News
Harvard Researchers Develop AI-Driven Framework To Study Social Interactions, A Step Forward for Autism Research
News
Harvard Innovation Labs Announces 25 President’s Innovation Challenge Finalists
News
Graduate Student Council To Vote on Meeting Attendance Policy
News
Pop Hits and Politics: At Yardfest, Students Dance to Bedingfield and a Student Band Condemns Trump
News
Billionaire Investor Gerald Chan Under Scrutiny for Neglect of Historic Harvard Square Theater
Paul McGrath, Radcliffe Figure Skating Instructor at Watson Rink, won the World Professional Men's Ice Skating Championships, held on April 3 at Jaca, Spain.
McGrath, who was a silver medalist in the World Professional Championships in 1968, 1969, and 1970, outperformed eight competitors with his program done to Carl Orff's "Carmina Burana" to earn seven perfect and two near-perfect scores from the nine judges.
Vocal Skater
The first professional to skate to a program of vocal music, McGrath said yesterday, "I used this music not for the words but for the sound of the voice, so that I could interpret the sounds."
He said that vocal music was often considered inappropriate by judges because it took attention away from the actual skating, but added, "Any music is appropriate if you can express what you want to."
McGrath is the first in the professional world to receive a perfect mark for interpretation. "Usually, in order to win, a skater must work on jumps and a lot of technical things," he said.
Skaters have been afraid to "break away and experiment in competition," McGrath said. "They will do the same thing that's always been done because it's a surer way of winning."
Revive Public Interest
By concentrating on interpretation as well as technique, the Radcliffe teacher said he is hoping to revive public interest in the sport, which he believes is now at a standstill.
"Expression should not be held inside when skating. Mostly, I hope my winning the World Professionals will help other people understand this," he said.
Want to keep up with breaking news? Subscribe to our email newsletter.
Over 300+ courses at prestigious colleges and universities in the US and UK are at your disposal.
Where you should have gotten your protein since 1998.
Serve as a proctor for Harvard Summer School (HSS) students, either in the Secondary School Program (SSP), General Program (GP), or Pre-College Program.
With an increasingly competitive Law School admissions process, it's important to understand what makes an applicant stand out.
Welcome to your one-stop gifting destination for men and women—it's like your neighborhood holiday shop, but way cooler.
HUSL seeks to create and empower a community of students who are seeking pathways into the Sports Business Industry.