Monday Memories: Umbrellas of Cherbourg

Quite often, when Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir take the ice, talk will turn to “rivalry.” Will they beat Davis & White? What about the Shibutanis? But maybe the Russians…? This talk isn’t without merit, as past seasons have shown there to be a constant shifting of hierarchy in the ice dance world, but sometimes it would be far more appropriate for the commentators to let the skating speak. Virtue and Moir are so pure in style, so easy and free in their edges, that all of their programs hardly seem to be performed for competitive purposes. Their attention is always fully focused on each other, channeling their emotions into the rise and fall of the music. In 2008, their free program was particularly innovative, as they twizzled and spun to the haunting soundtrack from the Umbrellas of Cherbourg. Though young, they had a subtlety in their style that other teams spent years mastering.

 

Monday Memories: Madness

Insanity. In the skating world, this could bring to mind any number of things: getting to the rink at 5am to train, pushing for more quadruple jumps in the sport, traveling around the world for a tight schedule of competitions and shows. However, insanity also applies to a very special program from the 2008 season. French ice dancers Natalie Pechalat and Fabian Bourzat chose to structure their free dance around the theme of madness, with both skaters portraying two people on the edge of a breakdown, and using both costumes as bold statements on their imaginary condition (the straps across their chests represented straitjackets; Pechalat’s sleeves also become a clever effect). It was a program that was hard to forget by any audience, since haunting music and intricate choreography aided this team’s successful season. They’ve enjoyed recent victories–particularly gold at the European Championships–as France’s current leading ice dance couple, and are sure to continue to refine their technical & artistic skills in the coming year. A broken nose for her may have dampened this spring, but be assured that they will be back strong with unique concepts and costumes for the 2013 year.