Yuna Kim

[Izabela]

She deliberately tried to avoid warhorses. She wanted to do Nessun Dorma for Sochi, but she and Wilson decided against it because they were worried it was overused. Nessun Dorma ended up being an exhibition piece for her last ATS show.

Ha! And I don't think it would be a great choice too since not even a decade ago we had Arakawa winning the Olympic Gold with Turandot. But we had her perform this with live orchestra so I think that's a win-win situation too

These are actually really interesting perspectives. We need a figure skating historian!

It would be so interesting to see how the changing definition of what fans considered artistic throughout the history of fs came out to be. :yes:

 

[axon]

I really like Danse Macabre but Send in the Clowns broke me. I agree that her charisma elevated some of the programs. The 2010 Olympics programs were executed very well but I didn't find them so iconic. I know its tacky but Nessum Dorma is so iconic and it would match her regality. I of course liked Adios Nino (though it's hard to rewatch Yuna being robbed), but there's such a grandness with the first set of notes of Nessum Dorma that equals the vivacity of "Send in the Clowns". Plus, I think it is more accessible and more obviously good.

I really wish we had seen Homage to Korea in competition more

 

[Izabela]

I really like Danse Macabre but Send in the Clowns broke me.

Me too :sad21: I can't put in words what this program makes me feel. But that part when she clasped her hands on her back got to be the most heartwarming/heartbreaking movement in the entire program. It was just so simple but conveyed so much emotion. Honesty, both SitC and Adios Nonino are programs that seem to get better and better on rewatch. Even to this day, I have Cleo Laine's Send in the Clowns music in my playlist. Not what Yuna used of course, but knowing the lyrics of this song changes my whole experience of the program.

 

[WineHerUp]

I really like Danse Macabre but Send in the Clowns broke me. I agree that her charisma elevated some of the programs. The 2010 Olympics programs were executed very well but I didn't find them so iconic. I know its tacky but Nessum Dorma is so iconic and it would match her regality. I of course liked Adios Nino (though it's hard to rewatch Yuna being robbed), but there's such a grandness with the first set of notes of Nessum Dorma that equals the vivacity of "Send in the Clowns". Plus, I think it is more accessible and more obviously good.

I really wish we had seen Homage to Korea in competition more

IMO Nessun Dorma is definitely overused, but it's nowhere near tacky. I definitely think that the grandness of Nessun Dorma is a better fit for the last skate of Queen Yuna. Adios Noninos is an amazing program, but it's a bit too understated and somber for the Olympics.

 

[OS]

Me too :sad21: I can't put in words what this program makes me feel. But that part when she clasped her hands on her back got to be the most heartwarming/heartbreaking movement in the entire program. It was just so simple but conveyed so much emotion. Honesty, both SitC and Adios Nonino are programs that seem to get better and better on rewatch. Even to this day, I have Cleo Laine's Send in the Clowns music in my playlist. Not what Yuna used of course, but knowing the lyrics of this song changes my whole experience of the program.

Check out 50seconds mark

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4M6FAzzzEc8

She co-choreographed this herself back in Junior days.

 

[chopinskate]

I love that moment. SitC was her reflection on her entire career. I didn't know about this connection to her own choreography from juniors, but isn't the first picture of ice skating we all get that of a person simply skating in circles with their hands clasped behind their back? It was her sifting through her own memories. So simple, so effective, so, so beautiful.

 

[chopinskate]

IMO Nessun Dorma is definitely overused, but it's nowhere near tacky. I definitely think that the grandness of Nessun Dorma is a better fit for the last skate of Queen Yuna. Adios Noninos is an amazing program, but it's a bit too understated and somber for the Olympics.

Vinceroooo
Vincerooooooo
Vin!Ceee~!Rooooooooo~

That would've been extra, extra heartbreaking.

 

[Ophelia]

Eh, count me as one of the ones who doesn't like Nessun Dorma. Too bombastic.

I loved Giselle and Homage.

I liked SITC, but wish she got a better costume. The color was okay, reminded me of gingko leaves, but the design was so bland.

Adios Nonino was way to cerebral for the Olympics, especially one in Russia.

 

[Izabela]

I literally got goosebumps knowing she had the same movement in her Ben program. I thank the audience for their silence in almost the entire duration of SiTC.

 

[chopinskate]

I loved Giselle and Homage.

Adios Nonino was way to cerebral for the Olympics, especially one in Russia.

I wish she'd performed them cleanly...

Yeah, this might be it. Also, she had far too many things going against her at the time, with the crowd for instance...

 

[Kara]

Her Nessa Dorma is one of my favorite uses of Turandot. The beginning with the violins is absolutely beautiful and pulls you in and it bothers me when other skaters who use the music don't emphasize it.

I seriously still cannot believe we are getting another Yuna program. I'll probably bawl if I'm lucky enough to be able to snag a ticket. Hoping tickets go on sale soon so I can know whether to keep hoping or not and book tickets.

