Music to Ice Skate By

 The winter Olympic Games are upon us. Tomoko's daughter Beata was an Olympics dance skater, and she continues in that profession. Beata had the advantage of knowing about music, starting with her mother, so she understood the importance of music -- and choosing the most effective pieces -- for choreographing a skating routine.

Classical music is a mainstay of ice skating, ranging from lighthearted winter waltzes to intense dramatic scores used by Olympic champions. 

Iconic Classical Pieces for Skating

These works are specifically associated with the atmosphere of ice skating or are frequently performed in competitive routines: 

• The Skaters' Waltz (Les Patineurs) by Émile Waldteufel: Composed in 1882, this is the most iconic piece of "skating music," featuring flowing melodies and the sound of bells to mimic a wintry rink.
• Boléro by Maurice Ravel: Famous for its steady, building rhythm, most notably used in the perfect 6.0-scoring routine by Torvill and Dean in 1984.
• Swan Lake by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: A competitive staple, used by gold medalists like Oksana Baiul (1994) to evoke elegance and drama.
• The Four Seasons: "Winter" by Antonio Vivaldi: Features sharp, rapid string work that matches the precision of high-level footwork.
• Carmen (Habanera/Prelude) by Georges Bizet: Frequently used for its intense energy; famous for the 1988 "Battle of the Carmens" between Katerina Witt and Debi Thomas.
• Moonlight Sonata by Ludwig van Beethoven: A popular choice for romantic or emotional programs, used by pairs such as Gordeeva and Grinkov. 

 

Popular Orchestral Selections

Many skaters select movements from larger classical works that provide a mix of slow, lyrical sections and powerful finales: 

• Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2 and No. 3.
• Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade.
• Saint-Saëns: "The Swan" from The Carnival of the Animals and Danse Macabre.
• Stravinsky: The Firebird and The Rite of Spring.
• Mahler: Adagietto from Symphony No. 5. 

 

Curated Playlists & Collections 

You can find these and other classical skating tracks on the following platforms:

• 55 Ice Skating Classics (Spotify): A comprehensive collection including Strauss waltzes and Puccini arias.
• Figure Skating's Greatest Hits (Europadisc): A curated CD featuring Tchaikovsky, Ravel, and Vivaldi.
• Best Figure Skating Classics (Apple Music): Includes competitive favorites like the "Sabre Dance" and "Méditation" from Thaïs. 

Choosing Music to Skate to

Music comes alive and takes form when it is performed – by musicians and by dancers, including on the ice. Olympian ice dancer Beata and her pianist mother Tomoko know this all too well.

The recent Olympics showcased the impact of music on rhythm skating and ice dancing performance. The music itself should have a rhythmic beat and change in tempo and expression. Skaters are judged on their interpretation of the music, including how the piece is expressed in the relationship of the skating pairs. The wrong choice in music can distract from the performance, but a wise choice can highlight their accomplishments.

So how do ice skaters choose their music? They usually start with their own skating assets, which shapes their choreography. The ideal music accentuates those assets, such as startling lifts and spins. The music also has to resonate with the skaters. Not surprisingly, then, skaters with their coaches and choreographers spend many hours matching a music piece – or a mix of related pieces – to their movements. The team also has to consider judges’ own preferences as well as the audience’s.

There is so much music to choose from: traditional songs, classical instrumental music, “classic” and current pop songs, and abstract pieces. In international competitions, skaters may choose music written by their country’s composers. Only recently have skaters been able to use music with lyrics in the Olympics. Of course, skaters want to provide a unique experience in their performance; even the same composition such as the popular “Swan Lake,” which might be performed in the same composition, undergoes a singular transformation by each skater.

Musicians certainly benefit from such exposure, especially when the skater wins a medal. Elton John, for instance, tweeted Nathan Chen “for winning Gold skating to Rocket Man.” Composers also benefit monetarily because the skaters have to pay a royalty for each time that piece is performed publicly. Even for compositions in the public domain, the performers are due royalties.

The symbiotic relationship between skater and musician is keenly appreciated by millions.

 

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Penguins and Tomoko

 When Tomoko saw a building sign indicating a skating rink, she thought of her little girl Beata. "That could be a fun activity for her." How, forty years later, Beata and her husband Charles Sinek work and love skating still, and have a life full of skating memories -- over twenty of them together, including their ice dancing competition at the 2002 Winter Olympics.

Where do penguins come into the picture? January 20 is National Penguin Awareness Day, which is coming up very soon. When you think of penguins, you probably think of winter and snow and ice -- which are mental images associated with ice skating too. 

