2008-2009 Programs by Discipline | Page 14 | Golden Skate

2008-2009 Programs by Discipline

chuckm

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 31, 2003
Country
United-States
I'm actually interested to see Kostner's Swan Lake. She has the long-limbed look of a Ballachine ballerina, and with the right choreography, I thing she could do a good job with it. At least she is trying something that is different for her, unlike Zhang, who is sticking with the same style she always uses.

She may have long limbs like the Balanchine ballerinas, but she sure doesn't have the grace and refinement. Carolina may be 21, but her skating still looks to me like that of a 14-year-old who has suddenly grown 6 inches and doesn't quite know what to do with those long, long legs and arms.
 

Buttercup

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 25, 2008
The BEST Swan Lake I ever saw, and it rules 100 other skaters, was

ILIA KLIMKIN

He portrayed von Rothbart as the evil owl who makes a habit of capturing little princesses. He did it with beautiful skating, too.
I remember that program - he was wonderful. IIRC, his coach has passed away the year before and it was the last program he'd done for Klimkin.

As for Kostner, has anyone actually confirmed that this is her choice of music?
 

eleonora.d

On the Ice
Joined
Jun 8, 2006
Wow. Seems like Carolina is the new skater to bash (oh well, relatively new).
Her music choices are NOT official AT ALL.
As for Tango, is a very very general indication, and for Swan Lake..well it's the same. It really much depends on the arrangement and the author one chooses. It does not exist only Oksana's or Sasha's super classical version.
And anyway, fortunately she always had very interesting choices (expect for the classical Inverno of Vivaldi in the olympic year, but it was right to make an homage to our home country). So I'm not that worried. Actually there have been much more "dangerous" choices during last season.
 

Sulphur

Spectator
Joined
Jun 8, 2007
Even if it's not official yet, I'm actually looking forward to seeing Carolina skating to an overused music. I like her unique style.. The Doors SP last season was fabulous. Maybe she can make a completely different Swan Lake, who knows? ;)

I'm so excited about Yu-Na's new music choices. They're awesome!!! Can't wait to see them.

I heard Jeff Buttle's new short is a jazzy piano music.. very nice indeed. :clap:
 

Medusa

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 6, 2007
Wow. Seems like Carolina is the new skater to bash (oh well, relatively new).

Not really. I think fans are upset, at least I am, of yet another Swan Lake especially if it's using the familiar music.

I didn't want to say anything at first because I tend to be harsh too on skaters that I don't like - but some of the comments seemed a bit out of line.

Kostner has those outrageously long arms to flap. Yikes!
I doubt that the length of her arms (and legs) are her fault. So she is not supposed to skate to Swan Lake because of the lengths of her arms? Totally reminds me of the "Yukari's torso is too long so she shouldn't place better than Rochette discussion" - or the "Stéphane shouldn't have won shortprogram at COR because his butt is bigger and looks less aesthetic than Johnny's discussion" (believe me, these discussions existed).

If you think that Kostner doesn't have the musicality etc. to skate to it - fine, say it that way. But taking one of her physical attributes and turning it into an insult seems somehow unnecessary in my opinion.

And just think of the hideous costume choice she can come up with for Swan Lake. :think:
Yes, Kostner is evil through and through - and after bewitching all the judges at last worlds into thinking that she is the best - she started thinking about a new plan to annoy the (often North-American) skating fan: she decided to use Swan Lake and is going to invent the most gruesome costume ever so everyone can hate her even more!

She apparently could skate naked... The judges LOVE LOVE LOVE her. I hope she has had alot of ballet, because that is essential for Swan lake. i prefer girls with ballet bodies for this . She is a beautiful girl, but doesnt really have the legs or feet IMHO.
Well, perhaps she did skate naked for the judges - and that's how she got the silver. Because hey, the way you guys talk, it seems all her fault that she was awarded the silver. Bad, bad Carolina!

Whatever the costume choice, you can be sure it will be much too short, so that the judges can get a good look at her prodigious wedgie.

The thought of Kostner doing Swan Lake just makes me :rofl:
All part of her evil masterplan - the judges are so distracted that they don't notice the bad landings. That's how Arakawa got Gold in 2004 too, not because she was the better skater. Some girls just know how to play the game, which is for Carolina, if you believe chuckm, more about the art of getting close to naked in front of the judges than the art of skating.

But I am glad, chuckm, that you will find Kostner so amusing when she will be skating to Swan Lake. At least you will have a few good laughs next season - and that's good for the mental state.

And Joe, in my opinion there is a difference between being disappointed by a music choice (as you are) and saying that (as you did) - and implying that Kostner is just one step away from prostitution (as chuckm did).
 
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oleada

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 27, 2007
How about actually waiting to see what the program is like before bashing it? I'm not Carolina's biggest fan, but some of the comments here are ridiculous.

As for Kostner skating to light, classical music, her SP to Pachelbel's Cannon was absolutely a delight. She CAN pull that style off.
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
as I said before, I am not bashing Kostner but the bird music which I haven't yet seen. Mea culpa. Maybe she will use the glorious music at the end of swan lake just before she climbs a hill and dives into that lake - Suicide as the only means of getting the flock back to being normal ladies.
 

skatergirl45

On the Ice
Joined
Jan 1, 2008
I love Carolina. I think she can make Swan Lake great. SHe has lovely height and great speed that could make her look like she is actually flying.
Also, I could see her doing a great tango, again she has speed on her side and I think she could bring the aggression to the program, which not all skaters do with the tango.
 

