Why did the crowd "suddenly" go crazy over Michelle's footwork?

[apache88]

Why did the crowd "suddenly" go crazy over Michelle's footwork?

Ever since Michelle's great footwork was on display at 03 Nationals, all of a sudden, it has become one of her moves that people love. I don't understand it. It's not like she had never had great footwork before 03. She had, it's just that no one actually did say much about it like they did about her charlotte and spirals, until 03 Nationals. I mean in The Red Violin, the crowd seemed to be nonchalant when immediately after her 2nd lutz she launched into a series of magnificent circular footwark ending it with that memorable frog position and following it up with a long charlottle along the rink. That circular footwork couldn't be mediocre, could it?

Was the footwork at 03 Nationals, Worlds or 04 Nationals for that matter, so superior compared to her past footwork that it suddenly got people to start thinking "Geez, Michelle actually has a great footwork"?

Just curious as always.

 

[fuido]

well, did you get energized when she started her footwork sequence? i know i did... thinking about those programs in particular, the beginning and the middle were kind of slow, so when the change of pace came on, it was something to look forward to, especially when the passion escaped her body and sank into her skate blades. i felt for her... i agree, her footwork has always been good (not as stellar as morozov's IMO) but when her energy is there, i feed off of it. that's just my opinion.

 

[apache88]

Watching her footwork sequence in her 03 Nats/Worlds Aranjuez and Tosca at 04 Nationals, not only did I get energized like Dick, I was awestruck. That brings me to the next question. Do you guys think the footwork sequence actually changed the overall perception of the program? Before the footwork, it was "ho-hum, typical clean, polished skating with triples, great job but ...". Then came the footwork and everyone went into frenzy. It seemed to me that the 15-sec footwork sequence defined the whole program itself, it created the lasting impression for the program.

Now it will be interesting to see how the people in Germany would react to it, come Worlds.

 

[berthes ghost]

Morosv's FW is very croud pleasing/ show stopping. They went wild when Alexei did it in 02. They go wild when Jubert does it this year.

It's always at the end and always very showy. If the skater has skated well, the end fw is a good chance to really get the croud moving and revel in their success.

It's also very difficult in the sense that the skater has to really work-it with lots of speed and energy and verve. IMHO, Sasha's and van der Perrin's don't 'sing' as much.

 

[mzheng]

Some of her LP footword before Aranjuez and Tosca might be more difficult but not performed with such passion and freedom as in Aranjuez and Tosca. To me in Aranjuez and Tosca her WHOLE BODY become the musical you just see she poured all of her energe and emotion into that footwork. IMO the Tosca's one out do the Aranjuez one.

It's also very difficult in the sense that the skater has to really work-it with lots of speed and energy and verve. IMHO, Sasha's and van der Perrin's don't 'sing' as much.

ITA. And IMO, only Yag and Michelle make Morosv's footwork 'sing' as themselves. Jubert is getting there, more so this year. I thought even Arakwa performed Morosv FW better than Sasha last season. Sasha has improved this year, but still looks like a 'toothpick' (a stiff appearance) hop across the ice, more so in her last year's fw.

 

[NJSk8Fan]

I'm not the best at knowing all the technical aspects of footwork, but I do know that my personal feeling is that in the past season or two, something is different about Michelle's footwork sequences. Whether it's better choice of placing it with the music, more passion in her performance of it, or some other difference, I am drawn to it much more lately. Just my personal opinion.

 

[tharrtell]

To me in Aranjuez and Tosca her WHOLE BODY become the musical you just see she poured all of her energe and emotion into that footwork.

I agree. I think her footwork is so effective because her whole body, from her skate blades to the tips of her fingers, is working in unison with the music.

 

[show 42]

I agree, I agree, and added to that, it's just been in the last few years, since Yag's wonderful footwork sequence at SLC Oly's, that people have taken a renewed interest in the footwork section of the eligible skaters........it was always there in the pro's with Scott, Kurt, Yuka, and Paul leading the way.........42

 

[mzheng]

I also think a skater has to be VERY VERY sure or feel secure with his/her edge to perform the footwork like Yag and MK. It is like you have to give up yourself to the music not concentrate on your blades or 'skate clean' any more. Did MK said after her 2004 Nats performance 'When the footwork session came, I was like heck I'm not going to trip on footwork, so I went out all the way' something to this effective.

Yeah, show42 I agree with you for the pro skating. It was from Scott and Kurt's footwork, most of them meshed into their program, I got those 'Professional' feeling, it almost like they were able to do ANYTHING they want on the slipy ice, like they were born with the blades on their feet. lol.

 

[Kwanisqueen81]

MK and footwork

Great Thread Apache88!!

Yes MK has always had difficult foot work

Remember her pre '03 footwork:
DOD from '97
Rach from ' 98
Romanza from '96(serpentine footwork to die for)
I also love her Carmen sp footwork


Also Michelle I have traced Michelle's history of great footwork in the long program goes back to her 2000 worlds performance of Red Violin. After the 2nd 3lutz her erupted with energetic footwork

Not to mention Shez '02 Nats. I thought the same thing you did apache88 about her shez performance that you did about tosca...it was "ho-hum, typical clean, polished skating with triples, great job but ...". Then came the footwork after the 2nd Triple lutz, and her energy level went though the roof. I went back and looked at Shez and I do perfer it to Tosca becuae it has more varity of moves in the field but that is another theard.

