2017-2018 Program Music and Choreographers

Sylvia said:
Weaver/Poje's ISU bio, updated for Skate Canada International, has a FD music change from Spartacus to Je suis malade performed by Lara Fabian (2011-12 FD):
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Eh, I can understand those program reversions, but I hoped this was not going to happen to ice dancers. Hawayek/Baker repeating their 'Liebstraum' FD was enough. Plus, I actually liked W/P's 'Spartacus' FD and was looking forward to it's development in the course of the season. Again, I can understand them returning to 'Je suis malade' as it was their best received and most popular program, but it was also quite simple compared to their later FDs (probably except last season's 'Aranjuez' FD). And can they achieve the same impact with it again? I hope that there will be at least some changes to the choreography and elements (edit: there have to be as the ice dance rules have changed since then) . Of course, they are better skaters now, so, if they have made some changes, it will be interesting to see both how they can skate it now and also the differences between the two versions.
 
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Bad decision I think.Never a good idea for the dancers to go back to an old programme.How disappointing.:(
What next P/C going back to Mozart V/M to Mahler or Carmen?
 
Weaver/Poje on how and why they went back to "Je Suis Malade": https://bevsmithwrites.wordpress.com/2017/10/26/weaver-and-poje-je-suis-malade/
Excerpt:
After Autumn Classic, coach Nikolai Morozov looked at them and said: “I think you need to do [Je Suis Malade.”
They said okay.
“We didn’t fight it,” Weaver said.
...
Weaver and Poje had to head back to Toronto anyway, planning on making many changes to Spartacus with choreographer Lori Nichol.
And they skated “Je Suis Malade” and “Spartacus” back to back for her. And Nichol agreed. They had to do Malade. “It was another nail in the coffin for that program,” Weaver said.
They loved Spartacus. It just hadn’t totally developed. And there is no time to make it grow into what they need. Spartacus hasn’t disappeared totally. It will return sometime. Just not this season.
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What's with the old programs? I would think the Olympics would be a time to reinvent yourself. So many seem to be playing it safe
 
coppertop1 said:
What's with the old programs? I would think the Olympics would be a time to reinvent yourself. So many seem to be playing it safe
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Never have seen so many recycles before, that's for sure.... I understand if a skater did not have a chance to use a certain programme in previous season (illness, did not qualify), or if he/she loves a certain programme so much..... But this year it is "petty pragmatism" and "knee jerking" that has nothing to do with creativity and self-expression (except Karen Chen's change from "the heart").
 
At least with Weaver/Poje using 'Je suis malade' it's not a recent program, so there's a little more time that has passed and I'm sure that many of the elements and choreography will have to change to match the changes in technical rules since they skated previously.
 
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coppertop1 said:
What's with the old programs? I would think the Olympics would be a time to reinvent yourself.
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Why would you think that?

For many skaters -- those hoping for medals, and those planning to retire after the season regardless of outcome -- the Olympics will probably be the capstone of their career. It's not at all surprising that they should want to put their best foot forward for judges who will decide their fate in the rarest high-profile event they get to compete in, as well as for the millions of viewers for whom the Olympics will be their first and possibly only exposure to them. Nor is it surprising that they would believe their best chance at delivering a strong performance would be with familiar material that has worked for them successfully in the past.

Impressing the thousands of fans who have already followed their career closely and would get more enjoyment out of seeing new material would not generally outweigh the desire to impress judges and potential new fans.

The time for reinvention would be after the Olympics, for those who are sticking around and have time to build up toward another Olympics 4 years later. And for those who will be turning pro and reinventing their skating for a non-competitive context.
 
I'm always surprised when people are surprised when skaters go safe during the Olympic year. Just based on my perception that was built from being an observant, online skating fan since 2001, it seems like it's always the season after or right before the Olympics where skaters take the most chances. It's during the Olympic year where they hoped to have figured out the best versions of themselves (after trial and error in the previous seasons) and try to present that for the Olympic season. What is surprising is the sheer number of repeats, and the fact that so many great, established skaters are doing it indicates to me that the skating community received an unintended message from the ISU and its scoring system about what is the best strategy to utilize to maximize points and success.
 
Dick Button says it's not an problem, even encouraged reusing programs if it works for you. Plus, he himself did it.
 
Je Suis Malade!

Gosh, I think it's great music. It's exactly them. It builds and builds. No soft, fade away romantic nonsense. It's dramatic & intense. Stands out against the field. Go for it, guys!

They were very well received during practices today. Of course, it does need to be updated, and hopefully they will use some of the great original elements they have added over the past couple seasons. (They skipped a lot of the program during the practice run through). But I'm really good with it for them.

Also think Hubbell & Donohue's FD really suits them. The ending came across much better to me live than on screen. They've completely ixnayed the soft-and-flowy look, and Madison is selling the _____ out of it. Great battle we are going to have here.
 
There’s a little bit of irony that this is the first Olympic cycle where all four disciplines are allowed to use music with lyrics and that rule was changed to open up options for skaters, and yet this Olympics probably has more repeat programs than any other Olympic season in the modern, post-figures, post-strictly amateur era.
 
VIETgrlTerifa said:
There’s a little bit of irony that this is the first Olympic cycle where all four disciplines are allowed to use music with lyrics and that rule was changed to open up options for skaters, and yet this Olympics probably has more repeat programs than any other Olympic season in the modern, post-figures, post-strictly amateur era.
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I think that's why many of us are surprised/disappointed in the music choices for the Olympic season. We've spent years imaging all the great things that could be done once lyrics were allowed and we're not seeing much payoff from the rule change - unless Moulin Rouge is like your favouritest movie ever. :wall:
 
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nimi said:
Marin Honda is going to scrap her tango SP and turn it into a show program. The new SP music isn't announced yet.

She'll return to her old Smile SP for US Int Classic and debut the new program at Skate Canada.
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Marin Honda's new SP is to "The Giving" by Michael W. Smith: http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00014689.htm
Her partial run through in Regina this morning: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnVosrf01rg

ETA:

I wish Marin Honda would revive her Beethoven "Spring" Sonata SP from 2 seasons ago... that was my favorite program of hers.
 
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Am I the only one not disappointed with the repeat programs? I'm sure many skaters want to be knocking it out of the park all season, and the best way to do that is to put your best program forward. If they think a new program is going to be the best they can put out there, then they should put it out there (and it should be noted that many of the repeats were after trying a new program); if they think repeating their most successful program is the way to go, then they should use that.

Besides, we may have seen these programs 100 times, but at least in the US the vast majority of viewers will be seeing them for the first time at the Olympics. They won't be bored with the programs.
 
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