An ode to my first non-cinematic obsession person - two persons, actually. ICE DANCERS, to be specific. Two absolute artists of dance, two maestros of the ice: Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir.
Lemme make it clear: I was never a fan of ice dancing. During the Olympics, I watch the ladies' singles program and that's it. I never liked the ice dancing category because it seemed so cheesy. Ice dancers used music that was over-the-top, had a dearth of artistry, and were always so overtly theatrical and boring.
Then my friend told me to go watch "that Canadian couple who are unfairly beautiful" and since I was obsession-free and slightly bored at the time, I decided to give their free dance a go. I watched it. Then I rewatched it again. And I have now watched their Vancouver, gold-medal-winning performance about 100 times now. Like, literally. And my hard-won AP Biology stats have been replaced by those terrible "Marriage Ref" commercials as a result.
They transcend the limits of gritty athleticism. They are an integral part of each other's movements, and their gentleness, a key aspect of their allure, is simply so audacious when you consider the fact that other ice pairs rely on contrived music and flamboyant movements to make a scene. Tessa and Scott can capture our attention with a single elegant finger, a lean in the other's direction, perfectly matching twizzles without the slightest evidence of effort. If they were an onscreen couple they'd be an iconic cinematic couple.
I find it generally exhausting to watch ice dancing, but beholding Tessa and Scott's stunningly romantic Olympic performance was a gust of fresh air. I think it's because they're always so turned on by what they're doing, which is gratifying to watch. It turns us on, too.
Tessa, with her extensive ballet training, brings heart-stopping grace to the table. She is flawed, however; a bit too remote. She's more of an artist than a performer. But that's where he comes in. Scott, with his open, intense energy makes the couple accessible to the audience. Their combined strengths make this couple a treat for both the eyes and the heart.
Their chemistry is so good that I'm amazed that the ice doesn't melt away beneath their skates. I've gotten so absorbed into their on-ice romance that during one emotional performance, I actually blubbered out, "KISS!!!!" in a particularly intense moment. I was instantly ashamed of myself afterwards.
Other skaters go through the motions; Tessa and Scott tell stories with their dancing, letting romantic little tales unfold on the ice. When I finished watching their "Umbrellas of Cherboug" interpretation, I felt as if I'd just watched a lifelong relationship flash before my eyes. Time stands still. I feel almost voyeuristic, peeking into a couple's most intimate moments.
All the commentators scratch their heads over their "it quality". What is it? Why, star power, duh. Natural Charisma. Only true star quality could keep you enraptured with "Mahler's Symphony No. 5". Everyone flipped about the American team Meryl Davis and Charlie White's "Phantom of the Opera", but let me remind you, the judges have SEEN all that, year after year. Johnny Weir said it best when he called VM's Mahler interpretation "a class of its own" and he is absolutely right, as Johnny Weir usually is.
And never doubt their athletic professionalism. I've never seen this pair stumble or so much as falter. It's one hell of a task to maintain energy throughout a performance, but Tessa and Scott's energy only seems to expound as they go along, building up to an organic emotional climax.
Virtue and Moir in my one of my favorite performances, at the 2008 Worlds to "Umbrellas of Cherbourg"
"They transported the audience....." perfect comment.
Their now-legendary Vancouver performance.
(don't know how to embed NBC videos, sorry)
Here is a disgustingly cute and athletically astounding video of them dancing at the 2004 Junior Worlds. She was 14 and he 16, but they look about ten years old in the video and you see how at such young ages their strength and charm already zooms off the charts.
Scott always keeps his eyes on Tessa while he dances, which adds such a valuable element to their intimacy. He's also a true gentleman - he never forgets to thank Tessa after a dance. This time, even at a supposedly obnoxious age (16), he kisses her hand as a way of thank you.
Here at the 2010 Canadian Championships Gala, Virtue and Moir tell yet another delightful story about a street scamp vying for the heart of an elegant ballerina that's out of his league.
I love this dance because it reminds me that despite their unearthly maturity on the ice, they're both actually so young and totally capable of goofiness.
And finally, the 2009 Worlds Free Dance:
Performance that smashes any doubt of their versatility. No, they do not rely on pure Beauty alone. Yes, they are capable of mindbending lifts like Meryl and Charlie. Look at 4:48, in particular. In my mind that's the perfect epitome of their style - a combination of both incredible difficulty and swooning finesse. Sigh. This performance is a little colder than others, though, so their 2008 and 2010 free dances remain my favorites.
(Trivia: They are the youngest Olympic ice-dancing champions in history - at ages 20 and 22, respectively. They're the first North American couple to ever win the ice dancing Olympics, breaking a long Russian monopoly on gold medals. They've also been dancing forthirteenyears; they started dancing together at the ages of 7 and 9.)
