Since I am currently reading Nadia Comaneci's book Letters to a Young Gymnast, I was inspired to feature her routines on my blog this week since I've been majorly slacking.
This video from Sport Everywhere on YouTube shows the start value of Nadia's gold medal winning balance beam routine from the 1976 Olympics in Montreal. Set to the Cary Brother's "Alien" (choice of the editor), it's beautiful and almost ethereal. It's quite fascinating to see the stark difference 37 years of code changes makes.
While nearly all of her elements are in a series, they're really not worth any bonus. It doesn't meet the "requirements" set out by this current code, it loses .5 in composition requirements for not connecting two different dance elements. Yes, there are dance elements that are connected, but this code stipulates they must be two "different" dance elements, i.e. a turn into a leap etc.
What I love about this routine is the artistry. Yes, artistry. Watch and you will see her making little flicks with her wrists, making a small gesture with her head. The new code really tries to focus on artistry but it's really so overstated that it just doesn't allow it to happen naturally. With this routine, it's natural, not forced.
Think I'm going to go write a letter to the FIG now.
While nearly all of her elements are in a series, they're really not worth any bonus. It doesn't meet the "requirements" set out by this current code, it loses .5 in composition requirements for not connecting two different dance elements. Yes, there are dance elements that are connected, but this code stipulates they must be two "different" dance elements, i.e. a turn into a leap etc.
What I love about this routine is the artistry. Yes, artistry. Watch and you will see her making little flicks with her wrists, making a small gesture with her head. The new code really tries to focus on artistry but it's really so overstated that it just doesn't allow it to happen naturally. With this routine, it's natural, not forced.
Think I'm going to go write a letter to the FIG now.
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