Check out this video of an Armenian ice dancing couple performing to a Hare Krishna bhajan in Torino (thanks, Masked Tipster). 
I don’t think the Blue One looked quite like this. Nothing says religion to me like than a half-naked dancer hanging upside down off a man’s shoulders flashing mudras 
‘Sex sells,’ said American Jamie Silverstein, 22, referring to itty-bitty costumes… Anastasia Grebenkina of Armenia wore a backless outfit except for a small swath of cloth that covered her bottom. [Link]
For the dance enthusiast, an ice dancing performance is like a five-minute clip of “Strictly Ballroom” – on acid. Incredible holds, tight twizzles and … hydroblading? Hell yes.
For the chick-flick fan, ice dancing is all the drama without the shitty, sub-par dialogue. When Italian pair Barbara Fusar-Poli and Maurizio Margaglio stumbled into a heap of sheer, neon Lycra, they stood on the ice for almost a minute, shooting each other the classic “f– you and your sequined appliqués” look. They didn’t speak for more than 24 hours after. “Beaches,” “Hitch” and “My Best Friend’s Wedding” don’t have a blade to stand on.
And men will find themselves enchanted by the ladies’ bare-it-all, barely there leotards of ice dancing, where salsa meets slutty and strategically placed daisies are the only things preventing Armenian skater Anastasia Grebenkina from landing on the cover of a Frederick’s of Hollywood catalogue. [Link]
<
p>Grebenkina and Vazgen Azrojan didn’t medal with this acrobatic routine. But with only four competitors from India, two from Pakistan and one from Nepal, sadly, it actually increased the Olympics’ sepia quotient.
Armenian Ice Skaters/Dancers performing to the chorus of the Govinda prayers as recorded on The Radha Krsna Temple album… produced by George Harrison… Notice the flowers and bindi and ever so vaguely semi-classical poses. This portion includes prayers, purportedly from Lord Brahma, addressed to Govinda…When… Swami Prabhupad came to the United States… he made a disciple who took the name Yamuna Devi.
She and some compatriots went to the United Kingdom… managed to get themselves… invited to Apple Studios, and that’s how George Harrison got into the Hare Krishnas. I believe [Harrison is] playing the guitar in that plucky, vaguely-sitar like way on the recording. Yamuna Devi is doing the main singing.
This recording is played every morning at almost all ISKCON temples, around 7 am… [via tip]
Related posts: If not Torino, then where?
Why the red socks though?
George (sigh!!!!!!!!!!! 😉 ) also produced it or another version thereof. I have a copy of the record.
sorry comp was acting up…not paying attention here. anyhoo..the fake bindi/sex sells thing just doesn’t send me to wish to watch, but George being included in some way scores me a few points. now, they should have bhangra on ice…that would be a sight to see.
What is so wrong with other’s enjoying inspiration from our culture? Who are we to see we own it’s “territorial” rights to music and clothing? The tawaifs from the Mughal empire wore just as short cholis with transparent dupattas. How about appreciation for an interpretation of style and culture? Our entire Bharat Mahan is full of Gap ads and copyrighted films from the west, but god forward, foreign countries appreciate our culture and bring such music to new audiences via an artistic expression. I grow tired of SMutineers, consistently berate others for cultural imperialism.
Well, I have to say that my intent in sending this in was not to gripe about cultural imperalism per se so much as to simply gawk at the insane cross cultural mash-up it is. This song has gone from India to the U.S. to the UK to Armenia to Italy. The use in itself did not bother me–if anything, I found it rather moving to hear it in such a random context. I’m not reflexive about crying cultural imperialism. The extra sexing up did bother me though. It’s a bit inappropriate. And man, that blue costume is tacky. TACKY. yeesh.
But the red socks are kinda cool.
Dari, note the 😉
No, I adore mashup. I berate ineptness, and on both continents.
Btw, this routine was impressively acrobatic, but the dance adaptation reeks of that Britney-Madonna-L.A. pop simulacrum of Hinduism. Harrison’s take on it was more thoughtful.
when did the mutiny add a dance category? color me khushi.
Ice dancing is kind of like “The Cutting Edge“, with all the drama.
Feb. 23, 2005, apparently 😉
Ok, Basanti.
Granted, I haven’t watched the Olympics on teevee since I was a kid, so I haven’t seen ice dancing for a few decades. But I watched this clip online, since it was posted here. I thought it was beautiful. Those two moved like a Swiss clock, perfect. I didn’t care about the costumes or the music, I was just knocked out by them.
No, I adore mashup. I berate ineptness, and on both continents.
Btw, this routine was impressively acrobatic, but the dance adaptation reeks of that Britney-Madonna-L.A. pop simulacrum of Hinduism. Harrison’s take on it was more thoughtful.
eeeggggg-sactly! well put, manish.
i noticed how the mutineers seemed upset, perturbed,and whatnot by the lack of brown folks at the WINTER olympics. in the name itself is the answer. the only real wintery place we have in india is kashmir, and we all no nobody wants to go up were the snow is in kashmir if they dont have to. indians are generally snow haters, after all we are most famous for our deserts and tropics than ski ranges. it would be natural for us to be a significant player in the summer rather than the winter olympics. and because we didnt do so hot in the summer olympics, i think we should work on our comparitive strength. just wanted to put that out there. just my opinion
At least she was wearing a bindi! Actually, I thought that if they were going to use that music, that they ought to have worn something more like a Bharat Natyam costume or Kathkali lol..ack try to skate in that willya? LOL
“No, I adore mashup. I berate ineptness, and on both continents.“
The way I see it – a dance that did a delicious fusion of the effortless movement of ice skating, Indian-ish poses and goosebump-inducing music. I guess if you have nothing to write about it you can always criticize it. After all it’s so easy to be condescending instead of appreciating the effort they put in to marry ice skating with such seemingly incongrous music.
“ The extra sexing up did bother me though. It’s a bit inappropriate.“
More inappropriate than the sculptures on our hindu temples? If I’m not mistaken, sex in the hindu culture is something to be celebrated instead of something to be embarassed about.
If I’m not mistaken, sex in the hindu culture is something to be celebrated instead of something to be embarassed about.
In some contexts. Mashups that grab everything willy nilly and crash them into each other with no thought to context are not as much artistic as making a mess.
And the context of the tradition that this song comes out of is one that’s not too keen on sexing up.