Growing up, I did not embrace the talents of Tara Lipinski and Sasha Cohen. I won't lie, one of the main reasons I was not a fan is because these two phenoms were chief rivals to my hero, Michelle Kwan. I didn't possibly see how I could root for either Tara or Sasha if they were in direct competition with my favorite skater. I'm sure there were other factors for my rationale, but this is the most prominent one. It's not that I disliked either of the skaters--I could even admit that they had great talent, and Tara was an unbelievable competitor-- it was more that I didn't feel compelled to like them. Looking back, it was probably that I wouldn't allow myself to like them or it would somehow be like taking support and adoration away from Michelle, which of course is not true.
Old habits die hard: even since starting this blog in 2010, I conveniently have left Tara and Sasha out of my posts dedicated to our country--and world's--most illustrious skaters. Fast forward to today and I am ready to admit that Tara and Sasha were two of America's greatest skaters in the '90s and 2000s and their talents should be honored. Tara, though known for her incredible jumping ability during her career, developed into a lovely artist in the years after the '98 Olympics and today, when I've seen clips of her skating, exudes a beautiful quality. Sasha, never known for her jumps, has always been seen as a gifted artist. In the years following her '06 Olympic silver medal, she has developed her artistry further, making her one of the very best in the professional skating business. Some of Sasha's SOI programs have reached legendary status, in my eyes (Halleluliah, Moonlight Sonata, etc.) Though my blog is not some grand international showcase where this profession of my new-found respect and admiration of these two skaters will make any kind of splash, in my own way, it's an important forum for my personal expression and I'm happy to have the opportunity to share my thoughts about Tara and Sasha with anybody who might happen to be reading.
I'm sharing two programs from Tara and Sasha that I feel are excellent examples of their talents and evolution as athletes and artists: Tara's "DreamCatcher" program from the Secret Garden Soundtrack skated at 1999 Ice Wars and Sasha's "Hurt" by Christina Aguilera, which I had the good fortune of seeing skated live at the 2007 Marshall's Showcase.
Tara's "Dreamcatcher":
Sasha's "Hurt":
Here is the delightful short program from last season to Gershwin's "The Man I Love." This performance was skated at Cup of China during the 2011 Grand Prix Season.
Enjoy!
When 4-time U.S. pairs medalists Amanda Evora and Mark Ladwig announced the end of their 10-year partnership a couple of months ago, I was in the throes of student teaching and grad school and was unable to comment on my blog. Now that I have free time, I would like to make a series of posts dedicated to honoring Amanda and Mark's beautiful partnership. Though this team never finished first at Nationals and never made the World splash they might have been looking for, they nevertheless had a very successful career, highlighted by impressive top-1o finishes at the 2010 Olympic Games and World Championships. Above all, Amanda and Mark were a joyful team. I saw them skate live at the 2009 U.S. Championships in Cleveland and was struck with their genuine performance quality. Amanda, especially, wore her emotions on her sleeves. I was moved by their performance and took notice. The following season, they surprised everyone, including themselves by finishing second at Nationals and making the Olympic team. It's a moment Amanda and Mark and their fans will not soon forget.
The first program of Amanda and Mark's that I'd like to highlight is this season's freeskate to Ravel's "Daphne and Chloe. This freeskate is exquisitely choreographed, peppered with beautiful shapes (note the photo of the opening pose above), interesting movements, and stunning lifts. It's a soft, subtle, mature, elegant piece. This particular performance, skated at Trophee Eric Bompard last fall in Paris isn't without flaw, Amanda goes down on a double axel, but otherwise, it's very well done. One mistake does not detract from the quality of this program.
Enjoy!
Very cool! Takahashi has recently announced his return to coach/choreographer Nikolai Morozov, who created this program. Can we expect more ice-breaking performances like this in the fall?
In wishing the reigning Olympic Champion a Happy Birthday, I'd like to post one of his best freeskates: his 2006 Olympic Games freeskate to Carmen. With this courageous freeskate, he moved up from 10th after a disastrous short program to coming up just short of a medal in 4th behind bronze medalist Jeffrey Buttle of Canada. This is one of my favorites! Evan was always a phenomenal competitor, who truly knew how to rise to the occasion. This performance makes me want to clap! As Sandra Bezic says, "...he sustained the emotional commitment from beginning to end...brilliant!"
Happy 27th Birthday, Evan!
Evgeny Plushenko is still king! Check out the 2006 Olympic Champion's exciting freeskate at the 2012 European Championships in Sheffield England in January. At 29-year-old, Plushenko doesn't seem to have lost much of his technical ability. Quads were absent from this freeskate as Plushenko was set to have knee surgery following the competition,but he plans to bring back the four-revolution jumps in his continued comeback this season the road to the Sochi Games in his home country two years away. Having watched Plushenko skate for more than a decade now, I have to say, it never gets old. I still love his skating! Enjoy!
Growing up, I did not embrace the talents of Tara Lipinski and Sasha Cohen. I won't lie, one of the main reasons I was not a fan is because these two phenoms were chief rivals to my hero, Michelle Kwan. I didn't possibly see how I could root for either Tara or Sasha if they were in direct competition with my favorite skater. I'm sure there were other factors for my rationale, but this is the most prominent one. It's not that I disliked either of the skaters--I could even admit that they had great talent, and Tara was an unbelievable competitor-- it was more that I didn't feel compelled to like them. Looking back, it was probably that I wouldn't allow myself to like them or it would somehow be like taking support and adoration away from Michelle, which of course is not true.
Old habits die hard: even since starting this blog in 2010, I conveniently have left Tara and Sasha out of my posts dedicated to our country--and world's--most illustrious skaters. Fast forward to today and I am ready to admit that Tara and Sasha were two of America's greatest skaters in the '90s and 2000s and their talents should be honored. Tara, though known for her incredible jumping ability during her career, developed into a lovely artist in the years after the '98 Olympics and today, when I've seen clips of her skating, exudes a beautiful quality. Sasha, never known for her jumps, has always been seen as a gifted artist. In the years following her '06 Olympic silver medal, she has developed her artistry further, making her one of the very best in the professional skating business. Some of Sasha's SOI programs have reached legendary status, in my eyes (Halleluliah, Moonlight Sonata, etc.) Though my blog is not some grand international showcase where this profession of my new-found respect and admiration of these two skaters will make any kind of splash, in my own way, it's an important forum for my personal expression and I'm happy to have the opportunity to share my thoughts about Tara and Sasha with anybody who might happen to be reading.
I'm sharing two programs from Tara and Sasha that I feel are excellent examples of their talents and evolution as athletes and artists: Tara's "DreamCatcher" program from the Secret Garden Soundtrack skated at 1999 Ice Wars and Sasha's "Hurt" by Christina Aguilera, which I had the good fortune of seeing skated live at the 2007 Marshall's Showcase.
Tara's "Dreamcatcher":
Sasha's "Hurt":
