CREATING MAGIC ON THE ICE OFFERS SUPREME CHALLENGE by FELICIA BECK
DREAM JOB
of ice with endless access to mu- sic, enabling me to choreograph figure skating programs while ex- pressing movement in ways I nev- er imagined possible. I love the spectacular sport of
S
figure skating for its athleticism, beauty, sportsmanship and sheer magnificence, but what I appreci- ate most is giving back to the new generation of athletes. This op- portunity motivates me to create unique ideas that will hopefully, one day, inspire our champions of tomorrow to achieve success with technically strong, yet aesthetical- ly pleasing figure skating move- ments. My
most treasured career
moment was representing Team USA at my first international event, then hearing my name an- nounced, followed by the words: “Representing the United States of America!” Those resounding words thrill me to this day. At that inspira- tional moment, I fully realized my dedication to U.S. Figure Skating and how it enriched and impacted my life. I knew one day, I would re- ciprocate. Last year, by discovering a program called the Young Artists
ome people envision heaven as fluffy clouds or flying, but my perfect paradise would be an eternal, clean sheet
Showcase (YAS), hosted by Grass- roots to Champions, and creat- ed by renowned coach Audrey Weisiger, I found a new way to challenge myself, while sharing my love for choreography. YAS is an online competition
for young ice skating choreog- raphers, 14 and up, interested in having their work critiqued, while competing for a scholarship and an internship with World and Olympic choreographers. A series of challenges was given to the fi- nalists each week for five consec- utive weeks, and in turn, the work was critiqued by an expert panel of artists, skaters and choreogra- phers, which included notables such as Sarah Kawahara, Dan Hol- lander, Michael Weiss, Doug Mattis and Jimmy Santee. Selected as a finalist, not only
did I work with some fabulous skaters who performed my piec- es, but I was able to critically think about my choreography, which I have grown from exponential- ly. Typically, during the process of creating a new competitive or show program, the skater is given the elements and does his or her best to imitate the choreographer. In this competition, the challenge was to create movement given the parameters of the program such as use of props, additional skaters,
Felicia Beck was among a group of coaches and choreographers who took part in U.S. Figure Skating’s Program Components Camp last year in Strongsville, Ohio. (l-r) Lindsey Weber, Justin Dillon, Ben Miller, Steven Cousins, Lisa Marie Allen, Beck, Debbie Koegel-Fediukov, Ryan Devereaux and Suzie Semanick
Felicia Beck uses the great outdoors for inspiration in creating figure skating programs.
lyrics and theme interpretation. The
judges evaluated the
competitors’ pieces via YouTube and scored them based on a 1 to 5 star rating scale. I learned to ac- cept positive feedback as well as constructive criticism, knowing that it was only going to make my work better in the long run. Every skater knows the scores that ap- pear on the Jumbotron are a re- flection of his or her performance based on jumps, spins, musical interpretation and skating skills. However, this anticipation was dif- ferent from the anxiety of awaiting the judges’ scores in the kiss and cry after a free skate at the U.S. Championships. It involved a ver- bal YouTube critique of personal work that came from my soul, not just a numeric evaluation of my performance. Throughout those five weeks
I forced myself to think outside the box, and while I was challenging myself, I noticed that I was moti- vating other skaters around me to move more creatively and artis- tically. Each video is awarded stars and in the event of a tie, the young artists’ friends and family are urged to cast their votes on Facebook or YouTube, enabling their favorites to accumulate additional points and break the tie. I was humbled
34 OCTOBER 2012
by the support and positive feed- back, especially from the skating parents who shared stories of their children who repeatedly watched my video submissions, which they said, opened their eyes to the in- terpretive side of skating. While listening to a piece of
music, I think about telling a sto- ry with body movement, facial expression and all the choreo- graphic details down to the fin- gertips. I imagine the emotional connection the audience would feel and how a sole figure skating program could change a person’s life. A young learn-to-skate stu- dent might see that program and be inspired to become the next U.S., World or Olympic champion. This exciting thought makes me realize how fortunate I am to be a part of a sport that produces dedicated athletes, creative artists and outstanding individuals. As a developing choreogra-
pher, I am grateful for the Young Artists Showcase online contest experience, which has had a tre- mendous and positive impact on the development of my craft.
For additional information, visit http://GrassrootsToChampions. com/YoungArtistsShowcase.
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