Caroline Zhang's 2009-10 season

[vlaurend]

I don't know if I'm getting too close because I mentioned The Nutcracker, or because I asked for the composer's name right after mentioning the title. She sure is a tough nut to crack.

Tchaikovsky...could she be going back to Sleeping Beauty? I dearly hope her LP is neither to The Nutcracker or Sleeping Beauty. I just saw Sasha's LP to the former, and if the entire work sounds like the cuts she used, it is rather boring and monotonous. Caroline seems to have a penchant for ballet; if she is skating to a Tchaikovsky ballet, it could only be one of the two previously mentioned, or Swan Lake. AFAIK, he only composed three ballets in his lifetime.

I don't think I fibbed by mentioning the CZ International Fan Club - after all, you guys are all members, aren't cha?

Oh, Andalusia, PLEEEASE stop feeding her ego! You are going to create a monster, LOL!

 

[Andalusia]

Oh, Andalusia, PLEEEASE stop feeding her ego! You are going to create a monster, LOL!

I definitely won't be bugging her for awhile after I find out her LP music. Don't want to get too fangirly on her.

If I am helping to stoke her diva-ish ego, all the better. Monstrous divas are tougher and less likely to crumble during competition.

 

[Alicja]

We could only hope. That does seem like too much of an esoteric choice for Caroline to have chosen, though. If she is skating to Tchaikovsky, I would love it if she did so to his Piano Concerto No. 1.

If it's one of his three ballets, oh dear. She does seem to like all these pwetty pwetty pieces of music, doesn't she? Someone needs to broaden her tastes, stat.

Maybe she'll combine ballet and Tchaikovsky by using his Piano Concerto No. 2....Much better than any of his ballers but I'd still like Mazepa better though

 

[feraina]

If I am helping to stoke her diva-ish ego, all the better. Monstrous divas are tougher and less likely to crumble during competition.

Yeah, even though she doesn't easily break down during competitions, she does seem to tighten up a bit when she's anxious to skate well, and when she's anxious, she skates slower -- she seems the most anxious at National's, and skates the slowest there. Well, this year she has to skate her absolute best at National's, or she can kiss Vancouver goodbye.

I don't think it'd be Sleeping Beauty though, she already said she doesn't like it.

I'm a member of your fan club.

I totally understand this fan-girly feeling. I remember when I started watching skating, I was looking up to these beautiful elegant ladies (Kristie Yamaguchi, Lu Chen), then I was watching skaters about my own age (Irina Slutskaya, Michelle Kwan) and admiring how much they are achieving with their young lives, and now I'm obsessed with these kids half my age or younger!

 

[LeCygne]

Let's not forget Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto. Although I have to say, Ziguenerweisen + Tchaik = too much violin and strings.

 

[cornell08]

Let's not forget Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto. Although I have to say, Ziguenerweisen + Tchaik = too much violin and strings.

Could not agree more! Personally though, I'm not sure I would've used 'lyrical' to describe Tchaikovsky's works...

 

[jjane45]

If I am helping to stoke her diva-ish ego, all the better. Monstrous divas are tougher and less likely to crumble during competition.

CZ International Fan Club

 

[KayMil01]

Kinda o/t but, what was the name of Caroline's music that she skated to for her 2006 sp...like in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_NxYVm6AjE&feature=related

 

[feraina]

Kinda o/t but, what was the name of Caroline's music that she skated to for her 2006 sp...[/url]

Olga, from Ladies in Lavender soundtrack. For future reference, her Wikipedia page has info about her music selections:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caroline_Zhang

 

[caaather]

is caroline using Zigeunerweisen for her SP this season ?

 

[Andalusia]

Yeah, even though she doesn't easily break down during competitions, she does seem to tighten up a bit when she's anxious to skate well, and when she's anxious, she skates slower -- she seems the most anxious at National's, and skates the slowest there. Well, this year she has to skate her absolute best at National's, or she can kiss Vancouver goodbye.

Yeah, I get the sense that she could do with some cheering on. Judging from her latest Tweets in which she bemoans FS's lack of popularity in the US and expresses disbelief that she has her own fan club...not to mention being left off the World team...receiving zero favours from the judges and the USFSA in terms of GP assignments...

