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o 55113 70002 6 Sandra Bezic~· 'eam weaver - Bezic with u.s. Olympic medal contender Tara Lipinski.
Scores of skaters chase that Olympic star. Meet the woman most likely to help them reach it. David Hayes takes a rinkside seat to watch the magic moves of Canada's world-famous figure skating choreographer
o the tiny figure at centre ice, the arena is huge and bright, the ice hard and perfectly white, and she imag I ines all eyes in a hushed crowd of thousands focused on her, skates set just so, with a wide smile frozen on her delicate face. She gracefully sweeps her arms over her head as a swell of orchestral music fills the air, from the sound track for the film The Rainbow, based on the D. H. Lawrence novel. Lefs not make too much of sym bolism; the music was chosen for its potential to allow a young girl to perform an Olympic-winning program. Still, Lawrence saw the rainbow as a promise of resolu tion, "a pledge of unbroken faith between the universe and the innermost," which isn't a bad way of describing the overnight success of 15-year-Dld Tara Lipinski, who is the reigning world and former U.S. champion figure skater, the youngest in the history of the sport Not that Lipinski thinks these kinds of deep thoughts. Last July, in a dimly lit hockey arena in Mississauga, Ont., where the ice, set at ideal hockey-playing tem- [> 53 I perature, was a little too hard and where drops of condensation would be a sign of artistic paralysis. Bezic knows that the Olympic on the corroded metal rafters occasionally fell like a light rain, she judges will be watching for signs of Lipinski's development as an was concentrating on a new set of movements to unfamiliar mu artist No matter how well she skates technically, at least some of sic for her long program. And when she wasn't running through them will need to be convinced they should give a gold her routine, she wondered whether she might get another op medal-symbolizing the very best in the world-to someone who, portunity to skate with Kurt Browning, on whom, truth be told, though 15, looks like a 12-year-Michelle Kwan of the U.S., China's Lu Chen, Tanja Szewczenko ic spinning, gliding and jumping-transcend the sum of its parts. of Germany and Maria Butyrskaya of Russia. At the same time, Bezic, a former Canadian pair champion who skated for Cana though, it must be familiar enough to make Lipinski feel com da with her brother, Val, in the 1972 Olympics in Sap fortable as she tries to land her "nicks." In short, Bezic reflected poro, Japan, watches Lipinski intently. She punches later, "1 needed to come up with more of the same, but different." the stop button on her boom box, and Lipinski, who But Bezic also knew that her artistic vision would continue to is four foot 10 and weighs 82 pounds soaking wet, evolve once Lipinski left Toronto and began honing the program glides to the boards and stares quizzically at her. with her coach in tlle months leading up to the Olympics. While Though Lipinski's mother sits in the stands, it is the coaches work with skaters all year round, monitoring their de two women on the ice who could be taken for moth velopment, attending every competition and practice session, er and daughter: Lipinski in grey tights and a black choreographers, like costume designers, are consultants: hired fleece jersey, her blond hair pulled into a ponytail; to provide one significant part of the artistic blueprint Bezic, 41 and athletically trin1, in black tights and leg Despite the importance of choreography, watching it develop warmers, a baggy black wool sweater and a black is a little like watching paint dry. The relationship between chore cardigan, blond hair also pulled into a ponytail. ographer and skater is instinctual, often telepathic. The average Smiling maternally, Bezic sweeps her arm in a graceful arc over onlooker would be hard-pressed to figure out what's going on be her head and says, "I like it better if you do just one of these.... " cause the program is worked on Moving with Lipinski to centre ice, Bezic demonstrates the open in discrete chunks, often out of ing moves, skating a wide arc in a flowing balletic mo chronological order, with an em tion. She conceived of the semicircular ann movements phasis on conceptual issues that as suggesting a rainbow, altllough not as literally as that have more to do with the sounds. "Make it sway back and forth," Bezic says. skater's psyche than with any "You're sort of going... "-she swings her arms over her literal message meant for the head-"like this, instead of.... " Her head back, Bezic audience's benefit. The fan swings her arms languidly, as though under water. "Think would also be disappointed; about your dreams." , while working on choreog- Lipinski tries it, this time angling her head I raphy, skaters are concen back, her eyes following what could be an in trating on the tiniest of sub visible rainbow, glancing at Bezic toward the tleties and ignoring their end with a shy smile. "Much better," Bezic dramatic crowd-pleasing jwnps. says entl1Usiastically. "Let's try it