This has always been my "desert island" program.Originally Posted by christinaskater
After watching - and loving so many of her performances - if I could watch only one program for the rest of my life, it would be "Ariane".
The first program of her "adulthood", IMO; filled with sophistication and passion.
What I would have given to be in Landover!
Okay, let's attempt to rank her various competitive Long Programs (use the best performance of each one). Oh boy, here's mine:
01. Lyra Angelica, 1998 Nationals (sometimes you watch and it really does just wash over you with the feeling that this is probably the best performance ever)
02. Aranjeuz, 2003 Worlds (inspires me every time I watch it, such a perfect combination of lyricism and bravado)
03. Ariane, 1999 Nationals (or 1998 World Pros...I know she fell at Nationals but she did her best 3-3 ever there and had slightly better choreography in the very last section of the program at Nationals as compared to the World Pros)
04. Salome, 1996 Worlds (a masterpiece program skated amazingly well, even if there were a couple areas in which she had yet to become completely confident with as a performer)
05. Tosca, 2004 Nationals (that explosive energy!)
06. Song of the Black Swan, 2001 Worlds (lovely, if maybe just a tiny touch too safe)
07. The Miraculous Mandarin, 2001 GPF (I wish we had gotten to see more of this, especially later in her career with the much more aggressive footwork sequences she started doing)
08. The Red Violin, 2000 Worlds (Kwan is never quite as sorrowful or vicious here as the music really calls for...but still great! I love how she seamlessly drops her free leg lower in the spiral sequence, keeps it steady in that position, and then raises it up again)
09. Scheherezade, 2002 Nationals (really a very good program, just not 6.0-worthy as the programs ahead of this one could be at their best)
10. Bolero, 2004 Campbells (this one version of the program was pretty fun)
11. Taj Mahal, 1997 Worlds (Lori Nichol recycling herself and Kwan never skated it with her trademark freedom)
Thanks, Blades. Interesting insights as always. You point out a lot of detail that I hadn't noticed. I would put Lyra at the top of my list as well because, as you say, that performance at Nationals was seemingly channeled straight from heaven (which I think a news source actually remarked at the time). This aspect of it shows up especially well in the version without commentary. I would move Song of the Black Swan higher up, because, well, it's Dvorak. (Plus the Villa-Lobos opening measures.) And it even has a triple-triple!
Beyond that, I can't rank the programs, so I might as well tag along with your order. I will go look at Red Violin to watch her free leg in the spiral sequence. Thanks for pointing it out. I'd add East of Eden to the list, though. There were actually three of them, I think: the original in late 1995 or so (which I remember because I think she first skated it in some televised event about a week or two after Sergei Grinkov died, and it was immensely cathartic), one in 1998 at a pro-am, and one in 2001 as her SP. And, being a soft touch, I'll add Fields of Gold.
Last edited by Olympia; 06-13-2012 at 09:42 PM.
Here is one of my favourite Michelle programs, Dream of Desdemona: http://youtu.be/IEklWrSU8VQ
Love the concept (Desdemona from Othello), the creativity of the music cuts (Gliere and Massenet), the intricacy, the way the choreography meshes with the music.....well, basically everything about it.
1. Lyra Angelica
2. Song of the Black Swan
3. Concerto de Aranjuez- 2003 Worlds
4. Tosca- US Nationals
5. Salome
6 The Red Violin
7 Scheherazade- US Nationals
8. Lamento d' Ariane- World Pros
9. Taj Mahal- 1997 Worlds LP
10.Bolero US Nationals
SP Tied: for Numero uno
1. Rachmaninoff US Nationals
1 East of Eden http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2D9DDQxwIk
3. Romanza
4. The Feeling Begins
5. Dream of Desdemona
6. Sparctacus
7. Carmen- US Nationals
8. A Day in the life
Last edited by christinaskater; 06-14-2012 at 07:49 AM.
I didn't remember that. Wow! So beautiful and impassioned.
For me - Salome - 1996 Worlds, her 1998 Nationals performances, East of Eden (in that pro/am), exhibition programs - Winter, Pocahontas, Hands, and I loved her Peter Pan program, too!
ETA - Oh, how could I forget "Dante's Prayer?"Shame on me!
Last edited by iluvtodd; 06-16-2012 at 07:33 AM.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVq_Z...feature=g-vrec
Beautiful montage of Michelle Kwan with music from "Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story" PERFECT!
I love that montage. I've come across it a few times. It's beautifully put together and presented. Along with everything else, it shows that splendid slow-motion shot during the 2003 worlds of her raising her arms as the audience stands en masse.
Thanks everyone for the Michelle marathonI think I will be in a great mood for the rest of the day now!
Posting Permissions
Bookmarks