Mao Asada: Queen of the Exhibitions

Exhibition programs vary from skater to skater.  For the majority, it's time to throw on some shorts or pants, let their hair down (literally), and shake their money maker to whatever soon-to-be out of date pop song is currently in rotation.  It's rare to find a skater who takes the time and puts real effort and thought into their exhibitions.  For this reason, exhibitions (this includes most ice shows) have greatly lost their appeal in my book.  However, there is an exception to this...

Mao Asada.  It baffles me to a certain extent because her exhibition programs usually look more detailed and thought out than her competition programs.  To get a true taste of who Mao Asada is as a skater, one needs to look no further than Mao's exhibitions which are, in my opinion, hands down the best exhibitions of all the ladies currently competing.  There's a level of expression and energy she gives in her exhibitions that I rarely, if ever, see in her competitive programs.  Perhaps the pressure of competing zaps a lot of that out of her.  Regardless, the exhibition programs give Mao an opportunity to shine in a way that no other skater can...




This program, "Por Una Cabeza," is one of my favorites.  I remember watching this and being a bit shocked by how much she came alive during this performance.  She has great energy throughout and you can tell she's having a lot of fun, playing with and to the crowd the whole time.  I also recall thinking how well this music and choreography would work in an SP format for the 2009-2010 season; just a little reshuffling of elements and editing of the music and this could have been a signature program for her.  Unfortunately, we were treated to a reshuffling and editing of "Masquerade Waltz" that next year, complete with eye-watering costumes...*sigh*




"Caprice" is another wonderful program that shows yet another side of Mao.  This program was upbeat and fun and showed that Mao looks a lot more comfortable skating to music such as this, rather than music like "Bells of Moscow."  Heavy music that sounds like something you'd play when Satan decides to stop by for a visit just doesn't suit Mao's light and graceful style in my opinion.  Again, "Caprice" could have worked well as a short program, granted she'd have to lose the fan which would take some of the flair away from it, but it'd still be a much better program than her revamped "Masquerade Waltz" SP...much better costume too.

And now, on to the programs that made me fall in love with Miss Mao Asada all over again...



Glorious.  Ethereal.  Breathtaking.  Exquisite.  There are a lot of words I could use to describe "Ballade" including some uncouth expressions such as, "Holy shit!" and "That was effin' beautiful!"  It all amounts to the same thing: this exhibition is nothing short of amazing.  I gripe about Tatiana Tarasova a lot when it comes to Mao.  In my opinion, Mao's career started going downhill when she teamed up with TT.  The only programs I'm a fan of that TT did for Mao were her exhibitions (all of the above mentioned were done by the Russian diva herself).  This one especially blew me away.  There's just so much to love:  the softness of it, how light and graceful the movements are, the showcasing of Mao's gorgeous balletic lines and posture, the lovely spirals at the beginning and Charlotte spiral towards the end, the forward skid move, the elegant simplicity of her long white dress, the footwork with a back scratch spin, all of the effortless-looking twizzles in both directions.  It had been a long time since I watched a program that elicited several soft "wows" and left my mouth hanging open. "Ballade" is a masterpiece.  Plain and simple.




Insert all of the previously mentioned adjectives here, but add Deeply Moving and Stirring to the list.  This is Mao's latest exhibition called "Jupiter," though the song is named "I Vow to Thee My Country" by Libera.  This stunning number was choreographed by Lori Nichol.  Lori is another choreographer whose case I find myself jumping all over.  Lori's greatest work is behind her (reference Michelle Kwan's programs from 1996-2001) but on occasion, she'll crack off a gem or two, especially when it comes to Mao.  Last year, she renewed my faith in Mao's ability to cast magic on competitive ice when she choreographed "Liebestraum" and she continues to bring out the artist in Mao with this exhibition.

To me this exhibition reaches much farther than anything else she's ever done because you can feel how deeply personal it is.  "I Vow to Thee My Country" is a fitting song for Mao considering the tragedy Japan suffered at the beginning of the year.  The sincerity and emotion she pours into this performance is evident.  Again, so many things to love about this one: that gorgeous spiral at the beginning, the use of her arms throughout the program, the lovely costume choice, how expressive she was throughout, the long walking edges reminiscent of Michelle Kwan's "Fields of Gold"...this program is beautiful.  The music reminds me of another Michelle Kwan program, "Dante's Prayer."  That program always gives me this feeling that's very difficult to describe; the best explanation I can give is beautiful sadness...it's strange but I love it.  That's what I feel when I watch Mao's "Jupiter" and that surprised me because I honestly didn't think I'd ever see another skater who could make me feel something like that again.  I've seen programs that are exciting or fun, but it takes a special skater to make you feel something deeper than those standard affects.  Mao casts a spell with this program.  It's magical.

Mao is an incredible talent, and it is my deepest hope that one day she'll find a way to bring the energy, passion, emotion and magic she exudes in her exhibitions to her competitive programs.  She can do it...I just know she can...