again with For Bezic, Lipinski's routine is the music." only one of many summer as signments for champion skaters...... The stakes By the end of October, in addition Choreography is the act of turning ex to Lipinski, Bezic had choreo traordinary technique into artistic self graphed programs for Lu Chen, expression. But like many young skaters Olympic and world champions who are too young to have developed Kristi Yan1aguchi and Canada's Kurt an artistic vision, Tara Lipinski is ob Browning; Japanese world champi sessed almost entirely with jumping. on Yuka Sato and world and Canadi To her, choreography is little more an champion pair skaters Barbara than a map allowing her to get from Underhill and Paul Martini; and, jump to jump; if she had her way, as director of the Stars on Ice she'd play it safe and skate to the show, coordinated two hours' same long program she'd used last worth ofchoreography. year. But in figure skating, that When Bezic works with veter ans, like Yamaguchi or Browning, Above left: Sandra at age 9, the choreographic process be performing with brother Val, comes more collaborative, with 12. Right: artistry and the skaters conUibuting ideas of athleticism-Bezie and Lipinski their own. Working with very I> work on the rough spots. 55 young skaters, like Lipinski, is different. Abundle of raw talent, in the spring and early summer of 1997 for Lipinski. It didn't help Lipinski is nonetheless a teenager whose accomplishments and that Lipinski rejected dozens of suggestions, which Bezic found apparent maturity shouldn't be confused with life experience, even frustrating but nonetheless understood. Unlike most 15-year-2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. ki, whose musical tastes are still rigidly narrow, only likes movie Last year, using Bezic's choreography, Lipinski unexpectedly music, filled with grandly passionate melodrama and obvious emo moved the timetable up by winning the Worlds, catching her par tional hooks. The Rainbow was the compromise. Composer Carl ents, coaches and the figure skating world off-guard. That Davis is associated with Beethoven as well as Broadway, and his doesn't mean she's assured an Olympic win, though; her com majestic prelude and titles on the sound track straddle both worlds. petitors this month in Nagano, Japan, are older, more seasoned. It's not the music others might have suggested: with someone The favorite, Michelle Kwan, has tasted both triumph and defeat, as tiny as Lipinski, the expectation is that shell play cute and perky, an experience that tends to make strong competitors stronger. with compact intricate skating, but Lipinski has the long power ful movements of a much bigger skater. (Bezic describes her as .. The.musicand.the.movement ... "having the power and speed of many men.") And while jumping For Bezic, finding the right music always comes first. She rou is her greatest strength, her footwork is aweaker area that Bezic tinely spends hours going through hundreds of CDs, as she did needed to smooth with choreography that played to her talents.t> Is there a crisis in women's skating? When Susan Humphreys How did a country that Meanwhile, many parents with puberty is a challenge: the stepped off the ice after skating produced Olympic skating children at lower levels spend weight she gains on the chest her long program at the Karl legends such as Burka and Karen up to $10,000 a year. Some are and hips can throw off jumps. Schafer Memorial Trophy in Magnusse~nd continues to knocked out by the cost. Then there's the risk of burnout. Vienna last fall, she knew she produce top-notch men skaters There is also a feeling that for Pressure at all levels is already was finished. In this last such as Elvis Stojko and Kurt years, Canadian judges have a problem. Because of sheer qualifying tournament before Browning-end up like this? At favored the artistry and strong numbers, competition is intense the Olympics, she had only rinks across Canada, as skating stroking skills of older skaters in women's skating: last year, landed one of several attempted parents huddle in the stands and even when a younger skater 938 women competed at the triple jumps. The 1997 Canadian their daughters glide on the ice, manages more difficult jumps. prenovice level in Canada, women's figure skating it's the buzz. That may be changing, but for compared with 112 men. And, champion recalls, "I What's the problem? now, we are stuck with the 1964 Olympic silver medalist I knew then that my It certainly isn't a lack effects of not rewarding young Debbi Wilkes warns, "Every one Olympic dream had of talent: the Canadian talent for decades. of those competitive events gone out." So had Figure Skating The solution, according to takes a chunk out of a woman's Canada's: for the first Association (CFSA) has experts like Olympic coach Ellen personality." Wilkes also blames time ever, this country 180,000 members, Burka (mother of Petra Burka), the overemphasis on weight and would not send a most of them female. is to start training girls early. appearance, which chips away woman singles skater And Canada's 