Michelle Kwan's best performance? | Page 2 | Golden Skate

Michelle Kwan's best performance?

Joined
Aug 16, 2009
Black Swan, indeed

Song of the Black Swan is a favorite of mine both for the skating and the music. The Dvorak trio that makes up most of it is a gorgeous piece, both joyous and mysterious. The made-in-Heaven blend of Lori Nichol's choreography and Michelle's technique and interpretation brings me right into the music. The fact that she did the only triple-triple among the top ladies and took the gold that day is almost incidental in comparison to the effect the skating has on me!

Another piece I hadn't seen for awhile and looked up the other day is the Lament of Ariane.I don't love the music quite as deeply, but Michelle's skating is a marvel to behold. She makes everyone else look half-finished by comparison. Isn't it interesting that we remember nearly all her pieces by the music instead of "the 2001 Worlds long program"? That says something about what Kwan did for skating.

And I agree with those of you who said that the piece she just skated is a favorite...for its own sake and for the joy of seeing her skating again!
 

Kwanford Wife

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 29, 2004
Without a doubt the best performance for me was today's. I really thought I would never see her skate again when she walked off the ice last to get her surgery. To see her able to skate so beautifully today - well it is almost magical and unreal. For me she lights up the ice like no other skater. Her passion and love of performing just radiates from every fiber in her body. I thought her injury took this gift away - and it hasn't. I am happy for her - and for me that I was able to see her skate like this again.

Oh Kathy... you are so right... she's simply the :bow:GREATEST. OF. ALL. TIME.:bow: Its been such an honor to watch this remarkable young woman grow from a jumping bean that was all knees and elbows in a bright yellow dress to a stunning and smart woman with the power to bring tears to my eyes... she is all that is right with sports and an excellent example of what a true champion is all about...

As for my favorite programs by my favorite skater...

Long Programs
1996 Salome @ Worlds - Kwan's coming out party
2000 Red Violin @ Worlds - Kwan at her greatest
2003 Worlds - Kwan at her chip eating best
2004 Tosca @ Worlds & Nationals - Kwan at her arrogant best... ""think you can beat me? Please. I'm Michelle Kwan!"
2005 Bolero @ Nationals - awful program, awful costume but she sold it and we bought it... anybody else? I think not...

Short Programs
The Feeling Begins - the perfect combination of technical, artistic and simply sex appeal I've ever seen on ice. I always thought Katt did the whole sex kitten thing the best until this program... I will never forget my husband's face while she skated - he was simply drooling and looking silly:laugh::laugh:

Expos
Song for You @ Marshalls... I didn't care that she didn't jump. I actually perferred it because she really is in a class by herself when it comes to simple skating skills & technique.

Could watch her all day... and have been known too... The current and future generations have a lot to aspire to and I wish them luck because she's a hard act to follow...:bow::bow::bow:
 

iluvtodd

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 5, 2004
Country
United-States
Competitively - Salome - 1996 Worlds, but I also love Lyra Angelica (1998 Nationals) :bow: :biggrin:

East of Eden, Winter, Hands, Dante's Prayer, and Pocahontas - love them all!
 
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Joined
Feb 27, 2007
I love every long program from 96-01, and she nailed them all at least one, so it's hard to pick just one. The Red Violin from 99 Skate Canada wins artistically, hands down. So many nuances, such haunting music.

Hmmm, for best overall performance, I'll go with 2000 and 2001 Worlds. They were both power-Kwan performances.

For the short program? 2002 Skate America, The Feeling Begins. Another powerful skate, her jumps looked a bit bigger than usually, it was fresh, she moved with greater freedom than before. Pure awesomeness. :agree:
 

shine

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
1998 US Nationals LP.

Also loved her Dream of Desdamona SP from the 96 Ultimate Four (her best performance to her best short program ever, IMO), D'Arianne LP from 1998 World Pros, and The Red Violin from 1999 Skate America. I really loved most of her stuff from 1996 to 2001.
 
