Classical music suggestions, please!

[Logan3]

Hi there!
Any ideas for a good skatable piece? Have you seen any program that you think it worked well? My dd needs it for next season when she will be 8 and skating USFS 4 or 5. Thanks!

[Clarice]

It's hard when you don't know the skater, but for youngsters I would listen to: anything by Leroy Anderson (I particularly like "Belle of the Ball"), Offenbach's "Gaite parisienne" - lots of movements in different tempos/rhythms, or any number of things by Shostakovich - especially polkas or waltzes. Overtures to musicals might also be good choices, or try various recordings by the Boston Pops or Cincinnati Pops.

[Logan3]

These are good suggestions, thank you!

She does not skate to, or interpret music yet. She mostly uses it as a backround. Classical music makes her feel safe on the ice, she says. We went through some overtures but she says that they remind her of the musical and that distracts her :roll: . what can I say? I find her beautiful music all the time but she finds everything "distractive"...

[Clarice]

Try the Carousel Waltz - it's the overture to the musical Carousel. Bet your daughter won't know that one! It's also not a song from the show - doesn't have words, and stands on its own - so it's not likely to remind her of anything in the story if she does know the show.

No, of course she's not interpreting the music much at that age - it will be pretty much background, but the tempo should be appropriate for her, and she'll be learning how to hold her arms, etc., which will develop into interpretation down the road. At that age, my daughter did a medley of an Offenbach polka and waltz that worked pretty well - didn't demand too much in the way of interpretation, but had a style/tempo change.

[luckeylasvegas]

I really like the music for the movie The Greatest Game ever played but my DD wouldn't go for it. She used a musical version of My Favorite Things form the Carpenters Christmas album for a couple of years.