4,000 Burka urges skating at a young woman's self to the Olympic Games. Humphreys- odd coaches far exceed organizations to "identify esteem: whatever traumas a (Under the new rules, the number of skaters talented youngsters between teenage girl experiences no country's place at the in countries such as Britain, the ages of 7and 10, tell their normally are magnified on the Olympics is automatic.) which qualified to send a female coaches and parents and give ice. "We have to be more The public blamed Canada's entrant to the Nagano Olympics. them money." It's a supportive," she says. predicament on Humphreys's But if the talent is out there, controversial idea. Many Louis Stong, former coach of disappointing performance. But it's not being developed. Some question, perhaps rightly, Kurt Browning and Josee the skating world had been blame the CFSA for ignoring whether girls that young have ChOUinard, agrees young watching the decline in young up-and-comers: while it the commitment to skate women need more support but Canadian women's figure funds youth development seriously without being driven maintains that only by testing skating for years. "Deplorable" programs, only athletes already into it by parents or coaches. themselves can young skaters is how Petra Burka, 1965 world at the novice level--midway Besides, even if a girl learns develop the confidence to champion and 1964 Olympic through the competitive triple jumps at a young age, compete on the world stage. bronze medalist, describes it. stream--get money directly. sustaining them through In Canada, they don't have I> Before Bezic can figure out specific petitors performs-for a big swell in the AVAILABLE AT THESE PARTICIPATING movements, she listens to the music over slow third section. and over until she "hears" a concept, which The process of creating and learning mERLE nORmRn she admits is, like many aspects of the per choreography happens simultaneously. COSMETIC STUDIOS forming arts, nearly impossible to articu Bezic teaches skaters short sections of a Brampton, ON late. In competitive skating, music is edit program, then watches them try it and con Bramalea City Centre ed and choreography designed to allow siders whether it looks natural. Ifshe man (905) 790-1725 skaters to execute the required elements ages to choreograph more than 20 or 30 Gumps, spins and footwork), with equal seconds on the first day, she's happy. After Burlington, ON thought given to cardiovascular consider that, adding a minute a day is considered a 3300 Fairview Street ations-high-energy bursts counterbal success. Bezic knew that lipir:ski could be (905) 634-1154 anced by rest periods. With this in mind, emotional but was not yet an artist who can Cobourg, ON she divided The Rainbow structurally into bling characters to life, in the way that Bez 383 King Street West four sections-slow/fast/slow/fast-both ic once had Kurt Browning play Humphrey (905)372-8669 because that mirrored lipinski's program Bogart or Kristi Yamaguchi portray Shake last year and because she knew that lipin speare's]uliet. So the concept behind17te Etobicoke, ON ski, unlike some skaters who prefer to start Rainbow was kept straightforward: Lipins Sherway Gardens with a burst of energy, likes to begin calm ki's alkonsuming dream is about winning (416) 622-3300 ly, to get warmed up. Bezic's plan involved Olympic gold, and Bezic's choreography Etobicoke, ON lipinski performing most of her difficult was about running toward that dream. In Woodbine Centre "tricks" in the second section, before fa Bezie's words, "The Rainbow is a young girl (416) 674-5758 tigue could set in, although she decided to with a dream. She's dancing in the rain, reserve the most difficult trick-a spec dreaming her dreams, still naive enough London, ON tacular triple 100p-tIiple loop combination to think that all her clreams may come true Westmount Shopping Centre that Lipinski alone among women com- and there will always be a happy encling." I> (519) 641-1344 Mississauga, ON Square One enough opportunity for after-but he's in the come from today's novice (905)276-9798 that. "Canada has many minority. ranks. Her challenge is that gifted coaches at the top Still, there is hope on the she won't have a tough act North Bay, ON Northgate Square end, but at the entry level, horizon for women's to follow: all eyes will be (705) 476-1103 coaches hold talented skating. The CFSA is upon her when she goes to children back (sometimes at scouting new talent; it has the Olympics for the first Ottawa, ON the insistence of parents),. hired Louis Stong to time. Unlike the male 90 Sparks Street (613) 230-1383 content to have computerize a list skaters. who for years them win medals of the youngsters. have had someone's Sault Ste. Marie, ON at small although he stops shadow to hide in when Station Mall, 293 Bay Street competitions. By short of handing out they hit the world stage (705) 253-4590 the time those money to their Jeff Langdon had Elvis Scarborough. ON skaters progress to parents, arguing that Stojko, who in turn had Kurt Scarborough Town Centre a competitive to do so would be