Yu-Na Kim's Programs for 2009-2010

I'm totally in love with both of her programs. IMO James Bond is Yuna's best SP since Roxanne, which is my favourite ladies' SP ever. I'll have to see how it grows on me as the season goes.

I love love love that posing during her steps! I believe this program is meant to be fun and entertaining more than anything else, and IMO it adds just the right touch to the otherwise explosive and dramatic step sequence. I'm not as crazy about the gun pointing at the end, but Yuna pulls it off so well that I cannot complain.


As for the LP, I never really warmed up to Gershwin's concerto before but Yuna's skating is so good that again I'm won over. If not exactly dramatic and spectacular, this program is light and cheery and full of happy moments. All of which is enhanced by Yuna's beautiful skating skills. I honestly believe her skating skills and transitions are as good as Jeffrey Buttle's. She simply floats over the ice, looking so serene and relaxed even when she's doing all those complicated turns. I don't think she was this good last year....or was she? I'll admit that I am blinded with love that I cannot really tell.

Well enough of my fan-talk. Even though she was amazing, Yuna doesn't seem to be totally comfortable with her programs yet (understandably so, since this was her first competition of the season) and things can only get better if she keeps up her current level of consistency. Go Yuna!!!!

Blades of Passion said:

Ah yes, pandering to the audience rather than interpreting the music.

I personally do not think it spices up the program, unless saccharine is your favorite spice.

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First, I prefer splenda or sugar to saccaharine

Second, I kinda felt like having shared/tasted her spice seeing her live even though you called it 'pandering to the audience'. Okay, so that's how you see the audience's standing ovation at the end of her program - they are totally won over by her I guess i have to admit that i was one of them. I prefer sharing skater's emotion and power than having a feeling watching a TV while having the skater right in front of me.

Whether pple like it or not, i love it, and i adore her being able to stop from speedy stepping at the right moment of the music and make an eye contact with the audience so comfortably, and then resumes the complicated steps. And i admire her for having made the (obscene) bond girl theme look powerful, attractive and not cheap.

A little off-topic. There is a recent interview of Yuna Kim, and here is the English translation (courtesy of Yu-na Kim's Forum). She talks about her thoughts after TEB, her future plan and etc. She also mentions there is a possibility that she will change her SP costume.

The translation looks a bit off though. For example, it seems she means "back off psychologically" instead of "physically."

I think both of her programs look extremely good at such an early season I'm sure they will develop nicely as the season goes along.

ETA: I also read that Yuna likes both of her programs very much (according to Orser), and that she actually prefers her LP to SP. (Also courtesy of Yu-na Kim's forum. Thanks a lot!)

well

The best thing about Yuna is that she has such a confidence on herself. I recently read an article about her and there she said that she has more confidence when she feels more ready. That's what is amazing about her!

I think her SP is nearly perfect but she can definitely make some improvements on her performance as she gets more use to the program.

For FS, there's the flip she missed. Also, she can do better spirals for sure.

Tant pis!

Blades of Passion said:

I do not like the pause in the middle of her Step Sequence for the SP either.

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I don't think you like anything about Yuna.

I think Yu-Na is, overall, the best female skater in Figure Skating right now.

I'm still allowed to criticize her programs. I grade everything against perfection.

Blades of Passion said:

I think Yu-Na is, overall, the best female skater in Figure Skating right now.

I'm still allowed to criticize her programs. I grade everything against perfection.

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Do you mean you still see much through 6.0 eyes?

In CoP there is no sense of perfection only the search for points and more points. A program can be crap (and too many are) and still score big points and win medals.

And I agree that criticizing Yuna fairly does not mean a fan likes her any better or worse. Some just have a very objective nature.

Dick Button criticized Yuna's "Die Fledermaus" SP at '08 Worlds. And he was right to do so.
Peggy Fleming was much kinder pointing out several times that Yuna was injured and short of preparation.

Both were right - they just had different ways of describing what they were seeing on the ice.

I love both SP & LP really.

