Every four years when the time of the Winter Olympics comes around, Canadians all across the nation go crazy and patriotic for the sports to be played in this very familiar climate. Two athletes, Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, have been catching the eyes of the audience since 2010 on the ice of the Vancouver Olympics stadium. A celebrated figure skating pair that makes every Canadian so proud, these two have remarkably been dancing together since they were seven and nine years old and have formed a partnership and craft so special, they’re now adorned with 3 Olympic gold medals.
While their individual talent is phenomenal, what captivates most people is the rare synchronization and bond the two carry. The mere possibility of figure skating is something that has always captivated me. While I know very little about the sport, with my background in ballet I can detect so many parallels between the two. But if I was ever put on a floor too slippery, I would probably injure myself in an instant (or cry trying). So naturally, figure skating amazes me.
But I also find figure skating so amazing because, while it is similar to ballet in this idea that it is both artistic and athletic, it is uniquely a competitive sport in the Olympics. It has crossed that threshold, and neither the athleticism nor the artistry of figure skating seems to have suffered.
While I know next to nothing about the technique of figure skating (little more than what a "twizzle" is), I know a good performer when I see one. Tessa and Scott, achieving technically high scores, draw in their audience like a magnet. Not a move between them is left out of harmony, even in the instances of separation, they remain completely in sync. They don't just perform, but they live onstage. You can just see this chemistry between them that's explosive. They're having so much fun, and every one of us just wants to be a part of the story they're telling on stage.
It’s been amazing to watch them in Pyeongchang. Following Sochi their silver medal in Sochi, the duet took some time off, but have come back perhaps stronger and more refined than ever. Their Olympic free dance that won them their victorious gold as a final bow in Pyeongchang was danced to a Moulin Rouge medley. I've been watching the number nearly every day since I first saw it performed in the team event. And I never get sick of it. Here it is: