|
Post by marlin on May 5, 2012 21:01:58 GMT 1
Thank you sunnygirl for your impressions!It's always interesting to read!! For my body is a cage, it reminds me a discussion about bring me to life. I think we can just conclude that as all the artists, Stephane has his "comfort zone" too. As plenty of kinds of music as it already covers, dark,fierce and too strong sort of pieces is not in. That's normal and it doesn't mean he can't pull it off, but it will take more time and effort than those things that fit him more naturally. Besides, the music requires strong stage effect, more to-the-music ambience I suppose.( Actually I was thinking while watching MBIAC for the first time 'boy that's your pain?Ain't your pain joyous and pleasant') I agree with elanor - better just watch the program and take it as what it is. We don't need to care too much about whether we love a program of stephane - because we know he's gonna have a new one soon. I haven't seen too many of Patrick Chan's programs to judge, but the Elegie was very touching and nice. Reminded me of Stephane, but not to the level that I thought he "copied" him. I liked the program a lot. Well, the problem with Elegy for me is not that Pchan copied stephane, but it doesn't help either, because he looks like a black-hair Jeff Buttle without a single input of his own.
|
|
|
Post by reut on May 5, 2012 21:09:59 GMT 1
And I would like to relate in separate post to some other things mentioned in the above discussion. About jumps. He obviously loves jumps, you can see it in his trainings where he does quads and triple-triple combinations, when he still tries triple Axel and other triples, like Lutz, which he doesn't actually use in his programs now. Somehow among the skating fans Stephane has this image of "technically weak artist". Which is not quite true, he almost never had edge calls for example, he was one of not many who did quads and even two quads in one program when it was less popular and they brought less points. He obviously had problematic jump, but it was less problematic than people imagine, he landed it and many times in competitions, also almost every skater have problematic jump or two. Anyway, what I want to say his jumps are beautiful, they add to his programs, they always situated in "right" places and also this is something people usually expect to see (just check where usually the audience claps their hands - when the skater lands the jump). I actually love not only regular jumps he performs but all the other ways of jumping on the ice he sometimes has in his programs, I also loved when he had a jump in the opposite direction, I hope he'll have more ideas and elements like those in his next choreographies. He definitely can "pull off" a program without jumps in a style of Kurt's "Nyah", but as I mentioned once I'd rather see him try the program without spins, now that would be a real challenge. I wonder if he keeps his promise and indeed uses my advice some day. And about other skaters inspired by Stephane. I'm not sure about Yuna's program which I really liked. I think it was inspired by jazz performances and dances not exactly by Stephane's jazzy programs. As for Patrick's "Elegie" to tell the truth I wasn't able to watch it to the end. I heard great feedback about this gala program after he showed it in Nice, I searched for video and after one minute I just couldn't watch it. I love Stephane too much to see such an obvious copy. Patrick indeed mentioned few times how he adores Stephane and wants to learn presentation and expressiveness from him. And he totally needs to improve those sides of his skating on my opinion. But to improve them he needs to search inside himself, he needs to show his personality and not to "borrow" someone else's...
|
|
|
Post by reut on May 6, 2012 19:32:43 GMT 1
|
|
|
Post by reut on May 10, 2012 13:56:28 GMT 1
|
|
|
Post by reut on May 13, 2012 18:19:23 GMT 1
|
|
|
Post by elanor on May 14, 2012 0:34:42 GMT 1
And I would like to relate in separate post to some other things mentioned in the above discussion. About jumps. He obviously loves jumps, you can see it in his trainings where he does quads and triple-triple combinations, when he still tries triple Axel and other triples, like Lutz, which he doesn't actually use in his programs now. Somehow among the skating fans Stephane has this image of "technically weak artist". Which is not quite true, he almost never had edge calls for example, he was one of not many who did quads and even two quads in one program when it was less popular and they brought less points. He obviously had problematic jump, but it was less problematic than people imagine, he landed it and many times in competitions, also almost every skater have problematic jump or two. Anyway, what I want to say his jumps are beautiful, they add to his programs, they always situated in "right" places and also this is something people usually expect to see (just check where usually the audience claps their hands - when the skater lands the jump). I actually love not only regular jumps he performs but all the other ways of jumping on the ice he sometimes has in his programs, I also loved when he had a jump in the opposite direction, I hope he'll have more ideas and elements like those in his next choreographies. Me too, I like his jumps, he has some really beautiful ones (when he lands them ) and in some programs they are very well integrated. I just don't don't like forcing quad, it is disruptive, not often succesful and not safe in a show (but he will do it anyway ). Korean audience doesn't dissapoint, not