But I privately think , as one of normal amateur figure skate fans, best music for programs is classical music which is a little well known to audiences like "Danse macabre" or "Scheherazade" of last season. Because "Too popular" music can easily make their performance lightlessly and also "Too boreing" music makes their performance as same as popular music unless the performances are really really superb. So actually I believe music itself is located in the neutral position in "intimacy" aspects. It will be helpful to show their performaces up with 50% musical intimacy.

Looking for Yuna's Music in comparison with my personal music standard above, SP is 70% and LP is 30%. I worried before I've seen performances in TEB. But after....
I don't even need to mention because everyone knows how they felt.
In addition to the LP, I actually felt ...how can I express..."wind blows", "water flows"..... as exactly same feelings as I've got from her performace. In this season I prefer LP to SP. Because I love classical music better. Anyway, some guys here mentioned "sexy expressions" in her SP, it doesn't work to me.
I just think it's just cute, seems to be "lady" in comparison to her laughing like boy after performances. just make me smile in SP. Am I too old ? Maybe!

OK then moving to the technical parts, as we know, triple combo was changed.
3Ltz + 3T. it was showed us first time in TEB after her participating in the senior international competitions. Base value is 10.0 and higher than last season's combo. the meaning of this jump is "perfect". +2 Points GOE from each SP and LP. In fact, I still love 3F combo batter. because It's more beautiful to me.
3F, she often got the "attention mark" with this jump in last season including 2009 world championship held in LA, USA. Funiest thing related to 3F in WC was the time when I saw the results from ISU hompage. She got "Attention Mark" with
3F + 3T which was most important technical element in her LP. Even though technical specialist gave some "attention mark", other judges bravely acted against specialist. 8 of 9 showed score as if "there is no problem with her jump". only one judge gave - GOE. The Rule was changed this olympic season again and this is one of reason 3F as sigle. Well done in TEB.
I'd like to remember 2A got +1.8GOE that time. How beautiful it was. It would be endless story if I mention one by one.

I remember what they said before the begining of season . Brian emphasized on what they focused on for the performances . Transition, footwork, chreographies between the jump(3Lz+2T+2Lo hand positons:actually it's related to the GOE), before and after jumps, almost all he mentioned to the public are related to PCS.
I saw the positively changed her performance with PCS. And also happy to get worthy scores from their efforts. Brian and Yuna also were looking forward to getting level4 at steps, It didn't work at TEB.
PCS scores could be getting higher to Yuna's performance, not because of "Inflation tendency" but because of "Increasing" of their efforts to her program components.

Even though I'm a little not satisfied at her music selection this season, I'm really looking forward to seeing more advanced aspects in next competition.

It was wonderful program made by wonderful team. Beutifully well done in TEB Bravo!!!

Welcome, Chansb. Thanks for joining the discussion. :yes:

hi

Mathman said:

Welcome, Chansb. Thanks for joining the discussion. :yes:

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Hi :yes:
It's really long time to get reply on the forums
Have good weekends!

janetfan said:

Do you mean you still see much through 6.0 eyes?

In CoP there is no sense of perfection only the search for points and more points. A program can be crap (and too many are) and still score big points and win medals.

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It really doesn't have anything to do with 6.0, for me. There are choreography and interpretation marks in CoP. A maximum grade of 10 is possible and whenever there is something within a program that makes you think "hmm, that could have been better", then it calls for a reduction in the mark.

BTW - CoP has encouraged awkward elements within programs, but poor programs used to win medals under 6.0 as well.

Petrenko winning the Gold Medal at 1992 Olympics????

Thank you, Blades. The way janetfan sells it, you'd think there was no such thing as a bad program winning medals under 6.0 (I know you don't mean it that way, janetfan, but that's how it comes out).

Blades of Passion said:

I think Yu-Na is, overall, the best female skater in Figure Skating right now.

I'm still allowed to criticize her programs. I grade everything against perfection.

