Throughout the 30s, you will see some changes throughout the decade. In the early 30s, there are still remnants of the 20s costumes, particularly for the men.
As you can see, the tighter pants look was still worn for competitions. For ladies, the competition dresses remained fairly conservative, and hats were worn, as competitions typically took place outside. At the start of the decade, the skirts were almost at knee length.
Most of these pictures were taken from the 1932 Olympics. Fast forward to 1936:
The ladies' skirt length got shorter and men switched to a more trouser-type pant. And then we have Sonja Henie receiving her gold medal from the 1932 Olympics.
That coat is fabulous on epic levels. They do have a lot of her memorabilia in the museum at Lake Placid. Unfortunately, the coat is not there.
Now, it is SHOW TIME!!!
After Sonja Henie's victory in the 1936 Olympics, she decided to become a professional figure skater. That really doesn't seem like a big deal now, but she was the first one to do it. What would a professional skater do? It turns out for her, it was a combination of ice shows and movies where she skates.
As you will notice, the show costumes are much more flashy and garish than the competition costumes, and had a lot less coverage. Figure skating was no longer just an Olympic sport, it was an attraction for the public to see, similar to a play, concert or film of the time. During this time, indoor rinks became more popular and common around the United States and other parts of the world. For the movies, a temporary rink was placed on the set. These shows and movies began around 1937, and the popularity gave rise to other competitors. More acts were added to the shows, such as these stilt skaters.
Even Joan Crawford threw her hat into the ring with the movie "Ice Follies of 1939", where she co-starred with Jimmy Stewart.
This is another fabulous costume that I greatly covet. She didn't really skate in the movie, but it was a fun film. I'm still working on watching the old skating movies, which I will review on the blog.
Welcome to the second post in this series, covering the 1920s. Much like the changes in attitudes and style throughout this time, there were also a great deal of transitions in the figure skating costumes in this period. We will start with the beginning of the decade.
In the earlier part of the decade, we see a lot of similarities and carryovers from the 1910s. There are still long skirts for the ladies and legging-like pants for the men. You also see the sweaters representing their country and everyone in black mid-calf boots. This would soon change in the middle part of the decade.
In the 1924 Olympics, we started to see more women wearing white boots and shorter skirts. Not only was this a reflection of the raised hemlines of the time period, but it also allowed the female skaters to try new and daring elements. Then one young lady came on to the scene and changed the landscape of the sport forever.
1924 was Sonja Henie's Olympic debut. She was 11 years old, and still looked very much the little girl. Then this happened.
Makeover! Sonja returned to the Olympic Games in 1928 at 15 years old. She had a much more ladylike appearance, as well as wearing the white boots that the other ladies had worn at the last games. This Olympics was where she received her first of 3 gold medals. The dress with the Norwegian flag for figures is one of my favorite looks of the series.
After researching the 1920s costumes, I was left with two takeaways. First, I had always thought, as did many others, that Sonja Henie was the first woman to wear the white skating boots. As you have seen, that was not the case. I'm assuming she was credited because she brought the appeal of skating to the masses. There will be much more on this in my next post.
The second takeaway is kind of a rant on my part. My husband is a big history buff and frequently gets frustrated with things that are historically inaccurate. I didn't really think that much of it until I was researching 1920s figure skating costumes. What will come up first in the search are modern skaters in flapper costumes doing a "Chicago" themed program, or you see lots of flapper skating dresses for sale. Obviously, you are now all better educated, and know that not everyone went out dressed like that in the 20s. I get the whole "historical accuracy" thing now. Unfortunately, this will not be the only decade where this is the case.
Stay tuned for my next post on the 30s, where you will again see a major shift in costuming!
