Least Favourite Programs By Your Favourite Skaters | Page 4 | Golden Skate

Least Favourite Programs By Your Favourite Skaters

noskates

Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 11, 2012
Totally agree with you Olympia....except, I never liked Fledermaus either. Liked their Notre Dame program better because I liked the music more. BUT - showing non-skate fans Fledermaus as a visual of what can be done on the ice was masterful. Because that program truly did highlight how ice dance has evolved.
 

treeloving

Medalist
Joined
Feb 17, 2010
I love Mao's bell of moscow, it is like watching her black swan journey. It became perfect at world 2010.

Oh and the slapping gives me chills!
 

AngelENTL

On the Ice
Joined
Feb 1, 2014
Lu Chen, Butterfly Lovers - Not that I don't like it, but it's my least fave of hers. Sweet and beautiful, and she was obviously very invested in her performance of it at the Olympics, but I feel like soo many girls go through a butterfly phase; it just didn't feel that original to me.

Michelle Kwan, Bolero - For me, it was the nadir of a downslope in her long programs since 1999. Pre-2000, there was so much attention to the in-betweens, and that seemed to fall through the cracks after 1999, with possibly the exception of Scheherazade in 2002 (not my favorite program of hers either, but I wouldn't call it her worst).

Midori Ito, Rachmaninoff - This program is totally ill-suited for her. She's a skater with limited natural elegance whose one saving artistic grace was her brightness and charisma. Instead of choosing music that played to that strength, they chose a dark, brooding black hole. And the music cuts were so strange, they built to nothing, the end came out of nowhere... I cannot adequately express what a mess I found this program to be!
 
Joined
Apr 1, 2014
Lu Chen, Butterfly Lovers - Not that I don't like it, but it's my least fave of hers. Sweet and beautiful, and she was obviously very invested in her performance of it at the Olympics, but I feel like soo many girls go through a butterfly phase; it just didn't feel that original to me.

Michelle Kwan, Bolero - For me, it was the nadir of a downslope in her long programs since 1999. Pre-2000, there was so much attention to the in-betweens, and that seemed to fall through the cracks after 1999, with possibly the exception of Scheherazade in 2002 (not my favorite program of hers either, but I wouldn't call it her worst).

Midori Ito, Rachmaninoff - This program is totally ill-suited for her. She's a skater with limited natural elegance whose one saving artistic grace was her brightness and charisma. Instead of choosing music that played to that strength, they chose a dark, brooding black hole. And the music cuts were so strange, they built to nothing, the end came out of nowhere... I cannot adequately express what a mess I found this program to be!

Two of Michelle's most technically difficult programs were "Song of the Black Swan" and "The Red Violin," which she did in 2001 and 2000, respectively (I think these were her last two Lori Nichol LPs). Post-2002, her programs lacked the transitions of her earlier programs, but I think that was a combination of CoP and injury.
 

peechiddy

Spectator
Joined
Apr 9, 2014
I also really didn't like mao's bells of moscow program. I mean, what's up with the music, exactly? It makes me feel like I'm trapped in some music box of hell whenever I listen to it. The music doesn't flow and it's really monotonous for her style of skating, which is more subtle.
I didn't like yuna's kiss of the vampire program either; it was a little stretch of what I'm used to seeing with yuna and something never really clicked for that program
 

WeakAnkles

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 1, 2011
Voir's Funny Face.

It should tell you something is amiss right off the bat when the best three parts of a Fred Astaire movie (Audrey Hepburn's fashion shoot in Paris, her beatnik solo in a Parisian cafe, and--best of all--Kay Thompson's fabulous "Think Pink") do not feature Fred Astaire. Maybe Tessa has some secret Audrey Hepburn fantasy, but the number is less a xerox than a carbon copy, down to the cheap knockoff costumes. I cringe whenever I have watched this, and get infuriated that this won Worlds over Marlie's iconic Die Fledermaus FD. And before Matt K and other Voir ubers come rushing in, I thought Voir should have won Worlds for Carmen (flawed as that FD is) over Marlie's Notre Dame. Those teams always did seem to win for the wrong programs. Tis a mystery.

By the way, Kay Thompson also wrote one of the best children's books ever: Eloise. The sequels are good, but Eloise is classic.

