Cup of China Gala/Exhibition

[Ilvskating]

I love K/S' s exhibition program, so beautiful! I didn't like them until after 2010 Olympics. IMO they started to have some character after the games and becoming better and better each year. I start to enjoy their skating and loved their LP last year. So happy they keep it for this season and I hope they can finally skate it perfectly some time this season and it could be a master piece.

 

[OS]

Enjoyable gala... yeah for selfies
https://instagram.com/p/90xAKqnH1D/
(Where's Zijun?!)

Han Yan
Oh why oh why can't you do that program in competition Han Yan? That is how you should skate! Don't let anyone hold you down next time, no silly gimmicks, just playing straight, skate grand, keep things simple and elegant. Wonder who choreographed it?

Yu/Jin. Beautiful rendition of See you again. It is actually the friendship tribute song to Paul Walker who died at recent tragic car accident towards the endcredit of Fast and Furious 7 (a top 10 best selling movie of all time). I am really impressed by this young couple, and think they offer bigger potential than Sui/Han in the future to come. Next few years, there's going to be fierce rivalry between China / Russia / Canada in this sport.

Misha. Well nice to see him back to his old self, the ever enthusiastic entertainer. I actually enjoyed this nice mishmash of whatever the heck it is, some sort of techno bollywood style, otherwise I was beginning to wonder where the old Misha had gone, I did miss him.

Javier, + Mao
Cute to see Mao in a top hat doing the drag thing, and Javier really embraced his spanish root this year. Really entertained by the two, particular the Metador program.

Zijun Beautiful skating...beautiful package, skater, but I am gutted for her.. Really Zijun'd need to think about the type of program within her capacity to deliver. Really, isn't it time to find alternative choreographer? Really regretful for her 9th place at home event, bit hopeless. Need to be better stamina condition in this sport obviously!! Power power power!!!! Stamina Stamina Stamina. Steel and Silk.

SoYoun
I am totally gutted for her PCS especially for the FS. It goes against everything I thought I knew about the sport and wondering what why are the judges holding back her so much to result in 10th place PCS for a beautiful program like the Red Violin. She'd need to include at least a quad lz to even the PCS gap to something like a Elena's mistake prone Titanic. Crazy! So glad the Chinese organizer are kind enough to invite her to perform. She was delightful, even without a proper exhibition costume. It is sad to read she didn't even bother prepare her exhibition costume, likely because she didn't expect to podium. What sad mental status, i just don't know what to say.

Karen Chen
Got a little bit weepy watching this 'Butterfly lovers' and how nice it is to have her skate such a meaningful program in Cup of China for this US/Taiwan kid. Ofcourse I am reminded of the legacy through out, from Lu Chen to Karen's first version of uber cute butterfly lovers as a novice that caught my eye, beyond the physical transformation. It is like 360 degrees of coming home for the shy introverted kid blossom into a beautiful butterfly.

 

[Pamigena]

Enjoyable gala... yeah for selfies
https://instagram.com/p/90xAKqnH1D/

and with the bloody car in the background :rofl2: priceless

 

[hippomoomin]

Love Karen's ex. She actually incorporated lots of Chinese folk dance movements in it, and didn't just use the fans to look pretty.
Did anyone see Anna's exhibition? Didn't find any video on youtube.

 

[apgold]

and with the bloody car in the background priceless

During the medal ceremony, the gold and silver medalists were given shoebox size boxes with pictures of the Audi on it, while the bronze medalists got a white box. Does anyone know if the medalists get cars as prizes?

 

[RemyRose]

Does anyone know if the medalists get cars as prizes?

They sure did...........model cars :dev3:

 

[Rikku]

I thought Misha with the beard and after he took off the hat kinda looked like Edward Norton in 25th hour..

 

[Sugarpova]

no srsly
Yuko seems like a diff person now! so assured & So sunshinyyyyy!
:hap93: yayyyy

but please I need a diff EX! so many possibilities & they use February!
Hope to be surprised the next Gala!


Really this Gala is my dream come true!
P/T!:luv17::luv17: just thank you, China!!

 

[qwertyskates]

My favourite Exhibitions were Misha's and Karen's...they actually put quite a lot of effort into theirs!

 

[Celine]

It's great when the gala programs are actually thoughtfully done. Too many skaters slap together a pastiche of their competitive programs, and just put it to different music. Particularly notorious in ice dance.

 

[TheGrandSophy]

I loved Misha's gala performance. He really can dance. I'd love him to do a hip hop or similar SP- something like Dai's Cyber Swan (he did a tribute to this and other Dai programmes really well in the summer).