Today's skating costumes are beautiful, aren't they? Any time I get to visit a skating museum like the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame, or the Lake Placid Olympic museum, I gush over the beautiful works of art. However, the glitz and glam of today's skaters is not always what was worn for the sport. This post will take you through a little bit of history on skating wares. This will be broken up into several posts by decades and/or similar themes. Early Modern Figure Skating: Victoria Era through the 1910s
During this time, all skating was outside, so costumes were primarily focused on one thing: warmth. There is more fur in these costumes, as well as hats. You will also notice that both men and women are wearing black boots, and they come up to the mid calf. Stay tuned to watch that transition through time.
Here is Jackson Haines, the founder of modern figure skating, and inventor of the sit spin. Men's costumes consisted of a jacket and tight pants resembling leggings.
Womens' skirt lengths were much longer as well, keeping in tune with the fashion of the period.
It was acceptable for the younger girls to have a slightly shorter skirt.
I really enjoy these country-themed sweaters worn for figures. There will be more throughout these posts.
Edgar and Madge Syers. Madge also competed in singles skating, and here was her competitor:
Yes, that's right, it was Mr. Ulrich Salchow, inventor of the salchow jump. She came in second, and some of the judges placed her first! Pretty damn impressive! After the 1908 Olympics, the singles figure skating event was split to have separate men's and ladies events.
There was another Olympic event in 1912, and then none for the rest of the 1910s due to World War I.
While compiling pictures for my next post, Figure Skating Costumes Through the Years, I stumbled on some bits of comedy. Here is my fluff piece with some dialogue thrown in:
Scenario #1: The Victorian Squads
"We must stick our noses in the air, and show we are better than all these peasants!
"Ugh. Look over there. They are the ones I was telling you about. They are such bitches..."
Scenario #2: When You Have to Pose with Your Sworn Enemy
No picture with the girl that stole your boyfriend, the backstabbing coworker, or even crazy family members you might not like, will ever be this awkward. Ever.
Scenario #3: Who Wore it Better?
"I am Sonja Henie, Queen of the Ice. And World. Everyone loves me! I can wear all the big ass feathers I want!"
"Bitch, please. This is Gloria Nord here. My feathers are way bigger, and I'm doing this on roller skates!"
"Well, we both look better than this couple..."
Figure skating has been one of my biggest passions since I
was 5 years old. My mom and grandmother took me to see Ice Capades and I was
hooked. I watched the 1992 and 1994 Olympics in awe. I loved to watch Kristi
Yamaguchi and Nancy Kerrigan. They were just flawless, in my opinion. Then at
the 1994 Olympics, my love for skating really began to take off. There was a
new skater I hadn’t heard of named Oksana Baiul. She had the coolest style and
I loved watching everything she did. I began to watch even more competitions,
to include all of the professional ones. A few years later Tom Collins’ Tour of
World Figure Skating Champions started coming to Houston. My mom and I started
going in what would be a several years’ tradition: dinner at Olive Garden and
going to see the show, later called Champions on Ice. My family even started to
enjoy some of the skating.
In those days, I still believed I could start skating and
make it to the Olympics. Those dreams got a little thrown back on my first time
on the ice. I went skating with my Girl Scout troop at the Houston Galleria. It
was December, either 1994 or 1995, and there was a large Christmas tree in the
center of the ice, as there always was that time of year. It looked beautiful
walking through the mall. Not so much on the ice though…The tree had a glass
barrier around it with wooden edges, painted green. The Galleria had just
repainted the edges. As first time skaters, my fellow Girl Scouts and I fell a
lot. Several of us slid into the barrier and ended up with green paint on our
clothes. Not quite how I envisioned it would turn out…
Early Skating
Experiences
In 1996, I got the opportunity to take ice skating lessons.
I started out at the Aerodrome near Willowbrook Mall in Houston. I took the
Pre-Alpha (ISI Track) Adult class, even though I was 14. There were not a lot
of teenager beginners, so I started there. I learned a lot of basics in the
Pre-Alpha class, like snowplow stops, one-foot glides, and forward and backward
swizzles. Then we got to do a recital at the end of the class, and to this day
I still remember it. The song was “If I Had a Million Dollars” by Barenaked
Ladies. I also passed my test and was recommended to go to the Alpha class.
