can you do a v/m post comparing what's love and how will i know (as well as their other similar exhibitions ie: stay, dark times) please?
Hello, anon! I would be more than happy! Little caveat: I did only focus on How Will I Know and Whatâs Love, because I find them the most similar and in my head I think Stay is in another category, and so is Dark Times.
I see Whatâs Love and How Will I Know as precursors to Latch; there are even some moves in the programs, particularly Whatâs Love, that echo and mimic choreography from Latch. It was pure genius to create two show different show programs from two different choreographers (MF/David Wilson and Jeffrey Buttle) to create a similar mood and see how they each interpreted what vm wanted to portray. Not to mention the Sam Smith cover of How Will I Know!
I remember seeing the little cbc interview that Tessa and Scott did about Whatâs Love, and how it came about during a the Gold Medal Plates trip, and the Miku Graham cover, and the locking eyes knowing they had to skate to it...it just places this magical feeling around this program. I canât watch too many times in a row or it will be all I will do for the next two hours.Â
I also adore that MF and David Wilson worked together, they are a lovely choreography match that made some absolutely beautiful moves and moments, I love that it was all trial and error and working collaboratively to create something so stunning.
The opening itself is too tender for words. It is one of those moments that vm can create on ice where it feels like the viewer is intruding on a secret and personal moment.
They just grab you immediately, and like I said, it reminds me of the beginning of Latch where they each take a breath and sort of lift their chests into the movement, before circling around and having Tessa fall into Scottâs arms.
Another moment too intimate for words:
The gif cuts it off a little bit, but this moment looks like the moment in Latch right before their diagonal step sequence, testing out moves and moods before officially coming back and working on the type of ice dance that had become to prevalent during their time away is just so unbelievably smart of them. There they go again, working smart, not hard.
Then, we have one of my all time favourite moments in any of their show programs:
Their arms are so lovely, how they speed up and then slow down the move to fit the music, it comes out of nowhere and the fluidity of the movement is just lovely. Tessa looks like she is setting up for a spin, but whoops!, turn out she is going to spin completely around in a 360, easy as anything, with only a one hand assist from Scott until the dismount, while they keep excellent posture and flow, plus the quick double lunge is just gorgeous. This move would not work with any other team, I fully believe that. Tessaâs core and control is paramount.
I think Whatâs Love and matched the choreography to Latch, and told less of a story and more put forth a mood, while How Will I Know told a story more closely resembling what Latch ended up being. They also debuted their curve lift from Prince and MR with Whatâs Love, again: geniuses.
I love the opening of Tessa skating solo while Scott waits patiently with a sort of palpable melancholy with his arm out, waiting for Tessa to slip under and join him. I also love just how perfectly in sync they are when they push with their back legs together, and how Tessa grabs Scottâs hand just as he grabs her shoulder/arm.Â
Itâs very on their brand of movement that looks all at once spontaneous and perfectly controlled.Â
It also makes me think of the story of Latch and how itâs about two people who are going through a tough time and find their way back to each other, learning to support each other, when one falls the other is there to catch. Although How Will I Know ends the opposite of Latch, the journey is very similar.Â
Another instance of the catching/falling imagery that they used in Latch as well, which sort of resembles the transition they do where Scott throws Tessa in the air by her hips, she does a half turn, and he catches her:
I just love the immediacy and timing of their moves here and how Tessa leans over fully, again, knowing Scott will be right there and catch her, creating that Latch-like mood again. Itâs just so pretty and interesting to watch how little thinking is going on, its just pure movement, action, reaction, and emotion: as it should be.
Letâs also just have a moment of silence for the fact they put a random midline no touch step sequence in the middle of their show program (thank you JButt), just because they can and because they should. I love this moment so much and just how musical it is, this feels like the point in the program where they are fighting for each other but unable to connect. So good!
They do one last lift: (the best lift from The Seasons) and where able to actually use the exit they wanted to, but that was illegal in competition because Scott technically had his hands above his shoulders while Tessa changed positions. Itâs not gifâd, but I linked it with a time stamp right here.Â
And then they separate and Tessa uncurls herself from under Scottâs arm while he slowly skates away and she looks on. I get goosebumps every time.
Both programs, like Latch, create a mood where you donât want to clap or make a sound while they are skating, because it feels intrusive. Each performance of How Will I Know and Whatâs Love, you could hear a pin drop, and if/when the audience did clap, it was over so quickly because it felt too cacophonous for the mood VM were creating on ice; people being moved to silence rather than moved to sound...that takes such power and such skill, and Tessa and Scott had it in spades.
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