Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Since news of skaters' music choices for the upcoming Olympic season has started to hit the presses, the prevalent theme of such music choices has not quite been La La Land to the extent I'd expected, but rather recycling--that is, re-using previously-done programs and/or music. For example, off the top of my head:

• Yuzuru Hanyu is re-using his Chopin's Ballade No. 1 SP and Seimei LP*
• Duhamel/Radford are recycling their old Muse LP
• Shoma Uno is returning to his Turandot LP
• Mirai Nagasu is re-using her Chopin's Nocturne No. 20 in C Sharp Minor SP
• Elena Radionova is repurposing her Porgy and Bess SP
• Ashley Wagner is recycling her Hip Hip Chin Chin SP
• Polina Tsurskaya is re-using her Light of the Seven SP
• Alina Zagitova is returning to her Don Quixote LP
• Javier Fernandez is reusing Chaplin music for one of his programs,
• . . . and so on. 

In other words, typical Olympic season.

As noted previously, skaters generally eschew avant-garde artistic concepts or groundbreaking music choices during the Olympic season. The stakes are just too high, given that the chance for a coveted Olympic spot--much less an Olympic medal!--inconveniently only comes around once every four years. Moreover, the temptation to return to a previously-successful music choice is understandably quite strong in light of the rather conservative figure skating judging establishment, which seemingly never tires of yet another Carmen or Phantom of the Opera program.

Denouement

Mao Asada announced her retirement from competitive figure skating earlier this week. By this point, thousands of fans have undoubtedly re-watched and ruminated over Ms. Asada's most indelible performances--her 2014 Olympics LP to Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2, for instance, or her two short programs to Chopin's Nocturne Op. 9, No. 2 in E-flat major. No doubt there have also been much reminiscing over Ms. Asada's determination and perseverance in completely over-hauling her jump technique, her never-ending quest to perfect her triple axel, and her humility and grace in the face of injuries, personal grief, and the vagaries of uneven tech panel calling.

Grand Prix Final 2015: Everyone Else

The men were so awesome they get their own post. Everything else that happened at the senior Grand Prix Final 2015 goes in here.

Let's do this twenty questions style:

Super Steps

**This post is dedicated to Hakkai**

Given how fashionable it is to blame IJS for a wide assortment of figure skating maladies (including but not limited to ruining spins in the ever-contorted quest for levels, fan spirals, and the sorry state of pairs skating), I am aware of the fact that having the opinion that IJS step sequences are generally an improvement on their 6.0 counterparts is a controversial one likely to draw scorn, something akin to believing in the tooth fairy as an adult or thinking that tartan pairs very well with paisley. But that is indeed an opinion I hold, and I will now defend it the only way I know how: verbiage with bits of video footage liberally interspersed in between.

The Skin You're In

Some people hate over-the-boot covers, others shudder at the thought of sequins. For me, the #1 figure skating sartorial sin is mismatched illusion mesh.

Ah, illusion mesh, that gallant protector of many a skater's modesty. For those uninitiated to the ways of skating's sartorial mores, illusion mesh is the flesh-colored fabric meant to provide an approximation of bare skin without actually baring such skin. Despite the official ISU rules stating that on-ice costumes "must not give the effect of excessive nudity for athletic sport," illusion mesh is a popular means to provide that very effect. Indeed, illusion mesh is often necessary to hold a skimpy costume together (yes, Elena Grushina is wearing more illusion mesh than actual non-illusion mesh fabric):

A Comparison of Ladies' Triple Axels (Thus Far)

In honor of Elizaveta Tuktamysheva's successful triple axels of late, here's a comparison of all the ladies who have successfully landed a triple axel at least once at an international ISU competition.

Midori Ito
Midori Ito was the first lady to ever land a triple axel in competition. Ms. Ito's technical abilities as a jumper was so insanely far ahead of her contemporaries such that she is, to me, the Niccolo Paganini of ladies figure skating insofar as she was a phenomenon rather than a development. Put into perspective, when Midori Ito won her world title in 1989 with a triple axel, the most difficult jump in Katarina Witt's world title-winning program in 1988 was a solo triple loop. Similarly, Jill Trenary's gold-medal program at 1990 Worlds had a solo triple flip as its most difficult jump. Admittedly, Ms. Ito's competitive results in the earlier days of her career can be attributed to the role of compulsory figures, which Ms. Ito was known to be rather poor at. But as the numerous technical-mark 6.0s Ms. Ito received in her programs attests, the phenomenal quality of Ms. Ito's jumping ability cannot be denied. In the two decades since Ms. Ito retired from competitive skating, her triple axel still arguably stands as the best ladies triple axel ever. For proof, I submit the following exhibits:

Favorite Performances of 2014

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a figure blog on the cusp of a new year, must write a retrospective listing favorite performances from the year past. And so here are mine for 2014.

