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Post by nike2010 on Feb 1, 2010 18:41:57 GMT 1
leana, thank you for sharing your thoughts. I agree that jumps are important aspect of figure skating, and probably the most important aspect of the athletic aspect of figure skating ... but I also think that skaters are duly rewarded for good jumps in the TES... nike2010, thanks for citing Sally IV's comment. Yes, that is exactly what I meant! But I agree this is off-topic, so I will stop here Thanks, ageha - I'm glad to read your reply!
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Post by marion on Feb 14, 2010 2:33:39 GMT 1
I have just conducted a little experiment on the effect of Stephane's programs 2009/2010 on 4 people who never saw Stephane skating . Background: we are on a conference with my fellow PhD students. Tonight there was a get-together party, we had some wine and ended up on a private afterparty in my room watching skating. They know how crazy I am about Steph and wanted to know sth more about him. 2 of my friends used to watch a lot of skating but stopped after Yagudin's retirement, and 2 of them generally never watched skating. Methods: We started with our Soiree Patinage with Yags' programmes from 2002 Salt Lake City: the SP, the LP and Overcome. Then one of the "non-skating" friends requested Candeloro's 1998 Nagano LP as the only skating programme she remebers. Since we were traveling back in time, the skating friend requested Stojko - our first hit on youtube was 1997 worlds LP. And this is how we surprisingly came back to present, watching Plush's LP from Tallin. After that I was allowed to play Steph: La Traviata, Wilhelm Tell form EC and finally NMQP. Results: Performances with imperfect jumps did not impress my friends . Nevertheless, they did noticed his exquisite feeling for the music . NMQP left them speechless. Discussion: See the sentence above.
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Post by freefall on Feb 14, 2010 3:53:41 GMT 1
First Stephane's skating was something so personal for me that I was unable to even talk about it to anyone I knew, but some months later I spontaneously showed Stephane's programs to some not too close not-fond-of-FS friends of mine and they didn't show much enthusiasm to my great surprise, they only noticed the good spins. This way I had the chance to learn that not all the people can recognize the beauty when they see it. Since that failed experiment I keep this treasure to myself and show it only to people who I am sure are able to fully appreciate it.
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Post by Sally IV on Feb 14, 2010 13:27:16 GMT 1
I know of a self-professed figure skating fan who considers Surya Bonaly the best ever because "she does the backflip" and with one foot landing.
Every time I went to a Tom Collins Champions on Ice show, I would invariably be subjected to streams and streams of comments around me that one would not expect to hear from people who actually take the trouble to attend shows. Not once have I come home without this happening to me.
During the Torino games, I was approached by the occasional followers of figure skating for chats at a community of some of the sharpest minds anywhere, and they would all say they don't really know what they're talking about but unsurprisingly would make insightful observations and educated picks. Their batting average here was higher than the general figure skating community's, I'd say (no surprise to me), as they're all about accuracy, winning statistics, and competition analysis. In particular, one of the stars among these stars (my mentor) impressed me with his picks in Ice Dance! We were of the same mind on Denkova & Staviski regarding their greatness AND their medal chances, with the politics. But he (of Russian-Jewish heritage) chose Sasha Cohen for the ladies field, whereas I picked (and prayed for) Shizuka Arakawa.
On my proselytizing missions to the benighted I employ the following these days:
Billy Jean -- Art On Ice Four Seasons -- 2006 World Championship Poeta -- 2007 World Championship Otono Porteno -- Festa On Ice Tainted Love -- Festa On Ice Four Seasons -- Ice All Stars Ne me quitte pas -- Ice All Stars
-- S4
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Post by freefall on Feb 14, 2010 13:52:30 GMT 1
On my proselytizing missions to the benighted I employ the following these days: Billy Jean -- Art On Ice Four Seasons -- 2006 World Championship Poeta -- 2007 World Championship Otono Porteno -- Festa On Ice Tainted Love -- Festa On Ice Four Seasons -- Ice All Stars Ne me quitte pas My mini-collection for showing to the benighted (I like this word ;D) is a bit different (the order is never the same, but the vids are always these): Ne me quitte pas from Ice All Stars 2009 Un giorno per noi from Euros 2008 Flamenco from Euros 2008, Worlds 2007 or GPF 2007 Otono Porteno from WTT EX 2009 or Art on Ice 2009 Tainted love from Festa on Ice 2009 Carne Cruda from Worlds 2008 or Cup of China 2007 Dralion, I don't wanna be and Four Seasons from Worlds 2006 Gimme + Sexy Back from Art on Ice 2008 and if the person shows interest after this block I continue with other programs . But I didn't show it to many people as I said above so i can't say if this Lambiel-coctail is successful or not.