My family had discovered there was another Aerodrome in
Sugarland, which was an easier drive and closer to the house. I started going
there and picked up where I left off, doing chores around the house to get
money for my classes. After I passed Alpha, I got the greatest gift for
Christmas! It was a pair of my own skates, and a skating dress! This was just
awesome!
I went on to pass Beta,
Gamma, and Delta levels, and began Freestyle 1 my Freshman year of high school.
I was excited to finally learn a waltz jump, but I had to learn those pesky
back edges first! However, with my marching band schedule (and because I got in
trouble L) I was unable to continue my skating lessons.
I kept plenty busy throughout
high school and college, and still watched skating though I was not doing it.
My first job after college landed me at Red River Army Depot in Texarkana,
Texas. I met my husband there and was transferred to my next assignment in
Huntsville, Alabama. I decided I was going to see if there were any ice skating
rinks in the area, since I had been away from them for so long. Lo and behold,
a rink in Huntsville!
Skating, Part II
I arrived in Huntsville
before my then-fiance moved to the area. One Saturday afternoon, I decided to
check out a public session at the Huntsville rink. I quickly discovered there
were too many birthday parties going on then, so I opted for Sunday sessions,
or a time during the week, if I could. I was seeing what I could still do. My
backward crossovers were still solid, and I could do a two-foot spin. My
3-turns and mohawks still needed work, as well as the edges. I saw there was
another rink in Decatur, so I went to check it out. I enjoyed going over there,
as it was a bit less crowded than the Huntsville rink.
I found out there was a
beginner Adult Skating class at the Huntsville rink on Tuesday nights. My job
had me traveling quite a bit at the time, so I made it to the class whenever I
was in town. I think they started me at Adult 2 or 3, since I had some of the
basics down. I learned some things in these classes that I had never done
before, and they have really helped my skating, even though I hated doing them
at the time. Our class took place during an Adult freestyle session, so there
were higher level skaters there as well. They were really awesome and I wanted
to do what they were doing. Some of those skaters became good friends of mine. After
our class had completed all the adult basic skills classes, the Huntsville
Iceplex was still doing an introductory adult freestyle class. I did this for
several months and then we were told we needed to get coaches and start taking
private lessons.
I was a bit overwhelmed by
this. I had always wanted to take private lessons but thought it would be too
expensive. A friend of mine mentioned a coach at the Decatur rink that he
thought would be a good fit for me. I started communicating with her back and
forth, and thus began my coaching relationship with my coach Heidi. We have
been working great together now for almost 9 years! My skating really began to
grow and flourish at this time, and I started attending competitions. I also
did a few Christmas shows. After awhile, I was starting to lose interest, and I
was frustrated and stuck in my skating. This led to me taking a 1 year hiatus.
But I could not go without skating forever. I will always love it, and it will always
be a part of my life. After my break, I came back swinging in 2011, achieving
things I never thought possible.
Starting the blog
Right now, I’m on another
break. This one wasn’t brought on by drama at the rink (which we are all cool
now btw), but by my poor choices. Once I have some spare money for a pair of
skates, I will be back! I started having all these ideas about skating movies I
watched, and decided I can write about skating and share my opinions in the
interim. Once I return to the ice, I will be able to contribute more to the
blog, and will tweet the competition as they are going on.
I have to admit this has not
been easy. Skating is so much more than just a hobby to me. It’s a huge part of
my life and who I am. Not everyone understands that. Sometimes I feel that
without skating, I’m just plain and there is nothing to make me interesting. I
have been blessed to find fulfillment in other areas of my life in this time,
but can’t wait to express myself though my skating again.
You can follow me on Twitter
@icy_trails.