Note that I said "favorite," which may or may not necessarily correspond with "best." Insert usual caveats such as de gustibus non est disputandum, etc., here.

"New and Improved"

While watching Samantha Cesario's Carmen at Skate America last week, I was suddenly aware of a plague that has befallen us. No, I'm not talking about Ebola, or the rash of (undoubtedly horrible) Phantom of the Opera programs that have infected the figure skating rank and file this season. No, I'm talking about the new and near-universally ghastly trend of figure skaters tinkering with and recycling old, beloved programs from the past. The intentions are good, but the results are more often than not disappointing. Why? Often, what makes a program so brilliant and beloved is a serendipitous confluence of music and choreography that falls into place with a certain undefinable je ne sais quoi. Tinker with one piece and the whole artifice comes crashing down. So, with clouded eyes and empty hearts, let's take a look back at some beautiful programs humbled by lesser imitations:

Unfortunate Associations

In an article from the New Yorker, Richard Brody discusses music that has personally been ruined for him association with questionable films--specifically, Lars von Trier's ham-fisted use of various beloved classical pieces in Nymphomanic. I certainly can empathise: to me, Prokofiev's otherwise delightful Dance of the Knights from Romeo and Juliet is forever bound up with the luridly torturous experience of watching Tinto Brass' Caligula.  Listening to music, as Mr. Brody rightfully points out, is a highly personal experience and there comes a point when it is impossible to dissociate a piece of music from a personal experience--whether that be a film, a specific person, a figure skating performance.

So, what pieces of music have been ruined for me via association with thoroughly unpleasant figure skating programs?

2014 Olympics: Team Event Recap

Ah, the Olympics....that once-every-four-years occasion when it's actually possible to catch figure skating not on sketchy Latvian or Turkish Internet feeds in 240p, but on mainstream media outlets, whether on prime time television or in print. People tune in, figure skating gets its place in the sun for a couple of weeks, it's socially acceptable--or perhaps put more correctly, socially possible--to discuss figure skating in public with normal people who aren't die-hard fanatics. Fun times!

This year's Olympics saw the inauguration of the team figure skating event, an event that ISU overlord Ottavio Cinquanta (with his infinite wisdom) hoped would add "something spicy" to elite-level figure skating competition. Contrary to Mr. Cinquanta's zesty expectations, however, the team event turned out to be fairly anti-climatic by the end of the first day as it became readily apparent that the top three teams would be Russia-Canada-United States with zero movement among them. A few spots of uncertainty cropped up from time to time--will France make it to the top 5? Which second- or third-string skater will skate the long program? What will Tessa Virtue wear during the free dance?--but as a whole, moments of actual suspense during the team event were as rare as good taste and restraint are during the typical Olympics opening ceremony. Thankfully, however, the team event also featured quite a few great performances, unqualified disasters and interesting scoring patterns--all grist for the mill of any figure skating fan (or blogger, in this case).

The Red and the Pink

This post was supposed to be a recap of the team men's and pairs' short programs, but technological and temporal circumstances intervened and as a result, my first taste of Olympics figure skating basically involved me watching a blurry Russian feed that buffered every 20 seconds or so with no sound while I sat in class pretending to listen to my professor lecture. In other words, I have no idea how anyone skated aside from reading some second-hand reports. Not even Youtube could step in and save the day this time--in a typical display of Olympic spirit, a swift crackdown has purged Youtube of any relevant Olympic figure skating videos.

In lieu of a recap post and in anticipation of the upcoming ladies team short program, here are my favorite ladies' programs this season:


Mao Asada, Nocturne in E flat major, Op. 9, No. 2 SP 
When I first heard that Mao Asada was skating to a re-worked version of her short program from the 2006-2007 season, I inwardly groaned and braced myself for the worst. After all, Ms. Asada's old short program to this particular Chopin nocturne had been one of her finest efforts, an exquisite program that showed off Ms. Asada's finest qualities as a young ingénue in her first fully senior season on the ice. Why gild the lily--how could she possibly improve on something that was already so good? However, to paraphrase older and wiser people than I, one must not counteth thine chickens before they hatcheth. Upon actually watching Ms. Asada's reworked Nocturne at Skate America a few months ago, all my concerns melted away. Which version of Nocturne is better? It's difficult to say. Nocturne in 2006 was the perfect program for a young ingénue, full of lightness and joy--but this newer version, while still delicate and airy, has a certain wistfulness and poignancy in the choreography and performance: the Moment when Ms. Asada lifts one leg and holds her arms out at the high b-flat note, the pause in the straightline steps, the placement of the spins with the music...just beautiful. There's also a greater refinement and smoothness to Ms. Asada's skating now that adds that special something to her performance that wasn't quite there 4 years ago.