Here is Beata's and Charles' information their own company Penguin Specialty Products (https://rockerzskateguards.com/company). 

"Penguin Specialty Products was founded in 1997 upon the creation and development of its first product, Sk8tape®. The company’s founders and owners, figure skaters Charles Sinek and Beata Handra, developed Sk8tape® to not only protect their skating boots during rigorous competitive training but also to give their skates an impeccable gleam in competition. So what began as a personal endeavor to save a boot worn down from countless lunges quickly evolved into a multi-functional product that inconspicuously protects leather, replaces polish, secures laces, and can be worn in practice and in competition. Within the company’s first year, black and white Sk8tape® rolls were distributed and sold to fellow skaters around the world. Beige Sk8tape® shortly followed, and it continues to be a favorite among synchronized skating teams.

Critter Covers® fur blade covers soon joined Sk8tape® on the Penguin product line. With thick foam padding and durable fabric, these animal-style plush soakers were designed to ensure full, long-lasting protection of skate blades. For its tenth anniversary year, Penguin Specialty Products introduced Zookerz® to the skating world. The name is a fusion of the words “zoo” and “soakers”. Like Critter Covers®, these plush animal soakers provide excellent protection for blades, yet Zookerz® come complete with heads, feet, tails, and a voice box. Yes, these furry soakers talk.

The early successes of Penguin enabled the company’s owners to pursue their competitive ice dancing career. In 2002, Handra and Sinek earned a spot on the U.S. Olympic Figure Skating Team for the Winter Games in Salt Lake City. Without the continuous support of Penguin’s customers, this Olympic dream would not have been possible.In 2011, Rockerz® skate guards hit the market with a big splash of color. These ergonomic skate guards hold two design patents, and a lifetime of skating experience went into the design. Full understanding of what skaters want and don’t want in a skate guard was critical to the success of Rockerz® guards. Skaters love the comfort and safety that Rockerz® guards offer as well as the custom fit and attractive color choices. Manufactured in the United States, Rockerz guards are a top quality product and a green product as well. Domestic manufacturing ensures that every pair of Rockerz® meets the highest quality and eco-friendly standards. Rockerz® are also made with recycled materials and are 100% recyclable."

Japan, the Olympics and the Paralympics: Family Affairs

 

The world is watching the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo, thanks to the media. Especially with the pandemic, few people get to set foot at the actual venue, but billions can watch – even on a cell phone!

For Tomoko and her family, this event has special meaning. The Olympic Games are being played in their native country, and she attended the university in Tokyo. For Tomoko’s whole family, the Olympic Games have special meaning because Tomoko’s daughter Beata and her husband Charles competed in the 2002 Winter Olympics as ice dancers. Of course, Tomoko and her husband Desi watched Beata and Charles ringside. The family was particularly lucky because the 2002 Olympics were held in Salt Lake City: as close to their homes as possible.

But the connections don’t stop there.

In 1948 the Paralympic Games was launched, mainly to benefit injured war veterans. By 1960 23 countries were represented in the Paralympic Games. Since 1992 both the winter and summer Paralympic Games take place a fortnight after the Olympic Games, in the same arenas and other competition venues.

Since the 2002 Olympics, Handra and Charles have had the opportunity to skate in the Opening Ceremonies for the Paralympic Games. “We felt very lucky to have been able to return to Salt Lake City again and see the Paralympians experience the same exhilaration we did in our Opening Ceremonies,” said Charles.

Beata and Charles returned from the Olympian and Paralympian trip to Washington D.C. feeling refreshed. “For three fun days we hung out with fellow U.S. Olympians and made new Paralympian friends, said Beata. “We all attended two black tie dinners, a lunch hosted by the Speaker of the House, and visited the White House where the President gave a speech to the athletes on the South Lawn.”

Tomoko’s family demonstrates their own great achievements through talent, discipline and perseverance – and they applaud other’s determination and passion as well. It is truly the Olympic/Paralympic spirit!

Skating to the Music

Tomoko's daughter Beata performs and coaches ice dancing, echoing Tomoko's double professional life as piano performer and teacher. Both of them have a long-long love of music. Both choose their music pieces carefully to showcase their own performance expertise.

Among Beata's accomplishments was her -- and husband Charles' -- performances at the 2002 Olympics. That year their show performances included: "Tango: Fugata" by Astor Piazzolla and "Samson and Delilah" by Camille Saint-Saëns.