So I guess the best way to answer you question is this:
Michelle has always had difficult footwork, but since SLC she has made her footwork a centerpiece of her program much like COE sprial. It is something fans look forward to. The difference between her footwork now and then is that now she places it in the program when she knows it will be a show stopper and she brings all her energy to perform it emotionally.

 

[Yazmeen]

I agree with all said previously. There was just a certain "passion" to the footwork in '03 and '04 that wasn't there previously--every pore of her being was poured into it. I do very rudimentary footwork for competition at this point, and while I love it, its a bear sometimes to get it right, much less look good doing it! Michelle and Yags are both very passionate and special in what they put out there, footwork-wise.

 

[Ptichka]

ITA. And IMO, only Yag and Michelle make Morosv's footwork 'sing' as themselves. Jubert is getting there, more so this year. I thought even Arakwa performed Morosv FW better than Sasha last season. Sasha has improved this year, but still looks like a 'toothpick' (a stiff appearance) hop across the ice, more so in her last year's fw.

I would also add Honda to the list. He's not my favorite skater, but his last footwork sequence in the free at last year's Worlds was amazing! It really got the crowd on its feet, too.

I think one of the pleasant consequences of Morozov's footwork is that audience has started more attention to footwork in general. I don't remember either fans or commentators paying too much attention to it before (especially on the ladies side).

 

[shine]

Well, I don't know about the statement that MK and Yags are the only skaters who do Morozov's choreography justice, since other than most of the programs that he did for Yagudin and "Malaguena" for Cohen, his other stuff for his singles clients are pretty much crap to begin with. Seriously, I don't get it. How could he stand himself for coming up with "Tosca" and "Riverdance" etc etc after having done programs like the "Revolution Etude" and "Winte". Maybe choregraphying those amazing programs for Yagudin had completely drained his creative juice.

 

[Fossi]

I liked Michelle's footwork her entire career. I really enjoy her footwork wiht Morosov. I think the difference between her and the other ladies doing Morosov's footwork is that Michelle makes it her own. The others try too hard to be yagudin. Nobody can be Yagudin though. He owned his footwork and it can't be duplicated. Michelle owns hers too. Big difference.
I think the crowd went wild because Michelle performed so flawlessly, and the footwork was the icing on the cake.
The crowd wants Michelle to win. They feel they are a part of her. This isn't to say they won't cheer on a great performance and appreciate it. At SLC the crowd wanted it for Michelle, but when Sarah pulled the upset of a lifetime, they were happy for Sarah. They knew she did well. She owned that competition.

 

[blurrysarah]

I'm fairly neutral when it comes to Michelle and most skaters (I don't consider myself a diehard "fan" of anyone), so it takes a lot more to induce feeling in me than 30 odd seconds of passionate straight line foowork. (Using Tosca as an example)
I watched her LP this year at Nationals, and the footwork at the end seemed tacked on for the crowd's sake, because I just did not feel a thing for the program up until that point. She skated around rather calmy, nonchalantly swinging her arms as if it were a warmup session. As soon as the footwork began, she changed, and from what I hear in my clip, the crowd and commentators changed too (from pindrop silence to a roar/gush), like they were just waiting for the exciting part. I don't know, I've been impressed with a fair few of Michelle's programs but Tosca just leaves me completely empty, and while the footwork is good, I cannot remember anything else that stood out from the program.

 

[icenut84]

I haven't seen Tosca, but I think her programmes from last season (Aranjuez and TFB) had much stronger footwork than she'd done before. They weren't the most difficult sequences in the world (TFB only had turns in one direction, and I odn't think Aranjuez was much different) but they were certainly much better and more difficult than she'd done before. Also, the way she performed them made the footwork a high point in the routines.

In previous years, Michelle's footwork was not very difficult. In Scheherezade from the Olympics, her "footwork" was incredibly simple and short (although I read a previous version of that LP had had better footwork?). Her Rachmaninov SP also had relatively simple footwork, as did SOTBS. Red Violin had more energy in it, but it still wasn't at the difficulty level of some of the skaters. I think it's great that her footwork is now being given more emphasis and difficulty. I just wish she didn't leave the rest of the programmes so empty.

I think Yagudin's "Winter" s-l footwork really brought it to people's attention again. I mean, before that, lots of skaters had had difficult or interesting sequences, but that footwork in Winter really started a fashion and made a lot more people want to copy it. I think it's great for skating that footwork is given more attention again.

 

[Gipson]

I think it also has to do with there being more support for Michelle from fans with every year. Even before she starts skating, the crowd goes crazy and when she reaches the last footwork section, they know she's finished all her jumps and if she landed all of them, there's even more reason to go crazy

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

I think it's the "Morozov touch" which started with Yags then onto MK. both skaters are extremely adept at executing Morozov's steps.

Joe

 

[Lucy25]

Not only do I think Michelle's footwork has gotten more difficult the past two seasons (especially the way she uses her whole body), but I love how she doesn't stop before the footwork and prepare for it. I hate when skaters do this, and almost all of them do.

As soon as the footwork began, she changed, and from what I hear in my clip, the crowd and commentators changed too (from pindrop silence to a roar/gush), like they were just waiting for the exciting part.

I am not sure what clip you have, but my tape of ABC has the crowd going nuts the entire performance and the commentators talking through most of it.

 

[Pati]

I am not sure what clip you have, but my tape of ABC has the crowd going nuts the entire performance and the commentators talking through most of it.

Pheww! So glad you said that Lucy! Thats what I saw and heard too. :sheesh: