the bsie
DThe Michigan Daily I michigandaily~corn I Thursday, February 17, 2011

weekend
essentials
Feb. 17th to 20th

CONCERT
Jonesing for some
lighthearted folk to lift
you out of February's
doldrums? Need your
Joni Mitchell-esque
folksy fix? Then the
cheery ladies that
comprise The Good
Lovelies may be the
perfect way to sweeten
the bitter midterms
that are sure to crop up
in the coming weeks.
The Canada natives
will grace the Ark
tomorrow at-8 p.m.
Tickets start at $15.
AT THE MIC
If two's company and
three's a crowd, what
does four make? Well,
if you give them all
cellos, violins and vio-
las, you end up with
a string quartet. This
Sunday, the celebrated
Takscs Quartet returns
to Ann Arbor for an
all-Schubert concert at
Rackham Auditorium.
The performance is the
second in a three-con-
cert cycle of Schubert's
complete string quar-
tets. Tickets from $24.

When it comes to art, bits and cally demanding. You don't think
pieces of it can be found wherever aboutit as artistic whenyouprac-
we look, even in the most unex- tice. Only when you put on the
pected areas - like in sports. outfit does it become an artistic
High-adrenaline action, mas- thing."
culinity and thrill are qualities What figure skating and syn-
often associated with sports like chronized swimming share with
football and basketball. But what other sports is the amount of
about figure skating and synchro- the companionship and trust
nized swimming? These bring to between teammates.
the table qualities most football At the same time, there's an
players can't pride themselves on exhibition aspect to these activi-
- art and finesse. ties that doesn't exist in more
LSA sophomores Meryl Davis conventionalsports. For instance,
and Charlie White, who earned members of each sport are fea-
silver medals for ice dancing in tured at performances decked out
the 2010 Winter Olympics, serve in dramatic makeup, slicked-back
as examples of fame and respect hair, fancy suits and sometimes
achieved from a less-than-con- headpieces.
ventional athletic art. Fof skaters, it takes three
Their preferred activity is a handfuls of gel to keep their
blend - physical enough to where hair in place since they can't use
the training is demanding and bobby pins. Synchronized swim-
exhausting, but beautiful enough mers use boxes of Knox unfla-
to inspire awe and admiration for vored gelatin to harden their hair
visibly seamless movements. and nearly 50 bobby pins to keep
LSA senior Jacki Fiscus, the in the headpieces.
University's figure skating club Though-two distinct athletic
president, finds that ice skating arts, ice skating and synchro-
requires elements of both athlet- nized swimming share more than
ics and artistry from its practitio- the water-based arena in which
ners. they take place, be it frozen or
"We sweat, we're doing physi- liquid. They straddle the line
cal activities and it's really stren- between art and sport.
uous," she said. "But at the same
time, you couldn't have it with- ICE ICE BABY
out art because then it wouldn't
be beautiful. Our point is to look Moments before any synchro-
beautiful, our pointis to make our nized skating competition, the
audience cry or laugh and under- team members gather in a circle,
stand the story we're telling with lock hands and close their eyes as
our program instead of just mak- their program's song plays. Hand
ing them happy because we won." in hand, each one of them imag-
LSA sophomore Jenna ines the ideal performance so the
Kaufman-Ross, a synchronized image is the last they have before
skater and assistant secretary lining up to enter the ice.
for the team, said unlike run- Kaufman-Ross said the team
ning, skating requires positioning also exchanges anonymous notes
precision far beyond the natural filled with positive reinforcing
movement of the legs. thoughts for each skater to read
Additionally, "winning" in before the competition. The notes
skating is alot less objective than are posted on the walls of the
most other sports, since it is more locker room, and skaters hit them
than the hit, kick or shoot and as they exit the room to perform.
score of traditional athletics. The University's figure skat-
"A level of subjectivity" is ing club is divided in two distinct
always present, Kaufman-Ross groups - the freestyle team and
said. "It's not who wins the race, the more competitive synchro-
it's not who finished first - it's nized team. Currently, the syn-
performance-based, and that's chronized team is working on a
someone's opinion when it comes routine that takes excerpts from
down to it." the Broadway musical "Caba-
Rackham student Sarah Wil- ret." The freestylers perform to a
liams, a coach and athlete for the wider array of songs, from classi-
University's synchronized swim- cal versions of a song by the Roll-
ming team, discussed her sport's ing Stones to scores from "The
evolution from artistic endeavor Phantom of the Opera," "Ice Cas-
to full-blown athletic activity tie" and "March of the Penguins."
while still maintaining its allure. Figure skaters work on their
"It used to be more of an enter- routines starting at 10 p.m. and 5
tainment activity, and now it's a.m. to avoid any conflicts.
turning into a hardcore sport," "We practice when no one can
she said. "We put on sparkly suits, possibly have class," Fiscus said.
headpieces and lots of makeup, As is the case for any dancer
but the practices are very physi- See ATHLETICS, Page 4B

Ever thought a loved
one-was completely-
insane? Nick Longhetti
did - in John Cas-
savetes's "A Woman
Under the Influence,"
Longhetti makes his
dysfunctional marriage
worse by committing
his bizarre wife Mabel
(Gena Rowlands) to
a mental institution.
The movie, which
earned Oscar noms
for Cassavetes and
Rowlands, is showing
at Askwith Auditorium
at 7 p.m. tomorrow.
O*N STAGE
Michigan Sahana: Indi-
an Classical Music &
Dance presents its win-
ter concert, Swaran-
jali, this Saturday at7
p.m. in the Anderson
Room of the Michi-
gan Union. Swaranjali
will feature the clas-
sical dance styles of
Bharatanatyam and
Kuchipudi, and musi-
cal styles that include
Northern Hindustani
music and South-
ern Carnatic music.
Admission is free.

PHOTOS BY SALAMRIDA AND ERIN KIRKLAND
DESIGN BY ANNA LEIN-ZIELINSKI