translate well to audiences. “Skating to music with lyrics really helps the skater understand the emotions their char- acter should be portraying on the ice,” Castelli said. “I think it will enhance our sport.” But with change come challenges. Some skating insiders argue the introduction of vo- cal music into competitive programs for singles and pairs can be confusing for novice skating fans, who are used to hearing them in exhibi- tion-style routines but not in elite-level com- petitions. On the flip side, there are others who feel that vocals will have little impact on the overall impression, including choreographer (and musician) Tom Dickson.
“I think the seasoned skating enthu- siast will not make a judgment on the artis- tic validity of a program based on the use of vocals,” Dickson said. “I believe they will base their opinion on the merits of the pro- gram construction and performance of the skater. I think where vocals could possibly make a difference from a skating populist’s point of view, is that the average audience will hear music they are more familiar with.” Using music with lyrics and vocals can also
complicate the editing process, Dickson said. “It can be quite difficult to edit lyrics be-
cause the words must make contextual sense, especially when sung in English,” he said. “But one must remember that if you are editing Ital- ian opera the lyrics may make no sense whatso- ever if your skater is competing in Italy.” Castelli thinks the new rule requires
skaters, as well as their coaches and choreog- raphers, to approach the construction of their programs in a more thoughtful way. “Some of the selections, such as famous operas or musicals, have such powerful songs with lyrics,” Castelli said. “Many skaters in the past have tried to use those pieces by cutting around the lyrics, and it doesn’t always make the best musical cuts.” “Now the skater can use the songs that appeal to them without the piece of music sounding choppy or just thrown togeth-
Gracie Gold with
coach Frank Carroll and choreographer Lori Nichol
er,” she continued. “Tis helps to create more story lines and smooth performances.” Vocals have a compelling way of bring-
ing out different attributes of the character the skater is trying to portray. Dickson worked with several international competitors this sea- son who opted to use vocals to strengthen their character portrayals, including up-and-com- ing Japanese lady Satoko Miyahara and U.S. senior men’s competitor Alexander Johnson. Dickson’s work includes two memorable musi- cal theatre selections: Miss Saigon for Miyahara and Sweeney Todd for Johnson. “Tere is a risk with vocals that a skater can look distracted from the lyrics, if their in- tent is simply to get elements executed,” Dick- son said. “With Satoko, I intentionally used the vocals in a place in the program where she didn’t need to be busy getting elements done, but had time to develop the character and idea.”
For Johnson’s Sweeney Todd, the use of vo- cals highlighted the persona of the character. “In Alexander’s long program, the vocals
help to develop the romantic side of his charac- ter,” Dickson explained. “Te orchestral parts are very dramatic and sinister, and used to paint the evil side of Sweeney Todd. Te vocal sections are very strategically placed and not random ‘just because’ vocals are allowed.” Only time will tell if this shift in mu-
sic choice will truly be embraced. More musical choices provide athletes the op- portunity to stretch themselves artistically and explore other options that might not have been possible before the rule change. If skaters are going to take advantage of
vocals, they might consider taking a page from Gold. She chose a perennial skating favorite, Te Phantom of the Opera. “Because figure skating is a sport that
has a rich and traditional history, I felt like it would be better to go with classical and intro- duce the lyrics that way,” Gold said. “Te old war horses are popular for a rea-
son!”
Choreographer Tom Dickson
Marissa Castelli SKATING 35
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