 

[lappo]

I'm still in disbelief that we will have a new Yuna program in a short time....I cannot wait and I truly hope that DW feels super inspired by his favourite skater and makes a masterpiece for her!
On the other hand, I really enjoy all the latest discussions in this fan thread, very informative! :thumbsup:

 

[axon]

Me too :sad21: I can't put in words what this program makes me feel. But that part when she clasped her hands on her back got to be the most heartwarming/heartbreaking movement in the entire program. It was just so simple but conveyed so much emotion. Honesty, both SitC and Adios Nonino are programs that seem to get better and better on rewatch. Even to this day, I have Cleo Laine's Send in the Clowns music in my playlist. Not what Yuna used of course, but knowing the lyrics of this song changes my whole experience of the program.

:sad21: I agree with all of this. Even her ending expression, her arms - oh! I actually found the arrangement Yuna used and downloaded it and play it pretty often, but the sound of her skates moving is missing.

Oh my goodness, I just saw this thread and realized that I misspelled literally everything. I know how to spell, I promise, just too much work lately
Yes @Wineherup, tacky was certainly the incorrect word - overdone is right. Adios Nonino had so many fine subtleties, the step sequences dazzled me etc. but I think the grandiosity of Nessun Dorma would've been better received and Yuna can really own it. I think with such a powerful and loaded piece of music, there's a good chance of it dwarfing the skater, but in Yuna's case, it only adds to her magnificence. I think it was the wrong call.

 

[wolkenschloss]

I'm so excited. Yuna performing new program on ice! Just WOW!

 

[kimi492]

Okay so Yuna totally called my bluff and is actually going to skate a program at ATS!!!!! This is like a dream of mine come true - idk what kind of content to expect to be in the program but if anyone can casually pick up figure skating again it would be Yuna - the QUEEN of hiatus lol
I’m trying not to get too hyped up about it but if Yuna actually skates a full program - I, a grown adult, will absolutely cry my eyes out. I’m not even kidding that’s the embarrassing part lol

 

[chopinskate]

I'm guessing you won't be the only one.

No tears here! Just grinning crazily, and the usual "Ah!" if she lands any jumps.

 

[Izabela]

Me and chopinskate are doing a retrospective (?) scoring on all Yuna's programs as a way to gear ourselves up I guess for ATS.

I scored her Die Fledermaus program (and full disclosure, my least favorite SP of Yuna and further disclosure, her 07-08 season my least favorite of her).

So here's my score:

Yu-Na Kim
Short Program - Die Fledermaus

3F-3T / +2 / 11.0 / - Very good flow, height and distance on her combo. The landing on her 3T was not completely secured and caused a disruption to her exit. (If we score it nowadays this could still be +3!)
3Lz / -3 / 3.90 / - She actually has a good TR and entry to this Lutz, it's too unfortunate she fell here.
FSSp3 / +0.5 / 2.85 - Nice control on her position here but overall it lacks dynamic. Her spin is also slower but I can't know for sure if it's there exactly to time in to the music or was put there because it's part of the music that is slower so the slow spin could be "justified." As much as I want to give Yuna the benefit of the doubt here I would take the latter.
StSq2 / +2.0 / 3.60 - I hardly rewatch this program tbh but I really like the step sequence here. It looks simple, yes, but she does rise and fall with the music here. And I like the way she emphasized the quirky turn of the music with those Yagudin-esque steps.
LSp4 / +1.5 / 3.45 - Very nice layback position, and little travel, but really nothing special to give it a higher GOE.
2A / +2.5 / 4.85 - She can do this in her sleep. Not only she has the difficult Ina-Bauer going to her jump, but her running edge on her exit and the way she speed up after the landing was beautiful. +2.5 GOE may be generous, but it's been a long time since I've seen a glorious 2A like this, (I am allowed to overscore her at some points and again, if we score it nowadays this could still be +3!)
CCoSp2 +1 / 3.00 - Nice hold on her position but could have needed a better speed and wished she held her position longer.
TES: 32.65 (Deduction -1.00)

SS - 8.00 - I'm willing to give her an 8 here despite her fall. She has better control on her blades here and her movements/edge work is more accurate and refined. I'm also checking her trace-mark and they seemed to be more prominent (?) compared to what she could do the year before.
TR - 7.25 - She doesn't have much transition here overall. Although I like the subtle differences in her movement for her entry to 3Lz, and 2A, and her overall flow, I think she could have done more, for example in between her stsq to her layback, there seems to be no connecting movement. I checked her protocols and the judges seem to gave her much lower score here. I wonder what exactly are they trying to find here.
PE - 7.25 - I don't like this music at all so this tremendously affected my appreciation of the music, but while her musicality is always impeccable, this seems to be a great downgrade from her El Tango. It looks "juniorish" compared to what she can do, probably because she was injured here and they decided not to strain her body further. She executed her program well but nothing in this program particularly stand out.
CO - 7.75 - This may sound so contradictory right now but looking back, the choreography here is nice. Nothing special here but also nothing is composed in this entire program for Yuna's performance to look rushed. Her elements are also placed and spaced well to give her breathing room. Again, I really don't like this music but I can see the intention for exuberance here without being too flamboyant.
IN - 7.25 - Despite the movements of Yuna which tells me that there is an intention here for exuberance, I can't really tell if she was convincing enough, or if the music of Die Fledermaus can be clearly seen here. Again, this is maybe more about the fact that I don't like this music at all more than Yuna's interpretation of it. I don't see much movements that went off to the music, but really, the entirety of this program seems to be lacking in dynamic.