Peace, Love, and Figure
Skating from your friend Autumn
With only a few weeks until the Summer Olympic Games in Rio,
the sports community is going abuzz with news of the Russian doping scandal,
which they know has been going on since at least 2014. Some believe it began
before that. With that, I decided to get smart on it. Here are some key
takeaways I have found thus far:
1.The ISU is considering banning Russia from
hosting the 2016 Rostelecom Cup.
The Rostelecom Cup is one of 6 events in the Grand Prix of
Figure Skating. These Grand Prix events allow the skaters to compete
internationally. Doing well in these events enables skaters to improve their
world standing and ranking within the sport. Skate America is the first event
in the series, and this signals the beginning of the new figure skating season.
The Rostelecom Cup is usually the third event in this
series. I have only seen one reference mentioning the banning of Russia for
hosting the Rostelecom Cup. No official word has come from the International
Skating Union (ISU) as of yet.
2.Evgeni Plushenko has already spoken out
regarding his innocence.
He has stated in a few sources that he took no doping and
has always competed fairly.
3.There will continue to be fallout from the
2014 Olympic Games in Sochi.
There was so much discussion following the Olympics of
possible judging scandals and controversy. This stemmed mainly from the Russian
skaters’ personal relationships with the head of the Russian Skating
Federation, which (surprise, surprise) was one of the judges on the panel. And
with the IJS Rules, the judging was anonymous, so they could score whatever
they wanted and no one could say a damn thing. They have just recently removed
this anonymous judging, a change which I greatly welcome. These judges need to
be held accountable. The atmosphere at this Olympics was different than any I
had seen in the past. Instead of the hosting country being more of an
objective, unbiased spectator, as we have seen in previous games, the tone was
strongly pro-Russia throughout. There is nothing wrong with having pride in
your country (‘Merica!), but the blatant favoritism in the building for all the
Russian athletes seemed inappropriate on an Olympic stage. This is just my
opinion, and I’m wondering if anyone else noticed it.
All of this drama involving the judges was not ruled as a
scandal by either the ISU or the Olympic Committee. However, it did raise some
suspicions as to what transpired during these games.
Russia won the first ever Team Event in figure skating, and
I believe they won that fairly. Their overall group of skaters was collectively
stronger than the other teams. Where I, and many others, disagree with the
decisions, is in the Ladies’ event. I have remained silent on this matter for a
long time, and that was because I didn’t see the events until today. We had a
thunderstorm come through with tornado warnings, and our satellite went out
just as Carolina Kostner was taking the ice. The day after this event, I saw
many of my friends discussing this issue, and how Kim Yuna was robbed. I had to
admit, I thought she would have won it. Adelina Sotnikova wasn’t even the
Russian skater anyone was talking about at these games. What the hell happened?
This all sounded like a bunch of crap to me, and I wasn’t really interested in
seeing what happened. That whole Olympic experience was jacked up, with the
exception of Meryl and Charlie bringing home the Gold for Ice Dance.
I’ll put the performances here, and you guys can judge who
should have won here:
Kim Yuna
Adelina Sodnikova
In my mind, the clear winner here was Kim. Their jumping
passes were similar in difficulty, although Adelina had a bit more spring in
her jumps. Both had a small bobble on one of the jumps. However, Kim’s overall
program had much better flow and cohesion along with all the elements. Adelina’s
arms were flailing about throughout most of the program, which did not create a
very good posture or line.
And there’s one more lady in the mix here:
Carolina Kostner
Carolina Kostner went away with the bronze medal for this
lovely rendition of “Bolero”. This was a risky choice given the still iconic
performance from Torvill and Dean in the 1984 Olympics. She made it her own and
had great musical interpretation.
Here’s how I would have placed them:
Gold- Yuna
Silver- Sodnikova
Bronze- Kostner
So you may ask: What does this have to do with the doping
scandal?
Hang on, I’m getting there.
In 2012, Carolina Kostner’s boyfriend was found guilty of
doping and was banned from the 2012 Olympic Games in London. In 2015, Carolina
was brought to trial and was found guilty of covering for him and lying on his
behalf. She was banned from figure skating for 16 months, a ban that just
recently has been lifted. Oh yeah, and she broke up with that guy. Bye Felicia!
