All That Skate Spring 2012 (May 4-6)

[Mathman]

As many as when you were a teenager.

New teenagers want their own, not hand me down.

OK, but once we have the definitive "At Seventeen" by Janis Ian there really is nothing more to be said in that genre.

Adele said afterward that breaking up with her boyfriend was the best thing that ever happened to her, careerwise. Every song on her blockbuster ablum ("21") is about it.

Coolest break-up song: Carly Simon's "You're so vain, you probably think this song is about you."

Of course, if you are talking about when I was a teenager, you'd have to go back to "It's my party (and I'll cry if I want to)." (To show how the younger generation has gone to the dogs, if this song came out now the subtitle would be ""and I'll cry if I wanna." )

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsYJyVEUaC4

 

[Krislite]

I can understand her jumps are not as sharp as before, but spins? skating skill? It seems like everything went out the window the moment she stopped competing. Other girls like Kimmie, Sasha, Sarah etc... who stopped competing for years can still spin. Her spin looks novice-level.
If she wants to come back, she will need to work on everything. At least her dress is flattering.

Right, because Yuna has always done level 4 spins in her galas so this is clearly a sign of her decline. The only time she's ever done level 4 spins in her galas is when performing her competition programs as an exhibition program--like Giselle.

Anyways, I like these new ones better than her more recent galas like Fever.

 

[gourry]

Full videos!!!

All of Me: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jBXDy2K0QM&feature=player_embedded

Someone like You: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZtnMEU8NAQ&feature=player_embedded

Opening: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4_PUCZsuIE&feature=player_embedded

sooooooo good to see Yuna on ice again. To me, her movements / jumps look good as ever!!

Thanks for the links!! How much have I missed her. Ahhh..... It is so good to finally see her skating.
I absolutely love All of Me. It is very different from her other galas in a good way. And very nice and interesting steps and movements. Feels a bit like Kurt-ish to me. Unlike Fever which I didn't really care for, this one seems very rich and full without jumps. Love it.

As for Someone Like You, I'm not a fan of the music so I didn't have high expectation to begin with. At first it was about okay to me, but the more I watch it, the more it grows on me. It's quite beautiful. I wish she does another show in the US again!

The 3Sal had a unstable landing.

It was 3T.

 

[Krislite]

Good fancam angles...

1. All of Me

2. Someone Like You

ETA:

Best fancam of "Someone Like You": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOscmKidv8U&feature=player_embedded

The audience is better at filming that the TV crew.

 

[lowtherlore]

Many (300+) pictures from Day 1:
http://sports.media.daum.net/general/gallery/0504general/index.html?t__nil_news=img&nil_id=6#20120505090806931

Some notes on Day 1:

- During skaters’ introduction each skater was escorted by a fan, and some escorting fans were doing three jumps, single jumps, spirals or (waist-level) lifts with their partners.
- Again DW and the skaters did a great job with opening and finale. I really liked the Avatar Mix opening.
- Carolina’s Hallelujah costume was amazing under gala lighting. Great skating and speed.
- S/P gave two solid performances, drew a lot of cheer for Scream.
- Both V/T programs were well received. I liked Bring Me To Life.
- Alissa was so pretty with her ever-present smile. Audience responded well to her I Like The Way You Move.
- Stephane changed the program order and did My Body Is A Cage in the first half. I liked Regoletto more. Standing O.
- Haejin did very well. Promising.
- Chan was great. I liked both programs, especially the Elegie. It seems he’s adding more emotional depth to his skating. Superb.
- Minjeong has grown a lot. Nice program.
- S/Z never disappoint. Classy champion couple. I liked they chose another beautiful Chinese song. Standing O for I’ll Be There.
- For young Jinseo it was a difficult spot to skate following Chan’s Elegie and Kostner’s Hallelujah, but he held his own with a K-Pop dance number and the audience loved it.
- Evan’s lengthy frame is rare visual attraction. Underrated as a performer I think. Big ovation for Roxanne’s Tango.
- Biggest surprise of the night was the acrobats Besedin/Polishchuk. Their Swan Lake was so entertaining. Standing O.
- Yu-Na’s All Of Me was a smash hit. Superb choreography and skating to match. It was visible she was using a lot of caution not to lose or drop the hat during spins, windmill and steps. But with the way she completed every choreographic move and seamlessly connected to the next move, it was not distracting. What she did with the hat during the ina bauer and the final FSSp was clever.
- Liked her Adele too. Reminiscent of her Thais’ Meditation. Adele songs in its original versions I think are tricky as skating music. They typically don’t have enough spacing between bars and refrains for emotional buildup in a skating program. And while her singing is terse, they have some intricate voice passages which can’t be easily displayed by motion performance. I think DW and Yu-Na did a great job.

 

[lowtherlore]

Good fancam angles...

1. All of Me

2. Someone Like You

ETA:

Best fancam of "Someone Like You": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOscmKidv8U&feature=player_embedded

The audience is better at filming that the TV crew.

So true!