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Ummm... I'm sorry but I don't really care whether you think Kim is a great skater or not. Sure, you can criticize her performance all you want. But shouldn't your criticism be at least constructive in some way?
sometimes you sound like a parrot complaining endlessly about her 3Loop whenever you have a chance. (and of course, you never forget to compare it to Asada's 3salcow. I mean... really?? what's the point?) I just don't see the reasoning behind it. I'm sure Kim knows better about what she can or can't do and why. During one interview she said she wants to do her best in what she could do now to give the audience best performance-(my Korean friend translated this from an article for me since I do not speak Korean) meaning that she doesn't see her performance as a circus.
I never fail to find your thread on Kim's posts and it's a little creepy. You seem to be rather obsessed with this girl, really.

mireillebellau said:

Ummm... I'm sorry but I don't really care whether you think Kim is a great skater or not.

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Then what's your point...

mireillebellau said:

Sure, you can criticize her performance all you want. But shouldn't your criticism be at least constructive in some way?

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I gave specific examples of why I think her choreography could be better.

I'm not sure how I can be more constructive. She isn't paying me to actually create programs for her, after all.

ImaginaryPogue said:

Thank you, Blades. The way janetfan sells it, you'd think there was no such thing as a bad program winning medals under 6.0 (I know you don't mean it that way, janetfan, but that's how it comes out).

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Thanks for pointing that out to me Pogue and you are right on both accounts.

There were just as many "slopfests' in the 6.0 era as we have been seeing in recent years.

Ahhh, mireille, it is heartening as a YuNa fan to hear you being protective of YuNa. But, Blades of Passion seems to be primarily a fan of Figure Skating as a sport. He has no personal gripe with YuNa and has said complimentary and fair things about her (and he will say complimentary and fair things about other good skaters as well.) I can attest to that.

I think, if there is a talk about her programs, it would be interesting to hear David's words about her new programs as well to know his point of view as the choreographer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJLLJhNH6tU

It seems to have a different ending...

By the way, in that documentary he also talks about the interpretation of her LP, but it seems that this part is not on YouTube yet, so maybe I'll try to upload it or transcript it later.

Sorry if you already knew this, I don't know if this video was posted somewhere here or not...

Personally I like very much her new programs. At first I thought that her new programs will be very alike of the programs from the last season, at least the first information we had was indicating this, but it turned out that they are completely different. Of course that changing of style may not be liked by everyone... But those programs are really good and on the same level of quality as previous ones. It's just the change from drama to the action flick and from the story to the personal interpretation of herself.

I would say that this is risky move and I'm praising Yuna and her team for constantly changing and trying something new and unusual.

mireillebellau said:

Ummm... I'm sorry but I don't really care whether you think Kim is a great skater or not. Sure, you can criticize her performance all you want. But shouldn't your criticism be at least constructive in some way?
sometimes you sound like a parrot complaining endlessly about her 3Loop whenever you have a chance. (and of course, you never forget to compare it to Asada's 3salcow. I mean... really?? what's the point?) I just don't see the reasoning behind it. I'm sure Kim knows better about what she can or can't do and why. During one interview she said she wants to do her best in what she could do now to give the audience best performance-(my Korean friend translated this from an article for me since I do not speak Korean) meaning that she doesn't see her performance as a circus.
I never fail to find your thread on Kim's posts and it's a little creepy. You seem to be rather obsessed with this girl, really.

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If all the criticism posts had to be constructive, we'd have a lot less posts in this forum (or on the Internets, for that matter).

Daniel5555 said:

I think, if there is a talk about her programs, it would be interesting to hear David's words about her new programs as well to know his point of view as the choreographer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJLLJhNH6tU

It seems to have a different ending...

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Thanks for posting. Love it. Yeah, i like the ending we saw at TEB much better, more original and more cute.

prettykeys said:

Ahhh, mireille, it is heartening as a YuNa fan to hear you being protective of YuNa. But, Blades of Passion seems to be primarily a fan of Figure Skating as a sport. He has no personal gripe with YuNa and has said complimentary and fair things about her (and he will say complimentary and fair things about other good skaters as well.) I can attest to that.

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Yu-Na is amazing. I like to be very discerning, though.

Her SP and LP from the 2006-2007 season are still the best female programs we've seen this entire 4 year cycle since the last Olympics.

I guess I'm just disappointed that she hasn't had more programs which reach the same heights. Yu-Na has continued to improve as a skater but I don't feel that any of her programs since the 2006-2007 season have been masterpieces.