Some also speculate that this scandal could end with Kim
Yuna retroactively receiving the gold medal for those Olympics, which many
thought she rightly deserved.
4.What will happen to the Russian sport
officials involved in the doping scandal?
If the Russians come out of this doping scandal unscathed, a
situation that even their government knew about and secretly condoned, that
would be a complete injustice and utter bullshit. Given the punishment that
Carolina Kostner received, there should at least be a ban for some time for all
involved.
I will make no accusations that the Russian athletes in the
2014 Games were using performance enhancing drugs. No one knows that yet, and
it has yet to be proven.
Welcome to my first of a series of write-ups on my favorite
skating programs. The first post will cover Ice Dance, and I will do separate
posts for Pairs, Men’s and Ladies. These are my personal favorite performances
from both competitive and exhibition events. As an artistic and dramatic
skater, I look for a lot of drama in ice dance performances, as well as
technical excellence, musical interpretation, and the connection between the
partners. I also enjoy being surprised by what comes next in the dances! I
recommend watching the videos in “Full Screen” to get the full effect. Without
further ado, let’s get to it!
#10. Oksana “Pasha” Grishuk and Alexander “Sasha” Zhulin
(RUS): “Smooth Operator” by Sade
Well, well, well…this duo certainly stirred up some drama
and controversy in the 1990s! They both had skated with other partners for the
1992, 1994 and 1998 Olympics, Grishuk with Evgeny Platov (RUS) and Zhulin with
his partner and wife Maia Usova (RUS). Pasha and Sasha had a long ongoing
affair in this time, which blew up after the 1994 Olympics, with great
animosity and resentment between the two ladies. Grishuk and Platov continued
to skate together until the completion of the 1998 Olympics, and then parted
ways.
Well enough on that. We are here to talk about the
performance.
This is a program they did for the 1999 World Professional
Championships. Knowing the little tidbit above, it’s obvious to see they have
great connection and chemistry. What I loved about this performance is the
passion and sensuality they bring to the program. They also have a lot of
unique elements and it does have a fun feel to it as well. As the commentators
mentioned, they are very artistically compatible. You can see this in their
shared speed and unison.
Can we talk about Pasha’s outfit for a minute? That thing
just screams 1999, but she looks great in it. Hell, I might wear something like
that if I was in that good of shape.
One more bonus on this one: There are several videos that
talk about the “Pasha and Sasha” scandal. Some are informative, some cast blame
on one or the other, and some are downright ridiculous. If you’re into drinking
wine and watching YouTube after a long week of work, definitely add these to
your watching list.
#9: Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir (CAN): “Stay” by Rihanna
Another good example on partnering here. They have everyone
believing they are together, when in reality, they are not dating (I looked it
up). As you can see in this 2013 Stars On Ice performance, they have skated
together since they were children, which may be how they have developed their
unique style and unison. I have seen a lot of their competitive programs as
well, but they really shine in an exhibition environment. Their skating is a
lot freer, and they are a little more dramatic while also being relatable to
the audience. That split lift was AMAZING! Yowza! I loved all of the acting and
emoting on the ice too. You have no idea how hard that is! I would just love to
have a picture from one of my performances where I am not doing my
“concentration face”!
#8: Angelika Krylova and Oleg Ovsiannikov (RUS): “Carmen” by
Bizet
Yes, I realize Carmen is one of the most overplayed skating
songs of all time, but this program really stood out to me. I stumbled upon
this gem when I was searching for all the Carmen programs on YouTube. It’s a
skater thing. I guarantee you I’m not the only one who’s done this.
Krylova and Ovsiannikov are another Russian ice dance team
that completed in the 1998 Olympics, and their rivalry with Grishuk and Platov
was INTENSE. There was a lot of bad blood between the two teams. Krylova and
Ovsiannikov really wanted to win this one against their rivals, and it is very
evident in this performance. I’m just going to come out and say it: I think
this free dance should have won. It had much more energy and connection between
the partners than Grishuk and Platov’s performance. This was certainly not the
same Carmen performance that the audience and judges had seen tons of times.