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Dee4707

Ice Is Slippery - Alexie Yagudin
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
Country
United-States
Kwanford Wife said:
Its been such an honor to watch this remarkable young woman grow from a jumping bean that was all knees and elbows
I have a video of her at 12 or 13 I think, possibly even younger with long skinny legs and arms. Every now and then I put the tape in to watch this child that looks like a little colt trying to take its' first steps...and then I put a later tape in and it is just awesome to see how beautiful this child grew into an artist.
 

Kwanford Wife

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 29, 2004
I have a video of her at 12 or 13 I think, possibly even younger with long skinny legs and arms. Every now and then I put the tape in to watch this child that looks like a little colt trying to take its' first steps...and then I put a later tape in and it is just awesome to see how beautiful this child grew into an artist.

I know, right? She had sparkle even then... And that's why I struggle so much with the newbies... none have that sparkle that demands being watched.

And this isn't a Kwan gush (well, with me its always a Kwan gush fest...) - Sasha had that quality, NNN did as well. BeBe had it and still does - but rooting for her has become too painful.

Who since then? They are either jumping machines, bendy straws or have interesting back stories that doesn't match up with the actual skating. Or they shine for half a season and then its all over...

Oh well. I'm probably just spoiled *shrugs*
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
I agree that we were spoiled during those years. Of course I'm biased toward Kwan, but I also have to mention the longevity of several other skaters, including Slutskaya and Cohen. The result was that we got to see several instances of the creative arc of kids becoming mature artists, which is always a pleasure and which doesn't regularly occur in singles skating, especially ladies' singles.

Kwan's work particularly stays in our mind like the works of great artists in other fields. Every Fred Astaire fan can cite favorite dances: the Dancing in the Dark duet with Cyd Charisse, Let's Face the Music and Dance with Ginger, the jazz clarinet version of Begin the Beguine with Eleanor Powell. The same is true in ballet. In skating, this is less common. Other skaters whom I associate with this are Kurt Browning and Torville and Dean. But with most other skaters, what we remember is the medals they won, not what they skated to in order to win them.

I know that a lot of you (I as well) can supply the names of other skaters of whom this is true. The point is that if you make a list of such names, you'd have to put Michelle's on it, whether you're an uber-fan of hers or not. That's quite a legacy to leave!
 

bananagrl

Spectator
Joined
Sep 16, 2009
Her best overall performance was Salome at Worlds. Her best artistic performance was Lyra Angelica at 98 Nationals and her best technical performance was Song of the Black Swan at 01 Worlds.

And her best programs from most FAV to still FAV:

LP:
Lyra Angelica
Salome
Taj Majal
Bolero (the non-toned down Campbell and Marshall versions)
East of Eden (1995 Metropolitan Open)
Arianne
Red Violin

DISLIKE: Aranjuez lacked choreography. There were too many cross-overs and a moments where she was on two feet n not even traveling across the ice. However, I have to admit I loved Morozov's straight-line footwork for it.

Tosca was not the right piece of music for her. The choreography was too simple and she moved too slowly, but she continued her great footwork of 2003-2005. It was also hard to live up to Irina's perfectly choreographed Tosca.

SP:
The Feeling Begins
Spartakus with the circular footwork
Rachmaninoff
Carmen
Lennon and McCartney
Othello
Totentanz

EX:
Fields of Gold
Hands
East of Eden
Dante's Prayer
One More Time
Winter Song
 
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antmanb

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 5, 2004
I know, right? She had sparkle even then... And that's why I struggle so much with the newbies... none have that sparkle that demands being watched.

[snip]

Who since then? They are either jumping machines, bendy straws or have interesting back stories that doesn't match up with the actual skating. Or they shine for half a season and then its all over...

Oh well. I'm probably just spoiled *shrugs*

Oh i'm with you on the Kwan gush - but just watch the video (is it on youtube? it certainly was on the old Cruella de Kwan site!) of Mao at 11 years old competing at Senior Nationals - she is just adorable and under-rotations (and flutz) aside she stands up all six triples (steps out of a good 3S) and repeats the loop and Lutz (i think she may also hit a 3F/3Lp/3T in there too). That absolutely blew me away when i first saw that. It wasn't all about the jumps and I was at least as impressed as when i first saw some of the skaters you mentioned, perhaps moreso because of the technical content she was attempting (most of which was completed).

Ant
 

marc2000

Rinkside
Joined
Mar 9, 2006
I think the amazing thing is that she has had so many memorable programs over her career. There are very few skaters that have this amount of quality material that we can draw from (Torvil and Dean come to mind.) Her fluidity, grace, assurity and emotion was really in a leaue of it own for many years.

As an aside, I know lots of people harp on her lack of transitions and too many crossovers. While she did lack some transitions in some of her programs, her basic stroking was in a different league than everyone else. Her posture and carraige and smooth power are amazing. I could watch her just do crossovers all day. There is just something when she does her basic skating that makes you think she was born to be a skater.
 

Kwanford Wife

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 29, 2004
Oh i'm with you on the Kwan gush - but just watch the video (is it on youtube? it certainly was on the old Cruella de Kwan site!) of Mao at 11 years old competing at Senior Nationals - she is just adorable and under-rotations (and flutz) aside she stands up all six triples (steps out of a good 3S) and repeats the loop and Lutz (i think she may also hit a 3F/3Lp/3T in there too). That absolutely blew me away when i first saw that. It wasn't all about the jumps and I was at least as impressed as when i first saw some of the skaters you mentioned, perhaps moreso because of the technical content she was attempting (most of which was completed).

Ant

I do agree that Mao is a great talent. Its actually been interesting watching her move from straight jumping machine to having artistic capacity as wel... I hope her sake (or skate if you're in a puny mood...) that she combines her tech / artistic in one package this year. But that's true of most skaters these days... I doubt I'd loath CoP as much if skaters still practiced figures... you can tell the difference between those who began with figures and those that began with jumps. The quality of skating, esp. edge quality, just isn't the same... But again with CoP there isn't the same incentive to have that edge - which Kwan, Irina, and DivaKwara had in spades - is a beautiful thing to behold...

Long live the :bow::bow: Kween!!! :bow::bow:
 

chloe

Rinkside
Joined
Apr 11, 2009
Me favorit LP is Lyra Angelica; Until now is the one i watch and watch and Fields of Gold exibition was heartbreakin
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
It occurs to me that Kwan is one of those skaters whose programs are so lovely to watch that you wouldn't care whether they were taking place in a competition or not--yet it's not likely that she'll want to pursue a professional career. Wouldn't you love to see her in a TV special of the sort that Boitano made in 1989 or so, or Browning's great CBC program that was telecast on PBS here, or the old Peggy Fleming specials? I'm sad about that, but I can't really complain, because look at the life she's chosen...grad school, work for the State Department, maybe a future as a diplomat. (It's so wonderful to see an athlete whose future promises to be even more exciting than her competitive career.) Yet I keep thinking of things she ought to skate to. The French Romantic repertoire always strikes me as compatible with her.. Also, I'd love to see her skate to the third movement of Respighi's Botticelli Triptych, which you can hear below. It is aptly the section called "The Birth of Venus."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdQ9ONMsxd8
 

Crizzy

Rinkside
Joined
Mar 5, 2004
I love many ok ALL of her programs. But I was always dishearten that Miraculous Mandarin never came to fruition. It was the most daring piece of music anyone has ever skated to. The nuances, movement was just extraordinary.
 

sk8m8

Final Flight
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
amen

I love many ok ALL of her programs. But I was always dishearten that Miraculous Mandarin never came to fruition. It was the most daring piece of music anyone has ever skated to. The nuances, movement was just extraordinary.

I couldn't agree with you more, Crizzy. I think MM was an unfinished masterpiece. I am so sorry our Kween Kwan dropped the program in favor of another.

I've recently been viewing some older skating footage and my "take" on Kwan's greatness is...while she may not have had the perfect consistency, jumps, spins, footwork and positions of other great skaters, she had the greatest mastery of all of the above in combination AND while her "positions' were not always perfect, they PERFECTLY reflected every emotion she aim to express.
 
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