I've said it before and I'll say it again--Mao Asada was born to skate to Chopin. Chopin is perhaps the greatest ever piano composer and he particularly understood that the piano is so much more than a percussive instrument. Playing a Chopin nocturne properly on the piano requires a certain delicacy and clarity of touch that transforms the piano into something as fluid and legato as the human voice...and fortunately for us viewers, Ms. Asada's skating, above all, evinces those particular qualities.

2013 Four Continents: Recap

I'm actually sort of inclined to find this photograph funny at this point

The skategods giveth, and the skategods taketh away.

Choreographic

One of the common criticisms of CoP is that the 'free' program isn't quite free enough. Admittedly, even under the 6.0 system, the free program wasn't entirely 'free' in the sense that skaters could do whatever they felt like doing, but under 6.0, it was much more easier to distinguish between the short program (where the focus was on the completion of the mandated required elements) and the free program (in which skaters, while still subject to the "well-balanced program" rules, had more freedom to perform whatever combination of elements best suited their individual skills). Indeed, under the various incarnations of CoP so far, the free program has more often than not looked rather like a longer version of the short program and (even worse) acquired a certain homogeneity in terms of program construction.* Of course, some of this was rather inevitable given the way CoP has been structured (when everything is evaluated in terms points, eventually everybody does those same things that earn the most points), but perhaps the dinosaurs at the uppermost echelons of the ISU have not been entirely deaf to the protestations of the trilobites down below as there has been a slow but steady shift towards how a free program is structured under CoP. The most important development in this regard has been the implementation of the level-free element in the free program, one of the most positive CoP developments as of late.

Melancholia

Sometimes, there are days in which life feels like just another facet of shitty. In lieu of hurling myself off the nearest tall building or sticking my head into the closest aptly-sized kitchen appliance, I turn to my most convenient non-self destructive outlet for catharsis: figure skating.

The State of the Union: 2012 Grand Prix

Some observations from the Grand Prix series this season....

A Smorgasbord of New Programs (so far)

Is it just me, or is there a ridiculous amount of competitions going on this week? Japan Open, Finlandia Trophy, Ondrej Nepala....the mind boggles at how many programs are debuting this week. Rather than write separate posts on each competition, I'm going to amalgamate them into two or three large posts as videos of all the competitions slowly seep out.

Lift Your Leg

The spiral is an iconic move in ladies figure skating, instantly recognizable to connoisseur and layperson alike. What other element in figure skating has quite the same breadth of appeal as the spiral, which captivates the attention of those who watch figure skating for the art (exquisite spiral perfectly timed to highlight a certain musical phrase), those preoccupied with technique (deep, stable, controlled edges...ideally), lavishness old roués (pretty girls in short skirts lifting their legs) and everyone in between? Indeed, some of the more memorable moments in figure skating have involved spirals in various incarnations:

Pick your poison

With the ubiquity of the recycling logo and the proliferation of recycling bins everywhere, recycling has long been in vogue for many people.....including the denizens that populate the world of figure skating, it appears! Instead of paper and aluminum cans, however, what is often recycled in figure skating are music cuts, program concepts and even choreography in some particularly sad cases.

So what are we to do as bewildered spectators? Vote in frivolous polls to compare the programs, of course!  Today we will focus on the environmentally-friendly works of noted skating choreographer Lori Nichol. Under the cut is a nowhere-near-exhaustive list of programs all choreographed by Ms. Nichol. Please vote and feel free to justify your choices, etc., in the comments. I will also write a follow-up post next week with my opinions of the programs.....

Favorite Fluff

As their name implies, figure skating fluff pieces are not exactly among the most intellectually demanding things aired on television. In the rush to seek out the lowest common denominator to broaden the appeal of figure skating to the unconverted masses, many fluff pieces tend to be high on melodrama and cheese but low on actual information (particularly of the technical variety needed to fully understand CoP) about the sport itself. Though some of the die-hard skating faithful bemoan the lost opportunity for educating the masses, there is nonetheless a special place in my heart for the typical cheesy fluff piece. Here are some of my favorites that have survived the copyright purges on Youtube:

Worlds 2012: Ladies LP Recap

Ah, ladies skating. Just last Olympic cycle, many fans of figure skating were fanning themselves over the Yu-Na Kim and Mao Asada rivalry, oohing and ahhing at the 3As and 3-3s being whipped out by the two skaters jostling at the top, thereby raising the technical level of the entire discipline. The men were scoffed at for winning without quadruple jumps and there was quite a bit of sound and fury directed at the pernicious influence of quadless World and Olympic champions. Yet now...nine out of the top ten men at Worlds this year landed quadruple jumps in their programs (plus much more), and many fans have instead turned to bemoaning the fact that the top ladies this year lack difficult 3-3s, 3Lutzes, etc. Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose....