Mirai's long program

[skateluvr]

This has been bothering me and I'm sure said in other threads by other posters. Her LP is so boring, I even hate the costume this year. Lori Nichols is in the top echelon of choreographers and does not come cheap. Mirai has great qualities. I feel Lori really gave her nothing to work with this year for a skater than can sparkle. Is Lori losing it? Who else has she choreographed this year?

I am very disappointed in the program. I like Mirai and duly note her training time is quite different than 2010 Mirai, so she is not where she was, but I think the program is a zero. Do others feel Lori was asleep when she did this one?

 

[Mrs. P]

This has been bothering me and I'm sure said in other threads by other posters. Her LP is so boring, I even hate the costume this year. Lori Nichols is in the top echelon of choreographers and does not come cheap. Mirai has great qualities. I feel Lori really gave her nothing to work with this year for a skater than can sparkle. Is Lori losing it? Who else has she choreographed this year?

I am very disappointed in the program. I like Mirai and duly note her training time is quite different than 2010 Mirai, so she is not where she was, but I think the program is a zero. Do others feel Lori was asleep when she did this one?

She apparently was not asleep at the wheel with Carolina, who has some of my favorite programs of the year. She choreographed both programs, I believe.

Which makes this snooze of an LP for Mirai even worse. Believe it or not for everyone's fuss about using a war horse, I actually liked Mirai's Carmen program from 2010.

The music is actually not that bad -- I'm a big Khachaturian fan. I could see a lot of skaters do well with it but not Mirai. Actually I would like to see how Mao would skate to it. I know people weren't a big fan of the Masqurade Waltz, but I think Spartacus is a nice blend of power and grace that Mao exhibits well.

Mirai needs music full of energy. That's her personality. I know there's a lot of emphasis on maturity and drama, but attempting maturity should not come at a cost to who Mirai is and how she can best express herself. That's why Memoirs of a Geisha did not work well for her last year. Actually, even though there would be risk of Mao comparisons, I could see her doing something like Masqurade Waltz. Powerful, but full of energy.

 

[Jtsmith12]

Excuse me if I'm wrong but isn't Lori also Rachael's choreographer ?

 

[ghislaine]

I really like Mirai but I do not like her programs this season at all, the long especially. I don't think she likes it either. Even when she won the silver at Cup of China she looked very lifeless in the long program. I think her team wants her to skate to more "mature" music but that program just makes her look dull. She would do well to get something better, though it's understandable if she does not want to risk changing programs in the middle of the season.

 

[Mrs. P]

Excuse me if I'm wrong but isn't Lori is also Rachael's choreographer also ?

Yep. She did choreograph both programs.

And while Rachael has not skated to her full potential this year, I actually like her LP (though again, a warhorse) better than Mirai's.

 

[evangeline]

Lori is known for tweaking the choreography of her programs mid-season, so hopefully she does that with Mirai, because those anemic programs do nothing to highlight Mirai's best qualities. Also, even Mirai looks bored doing her own programs, which makes them look even worse.

 

[Mathman]

To me, it's hard to judge the choreography because Mirai has not yet skated the program to its potential.

 

[Dragonlady]

This has been bothering me and I'm sure said in other threads by other posters. Her LP is so boring, I even hate the costume this year. Lori Nichols is in the top echelon of choreographers and does not come cheap. Mirai has great qualities. I feel Lori really gave her nothing to work with this year for a skater than can sparkle. Is Lori losing it? Who else has she choreographed this year?

I am very disappointed in the program. I like Mirai and duly note her training time is quite different than 2010 Mirai, so she is not where she was, but I think the program is a zero. Do others feel Lori was asleep when she did this one?

I think the program is beautiful, but Mirai doesn't perform it at all. I get the feeling watching her that she has no interest at all in that music or in her performance. Even the best choreograph will look flat and boring unless the skater has some commitment to the performance.

 

[burntBREAD]

I agree with Mrs. P and think that although it is becoming a warhorse, Masquerade Waltz would fit Mirai quite well. It's mature, but full of drama and dark energy. Like a darker version of the beginning of her 08-09 LP.

 

[skateluvr]

I love carolina's program this year. And her skating has been so free, she is doing it justice. Carolina has the perfect vehicle. Flatt's SP is old but skated well. She really isn't doing justice to the LP for all the reasons discussed elsewhere. Lori found great pieces of unknown music for Michelle. Granted Michelle was a dream to work with I'm sure, but Lori has missed the mark two years in a row pushing Mirai as the 'grown up lady" she is not. Her 2010 programs were perfect for her, skated so well. I did not like "Memoirs" at all last year. I know it was calculated for her to peak while skating this in Japan, but it was not the program for Mirai.

