Trevor Laak Reviews
G2C Young Artists Showcase

I’d like to share some links to a few of the more impressive creations and performances that have been uploaded as part of the Grassroots to Champions Young Artists Showcase (YAS).

Audrey Weisiger created YAS (pronounced “yazz” by those in the know) to encourage the development of artistry in our sport.  With the primary IJS focus on technical aspects within our sport, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to develop true artistic performances within the competitive environment.  High level choreographers will tell you that their hands are not tied, but there’s not much more than wiggle room at this point.

There are very few outlets for true creativity and artistry in our sport at present.  And that makes YAS a huge breakthrough both in concept and in execution.  By having choreographers perform a series of challenges and upload their submissions to YouTube, YAS provides a low-cost way to hold a skating event.  You can be sure this is just the beginning of this sort of format.

At the time this page is being created (July 14, 2010), there have been 4 challenges and 3 are complete.  You can find out more about each challenge, meet the celebrity judges, and see each and every performance, as well as view the judges’ critiques at the G2CYAS YouTube channel here:

http://www.youtube.com/user/G2CYAS

But if you haven’t been keeping track of the challenge, the sheer amount of video information can be overwhelming.  So I took the liberty of selecting a few programs and performances that were popular and well received by the judges (and that I like).

For the first challenge called “Carving Space,” Tommy Steenberg won with this program/performance.

The second challenge had two parts.  Part A was “Proper Seating” and one of more creative submissions was from Victoria Beebout from the Grassroots Division (younger choreographers).

Part B of the second challenge was “Stomp On It” and there were several great programs and performances.  Check this one out by Joel Deer (skated by Dan Hollander).

Another of my favorites from Challenge 2 Part B was choreographed by Elise Siegmund and skated by 2009 German national champion Peter Liebers.

Challenge 3 was called Return of the Classics and one of the most enjoyable pieces was created by Kathryn McSwain and skated by Jeremy Abbot.  (If copyright notifications appear and the video does not play, just click on it and you should be able to view it directly on the YouTube site.)

There are plenty of other gems as well so please look around the G2CYAS YouTube channel.  If you’re a coach, encourage your skaters to take a look at these videos.  And if you’re a skater, you’ll get a glimpse into what it takes to create an artistic masterpiece.

I’m a big fan of YAS and I hope you’ll take a moment to check it out.  It really is a breakthrough of sorts for our sport.  Enjoy.

Warmest regards,

Trevor

Final Note:  The YAS final will be a live show on August 1 where the top contestants will be brought together.  I don’t think the show will be streamed live, but I believe the video of the performances will be available shortly afterwards.  I’ll be there (maybe even shooting video) as the YAS final also kicks off the G2C Extreme Super Camp in Blaine, MN.  I’ll keep you posted.

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