The same poster uploaded a super quality All Of Me too:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBM0oquI544

I hope this person recorded (or will record) other programs as well.

 

[l'etoile]

Many (300+) pictures from Day 1:
http://sports.media.daum.net/general/gallery/0504general/index.html?t__nil_news=img&nil_id=6#20120505090806931

Some notes on Day 1:

- During skaters’ introduction each skater was escorted by a fan, and some escorting fans were doing three jumps, single jumps, spirals or (waist-level) lifts with their partners.
- Again DW and the skaters did a great job with opening and finale. I really liked the Avatar Mix opening.
- Carolina’s Hallelujah costume was amazing under gala lighting. Great skating and speed.
- S/P gave two solid performances, drew a lot of cheer for Scream.
- Both V/T programs were well received. I liked Bring Me To Life.
- Alissa was so pretty with her ever-present smile. Audience responded well to her I Like The Way You Move.
- Stephane changed the program order and did My Body Is A Cage in the first half. I liked Regoletto more. Standing O.
- Haejin did very well. Promising.
- Chan was great. I liked both programs, especially the Elegie. It seems he’s adding more emotional depth to his skating. Superb.
- Minjeong has grown a lot. Nice program.
- S/Z never disappoint. Classy champion couple. I liked they chose another beautiful Chinese song. Standing O for I’ll Be There.
- For young Jinseo it was a difficult spot to skate following Chan’s Elegie and Kostner’s Hallelujah, but he held his own with a K-Pop dance number and the audience loved it.
- Evan’s lengthy frame is rare visual attraction. Underrated as a performer I think. Big ovation for Roxanne’s Tango.
- Biggest surprise of the night was the acrobats Besedin/Polishchuk. Their Swan Lake was so entertaining. Standing O.
- Yu-Na’s All Of Me was a smash hit. Superb choreography and skating to match. It was visible she was using a lot of caution not to lose or drop the hat during spins, windmill and steps. But with the way she completed every choreographic move and seamlessly connected to the next move, it was not distracting. What she did with the hat during the ina bauer and the final FSSp was clever.
- Liked her Adele too. Reminiscent of her Thais’ Meditation. Adele songs in its original versions I think are tricky as skating music. They typically don’t have enough spacing between bars and refrains for emotional buildup in a skating program. And while her singing is terse, they have some intricate voice passages which can’t be easily displayed by motion performance. I think DW and Yu-Na did a great job.

WOW thank you for the report!

 

[parma]

I can understand her jumps are not as sharp as before, but spins? skating skill? It seems like everything went out the window the moment she stopped competing. Other girls like Kimmie, Sasha, Sarah etc... who stopped competing for years can still spin. Her spin looks novice-level.
If she wants to come back, she will need to work on everything. At least her dress is flattering.

Geez. She came back on ice to the packed audience after 8 months of a long break and you just don't seem to lose a second in launching at her. Let's see how you can handle in her shoes. Considering her long hiatus both of her performance was admirably good.

 

[demarinis5]

Not sure if this has been posted.

Stephane "La donna e mobile", simply the best!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bi8wkIegCOI&feature=relmfu

 

[Olympia]

Not sure if this has been posted.

Stephane "La donna e mobile", simply the best!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bi8wkIegCOI&feature=relmfu

Oh, how blissful! Verdi never sounded so good. Isn't it great that Stephane decided to stay in skating after finishing his competitive career?

 

[figureskate]

Not sure if this has been posted.

Stephane "La donna e mobile", simply the best!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bi8wkIegCOI&feature=relmfu

wow, he's an Opera man! Wonderful

 

[deedee1]

Not sure if this has been posted.

Stephane "La donna e mobile", simply the best!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bi8wkIegCOI&feature=relmfu

demarinis5, thank you SO MUCH for the link!

I can watch him skate all day long, even without any jumps. What a gorgeous skater he still is!
Oh, how I miss Stephane! And for the same matter, I miss Jeff, too...
Actually, Mens competition is not the same for me after both retired...It reminds me once again how I miss those days when Staphane, Jeff, Brian, Evan, Johnny, Brain and Daisuke all competed going head to head, who were so versatile each other, with different styles, different and unique strengths and weaknesses, and whom I admired and respected all in their own ways,. Those days were probably the best Mens competitions for me to this date. :yes:

Edited to add:

For Yuna's spins slowing down a bit, it's understandable to me because she does wear a hat in 'All of Me' number. She just needs to slow it down so that spinning deos not blow her hat off, right? Besides, the best spinners in the world, say, Stephane in this Verdi number or Allisa in the Gala numbers, also slow down his/her spins when the music requires to do so, regardless of their super ability to spin like crazy.

 

[Krislite]

Broadcast version "Someone Like You": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUtanKTgxgU&feature=player_embedded

Annoying commentary and poor audio, but some of the angles are great. Also her cleanest performance of this program.

 

[sweetskates1]

Thank you, Stephane is still the best... thank goodness we still have Daisuke competing!!

Not sure if this has been posted.