This one had a spark to it and a special energy. In particular, a certain
aspect stood out to me as original and groundbreaking. In ice dance and pairs,
the focus has always been on the lady. The male partner’s role is to provide
support and do everything to showcase her in the best way. With this program,
the lady was still showcased, but he had a lot of great moments and elements
all on his own. You could tell they were both in it together. And now to shift
our focus to the lady…
That dress is fierce! It was
very dramatic and unique, with a lot of cool styling elements. Her facial
expressions in the program were dynamite, and as the commentators stated, they
were acting for the audience in the back of the arena, much like in theater.
Not only that, but her resting bitch face game is STRONG! Almost Herculean, in
fact. It’s definitely going in the top ten. Hey, there’s an idea! “The Best
Resting Bitch Face Poses of All Time”. Let me add that to my list of blog
ideas.
And let’s talk a minute about
the death scene. When she pulled the scarf out, there was an element of
surprise. What was really neat was that he “died” without laying down on the
ice, which was very innovative. As an aside, there is a YouTube video from the
90s.
That last guy is my personal favorite. Apparently, after
Jane Torvill and Christopher Dean’s iconic “Bolero” performance at the 1984
Olympics, everyone wanted to jump on the bandwagon on dying on the ice. I even
did it myself! My friend and I, having seen this video, decided to be like the
last guy and encourage the crowd to cheer on our “death” scene.
If there’s one key takeaway from their performance, it’s
this: The motivation to win is much stronger when you hate your competitors. Go
ahead and let the hate flow through you…
#7: Marina Klimova and Sergei Ponomarenko (RUS): “The
Brides” by Wojciech Kilar, Bram
Stoker’s Dracula Soundtrack
I discovered this gem a few weeks ago. I’m not really sure
where they did this performance but it certainly is a treat. Its excellent
choreography by Tatiana Tarasova is filled with theatricality and exquisite
lifts. Their ballet training is evident, as they are aware of their body
position in every lift and transition. And to add to all the wonderful
technical elements, the couple also had great artistry and musicality. They
stayed in character without being over the top. I have always admired this team
for creating beautiful programs and making it about the skating, and not about
themselves seeking the spotlight or causing drama. The costuming and makeup
added some important artistic elements to the program. Everything they did with
the cape, skating under it, and especially in the bounce spin, were very
impressive. Hats off to them for staying upward that whole time and not
tripping on the cape or crashing into the boards! This would make an amazing
program for a Halloween skating show, which I have always wanted to see and
perform in. As a final note, this is the second entry where the couple “died”
on the ice. Will it be the last? You’ll just have to wait and see.
#6: Marina Klimova and Sergei Ponomarenko (RUS): “Romeo and
Juliet” by Tchaikovsky
I will start off my commentary on this one with a
disclaimer: I’m not really a big Romeo and Juliet fan as far as the play goes.
The whole idea of getting married as a teenager and then dying is not something
that one should shoot for in romantic relationships. It does, however, make for
some damn good skating performances, like this one.
This is where we really start seeing the high-impact,
heavy-hitting performances. I went back and forth on where to rank this
performance from the 1995 World Professional Championships and the “Dracula”
performance in the last section. This one edged out because of one thing that
made it special: passion. I have seen this performance live at the Champions on
Ice tour. Marina and Sergei captivated the crowd with their beautifully
artistic and dramatic performances. I love the transitions on the lifts,
particularly on the lift at the climax of the program. This one definitely has
more impact with the dark lighting and spotlights, where they can hold the
candles. They perform to the fullest, and you really believe they are the
star-crossed lovers that ended in tragedy. Marina really played dead well too.
They have such an exquisite style and elegance that you don’t see a lot in ice
dance today. I really miss that.