 Astor Piazzolla was a 20th century Argentinian tango composer, possibly the world's greatest. He created a new style of tango, which incorporated classical music and jazz. His new sound was controversial in his country, but his music was accepted in North America and Europe.. Written in the 1980s for a virtuoso guitar duo, Piazzolla's Tango Suite includes Fugata (meaning "fugue"), Milonga, and Libertango. "Fugata" introduces a short melody that is developed by interweaving several parts. The piece offered a suspenseful way to build up dance drama and showcase final bravura performance by Beata and Charles.

French composer Saint-Saëns wrote the opera "Sanson and Delilah" as choral music was experiencing high interest, although Biblical subjects were not popular on the French stage. Instead, in 1877 the opera opened in Weimar, Germany, thanks to Liszt's support. The work is framed as a duet between the protagonists, which Beata and Charles leveraged in their dance routine.  

The pieces also echo Beata's and Charles' -- as well as Tomoko's -- years of work to be accepted and applauded.

Olympians and Pianists

It’s time for the winter Olympics again. Tomoko’s daughter Beata competed as an ice dancer in the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City (convenient for her, but not as exotic as South Korea). Tomoko attended those Olympic Games, naturally, and often accompanied Beata to other skating competitions. In the process, Tomoko has seen many parallels between Olympians and pianists.

Fundamentally, both fields depend on the body and its mastery. Both fields require detailed physical coordination. Just as there is a correct foot position, there is also a correct hand position. Furthermore, training the body requires discipline and daily practice.  Basic moves need to become automatic, and even an entire performance has to be mastered so well that that one can depend on muscle memory. Both fields also involve rhythmic movement, and music certainly facilitates the body’s flow. 

Training and support are also similar. The teacher makes a significant difference in the student’s learning experience. In both cases, students need to learn the basic techniques, and practice them dutifully – and correctly.  The teacher selects the developmentally appropriate pieces or routines for the student to master, and there is a “canon” of classics in each case. The teacher is both supportive and challenging; targeting the trouble spots – and helping the student see them as personal challenges to overcome. The teacher has to be sure that the student pays attention to every detail, and master it, at which point the student can add personal interpretation to deepen the performance.

Competition is another shared hallmark. In both cases, competition usually starts locally and low-stakes. Years of practice and performance are needed before one can enter and succeed at the national level. The higher the stakes, the more complicated the performance and the more exacting the judging. Both the stress level and the level of accomplishment are higher. But the payoff and the exhilarating feeling are worth the effort hopefully.

So when you hear the music of an ice skating or ice dancing performance at the Olympics, think of the music and the musicians too. They are all professionals in spirit. 

Humming a few notes about Tomoko

I met Tomoko in the fall of 1984 at San Domenico School. We were both new faculty members; she taught piano, and I was the library director. Over lunch we began chatting about music, and she asked me to name my favorite composer. I said, “Bartok,” and that impressed her. 

A while later, she asked me if I would write program notes for her piano recital, which I happily did – it sharpened my music research and analysis skills. As a gift of thanks, she gave my husband and me two tickets for a concert of Yo-Yo Ma, just as he was starting to gain fame. I attended a few of her concerts, and appreciated her mastery of technique and interpretation. I also entered her daughter’s world: tutoring her a bit for SATs, and transcribing oral histories of her St. Moritz Ice Skating Club.

Even since I moved to Southern California, we have kept in contact. When Tomoko started creating CDs of her performances, I wrote short notes about each piece while enjoying listening to her nuanced recordings. She then approached me about writing a blog about her musical life, which led to several long interviews about her upbringing in Japan, her immigration to the States, and her professional and personal journey. What a rich and soulful life she has shared with me and the world – something I have tried to capture at least a little bit in this blog.  We are also in the process of writing a book about her life; incredible, no?

I feel so honored to be part of Tomoko’s life. I consider her a special friend; she continues to make a positive difference in my life.

The Importance of the First Teacher

The first teacher has a lasting effort, Tomoko knows. She recalls her daughter's first ice skating teacher, and the lifelong impact he has made in Beata's life.

When daughter Beata was three, Tomoko took her to the local ice skating rink, thinking that it would be a good activity for her little one. Tomoko took Beata’s hand, and asked at the service desk, “Do you have teachers and skates?”

“Of course,” answered the young clerk. Then he motioned over a friendly looking gentleman in his forties wearing a big black overcoat and Russian style hat, learning on a guard rail.

“How do you do? My name is Tony Howard.” He took Tomoko’s hand warmly, as she greeted him. Tomoko recognized a British accent in his voice. He had immigrated from London to San Francisco in 1955, and made his living teaching skating at the Bay area skating rink.

