Chado Ralph Rucci Fall 2013: 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0

 It didn't take the judges long to tally their scores. For Artistic impression it was 6's across the board. The same sea of 6's appeared with the Technical difficulty scores. There was a fight in the judges box because the Russian judge, always a wrench in the works, wanted to score higher, but there is no higher score. Rucci opened his program to music that was a symphony of static just to understate the overall mood of the competition. The other programs that had been skated with some on blades that were hopelessly dull and yet others with laces that broke with every stroke and lackluster jump combinations of single, doubles and missed jumps altogether.

His opening bars of static were a subtle nod to those skaters. But then the static died away and an insistent rhythm of polyphonic sound rose from beneath and his first pass with serene models in black leather, then a black sable coat with vinyl glided past with footwork so deft that they appeared to float above the surface of ice the color of beige leaving no marks at all. His relaxed set up for the first series of jumping passes was a perfect Triple/Quad combination: mind blowing minks in violet, nude and citrus. Without so much as a breath, he leapt into his first Quad with mink coats of shocking pink,chrome yellow, white with feathers and black, also with feathers. That's seven pieces back to back that created an ovation in the first 30 seconds of the program.

From there it was just pure joy in his ability to create shapes, textures and a total control of his metier. There were a sea of wool jersey dresses and gowns, the humblest of fabrics he employed but all with the grandeur of his signature double-face cashmere suits, coats and dresses and the shock of the unexpected in violet-dyed Sable with the skins running on the bias. The colors were so vibrant and alive in stark contrast to the drab greens, greys and blacks of so many of the other competitors. His hand is as capable of the greatest subtlety as it is the most complex cuts.

Surface decoration was achieved dramatically with a twist, knot or braid to define unorthodox seaming details. Even his beading on chiffon was as unusual in design as it was weightless. A little cocktail dress in black micro-bugle beads ran horizontally across the body giving the effect of gleaming ice. Rucci's use of black was as effective as his play with color. It showed up in embroidered leather lace, in a suit of Astrakhan and in an almost wraith-like column of black velvet divided with insertions of leather. Put simply, there wasn't anything he couldn't do and do brilliantly.

The audience was giddy from the start. There was an anticipation in the air as though everyone knew this program was going to be the one to beat. I felt an energy there that was wholly absent from previous programs from earlier in the day and the days preceding. When it was all over and the audience was on it's feet, stamping on the floor and applauding loudly. Ralph came out, took a few steps forward and acknowledged the crowd's appreciation. He seemed to take in the whole room with a humility that was dignified and then with a bow of his head and a simple raising of his hand he turned and was gone.