#5: Oksana Grishuk and Evgeny Platov (RUS): “You’ll See” by
Madonna
This is another performance I saw live, that was full of
passion. It was so cool to see her just chuck the jacket at him at the end.
While this program is loaded with artistry and passion, it still does not skimp
on amazing technical elements. That part where she is in an O shape and slides
down his body leave shivers down my spine. It is so daring and so amazing. They
effortlessly glide on the ice with so much speed, and the music is the perfect
backdrop to bring on the drama and bare their emotions. Also, as the
commentator mentioned, Oksana Grishuk is the “Madonna of the Ice”. Say what you
will about Pasha, but she has a diva like quality that mimics Sonja Henie back
in her hey-day.
For a little fluff piece on this check out “The Tale of Two
Oksanas”. I can understand her wanting to change her name, since no one knew
who she was, in spite of all her accomplishments. But the rest, well, you’ll
just have to see. Pasha is throwing shade (which I don’t like) and attempting
to impersonate Marilyn Monroe. Again, good for a Friday night wine and YouTube
night.
Ah, the 90’s. ‘Twas a much simpler time. Figure skating was
much more popular, and also the topic of celebrity gossip. I’d much rather see
something like this that some nonsense about Taylor Swift and whoever the hell
she’s dating this week. (Yeah, I just through shade there. Whatevs. You were
all thinking it too, don’t lie.)
#4: Shae Lynn Bourne and Victor Kraatz (CAN): “Riverdance”
Medley
Let me just say: I freaking LOVE Riverdance. And not to put
spoilers out there, but you may be seeing additional Riverdance entries… Many
of you remember Jason Brown’s Riverdance program, which was great, but this is
the original here.
WOW. One of the most amazing performances I’ve ever seen.
Another fantastic showing from the 1998 Olympics. You know, I remember watching
this Olympics as a 15 year old girl. All the focus was on the Ladies’ event,
but the free dances are really what had me glued to the TV and staying up late.
Everyone was giving their all out there, and it could have been anyone’s night.
I love this performance because it shows such a wide range
of styles. And they did Irish step dancing ON ICE!!!! I also had a stint in an
Irish step dancing class, and I can attest, this is no joke. My friend and I
attempted to do some step dancing moves on the ice and stopped immediately due
to fear of skull fractures. It is unbelievably difficult to do. They
transitioned nicely into the slower sections with more lifts and hydroblading.
Just absolutely phenomenal. The costumes were a great choice and it was a bold
move on Victor’s part to wear green pants. That is not a pant color you see a
lot of male skaters wear, but it looked really cool. They skated with a lot of
charm, spunk, and excitement.
#3: Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje (CAN): “Kissing You” by
Des’ree
O.M.G……Cannot get through this program without crying. This
is poetry and art. This was an exhibition program, which are “fluff” programs
for many skaters, but they brought something of real substance and emotion.
BRB, watching it again…
Seriously, Shakespeare himself could not have picked better
actors for Romeo and Juliet. And maybe I like the play more than I’m letting
on. This is just perfection. From the music to the costumes, to the elements,
to the dramatization, I am spellbound. That verse in the song where it says
“watching stars without you, my soul cries” is where my cue is to cry. Works
every time. Their unison was so in sync here, and there were some beautiful
lifts and daring elements. I loved that Andrew had a little spotlight of his
own as well. Like I stated before, the men’s job in ice dance is typically to
make the ladies look beautiful. I like when men have their moment to shine in
dance too. This couple came onto the scene much more dominantly after the 2014
Olympics. I’m hoping they stick around, especially with programs like this.
So, we are almost through the Final Countdown (do do doo do,
do do do do doooo!), so if #3 was that spectacular, numbers 2 and 1 must be
super duper amazing right?? Well, here it is….
#2: Meryl Davis and Charlie White (USA): “Scheherazade” by Nikolai
Rimsky-Korsakov
USA! USA! ‘Merica!! Yeah, that’s right. Meryl and Charlie
earned the USA the first Olympic Gold Medal in Ice Dance, and it was very well
deserved.