Tony bent his knees to greet Beata. “And  what is your name?  Would you like to skate?” Beata nodded solemnly.Tony held Beata’s hands, “Now try to stand. I’m right here so you can lean on me if you need to.” Beata wrinkled her noise, teetering a moment on the skates. “Now I want you to take big steps. Pretend you are marching. Walk towards me.” Tony bent over as he gently held her hands and gradually let go. Beata broke out into a grin as she realized that she was walking by herself. “Good girl!” Tony beamed. “Ready to try the ice?” This time Beata nodded vigorously.

With that, Tony walked her onto the ice. Tomoko watched as Tony guided Beata to the middle, away from the other skaters, and then showed her how to balance and walk on the ice. He got her to swivel a bit, had her try jumping, and made her practice how to bend and fall – and get back up again without hurting herself. Then Tony swooped Beata up in his arms and glided once around the rink, letting Beata feel the wind in her face. “Whee!” she cried.

 Tony Howard started with her then, with occasional lessons during the public skating time. Tomoko realized that the first teacher was the most important one. She was impressed with Tony’s teaching style; he was very patient and showed more personality in his communication than other skating coaches. 

By the time Beata was six, Tony began coaching her seriously. He started a skating book for her in which he jotted down detailed instructions, drawing the figures and illustrating them with stick persons. Sometimes he would draw Disney-like characters to show specific movements. He had an appreciation for different kinds of music – jazz, ballet, even Yo Yo Ma, which he leveraged to showcase Beata’s natural dancing abilities.  Their partnership clicked. Beata has made ice skating her life's vocation -- along with her skating husband. Even now Beata keeps in touch with Tony, who at age 84 continues to skate and teach at the Oakland skating rink.

Performance and competition: a personal link with the Olympics

How does music relate to the Olympics? Both involve music, physical ability, practice, discipline, and competition. And Tomoko is involved directly because her daughter Beata competed in the Olympics in couple ice skating. Here are some of her experiences.

Tomoko took her two year old daughter to the skating rink as a fun way to exercise; Beata’s teacher said that skating was better than being in the park – and more elegant. Beata began serious skating at age 6, but didn’t compete until the U.S. Nationals, rather perfecting her form first. Tomoko supported Beata’s persistent interest throughout the school years, driving her to practice, and paying for lessons through teaching piano. Tomoko notes, “Both ice skating and piano require lots of sacrifice. Even one week without practice will be embarrassing.”

Competitive skating was Beata’s dream, and Tomoko also advises her piano students to have a dream: “Improvement is harder without a dream. If the road is right you will reach up, stepping up nicely.” Tomoko accompanied Beata to competitions. For example, Tomoko helped her daughter navigate airports and transfers. They would see judges on the plane, but not interact because that was part of the process of being professional. Tomoko remarks, “All my efforts and experiences in competition can be good advice.” 

The actual competition is a suspenseful time; “It’s like a horse race, waiting for the results,” says Tomoko. She goes on to say, “To be accomplished once in your life is something you cannot buy. It makes you a leader.” Tomoko knows that feeling, for she has competed successfully for years, and has the accolades to prove it – as well as the quality of her performance.

The Season for Families

Since it’s the holiday time, families come to mind. They are certainly important to Tomoko, and have shaped her life and career.

Her mother’s love of music, and her family’s support of musical performance, started Tomoko in her own lifelong dedication to music. She also became interested in playing because of her brother’s music lessons.

Tomoko recognized her own daughter’s love of performance – in skating. Because of her own musical training, Tomoko also understood the need for constant practice, and for family sacrifice, to make the dream of skating a reality. “Even one week without practice will be embarrassing.” To that end, Tomoko spent hours transporting her daughter to practice and competitions, and some of the money Tomoko made as a teacher also went to help finance her daughter’s love. However, Tomoko is quick to say, “To be accomplished once in your life is something you cannot buy.”

Tomoko was also able to use her own experience in music competitions to help her daughter in such activities. “My daughter gave me that chance to participate in her life, and to give her advice.” Tomoko asserts, “There’s a science behind competition, which you need to know.” Tomoko would explain to her daughter Beata: “Be proud of yourself, but do not show emotions before the competition.” She also gave good advice about judges: “Do not bring up the topic of the composition with judges. Be polite and respectful, and do not criticize.”

Beata has become successful in realizing her dream. She performed in the Olympics, and continues to perform as well as coach. And Tomoko also continues to perform and teach.

It should be noted that Tomoko’s husband – and Beata’s father – has also been very supportive of his family’s loves. Even though he is not a musician nor a skater, he appreciates music and movement  -- and loves his family.

During this holiday season, let us enjoy our families and show how much they mean to use through our actions.