Oh, and here's a hilariously b*tchy take on Funny Face, the movie, by Tom and Lorenzo:
http://tomandlorenzo.com/2007/05/musical-monday-funny-face/
 

LiamForeman

William/Uilyam
Medalist
Joined
Nov 24, 2006
Michelle Kwan, Bolero - For me, it was the nadir of a downslope in her long programs since 1999. Pre-2000, there was so much attention to the in-betweens, and that seemed to fall through the cracks after 1999, with possibly the exception of Scheherazade in 2002 (not my favorite program of hers either, but I wouldn't call it her worst).

Midori Ito, Rachmaninoff - This program is totally ill-suited for her. She's a skater with limited natural elegance whose one saving artistic grace was her brightness and charisma. Instead of choosing music that played to that strength, they chose a dark, brooding black hole. And the music cuts were so strange, they built to nothing, the end came out of nowhere... I cannot adequately express what a mess I found this program to be!

These. There was so much hype with Kwan doing Bolero choreographed by Christopher Dean. Then she all but gutted it to have her emptiest program to date and Dean refused to take any credit for it.

And I will NEVER understand Midori Ito's Rach. It was wholly unsuitable to her skating. I thought Kristi's program was far superior or more suited to her style of skating that I figured if both went clean, Kristi would win with the better program. 1992 was just a disaster for Ito. You could tell she kind of lost her joy and energy which was her main selling point stylistically.

I'm trying to think of more examples, but usually my favorites are such because they consistently put out great programs. I can't think of one Sasha Cohen program I disliked for instance.
 

LiamForeman

William/Uilyam
Medalist
Joined
Nov 24, 2006
I also really didn't like mao's bells of moscow program. I mean, what's up with the music, exactly? It makes me feel like I'm trapped in some music box of hell whenever I listen to it. The music doesn't flow and it's really monotonous for her style of skating, which is more subtle.
I didn't like yuna's kiss of the vampire program either; it was a little stretch of what I'm used to seeing with yuna and something never really clicked for that program

How funny. What a perfect way to describe this. Her skating is light, ethereal even. I find the music unskateable for the most part. Maybe a sour faced Maria Butyrskaya could have pulled this one off, but it was devoid of beauty IMO.
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
I also really didn't like mao's bells of moscow program. I mean, what's up with the music, exactly? It makes me feel like I'm trapped in some music box of hell whenever I listen to it. The music doesn't flow and it's really monotonous for her style of skating, which is more subtle.
I didn't like yuna's kiss of the vampire program either; it was a little stretch of what I'm used to seeing with yuna and something never really clicked for that program

It's interesting that the Prelude in C sharp minor was just about Rachmaninoff's most popular solo piano work, and Rachmaninoff was always expected to perform it at concerts. He grew to dread it. It's my least favorite of his works, which may explain why I don't warm to Mao's program, but at least the original version as Rachmaninoff composed it had a middle section that was far less monotonous, and I am totally flummoxed that Tarasova didn't make use of that portion. Mao could have used it for footwork that really zinged.

As for Michelle's Bolero, I feel similarly to AngelENTL and Michelle's Spiral. It was an empty program that made no use of the music. I'm sorry we'll never see the original Christopher Dean choreography. The fact that this music was so deeply identified with Torvill and Dean's landmark Olympic program made Michelle's version even harder to appreciate.
 

gotoschool

Medalist
Joined
Mar 5, 2014
Yes! I love that program.:biggrin:



I understand the taste, but please don't call Rachmaninov music dreadful.

In my opinion, the heavy, plodding, desperate and dirge-like drone of Bells of Moscow (Prelude in C Sharp Minor) has a profoundly somber and masculine tone that contrasts sharply with Mao's highly feminine, ethereal and tender nature, thus offending the sensibilities of those accustomed to her Fantasie Impromptu or Czardas performances. It is such a sharp break that many of her fans can’t take it; it undermines her effervescent image, almost as if they are witnessing the Fall of Mankind (or in this case Eve not Adam) in the Garden of Eden.

In addition, her heavy make-up, the black glove and her dark red and black costume further enhances this sense of lost innocence, with her prodigal passion and dark abandon fully on display in her beguiling poses and contortionism in the spins and step sequences. Furthermore, the fact that her performance and skating seethes slowly like burning coal with no ultimate climax and release as in Sochi further frustrates the viewer’s expectations. The tension that builds is never really released; it seems to just grow heavier and heavier like Atlas bearing the whole weight of the world on his shoulders; until abruptly at the end the entire weight is dropped like a lead ball with the deep gong of the bell. Throughout the performance, a sense of apprehension mounts into smoldering anxiety that ends in desperation. This perfectly matches the sense of entrapment evoked in the music.

