Skaters We'll Miss, Part 4: Meryl Davis and Charlie White
It is yet uncertain whether Meryl Davis and Charlie White are just taking a break or will indeed withdraw from competitive life, but either way, they have had a long career in figure skating which deserves a shout out.
Meryl Davis and Charlie White have basically known each other all their lives. They grew up in the same neighborhood and their parents have always been best friends, so teaming up at the age of 10 felt natural. Their climb to the top of the sport's rankings was gradual, which makes their career together even more worthy of admiration.
They appeared on both the national and international senior ice for the first time in 2006/2007 and immediately made themselves noticed when they were the only couple at the NHK Trophy to receive the highest levels for all their elements. Times were harder for skaters back then with three routines to prepare rather than two. Still, the old Compulsory Dance was hardly anything more than executing an imposed choreography on an imposed music. The Original Dance gave skaters a bit more freedom. Much as with nowadays' short dance, the rhythm was decided by the ISU, but the choice of music was in the skaters' hands. The established rhythm of the season was the tango, and Meryl and Charlie chose Astor Piazzola's A Los Amigos for theirs. Passionate with a hint of heart break, their routine showcased their acting skills, which would only improve in the following years. For the free dance, they chose a segment of Polovetsian Dances by Alexander Borodin. The Oriental blue costumes captured the spirit of the music perfectly, their finesse matching the classical tone and their embellishments representing Turkish folklore.
The first international medals didn't come until 2007/2008 when they won the silver at the Four Continents and the Bronze at Trophee Eric Bompard. With the decision to set folklore music as the original dance rhythm came an unspoken promise from the ISU to give us colourful costumes. Meryl and Charlie didn't disappoint in their red and blue traditional Russian attires. And because props were not only permitted, but also encouraged, Meryl waved around a very yellow handkerchief. The free skate was not as well received however, which is why they altered it before Nationals. It was set to Eleanor Rigby by the Beatles, a dramatic song that is often seen as a metaphor for life in post-war Britain. It was sad and emotional and emphasized their skill of executing incredibly fast twizzles.
They became US National Champions and Four Continents Champions the following season, when they also participated at their first Grand Prix Final. The original dance was set to any rhythms from the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s, which led them to skating on Happy Feet by Jack Yellen and Milton Ager paired with an original piano composition by Joe Laduke. The free was a famous classical piece, Samson and Delilah by Camille Saint-Saens. By choosing to keep the lyrics in, they added intensity to the story, making it more spectacular.
The season that truly made them famous was 2009/2010. After being the first Americans to ever win the Grand Prix Final, they beat both Tanith Belbin/Benjamin Agosto and Oksana Domnina/Maxim Shabalin (both expected to win an Olympic medal), and ended up on the second step of the Olympic Podium. Their last ever original dance was set to Indian traditional music. From the costumes, to the jewelry, to the choreography, this was undoubtedly their most authentic original skate. The free routine featured the soundtrack of The Phantom of the Opera, proving that they had a soft spot for grand theatrical programmes and tragic love stories.
They won every single competition they signed up for in 2010/2011, becoming the first American couple to win a World title in ice dancing. In doing so, they defeated their greatest rivals (and friends), Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir. For its first season, the short dance featured rhythms of waltz, and in the case of Meryl and Charlie, segments from La Traviata and La Boheme. They changed the ballroom for a darker, sexier dance salon in the free skate, as proper for a collection of tangos by Luis Bacalov and Lisandro Adover.
The following season saw a change in their team, when Igor Shpilband ended his partnership with Marina Zoueva, with whom Meryl and Charlie decided to continue training. The change didn't affect their style at all, despite their losing the World and Four Continents Championships titles to Virtue and Moir. By now the two couples were expected to 'trade' gold medals with each other, as they were acknowledged by all as the very best in ice dancing. The Latino rhythms of the short dance led them to skating on Batucadas, Life Is a Carnival and On the Floor, three smash hits that made audiences sing and dance with them. The free skate was set to Johann Strauss II's Die Fledermaus, which tells the story of a ball that turns the lives of its participants upside down. The comedic choice of music felt like a fresh breath of air after all the gloomy free routines they had previously had.
Since 2012/2013 they have never been defeated. Their winning the 2012 Grand Prix Final made them the first couple ever to have four Grand Prix victories in a row. The music for their polka/waltz short programme was Giselle by Adolphe Adam. Although the ballet tells the tragic story of a peasant girl who dies of a broken heart, they only used the most cheerful segments to match the polka rhythms. Notre Dame de Paris by Riccardo Cocciante, another tale of tragic love, provided the soundtrack for the free skate.
