USE OF LYRICS EXPANDING CREATIVE OPPORTUNITIES
by KAMA KORVELA
Frank Carroll doesn’t take many artistic risks with his skaters, especially when they are U.S. champions. His pupil Gracie Gold’s classic appeal is one of the many things that makes her skating so endearing to fans and judges alike. So Gold surprised many when she took the
ice for her free skate at the 2014 Hilton HHon- ors and less than 10 seconds later Sarah Bright- man’s beautiful voice, singing the romantic ballad “Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again” from Phantom of the Opera, filled the Sears Centre Are- na. While this would have been normal for an exhibition, it was most unusual for the competi- tion.
Starting with the 2014–2015 season, the
International Skating Union (ISU) gives athletes the option to use vocals and lyrics in their com- petitive routines. For seasoned fans of the sport, the ISU’s decision was a surprise — after all, fig- ure skating has long been known for tradition, and classical and instrumental music is a part of that tradition. Many in the sport have welcomed and embraced the change, and the opportunity to shake things up a bit. Gold did so with caution. “Originally, I planned to wait on using lyr-
ics,” she said. “I thought it might be prudent to see how the judges and fans reacted to the pro- grams with lyrics.” But Gold’s choreographer, Lori Nichol, had
a different plan. 34 JANUARY 2015 “My coach (Carroll)
and I were surprised when Lori suggested it,” Gold explained. “After we listened to the piece and started playing around with it, we thought, ‘Why wait?’ I really love the program!” Vocals and lyrics can be used as another tool to show the audience and judges a better range of the skater’s perfor- mance abilities. “Te lyrics are helpful for me to be
expressive,” Gold said. “Frank thinks it shows a warmer side of me.” Many skaters are excited about taking ad-
vantage of the new rule. “I think this is one of the best things to
happen to skating,” two-time U.S. pairs cham- pion Marissa Castelli said. “Te skaters are now able to connect to the music more by using the lyrics and emotion in their skating.” Tere has been speculation that the rule change was a tactic to draw new fans to the sport, as well as to appeal to younger members of the audience. Castelli, the 2013 and 2014 U.S. pairs champion with her former partner Simon Shna- pir, is optimistic that skaters will have a deeper connection to their performances, and that will
JAY ADEFF/U.S. FIGURE SKATING Gracie Gold
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