I think the more who "feed her ego", the better.

And in regards to the music choice for her LP, she's starting to really clam up now. Advice from Shep, maybe?

 

[PolymerBob]

Judging from her latest Tweets in which she bemoans FS's lack of popularity in the US and expresses disbelief that she has her own fan club...

Caroline has a fan web page, but to the best of my knowledge, she doesn't have an actual fan club.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

Caroline has a fan web page, but to the best of my knowledge, she doesn't have an actual fan club.

And if this Board is an example, she has about 5 fans, and the others just go on finding faults. But the last laugh may be in the Olympics.

 

[vlaurend]

And in regards to the music choice for her LP, she's starting to really clam up now. Advice from Shep, maybe?

I'd guarantee it. It's also possible that she needs to work with her newly choreographed LP to make sure it's something she can master. Otherwise, she may have to change it again.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

The bottom line is that Caroline is a lovely lyrical skater with the best of figure skating flexibility. Apparently, fans of figure skating see flexibility are an extreme move for scoring. If she has a clean program, how can she not win gold?

 

[seniorita]

And if this Board is an example, she has about 5 fans, and the others just go on finding faults. But the last laugh may be in the Olympics.

count me in as the 6th fan here, i had not seen much of her, but recently i started watching some youtube clips and i like her very much, and she is still too young, she will get better.

 

[feraina]

And if this Board is an example, she has about 5 fans, and the others just go on finding faults. But the last laugh may be in the Olympics.

Well, there are almost 20,000 views on this relatively recent thread. Only behind Plushenko and the 2009/10 music thread, which is for all skaters/programs.

So she's got to have more than just 5 or 6 fans here, or else the 5 or 6 of us are *extremely* obsessive fans.

 

[janetfan]

Well, there are almost 20,000 views on this relatively recent thread. Only behind Plushenko and the 2009/10 music thread, which is for all skaters/programs.

So she's got to have more than just 5 or 6 fans here, or else the 5 or 6 of us are *extremely* obsessive fans.

I am just a mildly obsessed fan (is that OK )
From the first time I saw Caroline skate a few years ago I knew she was special. In fact I can't ever recall another skater so young with such beautiful artistry - and very few older ones for that matter.
I have also had a little glimpse of the Diva inside (thanks to feraina) and perhaps this is the season she will break out show the whole world in Vancouver.
Go Princess Caroline!!

 

[Alicja]

I am just a mildly obsessed fan (is that OK )
From the first time I saw Caroline skate a few years ago I knew she was special. In fact I can't ever recall another skater so young with such beautiful artistry - and very few older ones for that matter.
I have also had a little glimpse of the Diva inside (thanks to feraina) and perhaps this is the season she will break out show the whole world in Vancouver.
Go Princess Caroline!!

Are you sure that you're only mildly obsessed???

 

[oleada]

Jennifer Kirk started her own blog about figure skating and she had this to say about Caroline's coaching change:

6. Caroline Zhang to Charlene Wong

Caroline Zhang is the reigning U.S. ladies bronze medalist and a very consistent competitor, something which has been essential to her placements thus far in her career. However, Zhang has very poor jump technique resulting in under-rotations and is often hurt by the judges on her technical mark. Wong was the previous coach of one of Zhang’s closest competitors, Mirai Nagasu.

PROS: Zhang won’t have to relocate, as Wong coaches in the L.A. area.

CONS: I don’t think Wong is a very good technical coach, and this is going to really hurt Zhang as she grows and is unable to rely on the faulty technique she has now. I don’t see Wong cleaning up Zhang’s under-rotations, and the judges are going to continue to mark her down despite the fact that she has many lovely qualities to her skating.

BOTTOM LINE: Here’s the thing: I think Caroline Zhang could become national champion this year–had she not chosen Charlene Wong to coach her. What Zhang needs is a strong technical coach who is able to not only discipline her, but also clean up her basics in terms of her jump take-offs and under-rotations. Unfortunately, without fully rotated jumps and a better lutz and flip technique, I predict Zhang will left off the U.S. Olympic team.

She ranked it as the worst coaching move among the US skaters this summer.

Link: http://trueslant.com/jenniferkirk/