awake for 5 hours
Also, I do think that some pieces in figure skating are exactly used to promote the skating skills and performance level of young skaters, and that's why they are used.
For instance, a piece like Blues for Klook which Daisuke Takahashi put on the map....said to be very hard to perform on an artistic point of view... well what happened years later, it was used by many skaters to show off some of their qualities... and for some others to "learn" more about moving to these sounds. So yes, the skaters are judged with points etc... but as you know, skaters do get some feedback from officials... and there is a lot of politicking going around... some people felt a certain skater couldn't reach out to the audience or didn't have great skating skills... let's give him Blues for Klook so 1) that skater improves, 2) judges notice the improvement 3) PCS rise up. Same aim when using opera or musical warhorse, it allows a skater to cling on a story or a character, to develop performance skills... or to hope for a reward from the judges because they can show some level of characterization.
And of course, I don't know much about ballet but they have competitions as well... where they are judged by a panel... and I bet that a lot of the same music is used to demonstrate such skills.
I always find it approximate to compare figure skating to performing arts. The aim of a ballet performance is not the same as a figure skating competition. As a matter of fact, some skating fans love galas and shows ... I certainly prefer the competitions... And nice try about the 5hours of keeping focus... there are so many breaks with scoring, warm ups, ice resurfacing... and so many different bits and pieces of 3-4 minute programs of various music with uneven levels of performance... If anything, a full act of swan lake, with relatively homogeneous music could probably be much more difficult to keep anyone's focus.
In fact, when I saw it, I wondered what would happen if somebody did that death spiral entry today: would it count as a difficult entry or as a mistake?
Well, I can't deny that.
I've been guilty of watching Swan Lake to put myself to sleep
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Well, I think Usova & Zhulin put that piece on the figure skating map to begin with. But valid point otherwise.
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thanks !!!! I forgot about this !!!!
So, along with other festive feelings, here goes the little girl who actually had ballet music and a tutu:In the mode of JGP series that just started... How do you feel about the fact that so few girls are skating to ballet music or using ballet choreography/images?
I have mixed feelings. In general, I like current aesthetics and music choices. I find it entertaining. But what has happened to what once was a popular little girls'dream to be that ethereal flying ballerina and wear those tiaras and tutus? Where has it gone? When did it go?
Soho LEE (USA) | Women Free Skating | Egna 2022 | #JGPFigure
To license ISU footage: https://bit.ly/3M7bcaFVisit https://isu.org/JuniorGrandPrix for more information on the ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating.Courc...www.youtube.com
No tiara this time though. Which is in fact be a great big ballet trivia question: would it be in character? Should Clara/Marie wear a tiara?
And here you can see more Soho Lee's "ballet hands" in her short:
Soho LEE (USA) | Women Short Program | Egna 2022 | #JGPFigure
To license ISU footage: https://bit.ly/3M7bcaFVisit https://isu.org/JuniorGrandPrix for more information on the ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating.Courc...
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