To me, her stunning costume and performance of the choreography is pure genius: a revolutionary artistic and dramatic “prelude,” no pun intended, to the tragic grandeur we see in Sochi. In other words, to experience the rich beauty of tragedy and redemption, there first needs to be a fall, and Bells for me is Mao’s first descent into tasting the fruits of the darker side of artistic expression. Besides, she is so very beautiful here: the quintessential Dark Angel. in addition to her triple axel, balletic grace, stunning flexibility and step sequences, her ability to capture the widest spectrum of human spirit and emotion is the reason she is preeminent among woman for shattering the boundaries of figure skating.

Because of all these artistic risks she has taken, I think Mao's reputation and influence will only become greater in the years to come.
 

Sam-Skwantch

“I solemnly swear I’m up to no good”
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 29, 2013
Country
United-States
^delivered with the same intent and passion as Mao's footwork...well...maybe I'm being generous but very well said. I love when people express their feelings toward a program so clear for all to read. Thank you! :clap:

I'm quite nervous to search back thread for the same fervor addressing potentially one of Mao's programs you don't like as the thread topic suggests. :biggrin:
 

Skater Boy

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 24, 2012
Voir's Funny Face.

It should tell you something is amiss right off the bat when the best three parts of a Fred Astaire movie (Audrey Hepburn's fashion shoot in Paris, her beatnik solo in a Parisian cafe, and--best of all--Kay Thompson's fabulous "Think Pink") do not feature Fred Astaire. Maybe Tessa has some secret Audrey Hepburn fantasy, but the number is less a xerox than a carbon copy, down to the cheap knockoff costumes. I cringe whenever I have watched this, and get infuriated that this won Worlds over Marlie's iconic Die Fledermaus FD. And before Matt K and other Voir ubers come rushing in, I thought Voir should have won Worlds for Carmen (flawed as that FD is) over Marlie's Notre Dame. Those teams always did seem to win for the wrong programs. Tis a mystery.

By the way, Kay Thompson also wrote one of the best children's books ever: Eloise. The sequels are good, but Eloise is classic.

Oh, and here's a hilariously b*tchy take on Funny Face, the movie, by Tom and Lorenzo:
http://tomandlorenzo.com/2007/05/musical-monday-funny-face/

Is this Kay Thompson actually Kay Thomson the great Canadian spinner and the woman who could the triple lutz but not the easier triples as well? The one who skated on Nudes on Ice?
 

WeakAnkles

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 1, 2011
Is this Kay Thompson actually Kay Thomson the great Canadian spinner and the woman who could the triple lutz but not the easier triples as well? The one who skated on Nudes on Ice?

No, Kay Thompson was one of the KEY figures in the golden age of American movie musicals at MGM and, as I said, the author of the children's classic Eloise (and its four sequels, all of which are wonderful, but Eloise is just one of the great characters of American children's literature).

You can read more about her here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kay_Thompson
 

Alba

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 26, 2014
Again Alba I just can't get enough of writing about this program, especially with so many against it. So, here I go again with a different take.

In my opinion, the heavy, plodding, desperate and dirge-like drone of Bells of Moscow (Prelude in C Sharp Minor) has a profoundly somber and masculine tone that contrasts starkly with Mao's highly feminine, ethereal and tender nature, thus offending the sensibilities of those accustomed to her Fantasie Impromptu or Czardas performances. It is such a sharp break that many of her fans can’t take it; it disturbs people's sensibilities, almost as if they are witnessing the Fall of Mankind (or in this case Eve not Adam) in the Garden of Eden.

In addition, her heavy make-up, the black glove and her dark red and black costume further enhances this sense of lost innocence, with her prodigal passion and dark abandon fully on display in her beguiling poses and contortionism in the spins and step sequences. Furthermore, the fact that her performance and skating seethes slowly like burning coal without any ultimate climax and release as in Sochi further frustrates the viewer’s expectations. The tension that builds is never really released; it seems to just grow heavier and heavier like Atlas bearing the weight of the world on his shoulders, until abruptly at the end the entire weight is dropped like a lead ball with the deep gong of the bell.