only they are in seven heaventh to be there and very supportive of skaters but bring tons of super quality videos. Now, I watched the videos and understand why My body is a cage might be confusing. In AOI the live music and staged production uplifted it and here Stephane has to do everything himself to adjust to his vision of the program. He feels a bit stuck somwhere between Peter Gabriels quiet but dramatic recitation and the singer's vocal passages (ther's lot's of screaming) and has to find some balance in his performance, I think. It's dancing between extremes of violent and soften. The combination of skating and dramatic dancing around one spot reminds theatre monodrama. In this way it is continuing the route of NMQP, but this is more avangard with more disrupted and claustrophobic choreography, maybe not everybody will be comfortable with it. The program maybe doesn't have lot's of nuances but it has a complex structure (trying to reflect the original composition but in a creative way). The song is repetitive but the program is not, it is a series of images and movements with not so much flow but broken into pieces chunks that try to fit together without clear direction. It doesn't stick to melodic line or just text but more levels at once trying to combine the voice, the lyrics , the instrumentation, personal interpretation and added meanings. It is not so easy to follow. It's like modern poetry (I love modern poetry as much as Peter Gabriel so it's kind of easy for me). One has to take the music and the text first inside and then the program can work. Plus, the composition is, I don't know, very "european", extremely individualistic with the theme of struggle for internal freedom in a lonely world. It's dark and cruel but also beautiful and optimistic. It's bold and very original program. Let's hope Stephane will find new artistic powers with it. I like this video of the program very much: www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxeK5EBGJE4And one more exclusive from All that Skate : www.youtube.com/watch?v=SY0rbeMzg9I&feature=channel&list=UL
|
|
|
Post by reut on May 16, 2012 11:42:27 GMT 1
Me too, I like his jumps, he has some really beautiful ones (when he lands them ) Of course jumps are more beautiful when landed. But unlike with many other skaters who also sometime fail to land some of their jumps even "unclean" jumps don't spoil for me the impression from his program, they don't compromise its integrity. Yes, he will. For him it's kind of main sign, symbol of him keeping his form, still being up there on the high technical level. He mentioned once in some interview that he will stop skating once he can't do quads. I really hope it was exaggeration, because quads is so not the main and the essential part of his skating. I have a very special and a bit sentimental feeling for his quads. I still remember that winter of season 2008/09 when he retired. I was deep in my mourning about it and almost each day I thought of something else which will never ever happen again: we will never see him in K&C again, I will never be able to be present at his press conference during the competition, "Eurosport" commentators will never say some exciting complements about his performance like they did, etc. And one of those "never ever" was: I will never see him performing quad again. So now, each time I see him doing quad I recall that moment and smile, happy that I was so wrong back then. About many "nevers" and this one in particular. AOI had indeed more tools to supply for the "arrangement" and "decoration" of this program. I really loved the idea of "cage of light" they had, and boxes with silhouettes. I am sorry those are gone, I am sorry there is no this sliding stage on which he was starting this program, but, well, not every show can be like AOI. I loved the solution in choreo they found for the beginning where he "shows" his cage, but then the fall afterwards interrupts the flow of the program for me. Though I do love this fall and want it to stay, it looks beautiful, as a movement (I do hope it doesn't hurt! it makes me cringe each time when I think about it). I don't see any connection of this program to Peter Gabriel's cover, that's why I don't see that Stephane is "stuck" and relates at all to Gabriel's recitation. Indeed Stephane thought of taking that cover originally, but then he chose another one and the choreo is built accordingly, IMHO. It suits perfectly to Rhonda Dorsey's version, I think. It might be interesting to see him skating to Gabriel's cover instead, but then, I think, he will need to remake the choreo and it will be a different program. Agree with this quote a lot! But I don't think that people should be comfortable with this program. It should disturb, hurt, haunt, make them think about it afterwards, make them feel pain maybe even. This video has a very interesting and unusual point of view, me too, I noticed it when the link to this channel was given on FSU. I still love more the one I published above. But this video and some others from fans, from different points of view, together gave me better impression about this program in general. So, once again, we're lucky we have Korean fans. While watching this video, by the way, I recalled something Stephane said long ago in some interview, that a good program, a beautiful program is the program when any shot the photographer makes of any pose the skaters takes is aesthetic. And it's amazing that even from "up above" this program looks so great, suddenly you see something else, some other nuances in movements.
