Yuna Kim

[solani]

something though, David is the choreographer, but Yuna is the performer, Yuna can do the faces which may brought out by David. but Yuna also has the prerogative to choose what kinda facial expression she wanna give in everyone of HER performances. It is also HER art.
I dont think the lack of OTT facial expression in Yuna's Les Mis is due to going back to Korea though, (or her other post 2010. go-back-to-Korea programs) and Korean shut her down , I think it is just the way how SHE wanna express her art. It is actually appropriate, deep and touching.
I think Yuna has grown into certainly an independent artist and had her own artistic identity since! I am glad FG can have Yuna, this unique Artist ever exist!！
BTW, Yuna also did the "FEVER" in her going-back-to-Korea days.

sever the ties with FG powerhouses like Canada or North American, will has its consequences.
but that is the only way how you grow your own status and identity in FG from nothing.
That is the way Yuna is doing right now. it is gonna be very very difficult though, and I really dont know if she can succeed on this one...

by "sever ties" I dont mean that becoming enemies, I mean you will learn to do those things, e.g. training technique, choreography etc. independently and develop from that on your own.

I agree with everything except the "from nothing" part. Everything you do, especially when it comes to art and expression is influenced by past experiences and knowledge. Yuna was already a very fine skater when she came to Canada, the team there built on that. And when she left she was a different skater and again changed when she trained in South Korea again. We don't know what kind of performer she would have been if she'd stayed in Canada. And I actually liked her facial expressions in her later years, I think that North American skaters sometimes have over the top facial expressions.

I don’t know it’s a cultural thing or not. David not gonna have a fame in korea. We kind of hate a person who has a big mouth. Even though International fans like his interview or value his honesty, I don’t think that is pure. Obviously David doesn’t have any opportunities in doing business with Yuna recently. And he suddenly became a honest person.

So you think he'll fall out of favour in South Korea only because of this interview?

 

[skaterr]

^^ I'm pretty sure.

 

[yyyskate]

"from nothing" i mean from a very low base/status, which Korea FG is at the time.

 

[Proxy]

I don't think David said anything malicious in his interview, even if he's wrong or too emotional about something it seems just his honest opinion. But from the interview, one gets the impression that he's more of an outsider now. Maybe unlikely he works with Yuna again, simply because she doesn't seem to want to skate in public anymore, period.

 

[jenm]

Finally finished watching the interview. I have to say I love David Wilson for his honesty. He's so animated and such a joy to interview.

He's trying so hard to be impartial about Sochi but his facial expression when he said "12 pts. higher" says his real feelings about the matter, at least to me. lol. But I disagree (strongly) with the Lutz being under-rotated and that Yuna got away with it. It wasn't UR and Adelina was the one who got away with an edge call and obvious UR on her 3T.

The last part was, in my opinion, exactly why Yuna retired at 23. Everyone was putting their own dreams, their own expectations on her but it is her life and she's the one who's gonna go through all the pain, all the pressure, and stress again. Not only from certain fans or a few people but from her entire nation + fans around the world. Can you imagine a single person carrying all that on her own? FS is an individual sport. It's not like she skates with a team that shares her glory and falls. When she falls, it's only her on the ice.

I'm not talking about David only but people need to stop looking at her like a trophy that would magically make the skating world famous again. It's not her responsibility alone. If they want a Yuna Kim, they should hone young skaters the proper way (proper technique) and ISU really needs reform. It's a sport composed of many many different people and to put that burden on one person is unfair and wrong. Yuna is a person with limitations and her own reasons. She has feelings like everyone else and to put that aside to fulfil other people's dreams is unfair for her given how she has helped and still is helping the sport. IN. HER. OWN. WAY.

I'm not a fan of OTT facial expressions and open-mouthed skating. I think Yuna emotes just as the programs requires. Her facial expressions are appropriate. And face isn't the only part of the body that can show emotions. What I love about her is that her entire body expresses the music.

