by Jacquelyn Thayer
After two seasons bouncing between a junior international circuit and senior national championships, Canadians Madeline Edwards and ZhaoKai Pang found their entrance to the full-time senior scene a prime time to try on a new look. The method? A dramatic tango free dance to music from Bacalov: Misa Tango and choreographed by Vancouver’s Mark Pillay, with whom the couple were “thrilled” to work.
With an ankle injury for Edwards sidelining the team for the summer competition season, original plans to showcase their new material at Lake Placid and BC Summer Skate were curtailed. And though this interview process began prior to the couple’s setback — with anticipation that the program may by now have already seen its competitive debut — the opportunity to present the story behind its development should shed some light on what lies ahead.
Edwards and Pang, 2014. (Photo from Madeline Edwards on Instagram.)
“We wanted to challenge ourselves performance-wise this year, and this program is unlike anything we’ve done before,” said Edwards. “The program tells the story of an affair between a woman and a married man. In the beginning, I play a bit of a temptress, but there is a struggle for power throughout the program. There are moments of lust and seduction, but also feelings of jealousy, guilt and longing between the two lovers.”
And Pillay found some unexpected inspirations for his task.
“When I met with [coaches Aaron Lowe and Megan Wing] the only parameter they had for me was that they wanted them to skate big. From there, I began to look for strong orchestrations of music,” he said. “Additionally, during that time, I began watching this Showtime series called The Affair.”
The theme, with its layers and shifting gender perspectives, intrigued Pillay as a program concept for Edwards and Pang.
“So naturally, I began to think about a tango,” he said. “It has passion, aggression, control, pain, lust — all sorts of components that can relate to this conceptual idea I wanted to explore. Then I found a tango that had such an incredible orchestration that I knew I found what I was looking for.”
While the narrative approach presents a twist on a classic style, the skaters have “definitely” drawn inspiration from the floor counterpart.
“Tango is such a fascinating dance and we have been lucky enough to learn from a few very talented instructors,” said Edwards. “Although it isn’t a classic tango, there are elements of the dance throughout the program.”
“Watching tango on the floor is a very engrossing experience,” agreed Pang. “The movements and expression are so passionate, we are definitely looking to bring that heat to the ice — pun absolutely intended.”
With the program marking Edwards and Pang’s first time working with a choreographer other than Wing and Lowe, the process itself delivered its own opportunities for growth.
“We connected very well with Mark as soon as we began choreography — he started with a vision and crafted us a beautiful story,” said Edwards. “He really took the time to go through every moment of the program and tie together each movement with an emotion. Megan also helped out with the choreography, especially to ensure that our steps worked well with one another’s. This is a program that’s really going to challenge us and we couldn’t be happier.”
“Having worked with Aaron and Megan as our choreographers for every program up until now, choreography has become quite a smooth process since we can communicate our ideas between one another easily,” added Pang. “Having Mark come in and offer a new perspective has really forced us to grow as dancers and how we relate our movements to the music. So while the program took a bit longer to develop this time around, we are all very proud of the product and are excited by the way it challenges us to grow.”
And Pillay, whose first composition for ice dance came with a 2014-15 free dance for Edwards and Pang’s former training mates Nicole Orford and Thomas Williams, also found reward in his end of the process.
“Maddie and ZhaoKai were interesting because they come to the table with very different strengths,” he said. “ZhaoKai is a problem solver. If I got stuck on a pattern issue, or a change of position, he was always stepping up to help me figure it out. Maddie comes to the table with such a natural ability to express emotion. It’s really quite incredible. She has a very authentic way of performing and it is something that can only be described as ‘It Factor.’ Maddie’s It Factor played a large role in why I wanted to pursue this idea of an ‘affair.'”
On the technical end, the full-time move to senior level has simplified the couple’s choreographic process. The skaters, along with choreographer and coaches, are now able to zero in on one set of competitive material, absent the necessity of altering a free dance’s content to meet the requirements of a junior or (longer) senior program.
“This is our first free dance that was conceived first and foremost as a senior program,” said Pang. “I think this shows in the pacing of the elements with respect to the music. Juggling both junior and senior programs kept it interesting for the past couple of years, but we are excited to really hunker down and train these senior programs.”
The move has also meant an upgrade in elements, both to meet technical demands and to express a more developed sense of dance.
“In addition to new footworks, we’ve included some new lifts, as well as a new choreographic spinning move,” said Edwards. “Along with achieving the levels, really wanted to focus on the elements highlighting the music and the character of the program.”
And amid the elements, Pillay, who’s worked primarily on pairs and freestyle programs, believes a free dance offers a unique possibility for choreographic impression. “In ice dance, you actually get a chance to have some subtle simplicity,” he said, offering a contrast to the more jump-focused disciplines. “It’s very refreshing, and oddly calming.”
While Edwards’ injury has temporarily limited the team to off-ice training, the two are optimistic for the season to come. “We’re working hard off the ice and doing all we can to make improvements for when we are back,” she said. “I am pretty much living in physiotherapy and my healing is going well. We are so eager to get back on the ice together and get training to compete in the fall.”