|
|
|
Post by pia on May 16, 2012 18:48:00 GMT 1
Me too, I like his jumps, he has some really beautiful ones (when he lands them ) and in some programs they are very well integrated. I just don't don't like forcing quad, it is disruptive, not often succesful and not safe in a show (but he will do it anyway ). Korean audience doesn't dissapoint, not only they are in seven heaventh to be there and very supportive of skaters but bring tons of super quality videos. Now, I watched the videos and understand why My body is a cage might be confusing. In AOI the live music and staged production uplifted it and here Stephane has to do everything himself to adjust to his vision of the program. He feels a bit stuck somwhere between Peter Gabriels quiet but dramatic recitation and the singer's vocal passages (ther's lot's of screaming) and has to find some balance in his performance, I think. It's dancing between extremes of violent and soften. The combination of skating and dramatic dancing around one spot reminds theatre monodrama. In this way it is continuing the route of NMQP, but this is more avangard with more disrupted and claustrophobic choreography, maybe not everybody will be comfortable with it. The program maybe doesn't have lot's of nuances but it has a complex structure (trying to reflect the original composition but in a creative way). The song is repetitive but the program is not, it is a series of images and movements with not so much flow but broken into pieces chunks that try to fit together without clear direction. It doesn't stick to melodic line or just text but more levels at once trying to combine the voice, the lyrics , the instrumentation, personal interpretation and added meanings. It is not so easy to follow. It's like modern poetry (I love modern poetry as much as Peter Gabriel so it's kind of easy for me). One has to take the music and the text first inside and then the program can work. Plus, the composition is, I don't know, very "european", extremely individualistic with the theme of struggle for internal freedom in a lonely world. It's dark and cruel but also beautiful and optimistic. It's bold and very original program. Let's hope Stephane will find new artistic powers with it. I like this video of the program very much: www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxeK5EBGJE4And one more exclusive from All that Skate : www.youtube.com/watch?v=SY0rbeMzg9I&feature=channel&list=ULThank you for the post elanor, I just love your thoughts! Video you posted is amazing. I have already long time a dream to see Stéphane dancing classical or contemporary ballet. Here in My Body is a Cage I saw glimpses of it (contemporary dance) and that's why I'm so fascinated of this program. The video you posted shows it so clearly. You can almost see him doing this program on the floor without skates. I didn't miss AOI staged production, his pure skating fills everything.
|
|
|
Post by reut on May 24, 2012 9:43:25 GMT 1
|
|
|
Post by reut on May 24, 2012 15:17:12 GMT 1
Apparently Stéphane won't take part in "Art on Ice Shanghai 2012" due to illness...
|
|
|
Post by elanor on May 24, 2012 21:48:25 GMT 1
Apparently Stéphane won't take part in "Art on Ice Shanghai 2012" due to illness... I don't like it. We shoudln't be pessimistic but always when he doesn't skate and ther's no news, it means not good news.
|
|
|
Post by elanor on May 25, 2012 11:40:43 GMT 1
|
|
|
Post by reut on May 25, 2012 12:54:20 GMT 1
Unfortunately "severe eye problem" sounds pretty serious. But Stephane is a very strong person and he has very supportive entourage, I hope he'll be well soon.
|
|
|
Post by aleachim on May 29, 2012 16:12:02 GMT 1
OMG my message is lost Once again I visited this board a week ago. I prepare for my almost last exam, so I do not follow internet. Thank you that you copy updated information about Stéphane health. I found it yeasterday and I was very shocked This problem can lead to other problems.. I work with people who have problems with eyes.. Hope, Stéphane has his mother by him. If it happened in Korea and he would not have understood the doctors.. I am worried about him think of him and pray for him, but it is probably the only thing that most of us can do I wrote him a message on his webside, but I am not sure, if he is able to read it.. but If I understand well, some of you ladies, are in "real contact" with him or his family,.. If it is true, please tell him to be focused only on his health. Nothing is more important now. I hope his fans understand his situation, because we know, he would "let himself cut" for his fans to be able perform, if it was possible. Now he needs to take care of himself and to be strong to face his problem, not to be sad have doubts about what his fan, sponzors, managers of show, future perfomances in shows.. He is such a favourite talented and appreciated person in figure skating that everybody knows the shows need his performances in future. (I believe) So if you can, please tell to him - use you energy for getting well not for doubts, live at a present moment, as you are used to do Sorry, that I wrote so long message, I only wanted to use this opportunity that maybe some reader of it can speak with Stéphane, maybe not.. If I found out these eye's information earlier than you, I would give it here for sure! Are you journalists? It seems you are online nonstop ;D Thank you for updating and keep fingers for Stéphane Hope to meet you sometimes.. Timewise, this message should follow the two I posted, so about 4 messages further (as they were in the original thread). It is not possible to get them in the correct order. ~ Mireille
|
|
|
Post by pia on May 31, 2012 14:26:27 GMT 1
|
|