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Post by estephania on Feb 14, 2010 16:50:52 GMT 1
Thanks Marion, freefall and Sally IV for sharing your experiences with showing friends Stéphane's programs! Indeed, it is sometimes not so easy for a "not-figure-skating-following" person to recognize at the first glimpse the beauty of a program specially "only" from a youtube vid. Usually those people get soon in some way bored. Now some of my friend had the chance to be invited to "Worlds Best on Ice" in December in Basel. I expected that they might tell me after the show that it was nice to have seen "it". However surprisingly it was not like this this time as I got much nicer feedbacks. Some of them even said, they could understand now much better why I started to love figure skating so much in the last few years as they loved the show very much too. I know, not everybody has this privilege to go to shows. But if there is a possibility to invite a real good friend to such an invent, I think it is worth to try to go together. And your friend might get found of figure skating from then on too...
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Post by nike2010 on Feb 14, 2010 16:52:27 GMT 1
Sally and Freefall, how interesting to taste your "cocktails"! Mine is a bit different: 1. I'm adoun for the lack of Joannie (SP-2004) 2. Zabuca (LP-2004); 3. Spanish Caravan (SP-2005); 4. Poeta (LP-2007, Tokio; 5. Un giorno per noi (Ex-2008); 6. Otoco Porteco (Davos-2009); 7. Gypsy Dance (LP-2004, Euros0; 8. E lucevan le stelle (Ex-2005, Euros); 9. Ne me quitte pas (the first one-2009); 10. William Tell (Basel-2009); 11.La Traviata (Tallinn-2010). My audience usually ask for more, and I show them a flawless montage of Four Seasons ... They don't pay too much attention on spins, they marvel Stephane's musicality, grace and creativeity. And his charm and romanticism, of course
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Post by Keten on Feb 15, 2010 21:58:29 GMT 1
When I want to influence Stéphane to someone, I keep talking about him. (Nowadays I also dance the last step sequences of La Traviata, including the fall, hihihi ) When they want me to just stop talking, I do, with one condition: I force them to watch Flamenco, La Traviata or Un Giorno Per Noi. William Tell is also great, I made my cousin watch it, and she said: "He is very cute. The costume is lovely. He is masculine, interesting for a figure skater." etc. And now whenever I mention about Stéphane in a group including her, she says to the others "Seriously, Stéphane is very good."
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Post by freefall on Feb 19, 2010 6:59:31 GMT 1
Well, I am still not a fan of La Traviata after Vancouver. Shame, but true
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Post by kallianna on Feb 19, 2010 7:07:28 GMT 1
Well this Traviata was not the real Traviata, just like the Stéphane we saw today is not the real one, the one we've all come to love so much... I didn't like Traviata either today although I absolutely adored it during EC.
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Post by sha on Feb 19, 2010 9:19:43 GMT 1
I will have to see the repetation today becasue durring night I was too nervouse before, durring and after it so I couldn't joudge it fair.
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Post by freefall on Feb 19, 2010 9:48:17 GMT 1
Did you see the toy Stephane picked up before leaving the ice? A little white bear in the Traviata costume! ;D Well, I've just rewatched La Traviata from Vancouver - and I am taking my words back: I love it, guys, I seriously do. Though it wasn't performed as passionate as it should be it's complete, finished, I see it now. And it's beautiful - light, and joyful, and charming. Totally Stephane. He did the job he had to do on this program after the Euros. Such a pity he didn't win with it
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Post by stephanie2006 on Feb 19, 2010 14:03:21 GMT 1
Did you see the toy Stephane picked up before leaving the ice? A little white bear in the Traviata costume! ;D Stéphane has a collection of those bears wearing his costumes. The bears are made by a dedicated Japanese fan.
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Post by Melodie on Feb 19, 2010 14:05:55 GMT 1
After SP? I thought it was Cheburashka...
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Post by kadri on Feb 19, 2010 15:02:05 GMT 1
in all honesty - i think Tell is his best SP program to date. there's something about this program that i just absolutely adore. the step sequence is divine!
as for LP - La Traviata is tied with Poeta for me. i cannot decide which one i love more. Poeta was such an intense program and the flamenco character was perfect for Stephane. plus the choreography was excellent and he performed it with such passion. La Traviata is quite different - so graceful and majestic and sophisticated and i really do think it emphasizes very well just how much Stephane the artist has developed over the years and now he is at his very as an artist (and he'll keep on growing!). La Travita is a perfect proof of his completeness as an artist. both Tell and Traviata were worthy Olympic programs for sure
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