Their best season was undoubtedly 2013/2014, when they became the first American ice dance couple to ever win an Olympic gold medal. Their victory came as a surprise to no one, as their hard work through all their years together proved they deserved the ultimate prize. The short dance was as sophisticated as Eliza Doolittle's transformation and captured the feel of My Fair Lady, an icon film of the 1960s, perfectly. The free skate somewhat resembled the first long programme they performed on international ice, especially in the costumes they wore. Intentional or not, the resemblance provided a comparison between their beginnings and the peak of their career. It showed that their taste in music had not changed, but that they're skating skills had developed greatly throughout the years. And how else could they have won the supreme title but with another love story with a twist: Scheherazade by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov will from now on forever be associated in ice dancing with Meryl Davis and Charlie White.
Presently, Meryl can boast with another victory, that of Dancing with the Stars, a TV-show Charlie took part in as well. As for their career on ice, whether they decide to continue it or not, they have already made history countless times in figure skating. They took American ice dance to the very top, forever changing their country's relationship to the sport, and by putting greater emphasis on the presentation, they changed the way the entire world now perceives ice dancing too.
Next in 'Skaters We'll Miss': DAISUKE TAKAHASHI
Meryl Davis and Charlie White have basically known each other all their lives. They grew up in the same neighborhood and their parents have always been best friends, so teaming up at the age of 10 felt natural. Their climb to the top of the sport's rankings was gradual, which makes their career together even more worthy of admiration.
 |
| Polovetsian Dances Photograph: Matthew Stockman/Getty Images Sport |
They appeared on both the national and international senior ice for the first time in 2006/2007 and immediately made themselves noticed when they were the only couple at the NHK Trophy to receive the highest levels for all their elements. Times were harder for skaters back then with three routines to prepare rather than two. Still, the old Compulsory Dance was hardly anything more than executing an imposed choreography on an imposed music. The Original Dance gave skaters a bit more freedom. Much as with nowadays' short dance, the rhythm was decided by the ISU, but the choice of music was in the skaters' hands. The established rhythm of the season was the tango, and Meryl and Charlie chose Astor Piazzola's A Los Amigos for theirs. Passionate with a hint of heart break, their routine showcased their acting skills, which would only improve in the following years. For the free dance, they chose a segment of Polovetsian Dances by Alexander Borodin. The Oriental blue costumes captured the spirit of the music perfectly, their finesse matching the classical tone and their embellishments representing Turkish folklore.
The first international medals didn't come until 2007/2008 when they won the silver at the Four Continents and the Bronze at Trophee Eric Bompard. With the decision to set folklore music as the original dance rhythm came an unspoken promise from the ISU to give us colourful costumes. Meryl and Charlie didn't disappoint in their red and blue traditional Russian attires. And because props were not only permitted, but also encouraged, Meryl waved around a very yellow handkerchief. The free skate was not as well received however, which is why they altered it before Nationals. It was set to Eleanor Rigby by the Beatles, a dramatic song that is often seen as a metaphor for life in post-war Britain. It was sad and emotional and emphasized their skill of executing incredibly fast twizzles.
 |
| Four Continents Champions for the first time Photograph: Matthew Stockman/Getty Images North America |
The season that truly made them famous was 2009/2010. After being the first Americans to ever win the Grand Prix Final, they beat both Tanith Belbin/Benjamin Agosto and Oksana Domnina/Maxim Shabalin (both expected to win an Olympic medal), and ended up on the second step of the Olympic Podium. Their last ever original dance was set to Indian traditional music. From the costumes, to the jewelry, to the choreography, this was undoubtedly their most authentic original skate. The free routine featured the soundtrack of The Phantom of the Opera, proving that they had a soft spot for grand theatrical programmes and tragic love stories.
They won every single competition they signed up for in 2010/2011, becoming the first American couple to win a World title in ice dancing. In doing so, they defeated their greatest rivals (and friends), Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir. For its first season, the short dance featured rhythms of waltz, and in the case of Meryl and Charlie, segments from La Traviata and La Boheme. They changed the ballroom for a darker, sexier dance salon in the free skate, as proper for a collection of tangos by Luis Bacalov and Lisandro Adover.
 |
| Giselle by Adolphe Adam Photograph: Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images North America |
Since 2012/2013 they have never been defeated. Their winning the 2012 Grand Prix Final made them the first couple ever to have four Grand Prix victories in a row. The music for their polka/waltz short programme was Giselle by Adolphe Adam. Although the ballet tells the tragic story of a peasant girl who dies of a broken heart, they only used the most cheerful segments to match the polka rhythms. Notre Dame de Paris by Riccardo Cocciante, another tale of tragic love, provided the soundtrack for the free skate.
 |
| Receiving their Olympic gold medals Photograph: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images Europe |
Presently, Meryl can boast with another victory, that of Dancing with the Stars, a TV-show Charlie took part in as well. As for their career on ice, whether they decide to continue it or not, they have already made history countless times in figure skating. They took American ice dance to the very top, forever changing their country's relationship to the sport, and by putting greater emphasis on the presentation, they changed the way the entire world now perceives ice dancing too.
Next in 'Skaters We'll Miss': DAISUKE TAKAHASHI
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