U.S. Women [#2]: The Unbearable Lightness of Beijing

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sk9tingfan said:
This is a super interesting and insightful article from Phil Hersh about Isabeau Levito. her mother and her coach.

olympics.nbcsports.com

At age 14 and just 4-foot-9, figure skater Isabeau Levito within reach of senior podium at nationals

About 12 years ago, Chiara Garberi decided to check out the ice rink in her New Jersey neighborhood to see if it might be a place where she could skate for fun on weekends.
olympics.nbcsports.com olympics.nbcsports.com
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Thanks for sharing! I have a good friend who has a soft spot for "Ladyhawke"; I'll have to tell her about Isabeau! :)
 
Coco said:
Ladyhawke is only the greatest movie ever.

And I think it's pretty funny that anyone thinks most Americans would recognize that both of Alyssa's programs are to Russian composers.
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Don Q is absolutely a Russian ballet. Although a Court composer in St P, Minkus was actually Austro-Hungarian but most of his compositions were for the Imperial Russian ballet. So listen to any famous piece by Minkus - Don Q, Bayadere, Paquita Grand Pas - one thinks “Russia”!
 
Frau Muller said:
Don Q is absolutely a Russian ballet. Although a Court composer in St P, Minkus was actually Austro-Hungarian but most of his compositions were for the Imperial Russian ballet. So listen to any famous piece by Minkus - Don Q, Bayadere, Paquita Grand Pas - one thinks “Russia”!
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Yeah, all that four-year target audience for television ratings really thinks Russia automatically. Come on. You know, most people don’t know the first thing about ballet or classical music as it is.
 
I liked Alysa's SP, but it was very jam packed and not as polished as her FS, imo, because she literally had almost no time in it hold out moves. (Something I also find distracting in many of Dani G's ladies programs). Like that line in "Amadeus" about "too many notes;" except in this case movements.

Completely unrelated, but @Frau Muller , Atom tickets website has special event screenings of Bolshoi ballets filmed for the theater. Not sure if there are screenings in your VA/DC area, but you might want to check it out, if you are jonesing for some incredible ballet. Obviously not as good as seeing it live, but also a lot less expensive.
 
Well I did feel that Alysa’s SP didn’t get any love from the judges. The fans loved it and loved the personality she displayed skating it, but it wasn’t getting her the kind of PCs that can help her compete with the best. So changing it up at least might give her a chance at that. Also it might have been too busy to allow her to achieve full rotations and level 4’s. Of course it could end up being a worse program but scores wise it would be a major improvement if it nets higher PCS and if her TES goes up. Duhamel said recently she and Redford used to have very complex programs full of transitions and they just didn’t get the PCS. When they simplified their programs then their PCS went up. I mean at this point I don’t think it matters much to Alysa’s family whether she’s coming in 5th or 10th at the Olympics. They’re going to do everything they can to boost her chance of getting a medal at the Olympics even if that chance isn’t more than 5%.

My hypothesis for why Nathan Chen went for a tougher quad than trained (and what Raf wanted) at his mother’s urging at the last Olympics was not so much because his family didn’t understand the risks, but that they thought it was his last Olympics and they thought he needed a tougher SP to be on top. I think the way it turned out - that he ended up going to Yale and training himself so well while keeping up with the coursework was probably a surprise for everybody, and the only way his family was going to support him to do more skating.
 
My one complaint about Alysa’s SP was that it was busy. But the program was not a major problem IMO, certainly not enough to change it mid season when there are so many other pressing matters to work on. But there must have been a reason they changed it if it’s better for Alysa then that’s all that matters. We shall see I guess.
 
Frau Muller said:
I’m heartbroken. Crushed. :wuzrobbed She looked so beautiful in the Gypsy Dance packaging…the bouncy hair…dress…the loop earrings. Personality plus.
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Pure conjecture, but I think everything people liked about the program ie the youthful exuberance, bouncy hair and perk is exactly what they wanted to change from it. Not necessarily the personality plus, but maybe the cutesy, unfinished aspect to the program?

I can see a team that wants to present their skater as a top contender to the Russians, changing this to something a little mature.
 
Frau Muller said:
Don Q is absolutely a Russian ballet. Although a Court composer in St P, Minkus was actually Austro-Hungarian but most of his compositions were for the Imperial Russian ballet. So listen to any famous piece by Minkus - Don Q, Bayadere, Paquita Grand Pas - one thinks “Russia”!
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My point was that many Americans aren't able to recognize classical composers or aren't familiar with the context of the music, like what ballet it was used in, for example. So they would just know she's skating two classical pieces that probably were never used on Bugs Bunny or in a popular Disney movie.

I do agree with whoever mentioned it above that she was doing more work than she was getting rewarded for. Hope she's 'into' her new SP.
 
FYI - Alysa is doing a live IG right now and has debunked the new SP rumors. Flat out said that it's not true. And said she only did the IG Live today to make this known.

Btw, I love her common sense and humor. People were asking what she was eating (cantaloupe & honeydew) and she told them watermelons and blueberries. Lololol.
 
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Karen-W said:
FYI - Alysa is doing a live IG right now and has debunked the new SP rumors. Flat out said that it's not true. And said she only did the IG Live today to make this known.

Btw, I love her common sense and humor. People were asking g what she was eating (cantaloupe & honeydew) and she told them watermelons and blueberries. Lololol.
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I am literally so confused about everything about Alysa's skating situation right now hahaha. One would think DL wouldn't lie about something so easy to prove as a text from Drew Meekins, but also I trust Alysa knows what she's skating. At this point the only thing I feel sure about is that she's going to show up to US Nats, but I'll be honest I'm only like 85% sure??
 
Rukia said:
I am literally so confused about everything about Alysa's skating situation right now hahaha. One would think DL wouldn't lie about something so easy to prove as a text from Drew Meekins, but also I trust Alysa knows what she's skating. At this point the only thing I feel sure about is that she's going to show up to US Nats, but I'll be honest I'm only like 85% sure??
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Or maybe DL didn't expect the skater in question to actually take to social media to basically call him out, lol.

I think she'll be at Nats, but right now, she is making it clear to the world that she doesn't live, eat, breathe skating 24/7.
 
Karen-W said:
FYI - Alysa is doing a live IG right now and has debunked the new SP rumors. Flat out said that it's not true. And said she only did the IG Live today to make this known.

Btw, I love her common sense and humor. People were asking what she was eating (cantaloupe & honeydew) and she told them watermelons and blueberries. Lololol.
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I watched her live, and it had so much classic teenager manic and contrarian energy.

The part where she learned she’s doing SOI and had to find out how long the commitment is from her dad. 😮‍💨
 
NinjaTurtles said:
I watched her live, and it had so much classic teenager manic and contrarian energy.

The part where she learned she’s doing SOI and had to find out how long the commitment is from her dad. 😮‍💨
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Yes! She definitely has that classic teenager energy. I was bouncing in and out - had a couple of work things to address, but she has a very interesting perspective.
 
tony said:
Yeah, all that four-year target audience for television ratings really thinks Russia automatically. Come on. You know, most people don’t know the first thing about ballet or classical music as it is.
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I grew up in NYC listening to classical music and as a teenager went to both the ballet (City) and the opera (Met). In skating, I'm regretting the addition of vocals, since many of the skaters are choosing pop ballads featuring whiny singers that all sound the same to me.
 
Coco said:
My point was that many Americans aren't able to recognize classical composers or aren't familiar with the context of the music, like what ballet it was used in, for example. …
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So to my point that perhaps NBC or other marketing forces (USFS, SOI/IMG, Toyota?) asked her to “dumb down” her music to something more relatable to the US public? Then…

UPDATE: OMG, I just read the later posts about Alysa’s interview debunking the “new SP” rumor! I am so relieved. Her Don Q Gypsy Dance is perfection. Thank you, Jesus!!!
 
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euterpe said:
I grew up in NYC listening to classical music and as a teenager went to both the ballet (City) and the opera (Met).
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Hence why I said most people. I grew up playing piano and watching figure skating. Yet I’m aware most people around me, even in my age group, don’t care who Beethoven or Mozart are.

To your second point- vocals have only been allowed in singles/pairs for 8 seasons now. I agree on the part that most of those choices are 😴
 
Frau Muller said:
So to my point that perhaps NBC or other marketing forces (USFS, SOI/IMG, Toyota?) asked her to “dumb down” her music to something more relatable to the US public? Then…

UPDATE: OMG, I just read the later posts about Alysa’s interview debunking the “new SP” rumor! I am so relieved. Her Don Q Gypsy Dance is perfection. Thank you, Jesus!!!
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I find your hypothesis about these entities asking her or her coaches to "dumb down" her music to be beyond the pale. Where did this come from?
 
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I watched Alysa's live Insta too and she for sure said that she didn't change her SP 'especially just a week before Nationals'. She is a bundle of teenage angst and energy. I agreed with her when she said she didn't understand why so many people - many of them adults - seem so invested in her, and other skaters. Particularly the ones who make cruel remarks, fat-shame, etc. She thinks such people are 'really weird', and again I agree with her. She seemed to point out quite a bit that she doesn't just live and breathe skating, she has to have other interests, other outlets to relax and enjoy herself.
 
I really admire Alysa - and her family. Alysa seems to have her head on straight, her goals in mind (including dumb teenager stuff) and keeps her skating in perspective.
And a nod to her entire family. I have no real idea, but the other kids seem to be fine too....and happy to participate with Alysa's world.
 
Sasha'sSpins said:
I agreed with her when she said she didn't understand why so many people - many of them adults - seem so invested in her, and other skaters. Particularly the ones who make cruel remarks, fat-shame, etc. She thinks such people are 'really weird', and again I agree with her.
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I'm guessing Alysa will not be accepting any interview requests from TSL in the near future and hopefully tells them to feck off if they show up in Nashville. 😈

Also I'm slightly sad Alysa felt the need to do an IG Live to dispell the rumors about her SP. And I'd be finding out ASAP why one of my coaches was texting with Dave Lease in the first place. 'Cause he wouldn't be my coach much longer. Even if Meekins was punking Lease, if she wasn't aware of it... very not cool.
 
peibeck said:
I'm guessing Alysa will not be accepting any interview requests from TSL in the near future and hopefully tells them to feck off if they show up in Nashville. 😈

Also I'm slightly sad Alysa felt the need to do an IG Live to dispell the rumors about her SP. And I'd be finding out ASAP why one of my coaches was texting with Dave Lease in the first place. 'Cause he wouldn't be my coach much longer. Even if Meekins was punking Lease, if she wasn't aware of it... very not cool.
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Well, shouldn't we start first with just not taking Dave Lease at his word that he got a text from Drew regarding Alysa's SP?
 
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