Audrey19

On the Ice
Joined
Jun 26, 2007
I love Carolina. I think she can make Swan Lake great. SHe has lovely height and great speed that could make her look like she is actually flying.
Also, I could see her doing a great tango, again she has speed on her side and I think she could bring the aggression to the program, which not all skaters do with the tango.
I agree. I'm still worried about Swan Lake, though, but the speed and flying is a good point. And she even has some things in common with a swan. Remember the costume she wore for her exhibition in Torino? There she really looked like a swan.
(BTW my little sister saw the program, too and she watches skating with me from time to time and for her, Carolina is always "The Swan" )
Anyway it's definitely going to be interesting to see her doing something very different.
I'm excited about the tango.
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
Caroline Zhang is a lovely skater that I watched and predicted great things for her long before fans realized she existed. I haven't changed my mind on that.

However,all the Swan Lake performers on skates to me seem to have the same concept of the ballet. Trust me, the Ballet is 100 per cent better.

To the fans of Carolina and Caroline. What do you expect they will do to make this different than the others?
 

chuckm

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 31, 2003
Country
United-States
implying that Kostner is just one step away from prostitution (as chuckm did).

I NEVER implied or suggested anything of the sort. I merely said Carolina seems to choose very short skirts that reveal a big wedgie. Many of the female Pair and Ice Dancers have huge wedgies, too, and IMO it is not only unattractive but detracts from the performance.

If you think that wedgies are indicative of licentiousness, that is YOUR problem, not mine.
 

Medusa

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 6, 2007
Whatever the costume choice, you can be sure it will be much too short, so that the judges can get a good look at her prodigious wedgie.

The thought of Kostner doing Swan Lake just makes me :rofl:

I NEVER implied or suggested anything of the sort. I merely said Carolina seems to choose very short skirts that reveal a big wedgie. Many of the female Pair and Ice Dancers have huge wedgies, too, and IMO it is not only unattractive but detracts from the performance.

If you think that wedgies are indicative of licentiousness, that is YOUR problem, not mine.

It's about your choice of words - you said "prodigious wedgie" (I have to admit that didn't know what prodigious means - but my dictionary says that it means "erstaunlich, wunderbar" - so wonderful or astonishing - correct me if my dictionary is wrong about this) and to me that sounds as if you were thinking that Carolina deliberately chooses costumes that showcase certain bodyparts that she, Carolina, considers as "prodigious". And if you do that in a judged subjective sport - you often do it to influence the judges. And I just doubt that Kostner thinks: let's make this skirt even shorter - maybe it will distract them from the shaky lutz if they see most of my butt when I am landing.

I can't believe that I am talking about wedgies here! Perhaps I just misunderstood your comments and interpreted too much. I am not even a fan, I never warmed to her skating - if that's the case with you too (and others here), why not just say that instead of talking about stuff that seems really ridiculous and superficial (long arms, short costumes, "wedgies" - this is the very last time that I will ever mention that word).

There are aspects of her skating that bug me much more, the lack of concentration and consistency, the shakiness on spins (I hate shaky spins...), on the jump landings - the long set-ups for the jumps (that in my opinion reduces her ability to interpret her programs really well), her unability to adapt her speed to the speed/rhythm of the music... And if she is not able to change these aspects for Swan Lake, than I don't think she will be able to do a very good Swan Lake.
 

KayMil01

On the Ice
Joined
Jun 17, 2008
About the 'wedgies' my thought on that is, why not have the skaters wear the 'boyshort' style...you know, like a type of underwear. it would cover the bum more...I think it would look better and get rid of the 'wedgie' issue.
 

AwesomeIce

Match Penalty
Joined
Mar 13, 2008
About the 'wedgies' my thought on that is, why not have the skaters wear the 'boyshort' style...you know, like a type of underwear. it would cover the bum more...I think it would look better and get rid of the 'wedgie' issue.

That would be sooooooooo unattractive on a dress. I personally would NEVER wear a skating dress that had a boyshort bottom. Not only would it ruin the look of the dress, it would shorten the skaters legline. Higher-cut bottoms create the illusion of a longer leg line, and boyshorts would just make the legs look shorter. Ick.
 

chuckm

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 31, 2003
Country
United-States
I can understand why short girls wear very short skirts and high-cut tights because it makes their legs look longer. People have criticized Rena Inoue's skimpy skirts, but the fact is that Rena is only 4'11" and she has a legitimate reason to wear her skirts that short.

OTOH, Carolina Kostner is nearly 5'7" and has IMO the longest legs in figure skating, so there is no need for the short skirts and skimpy tights.

And BTW, the first meaning of "prodigious" is large (in size), and that was my use of the word. Obviously, a girl as tall as Carolina has a much bigger wedgie than the average 5'2" skater would have.
 

AwesomeIce

Match Penalty
Joined
Mar 13, 2008
I can understand why short girls wear very short skirts and high-cut tights because it makes their legs look longer. People have criticized Rena Inoue's skimpy skirts, but the fact is that Rena is only 4'11" and she has a legitimate reason to wear her skirts that short.

OTOH, Carolina Kostner is nearly 5'7" and has IMO the longest legs in figure skating, so there is no need for the short skirts and skimpy tights.

And BTW, the first meaning of "prodigious" is large (in size), and that was my use of the word. Obviously, a girl as tall as Carolina has a much bigger wedgie than the average 5'2" skater would have.

No matter how long someone's legs are, boyshorts are still going to disrupt the legline. And they would still look fugly under a skirt.
 

fourclover

On the Ice
Joined
Nov 9, 2007
The first time I noticed Carolina's 'wedgie' was when she skated to Pachelbel's Canon in D as her SP at 2007 World's and I remember thinking, 'WHY?????' It was fugly and made her look like a clown with poor taste.
 
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