Can We Make It A Thing...

[riley876]

... where you DON'T clap until the end of a programme?

You don't clap when an opera singer hits a high note.  So why would you clap when a skater does a jump?  It ruins the moment, almost as bad as inane commentary.  Save it until the end.   

[trixietoes]

I do appreciate your point, however the notion of not clapping until the end is further removed from the realm of sport than we would wish. Some sports do have quiet moments invoked such as golf and curling, for example . Some commentators are far more intrusive than the applause.

[AgnesNitt]

I think opera is a bad comparison, after all people do clap in operas. That's what happens when you get an Encore. In a couple of operas there are pieces that are so iconic, they always get applause and an Encore.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6JN0l7A_mE

You don't clap in church...except in the last few years that's become common after a solo or a choral performance.

You don't clap until the end of the act in plays.  So far that seems to be okay.

I love figure skating, but as a public event, it's not anywhere near the cultural importance of church, opera, or plays.

[trixietoes]

Figure skating is my religion; the rink is my church !  Clap On

[riley876]

It's also like no other part of the skating has any merit whatsoever.  Which I guess from a points perspective in freeskating is fairly true.   But people still do it in exhibitions,  which are clearly NOT sport.

[nicklaszlo]

I clap for all the technical elements.

In music, not clapping until the end of the piece is a new custom.  When opera was more popular, people clapped when they felt like it and had conversations during the performance.  The idea that the audience should be quiet has never been accepted in jazz.

[icedancer]

OH NO!!!

People clap during skating performances for all sorts of reasons - liking the music, appreciating the element - not just the jumps that is for sure!

I have been at performances where the step sequence will bring down the entire house - Michelle Kwan at 2003 Worlds!!  Matt Savoie's SP at 2005 Nationals where the whole audience was on their feet before the end of the performance - it was that great!

Sometimes the music also - recognizing a step sequence in a program that was done by another skater in another time with the same music - that is a great time to clap and appreciate the skating!

[twinskaters]

I clap for technical elements, and especially clap when someone gets back up after a fall. Especially kids!

Then again, my kids say they never hear applause when they're skating. I don't know if that's nerves/focus or just the super-loud music.

[amy1984]

We clap/cheer because it's a sporting event, not the opera.  Would you go to a football game and not cheer when they score a touch down?  Even in golf, people clap after a good shot (quietly, but still).  In the end, yes there is lots of artistry, but it's still a competitive sporting event.

[amy1984]

It's also like no other part of the skating has any merit whatsoever.  Which I guess from a points perspective in freeskating is fairly true.   But people still do it in exhibitions,  which are clearly NOT sport.

It still is a sport the same way the all star game in the NHL is still sport.  It's an exhibition but that doesn't remove the element of sport.

[Query]

I just attended two basic skills shows.

Along somewhat the same lines as what icedancer said, clapping is very important for the parents, friends, and fans, because it makes them feel supportive of their kids, friends, and favorite athletes.

It is important to most of the kids and other athletes too, whether they hear it or not, because it shows them they have the parents' and friends' attention and approval.

I.E., I see no reason to change the applause.

I think yelling and screaming at concerts is counter-productive - but it seems to be very important to some fans, and for some musicians.

I'll never understand sports fans who yell and scream at their TVs while watching a game.

[trixietoes]

Thinking about the swell of applause during the last half of Jason Brown's long program at 2014 Nationals ...remember Scott's commentary , to cite a recent example.