Show skating- am I the only one that does not care for it?

[iggie]

back in the day. kurt browning. nyah.

[Wyliefan]

It is kind of strange that they always say that they are trying to appeal to the public when they choose boring pop/rock music for exhibitions. Most people who fell in love with skating did so because of something they saw during a competition to more interesting music. You go to an exhibition and it is like bait and switch.

I thought I was the only one who felt that way!

[gkelly]

With very rare exceptions, I don't think competitive skaters are trying to be artists. For the most part they're trying to win competitions, and to show the presentation skills and ability to execute choreography and express music needed to earn high second marks/component scores.

In exhibiitons, mostly they want to relax and have fun with music they enjoy, in a program that doesn't need as much detailed repetitive practice as a competitive program.

It's also a good opportunity for skaters who want to be creative to try their own hand at choreography. A good learning experience, but they're still learning those skills. And practicing their competitive programs is still their priority -- they're not going to spend as much training time on their show programs.

Professional shows allow for intricately choreographed programs that don't fit competitive rules. Professional choreographers and/or skaters who have developed advanced choreography skills of their own

But how much of a market is for that? Skating purists and music/dance aficionados who also like skating. So we see this kind of detailed performance mostly in ice theatre troupes that can't cover their own expenses.

For the most part, shows that are designed as commercial ventures have to appeal to the mass audience, which includes not only educated fans but also people who know and care little about skating but might recognize a few famous names, and who tend to enjoy the big tricks. Or medium-serious fans who follow the sport on TV and buy a ticket to the local stop of a tour but don't travel to events, pore over rulebooks, or debate daily on FSU like us nuts. Seeing old favorites still doing big tricks and skating to enjoyable, accessible music is usually what they want to see. Charisma will go over better than complex choreography and music.

Unfortunately the market for skating as art is much tinier than the market for skating as sport or $kating as mass entertainment. Still, some skaters do pursue it, as a labor of love that probably costs rather than earns them money, and serious fans can go out of our way to find it where we can, or be pleasantly surprised when a popular pro puts that amount of care into a number for a tour and/or pro competition.

Would this be a good thread in which to post links to the best show and pro programs that demonstrate the attention to artistic detail that the best competitive programs give to technique?

[Sylvia]

Would this be a good thread in which to post links to the best show and pro programs that demonstrate the attention to artistic detail that the best competitive programs give to technique?

I think you should start a new thread for that purpose.

ETA link to gkelly's thread: art programs

[museksk8r]

I definitely care for it now that it is the only way I get to see Lambiel, Buttle, and Rochette perform!

[lily]

Show skating is not only SOI. I think Yu-Na's All That Skate or Art on Ice in Switzerland are absolutely stunning. Worth of watching even in youtube.

And Lambiel or Arakawa (and many other skaters) do in show skating no less interesting things than competitive skaters.
Just some examples
Arakawa's Yugao
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUJ6rI0k1oQ

Lambiel's Don't Stop the Music
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gib5F...el_video_title

[Reuven]

Looks like I agree with the majority. Show skating leaves me . With the possible exception of a Gary Beacom, or a John Curry routine.

[quebecoise]

Competitions are much more fun than shows. All event tickets(in term of prize versus hours) is less expensive that a skating's show ticket: like 4 days instead of 2 hours and there are more things to do(practices, autograph sessions, activities, etc).

but when there are no competitions around your home, skating shows are still fun to go, but I don't pay on-ice tickets(100$ and more) anymore. I will pay 50$ or less.

[JasperBoy]

I don't enjoy show skating. There hardly seems to be a point, since there is no competition.

That said, there are some skaters who are enjoyable to watch at any time, and I will attend a show for the sake of seeing them again.

[essence_of_soy]

I loved pro skating only when it was in the context of Landover or the Challenge of Champions. Exhibition or show skating is just too cheesy for me.