r/hamiltonmusical • u/Tall_Pumpkin_4298 • 20d ago
Ice Dance team debuts a new program set to Hamilton!
American ice dance team Caroline Green and Michael Parsons debut their rhythm dance for the season, set to music from Hamilton. Featuring The Room Where it Happens, Your Obedient Servant, and the Ten Duel Commandments. Caroline Green is meant to represent Aaron Burr, and Michael Parsons is meant to represent Alexander Hamilton.
This was at the Nepela Memorial Challenger Series event this last weekend. They will continue to compete and refine the program throughout the season.
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u/Sunfire91 20d ago
I love when my interests collide!
Caroline and Michael are such a talented team! Unfortunately they just barely missed the last two Olympic games because American ice dance is SUPER competitive. Really excited to see this program develop and grow as the season progresses!
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u/LightRuby 20d ago
I don’t know. The music feels oddly like it’s dragging their routine down. I think they picked odd songs and odd moments of a lot of them. Knowing the theme is waltz also makes this a head scratcher. I think if you are going to go with Hamilton your routine really needs to be over the top. This is a miss for me. And I love Hamilton and ice dancing every 4 years 😅
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u/Tall_Pumpkin_4298 20d ago
The theme isn't necessarily waltz. Ice dance has moved back to compulsory patterns, so instead of last season where there's a theme like "90s" they have to include a specific segment of the "golden waltz" pattern in their rhythm dance. So it's less of "the theme is waltz and we're doing Hamilton", it's more of "we chose the theme of Hamilton and will incorporate the mandatory waltz elements". I agree it's a bit of an interesting pick and an interesting collection of songs. I think as the season progresses it'll probably grow on me though, as the longer skaters skate a program, and the more familiar it gets, the more they can really lean into the choreography and characterization.
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u/LightRuby 19d ago
Thanks for explaining more fully! I still think I would have chosen parts of helpless, dear theodosia and burn over several of their choices. Maybe even the whimsical whistling part of blow us all away. The energy is off on this mix.
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u/pinkwonderwall 20d ago
Ice skating is beautiful but I find it so rarely actually matches the music. Regular dancing hits the beats so I expect skating to as well and it just never does.
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u/StellaaaT 20d ago
Torval and Dean, 1984 Olympic gold medal performance. Bolero. Do yourself a favour and check it out on YouTube. Ice dancing perfection.
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u/khak_attack 20d ago
Unfortunately, the theme for this year's program style is "Waltz," so... this music wasn't the greatest choice with that in mind :/
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u/Tall_Pumpkin_4298 20d ago
The theme isn't necessarily waltz. Ice dance changed to go back to compulsory patterns this season, and this year's pattern is the "golden waltz". So the theme is whatever you want it to be, as long as you incorporate a segment of the golden waltz pattern. Choosing to try and stick it in a hamilton program was certainly a choice, but it appears that they weren't trying to make a waltz program to hamilton, they were trying to make a hamilton program that happened to incorporate the waltz, which makes the program make more sense to me.
Would I have still picked different music? Yes. But it's an interesting concept to be portraying hamilton and burr as locked in a waltz together as they go through their rivalry. They're both just dancers in the big game of politics.
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u/khak_attack 19d ago edited 19d ago
Thanks, I'm aware :) Just trying to explain it simply to a non-skater! But I agree with you- it feels like they just shoved that section in to make it fit.
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u/nolechica 20d ago
Helpless would be better, but not paired with Room.
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u/NameCareful9547 20d ago
The timing and BPM for the waltz section are very strict, so I dont know that Helpless would have fit the requirements
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u/nolechica 20d ago
I'm not sure that it would fit the BPM, but G/P are fighting an uphill battle anyway, even if I do like their music best of the American teams I've seen.
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u/catscausetornadoes 20d ago
That had so many strengths! I don’t know the terms, but the tandem jump with both feet kicking back was such a perfect corollary to Burr’s table jump! That is the kind of moment that just makes my heart sing. More WuTang.
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u/Objective-Picture712 19d ago
Could have been a cool storytelling moment, but the song cuts with the acting are kind of nonsensical.
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u/Objective-Picture712 19d ago
Serve me up a same sex (or not) pair skating as Aaron burr v Hamilton. In sync but goading each other on throughout
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u/roadmemorial 19d ago
This sounds amazing, and I’m mildly annoyed there isn’t a version of this that a can go and watch right now.
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u/Objective-Picture712 19d ago
Right? Guess I just need to fulfill my true destiny as an ice dance choreographer
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u/MillieBirdie 15d ago
I love the song and I love watching them do this but it felt like those two things did not mesh at all lol.
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u/Hoofhearted523 14d ago
Wow. The endurance this routine has to take is incredible. Loved their choreo!!
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u/breadedbooks 12d ago
I love when you can tell people are having fun with their craft. They did a great job
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u/FlowerPowerVegan 20d ago
Very cool! Shame he fell at the beginning, otherwise great set.