Stephane "La donna e mobile", simply the best!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bi8wkIegCOI&feature=relmfu

 

[silverlake22]

Not sure if this has been posted.

Stephane "La donna e mobile", simply the best!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bi8wkIegCOI&feature=relmfu

Amazing! I hope he continues to choreograph! I think he could be an amazing choreographer for Jeremy Abbott and Joshua Farris, who are somewhat similar to Lambiel in their movement across the ice.

 

[lowtherlore]

Photos from Day 3 (220 photos):
http://sports.media.daum.net/general/gallery/allthat120506/index.html#20120507083509508

Photos from Day 2 (140 photos):
http://sports.media.daum.net/general/gallery/0505kimyuna/index.html#20120506100403517
I like this one Maxim waving to fans

Great videos by a fan:
Chan -- Mannish Boy (Day 3 fan cam)
Chan -- Elegie in E Flat Minor (Day 3 fan cam)
Lysachek -- El Tango de Roxanne (Day 3 fan cam)
Lambiel -- Rigoletto (Day 3 fan cam)
Lambiel -- My Body Is A Cage (Day 3 fan cam)
Jinseo Kim -- Fantastic Baby (Day 3 fan cam)
Yuna Kim -- Someone Like You (Day 3 fan cam)
Yuna Kim -- All Of Me (Day 3 fan cam)
V/T -- Bring Me To Life (Day 3 fan cam)
S/P -- Scream (Day 3 fan cam)
Finale (Day 3 fan cam)
Finale (Day 3 fan cam 2)
Curtain Call (Day 3 fan cam)
Finale (Day 1 fan cam)
Curtain Call (Day 1 fan cam)
Opening (Day 1 fan cam)
Lambiel -- Rigoletto (Day 1 fan cam)
Besedin/Polishchuk -- Swan Lake (Day 1 fan cam)
Lysachek -- Introduction (Day 1 fan cam)
Chan -- Introduction (Day 1 fan cam)
Lambiel -- Introduction (Day 1 fan cam)
Yuna Kim -- Introduction (Day 1 fan cam)

 

[skateflower]

These korean fans are really starting to grate on my neverves. Can they please stop screaming out for nothing?

 

[skateluvr]

Everyone has skated to Adele this year. I am a fan of Adele, but sometimes a record gets saturated. I am glad people recognize her talent and that she can get a record contract without looking like most skinny female pop stars with gimmicks. I love that Adele can just stand there and sing.But that does not mean I want half the female skaters or icedancers to choose Adele tunes. That is what I mean by saying I wish David Wilson found more and different songs for yuna since she does 1 show a year? Her all of me is a nice Michael Buble middle of the road song. I can't help but think it is Billie Holiday's song, thogh I don't know who wrote it. I am disappointed in these choices for Yuna. All of me was sloppy and much worrying about the hat staying on and her back up men were not in synch. They never have enough time to rehearse really good group numbers, I guess.

I liked Yuna skating to Adele, and she seemed to connect to it well, but hey, it is a valid criticism from Yuna fans (not uber) I said fans, to miss seeing what made her a champion. Her spins, spirals, footwork were never level 4 to me but when she was clean, and did the jumps, everything got better scores. Yuna is skating three hours a day, and We do not see someone close to who she was. I know it does not matter as her shows will sell out when she is 70 if she just gets pulled onto the ice.
I know her Korean ubers get very touchy of any criticism, but I have yet to see a great performance from Yuna after she got off the ice in Vancouver. Her gala skate, which was ok for me in Vancouver now looks better.

She has the best choreographer, and she has the ability. Look at the performances of the 2006 ladies OGM. Shizuka is sublimely beautiful and she seems to keep a high work ethic. I know kporea doesn't care- they are watching their Queen/rockstar/guru etc. But me as a fan and witness to two very good Olympic programs and others before it in her 4 years at the top of intl scene, I'm disappointed. I don't think she is giving a great effort. Maybe that is why she does not skate outside Korea at other shows she must get invited to. In a way, I wish she would come back so we could see a better Yuna. It is fun to see her fly into her triple-triples...She should hilight jumps as that is her claim to fame. I miss seeing them, and I do re-watch her Vancouver skates to remember how good Yuna used to be.

 

[Mathman]

These korean fans are really starting to grate on my neverves. Can they please stop screaming out for nothing?

$$$$$ Other skaters should be so lucky as to have fans like Yu-na's.

 

[lowtherlore]

The skaters were there only for 4-5 days. What do you expect? A 30-city tour quality group numbers? They did a great job given the constraints.

I see an evolving skater, with better skating and performance skills than ever. She's TREMENDOUS. Enjoy her while you can. Another talent like hers won't come easy.

More great fan cams:
Yuna Kim -- All Of Me (Day 3 fan cam 2)
Yuna Kim -- All Of Me (Day 1 fan cam)
Haejin Kim -- Moonlight Sonata (Day 1 fan cam)
Yuna Kim -- Someone Like You (Day 3 fan cam 2)