To me, her stunning costume and performance of the choreography is pure genius: a revolutionary artistic and dramatic portrayal and the “necessary prelude,” no pun intended, to the tragic grandeur we see in Sochi. In other words, to experience the rich beauty of tragedy and redemption there first needs to be a fall, and Bells for me is Mao’s first descent into tasting the fruits of the darker side of artistic expression. Besides, she is so very beautiful here: the quintessential Dark Angel. She even puts Jessica Alba to shame. No offense intended Alba. Her ability to capture the widest spectrum of human emotion, in addition to her triple axel, balletic grace, stunning flexibility and step sequences, is the reason she is preeminent among females for shattering the boundaries of figure skating.

Because of all these artistic risks she has taken, I think Mao's reputation will only become greater in the years to come.


:clap: I want a topic with your comment for all the programs. :points:
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
No, Kay Thompson was one of the KEY figures in the golden age of American movie musicals at MGM and, as I said, the author of the children's classic Eloise (and it's four sequels, all of which are wonderful, but Eloise is just one of the great characters of American children's literature).

You can read more about her here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kay_Thompson

Yes, I was fascinated to find, as an adult, that the Kay Thompson who wrote the Eloise books was a movie performer as well. That film was such fun, with the nightclub scene of Audrey dancing in black slacks and flats (and remember, she had been trained in ballet, so she wasn't a newcomer to the field), and that splendid tableau of Audrey in all the different dresses being photographed in freeze-frame with the colors shifting. I believe that Astaire's character was based on Richard Avedon, an urbane photographer for Vogue who was part of the magazine's signature look for decades.
 

jenaj

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 17, 2003
Country
United-States
Michelle is my favorite skater and there are only two of her programs that I don't particularly like: Bolero and Scheherazade. But to put things in perspective, I find something to love in all of the rest of her programs. The two I mentioned just don't meet that standard.
As for other skaters, Gracie Gold's Sugar Plum Fairy (horrendous), Yu Na's Vampire (beautiful dress, horrible music), everything Ashley did before Black Swan.
 

skatedreamer

Medalist
Joined
Feb 18, 2014
Country
United-States
No, Kay Thompson was one of the KEY figures in the golden age of American movie musicals at MGM and, as I said, the author of the children's classic Eloise (and it's four sequels, all of which are wonderful, but Eloise is just one of the great characters of American children's literature).

You can read more about her here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kay_Thompson

She is, indeed! I didn't discover Eloise until well into adulthood, but that didn't lessen the enjoyment. Never knew about Kay Thompson's involvement w/ MGM, though -- interesting stuff and thanks for the info!

This Turner Classic Movies link has a little more background re: the Avedon-FunnyFace connection and also about Kay Thompson: http://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/102790|0/Funny-Face.html
 
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aa456

On the Ice
Joined
Nov 12, 2012
Yuna Kim: Kiss of the Vampire SP. Did not like Wilson's choreography, it seemed generic. Not a huge fan of her Die Fledermaus SP either but it was somewhat cute.

Mao Asada: the tango sp from 2010-2011. I felt it didn't suit her. plus with her going through her jump technique changes at the time, the SP seemed even more morose. I also am not a huge fan of the Masquerade LP. the music is too repetitive for me.
 

jenaj

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 17, 2003
Country
United-States
I love Rachmaninoff, but that particular arrangement of the Prelude in C sharp minor was the most heavy-handed one I've ever heard. For one thing, it took just the "A" theme, which is droning and dirgelike, and it left out the "B" theme, which has a lot of variation in tempo and emotional shading. So in a way the music was made dreadful, though not by Rachmaninoff himself.

Also by not ending with the "bells," the whole impact of the piece was lost. They had to cut it that way, I guess, to make it four minutes long. Here is Jeff Buttle's short program to the original piano version. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_ykwygn8Dg
 

gotoschool

Medalist
Joined
Mar 5, 2014
^delivered with the same intent and passion as Mao's footwork...well...maybe I'm being generous but very well said. I love when people express their feelings toward a program so clear for all to read. Thank you! :clap:

I'm quite nervous to search back thread for the same fervor addressing potentially one of Mao's programs you don't like as the thread topic suggests. :biggrin:

I would thank you for the compliment but no words would have been said if not for the final three outstanding performances of Mao Asada at Sochi and Worlds this past season, so let's just thank her and kindly hope she will give us some more wonderful moments before going into retirement. Even though I was very impressed with Bells of Moscow 4 years ago, I didn't really connect with it deeply until watching it after after Soch. Then, I saw the emotional connection between them. I'm glad you liked what I wrote and thank you.
 
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