This performance was unequaled by any of the other dancers,
and there were some other great performances, most notably by Virtue and Moir.
Still, no one could stop the power of Meryl and Charlie. They had worked on
some of these elements for years, waiting for the 2014 season. No detail was
forgotten, not even in their costuming and appearance. They looked like a
Disney Prince and Princess, as this Buzzfeed article proclaims:
While there are many who claim that figure skating is on the
decline, and who complain about the IJS rules (myself included), there are some
exceptional skaters that get it right time after time. Meryl and Charlie are
one of those teams. She even clapped back at the critics talking about the
supposed “dire” state of the sport:
Good for you girl, give ‘em hell. I just think these two are
such great role models. They went to college even with their skating stardom,
and are constantly doing things to help the community. Their absence was
greatly felt in these past two competition seasons. This performance was the
absolute best. To draw some comparisons: “Scheherazade” is the modern day
“Bolero”. The torch has been passed from the ice dance greats Torvill and Dean
to Davis and White.
All of this is a great segway into my Number One
performance, which should come as no surprise…
#1: Jane Torvill and Christopher Dean (GBR): “Bolero” by
Ravel
20 years after the British Invasion that introduced The
Beatles to the world, Torvill and Dean had a British invasion of their own at
the 1984 Olympics. The art and sport of ice dance was transformed forever.
There are many reasons that this performance is the literal gold standard of
ice dance, even more so than the several perfect 6.0 scores from the judges.
You search for ice dancing on YouTube, and what comes up? Bolero. What they did
with this performance was so revolutionary and groundbreaking, well ahead of
its time. They are the dancers that all ice dancers hope to emulate. It was
their great artistry and enormous flair for drama that set them over the edge.
Fun fact: a friend of mine told me they started their program on their knees
because the time didn’t start until they were actually skating! Way to fight
the man, Jane and Christopher! The dying scene in Bolero is the first “death”
on the ice, which has been copied by many.
Well, this post has made me learn a lot about myself.
Apparently I like the tried and true “dying on ice”. I just thought of a catch
phrase! “If you ain’t dying, you ain’t trying!”
I could not conclude this posts without mentioning a few
more very memorable programs:
Honorable Mention goes to: Barbara Fusar-Poli and Maurizio
Margaglio (ITA): 2006 Free Dance
Why did I include this? Because it’s freaking hilarious,
that’s why! I normally quit watching the skating videos when the program is
over, but the best part here is when the skating is done. That awkward stare
down and complete disdain. Barbara Fusar Poli will also go into the Resting
Bitch Face Hall of Fame. She’s all like, “you had ONE JOB dumbass!” Then there
was no bowing for several minutes. This is entertainment gold! It’s like
watching a skating soap opera.
A Dishonorable Mention goes to: Oksana Domnina and Maxim
Shabalin (RUS): 2010 Aboriginal Folk Dance
I’m all for skaters getting out of their comfort zones, but
this one just did not work. I applaud their bravery to try something different,
but that’s about it. There are not a lot of complaints on the technical end,
but on artistry and presentation, boy howdy, is this in the Book of Fails for
sure! The costumes, music and acting were poorly chosen by all involved. Domnina
and Shabalin received a great deal of criticism for this program, which many
deemed offensive. However, they were not the only ones involved. The coaches,
choreographers, and costumers all let this happen too. How did that many people
think this was a good idea? To the ice dancers’ defense, however, I do not
believe there was malicious intent, or that they intended to offend the
Aboriginal culture and others. It was simply a poorly chosen idea with a great
deal of ignorance on the culture, and negligence of the rest of their team.
There is but one sound for this performance:
Hope y’all enjoyed it, and I’d love to hear from you! What
are your favorite ice dance performances? Stay tuned for more listings for
Pairs, Men’s, and Ladies!
