Pick only one

EyesOfLove · May 23, 2019

skateluvr said:
Michelle Kwan skated as@ senior for a decade. Many competitions and exhibitions in the golden decade after the whack.

Can you tell us the one program you most enjoyed and why? Did it embody Michelle as a lover of the sport? Was it artistic? Was it one of her best technical outings? Is the costume iconic?

Was it the best spiral sequence ever? I was watching her on YouTube last night for calm and the joy she usually exuded. Sadly her 2002 Olympic LP was not one of the faves. Michelle seems largely,forgotten by fans of IJS and quadsters. But I still like her skating. Lyra Angelica 1998 nationals and Olympics remain the programs that showed her essence. The joy, her innocence and her love of skating with her fractured toe still makes me marvel at the young lovely Michelle in the beautiful periwinkle blue velour simple dress. Seldom have we seen such a happy competitor. Yes, skaters more athletic by far but no one matches her sheer joy and captures the flight of skating like her. Any links to your favorite MK performance?

Lyra Angelica at 1998 US Nationals. The culmination of the euphoric freedom that skating can bestow on a human being. It exudes a kind of magic which is the more marvelous for its unutterable and impalpable quality.

skylark · May 23, 2019

Penny said:
So beautiful, from the opening to the end. The point system has its advantages, but under it, we will never see anything like this again. The backward and forward spirals, the gorgeous (simple) spins, the well-spaced jumps. Oh well...

You took the words right out of my mouth. It just makes me so sad. :sad4: :console:

And angry. :curse:

I have to say that when she did this program in Olympic level competition, it wasn't like this either. Some of the exquisite was sacrificed for the needs of the competition. This was a Pro-Am competition number. And it still left space for all of that fragility and ethereal quality.

skateluvr · May 24, 2019

Arriba627 said:
East of Eden I love this program SO much. Love how Frank sends her off with "Skate with undaunted courage."

Yes this is amazing and it seems to me when she was younger she strove to make the nuances better. I must admit I hated her short post Nagano hair and I have more favorite dresses but this is in my top 5 Kwan skates. The music is heavenly and has a grand sweep. Lori did so much for her with lovely music through the years.

skateluvr · May 24, 2019

Mathman said:
Here is a superb gem that is never mentioned in "favorite Michelle" discussions. This is the Red Violin preview exhibition from the 1999 Worlds gala.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UruB5GOsB5s

The movie had not been released in the U.S. yet. It had been released in a limited way in Austria, Canada and Japan in the fall of 1998. But I don't think that the soundtrack was available on CD until after the U.S. release the next year. I would love to know the story of how Lori Nichol got hold of the music. But she did, and evidently said to herself -- that's going to be Michelle's music next year!

Thank you MM. if I saw that I forgot it. It’s so lovely. The music is amazing. I adore that movie and have listened to this music so many times. It is absolutely haunting and timeless. What a talent John Corigliano is. I hope he is still alive.

labgoat · May 24, 2019

demarinis5 said:
Well it is hard for me to pick a favorite because I love her body of work.

But Dante's Prayer an Exhibition program from 1998 is a standout on my list. Her arms, her edging and body
movements are first rate. Michelle always had that special talent to cast a spell and draw the audience into
her programs and Dante's Prayer is a classic example of why she will always be the Kween!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edlTytIoFEk

I love this one too. I already loved the music, but my jaw dropped with the next level skating inside edge spirals done to the plaintive ohs of Lorena McKennitts haunting voice, inventive entries to moves and the emotion of the musical refrain "please remember me" as a reflection on her Olympic defeat and rebirth as a performer. Michelle in her prime - beautiful, heartfelt skating the likes of which haven't been seen since Janet Lynn.

It was also an essay on the inside edge, featured camels in both directions and the famous change edge spiral.

Pick only one

EyesOfLove

skylark

Gazing at a Glorious Great Lakes sunset

skateluvr

skateluvr

labgoat

Done updating WJC rewatches!

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