Have you been ice skating yet this season?
Although many of us probably haven’t been ice skating since we were kids, it remains a popular winter sport with some of the world’s most incredible athletes. To pull off the kinda of tricks most professional skaters pull off requires strength, personality and plenty of balance. For those who don’t know, the United States holds an annual figure skating championship competition showcasing some of the finest talent that the sport has to offer. Although every performance varies, each requires plenty of practice and poise to pull of.
Still, one performance in particular has been making its rounds on the internet.
The clip is of a performance by professional skater Jason Brown from the 2014 National Championships.
Brown is a Jewish-American figure skater who was born in Los Angeles, California and is known for his incredible flexibility—and for his signature ponytail. As the sport of figure skating has evolved, there has been a greater and greater emphasis on technical ability, impressive jumps and agility. Still, a major part of the sport is also the personality of each skater, the choreography of the moves and how well the performance connects to the audience.
In these areas is where Brown really shines.
For his performance, Brown decides to skate to the music from Riverdance, a theatrical production based on traditional Irish folk music.
Though what Brown does on the ice includes plenty of impressive pyrotechnics, what really sets him apart is a sense of drama and anticipation. As it begins, Brown composes himself and establishes a slow and graceful tone. He builds anticipation as he builds up speed, striking several dramatic poses and pulling off a double axel. After that, he lands a near perfect triple axel.
Still, the end of the performance has the audience in awe.
As the fiddles pick up, the audience’s energy rises and Brown begins to show off some incredible footwork.
Before the dance is over, Brown pulls off a spectacular series of spins and jumps that has the audience on their feet already! When it finally ends, the applause continues. After the judges give their scores, Brown even pulls into first place! By the end of the entire competition, Brown finished second overall for a silver medal. Aside from points and places, however, Brown’s incredible choreography reminds us of the beauty and the spirit behind this art form—and clearly the audience agrees!
Here’s to many more years of amazing performances from Jason Brown!
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