Browning--she won't have (416) 296-1521 level, they are too undemocratic that comfort. St. Catharines, ON old or want to and costly. But to Debbi Wilkes, it's Rainbow's End Plaza quit." World champs The CFSA has also taken all in the approach: "Some 1905) 935-9700 Michelle Kwan, 17, and steps to make both female of the greatest champions Thunder Bay, ON and male skaters more have not been the most Tara lipinski, 15, didn't Keskus Mall surface by being held back, competitive with other talented. Rather they have (807)345-7766 he notes. countries. For the first time, been the skaters who It's a tricky balance: juvenile and prenovice believed in themselves." Tillsonburg, ON 24 Harvey Street skaters compete nationally GEORGIE BINKS training girls young, (519) 842-8884 exposing them to high-level in Toronto in March. And the competition early4ut not North American Challenge Do you believe there is a Toronto, ON pushing them too hard, series gives novice skaters a crisis in Canadian women's Royal Bank Plaza (416)864-9410 injuring them or hurting chance to compete figure skating? Share your their confidence. One internationally. views with other readers. St. John's. NF prominent coach strikes Stong is optimistic Visit Conversations 54 Kenmount Road that balance by encouraging Canada will send a woman (Passions) on our Web site, Avalon Mall (709)722-2124 his skaters to compete, but to the next Winter Olympics, Chatelaine Connects, at not look at the resul1s and he thinks she will likely www.chatelaine.com. Fredericton, NB Regent Mall (506)450-7345 58 CHATELAINE/MARCH 1998 I It's l2te August, and Bezic and Lipinski her. For a couple of minutes the two talk qui homes where, with input from their coach are back on the ice, this time at Erin Mills etly, giggling like sisters. Finally, Lipinski es, they make it their own. Arena, a modern sports complex in rises and takes Bezic's hand to help her up. "I think ofTara as a force flying by me, suburban Mississauga. As the music swells, "That's it, Mom," Lipinski says to her and I'm one stop along the way," Ber.tic said Lipinski skates along an arc that takes her mother, Pat, who accompanies her every last November, with the 1997-98 skating near the boards before unsteadily execut where and has spent the day sitting in the season under way. "While she's with me, I ing a sequence offootwork. Skating toward stands. "I'm done." give her everything I've got. Then, when her, Bezic gently says, "Justgo easy, Tara. "We're finished," confirms Bezic. "She's she goes, I have to move on to my next pro It looks like you're trying a little too hard." tired. Her feet finally said, 'One more step? ject I think about her and care for her very Bezic skates through the sequence, demon Noway.''' deeply, but I don't eat, breathe and sleep strating a little jump turn with llpinski shad any individual skater's program the way I owing, a split second behind her, like a Thejudgment used to when I was more of a choreogra gosling following a mother goose. llpinski leftToronto that evening and since pher-eoach and involved in everything." Later, she stands with Bezic at the boards then Bezic has only spoken to her on the The artistic core of Lipinski's program while Bezic talks to her about the nimble phone once or twice. Years ago, before Bez grew out of the 12 days Bezic spent with little steps required for the footwork. Lis ic's son, Dean, now 3, was born and she her last summer. But as with all skaters, tening carefully, a tired-looking Lipinski took on the demanding Stars on Ice re Bezic knew that integrating the jwnps, foot pulls off her grey fleece sweatshirt and pre sponsibilities, she often worked closely with work and the rest of figure skating's re pares to try it again. Building speed, her skaters and their coaches throughout the quired elements into the program could blades making a rhythmic slilih-slilih-shhh swnmer and into the skating season. In the squeeze out some, or even most, of her sound, she performs a selies offluid grace months leading up to Brian Boitano's 1988 OIiginal vision. ful movements along a wide arc. Sudden Olympic victory, for example, she attend "It's really up to Tara," Bezic explained. ly, while executing the tricky jump turn, ed every competition and worked closely "The vision, the concept of the choreogl'a she trips, sprawling across the ice. Flop with him during practice sessions to fine phy. is something we discuss before she ping over on her back, she remains there tune the program. That commitment of goes away, but then it's up to her. That's in a heap, too tired to get up. time and energy, to say nothing of the trav why I don't take all the responsibility if "I think that's it," says Bezic with a laugh. el, is impossible today, however, so she has skaters do poorly and I certainly don't take Shutting off the boom box, she skates over had to learn to watch her creation leave all the credit when they do well. It's in Tara's to lipinski and lies down on the ice beside with the skaters, who take it back to their hands now, and it's her dream." 0
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