PCS: 30 (I gave her slightly higher score compared to what the judges gave).

Ironically, I've scored her lower on TES and higher on PCS, because looking back at this Die Fledermaus, this program in terms of program components seemed to be also complete and finished. I may not like this program but no part in it seems too draggy and I can still watch it and won't feel those 2+ minutes going slower.

How do you guys took her DF?

Okay so Yuna totally called my bluff and is actually going to skate a program at ATS!!!!! This is like a dream of mine come true - idk what kind of content to expect to be in the program but if anyone can casually pick up figure skating again it would be Yuna - the QUEEN of hiatus lol
I’m trying not to get too hyped up about it but if Yuna actually skates a full program - I, a grown adult, will absolutely cry my eyes out. I’m not even kidding that’s the embarrassing part lol

I literally shed tears when news about a new program came out. So you don't have to be embarrassed!

 

[chopinskate]

Awesome!

Retrospective? Nostalgic? Hopelessly romantic?

DF:

TES: I see the generosity. For the jumps, at least, I'd knock off 0.5 GOE each from the combo and her axel. IDK if Yuna's ever done a 2A that warrants more than +2.

For the sit spin, yeah, this is one of "those" spins, where we can just tell it's there because they didn't know where else it should be.

IDK if I'd give it +2, but I do think the step sequence is nice.

For the other two spins, I remember in earlier competitions she was timing the position changes exactly to the music changes, and they were far better. I think her worlds performance was her weakest showing for this program. I think this was when she was in perpetual-back-injury mode, though. :/

I do think around 7.5-8 is warranted for SS. I liked the control in her steps. That said, I might lean towards 7.5, because she really could have been a lot faster, especially given the music. Same for IN -- would go 7.0

Same for TR. Judges might be influenced by the fact that the program really did seem empty between the jumps, given that the music was quite effervescent, but that should have been a deduction from IN.

(Also PCS = just a ranking system, and she wasn't clean)

For PE, I agree she just never seemed into it. It was cute from her, and given she was 17, that makes sense... But it should have been more hammy.

For CO -- I'd maybe go 7.5? IDK, just seemed like a not-so-special program, and I already talked about the sit spin, but the parts beginning with the step sequence were nice.

 

[Izabela]

Awesome!

Retrospective? Nostalgic? Hopelessly romantic?

DF:

TES: I see the generosity. For the jumps, at least, I'd knock off 0.5 GOE each from the combo and her axel. IDK if Yuna's ever done a 2A that warrants more than +2.

For the sit spin, yeah, this is one of "those" spins, where we can just tell it's there because they didn't know where else it should be.

IDK if I'd give it +2, but I do think the step sequence is nice.

For the other two spins, I remember in earlier competitions she was timing the position changes exactly to the music changes, and they were far better. I think her worlds performance was her weakest showing for this program. I think this was when she was in perpetual-back-injury mode, though. :/

I do think around 7.5-8 is warranted for SS. I liked the control in her steps. That said, I might lean towards 7.5, because she really could have been a lot faster, especially given the music. Same for IN -- would go 7.0

Same for TR. Judges might be influenced by the fact that the program really did seem empty between the jumps, given that the music was quite effervescent, but that should have been a deduction from IN.

(Also PCS = just a ranking system, and she wasn't clean)

For PE, I agree she just never seemed into it. It was cute from her, and given she was 17, that makes sense... But it should have been more hammy.

For CO -- I'd maybe go 7.5? IDK, just seemed like a not-so-special program, and I already talked about the sit spin, but the parts beginning with the step sequence were nice.

I think my scoring of her 2A got to do with the fact that I'm really nostalgic for a good 2A like hers and just recently rewatched the 2018 4CC.

Her spins are bad here, if I were nitpicky I will give her 0 on her flying camel. Spins are really her nemesis.
Regarding the SS, does it affect what we prioritize too as judges? For example, I wouldn't mind her speed here because relatively, she is still much faster compared to her competitors, whereas her edge work is much clearer (and I actually value this more than I do speed).

Overall on the PCS, particularly in PE, CO, and IN, I gave her additional .25 to compensate for my lack of enthusiasm over this music, which isn't the fault of the skater. And there is a reason why skaters do go to the warhorses more often.

I may be remembering incorrectly here but I think her best appearance of DF was at GPF? Ok, so I checked, no!

I'll go through her Miss Saigon later but I also got to say that I don't like the music cuts here. Is there anything in her 07-08 Season at all that I can sincerely like??

 

[Izabela]

The advertisement for ATS is officially here!

https://twitter.com/loveqyn/status/988600052024197120?s=21

Title/Theme of the ice show is “This is For You!”