I just hate to see Mirai lose time when she could have it all. I'd like to see her work with a dance choreographer, and of course, change coaches or move close to Frank. How could this team who found Lyra for Michelle totally let Mirai down? Of course, it's nothing like seeing Tarasova totally ruin Mao's Olympic moment. Mao's so good she did the best she could with those two strong programs but so wrong for Mao.

Seriously, I wish Mirai could train in Japan with Mao, or Akiko. After Vancouver i was certain Mirai would be a world champ or at least a silver medalist with Rochette and Yuna done. Ah well. She is young still, and look at Carolina and Alissa compared to the past? I should be hopeful for her but I have a feeling Mirai is going to fall further away from Sochi. She has so much potential and needs an Evan around or top notch Japanese skater with a huge work ethic. I imagine the money is not there for such a drastic change. Yuka Sato has too many top skaters, Mirai would not get the attention needed.

Any ideas for where she might go and who would be ideal for a choreographer? Lori is just not that hot anymore with her use of warhorses. I don't know much about who is considered great besides David Wilson/ShaeLynn. I wonder what amazing program Marina/Igor might try with a single lady? With the top three ice dancers in the world doing gorgeous programs, would ice dance choreographers revive her alchemy on the ice?

I have no idea what she needs to do but I'm afraid these last two years have put her way behind and she will not medal in Sochi if she gets there. I was so hopeful after the 2010 Olympics. She was so confident. Sigh.

 

[Violet Bliss]

I've always maintained that it takes both the skater and the choreographer to create and actualize a great program. It's a colaboration with inputs from both and often takes most of a whole season to fine tune to hopefully perfection. If the skater is not really into the choreo or the performance, or is not able to execute it fully despite initial sincere intention, it just will not look right or be presented to its potential. Also sometimes changes are made by the skater and the coach on their own for whatever reasons.

We are moved by a great program, even with some technical flaws, when both skater and choreographer have put their best together to bring it to life.

If Mirai does not like the music or the program, something is wrong from the get go. It will take both reworking and change of mindset to transmute it. There will be no art without heart.

 

[CoyoteChris]

Well said Dragon Lady and SkateFiguring. It appears to me that Mirai is just not that into it. There will be no art without heart....I hope she gets it back cause I love her.....chris who even loved the Geisha program

 

[icellist]

Any ideas for where she might go and who would be ideal for a choreographer? Lori is just not that hot anymore with her use of warhorses. I don't know much about who is considered great besides David Wilson/ShaeLynn. I wonder what amazing program Marina/Igor might try with a single lady? With the top three ice dancers in the world doing gorgeous programs, would ice dance choreographers revive her alchemy on the ice?

Since my beginnings on FSU, I've been pleading to the skate gods that Mirai work with Sarah Kawahara and use Joe Hisaishi music.

 

[CoyoteChris]

Why is something telling me that she should try Jason and Yuka for coaches if this year doesnt work out for her?

 

[Spun Silver]

Personally I think the program is fine, if not a standout. She's just getting into it slowly. After the mistakes in Canada, she was extra-careful in China and it paid off with a silver medal. What's so bad about that?

Most of Mirai's past programs have been pretty average, IMO - it's not the choreography but her performance that has lifted them up. Unless all the bad reaction gets her to drop it, I suspect she'll come to life as she gets more secure with it.

I actually think the throwback to a bravura Bolshoi style could be fun, and show off Mirai's leggy young ballerina look - but it does need to be performed with abandon.

 

[ghislaine]

If Mirai moved coaches would Yuka and Jason really be the best for her? They have a lot of other students right now, though I suppose training with another top-tier American lady skater might push Mirai more than her current situation.

 

[jcoates]

If that happens, Yuka and Jason will soon run out of potential lost causes to fix. (Note: I don't really think Mirai or Jeremy, Adam and especially Alissa area lost causes. She's just very flaky and not always committed.)

 

[ryanbfan]

I love Mirai and it always seems the FS is her weakest point season after season. It's sad because she has the potential to be such a beautiful skater but either her music isn't working out for her or her nerves get the best of her. I wish she was able to reach that potential

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

I couldn't see Yuka and Jason taking on Mirai while still coaching Alyssa. To me it would be unfair to Alyssa having to share her coaches with, arguably, her biggest rival for the top position in the US. Her results this year aren't really any worse than they have ever been, she just isn't that consistent. And by not consistent I mean more consistent than any US skater in the last 10 years not named Michelle or Sasha.

 

[blue dog]

I remember there was a similar discussion in 2000-2001 when Jean's SP and LP seemed dull. By worlds they were amazing. I'll give Mirai till March.