In general tho, there's nothing wrong with this interview. It reflects David's own opinion and I think he was just expressing how sad he is that his OWN dreams aren't coming true via Yuna. But hey, there are still more skaters to come and who knows if we'll have another one as talented as Yuna Kim. And it's only been 2 years since Yuna retired. Come on. Give her more time to rest and enjoy her life.

 

[solani]

^^ I'm pretty sure.

Hmm ... I wonder if he already knows that. He's a very busy choreographer after all.

also if have watched other interviews from TSL, those coaches all said not-good things about their previous star/fav student after they parted ways.
such as Frank Caroll to Michelle, Alex O to Gracie.
As an asian, we usually will not speak about others after a break-up, that is what assumed big mouth in Asian culture, perhaps not so much in Western culture.

Alex O. was a little bit bitter after his best student left, that's true. And he's a big mouth in every culture imo. But I don't remember that Frank Carroll ever said anything negative about Michelle.
I think that speaking one's mind is different when you're an artist, like David Wilson. As Yuna's choreographer he's an artist and his art was the choreography that Yuna performed. And I think that he always gave her his absolute best.
So when he couldn't constantly work with her the end product, the program, was very likely not what he had imagined for Yuna. So even though she performed very well (also in his opinion) he wasn't absolutely satisfied with the result and it sounded to me in the interview that he told Yuna that. There's nothing that both could've really done about that and I'm sure that she was satisfied with the result. That's the important thing after all. But yes, maybe he's waited a long time to say that.

 

[Ins]

I don’t know it’s a cultural thing or not. David not gonna have a fame in korea. We kind of hate a person who has a big mouth. Even though International fans like his interview or value his honesty, I don’t think that is pure. Obviously David doesn’t have any opportunities in doing business with Yuna recently. And he suddenly became a honest person.

I'm not sure what to make of all your comments on this topic (or perhaps generally many other comments you made in this thread). It's one thing to share your own view, but it's quite another thing to claim it as something more representative of all the Yuna fans in Korea.

I'm not saying I agree with every single thing that he said in the interview, but I'd rather appreciate more straight talk out of someone's genuine heart than all the sugar-coated yet hollow flatteries. Especially if that's from someone who has deeply cared, nurtured, and mentored me for a long time.
All Yuna fans know how instrumental David Wilson has been in making Yuna the skater that she is; there should be no debate on this as even Yuna and her mom (I tend to agree on his view that she was the real "coach" all along) harped on that all the time, and he definitely earned that trust through a long collaboration/friendship throughout. Yes, a fraction of his interview was critical, and even that, he made it clear that opinion was something he already discussed with Yuna; not as if he had ambushed her or thrown her under the bus out of the blue.

Honestly, the way I see it is there might've been quite a bit of communication issue between the two and others involved. It's quite understandable, considering their language barrier and cultural differences, plus possibly not much connecting with each other in the past two years. But a relationship is a two-way street, and the team in Korea needs to do a better job (so does Wilson) at this, unless they don't care even if Yuna's influence/popularity stays generally only within Korea despite her immense potential.

Otherwise, they'll have to deal with all sorts of figure skating people and fans outside of Korea eventually. As much as I do admire what All That Skates has been able to do for Yuna, PR has been far from their strong suit. I'd go so far as to say Brian Orser was a great coach, even from a sheer PR standpoint. He was a great spokesman of Yuna for the "Western" world. And I say all these as someone who grew up in Korea and has spent a significant time living overseas.

All that aside, I'm another Yuna fan, who hopes she eventually renews her love of skating after fully recovering from a burnout, and graces the ice again in whatever way she wants.

 

[skaterr]

I’m sorry I should not say the word “we” in this.
I often go to Korean forum to monitor the opinions from Korean fans. Some fans already very mad at him. They said Wilson at least should not mention about something. Korean fans tend to show a blind love for David Wilson so far. Now the atmosphere seems different a little bit. And the fractions generally tend to grow as time goes by.

I think people from skating world including brian orser need to stand alone without dragging Yuna into their issues. All that skate is not that international company. They are doing business in here korea. Korean fans often say they are happy when Yuna is happy. I don't expect anything from Yuna.

 

[shyne]

I found it amusing when they first talk about in Asian culture you don’t put the will of the individual first, there’s pressure to push her to compete. Minutes later they are disappointed at Yuna’s decision and saying she has the obligation to give back and making the skating community more rich?

 

[OS]

What a rare insight into the artistic, brilliant and mischievous soul of David Wilson who has such fevered passion for figure skating that is plain to see and hard not to be swayed along with. Creative, wildly wacky, full of unruly energy, no filter, speak with such candour and insights, personality and aspire to greatness through positivity (even though he unintended does hold negative thoughts, may be that is why he tries so hard). Agreeable or disagreeable, no matter, he is honest about who he is, that is all you can hope for in your friend/partner/collaborator/artistic muse/confidant. For there is trust. No games with them, you know exactly where you are, and where you stood with them. Being so obvious, it can overcome many cultural barriers and pushes you to go beyond. For they speak a vocabulary of music, of figure skating movements and that is all that it mattered.

This interview also made me a bit sad, not because of what David said about feeling disappointed, but because what a lonely girl Yuna Kim must have been, if this is truly the closet friend she has in figure skating. We knew of the physical/emotional pain, the isolation, the difficulty and the unfair treatment she had to endure to keep up the appearances to love this sport because of this great gift - so much responsibility. She has done her part and more than exceeded what is expected of her... she can't even rest easy. She owes the world nothing... and yet keeps giving.

You just have to look at recent 4CC, GP, and even dare I say coming Worlds Championships, her influence can be seen everywhere, and not only among the young Korean skaters but all over the place. As much as I'd love her to return, it will have to be on her own terms and no one else. May be she never will, but it doesn't take away what magic and beauty she left the figure skating the world.

Her returning programs for me have all been dignified, honourable genuine credible pieces of artistic work. Like the Les Mis theme that I felt worked so well, it is her own artistic liberation and like YY mentioned, her independent artistic take (certainly include her cultural influences.) and IMO her liberation from what is considered as 'western friendly'. Personally, I never got to understand the propaganda that has been thrown around the time about her interpretation. I mean how else would you describe the title characters of Les Mis as anything other than Stoic? Seems nitpicking and slanderous for no reason. That ridiculously low 69 for her SP also reinforce that opinion about the judging seems against her rather than welcoming her. The highest form of artistic realisation is less is more, through intelligent ideas, deep thoughts, sensitivity and purity in the execution and delivery of concepts. Something she had in spades with her post-Vancouver programs, from Kiss from a Vampire, all the way to Adios Nonino.

-----------------------------

As for shows, career after 'retirement' .. love goes both ways. The love shown to her for World Championships LA / Vancouver resulted from an ATS show in LA. How Canadians love her and respect her brought some of her most inspired performances that launched her into Legendary status.

One can simply see the passive aggressive media games played by IMG(US/Japan) to discourage and protect local competition, include their own talent - current and future (include Gold, Nagasu and Asada) managed through IMG. Simply examine the overwhelming strategized negative press she has been treated in the western press (and English internet forums) from that summer all of a sudden, including promoted by her 'beloved' formal coach (who signed with IMG just before the summer) all over the media, thrown her out of TTC, WC/Sochi... how can it not zap out any enthusiasm with some disillusionment of it all? How can anyone close to her not get the whole picture? Include the commercial limitation set by the local market place in N America? Superstar needs their own support system, encouragement to grow and thrive, but if they are sabotaged and discouraged at every opportunity, why is anyone really surprised they may want to retire, seek home comfort and looking for something else, bigger goals such as the next generation. If US/IMG who has the monopoly of N.America market has shown half of the love Korean fans had shown instead of those weird tactics they try to undermine her management company at every opportunity to disparage competitions, I bet we'd see a couple of big outings for her in the US already. Do you really think they will have her headlining an IMG show in the US? lol... rather wilfully ignorant of how business operate and how the real world works.

 

[yyyskate]

"This interview also made me a bit sad, not because of what David said about feeling disappointed, but because what a lonely girl Yuna Kim must have been, if this is truly the closet friend she has in figure skating..."
OS I feel sad about this too, I thought David and Yuna are soulmates. but from this interview, I feel, they are not at least on some aspects. maybe it is the culture difference, or maybe it ts the communication.
remember the song Yuna used in her farewell show "communication"....

also, to be honest, I am kinda disappointed in David, maybe a little (still love him). from this interview (if it is 100% genuine and pure), Davis is not as understanding of oriental art/culture as I assumed(he is the one of the very few western choreographers who has used music of oriental theme)... just my personal feelings...

but I love his artistic vision/intention of the first few looks of "danse macabre" the analogy, totally genius.

something, also felt strange about this interview is that, if you compare the remarks of David, he made during Yuna's farewell show, when him and Yuna cried together... something changed...

also, Yuna is only 25, she is still young, but that does not mean that she has no injuries or she did not burned out. Yuna's childhood FG experience is different from a skater from any well-established FG power_house countries.

also, OS from this interview, I also felt that there is some sorta propaganda indeed going on against Yuna's comeback inside FS community. based on the feedback David got regarding Les Mis, some people told him that Yuna lacks faces, but in fact, that performance is one of Yuna's very best performance according to many people, fans, non-fans etc.

 

[begin]

Enjoyed the interview up until he started talking about how 'Asian skaters' do things. Don't go there David. It's one things to make limited observations about cultural differences but it's another to say that's how ALL of us do things.

About his personal disappointments with Yuna, that's fair for him. A lot of fans are disappointed that she's off the ice nowadays. It's not a monetary thing, so I hope no one misconstrues his words as such.

 

[begin]

I’m sorry I should not say the word “we” in this.
I often go to Korean forum to monitor the opinions from Korean fans. Some fans already very mad at him. They said Wilson at least should not mention about something. Korean fans tend to show a blind love for David Wilson so far. Now the atmosphere seems different a little bit. And the fractions generally tend to grow as time goes by.

I think people from skating world including brian orser need to stand alone without dragging Yuna into their issues. All that skate is not that international company. They are doing business in here korea. Korean fans often say they are happy when Yuna is happy. I don't expect anything from Yuna.

One could say some Yuna fans should stop dragging Brian Orser into their issues. He hasn't said anything about Yuna in a long time and is coaching others now. Not to mention that Hanyu and Fernandez are some of the two biggest skaters to have ever hit the ice. Clearly, the man has moved on.

 

[skaterr]

^^ Dragging Orser into this thread is the last thing I want to do.
Someone mentioned Orser
"Otherwise, they'll have to deal with all sorts of figure skating people and fans outside of Korea eventually. As much as I do admire what All That Skates has been able to do for Yuna, PR has been far from their strong suit. I'd go so far as to say Brian Orser was a great coach, even from a sheer PR standpoint. He was a great spokesman of Yuna for the "Western" world. And I say all these as someone who grew up in Korea and has spent a significant time living overseas."
I was replying to him or her..... You're right.
Let's not say his name in this thread. I totally agree with you.. :agree:

 

[liv]

What i got from this interview is that he truly loved working with her, was proud of how she went from very good to great, loved being her friend and choreographer, and is disappointed that someone with such immense talent wasn't happy enough skating to continue on and become even better than she was at the time. I think he feels by not continuing to skate, her immense gifts were squandered and people were deprived of those gifts. "To those whom much is given, much is expected" or so the quote goes... etc.. I am not saying it is right or wrong, everyone has the right to do as they wish, but I can understand what he is saying.

A simple way to illustrate what i mean is this: what if you saw Usain Bolt run his first world records and then he never competed again....if I was his coach, I would feel sad.

 

[yyyskate]

It's not a monetary thing, so I hope no one misconstrues his words as such.

maybe it is not monetary thing, but it is still certain kinda expectations from Yuna, be it continuing to work with her. or bring FG to higher popularity level etc.
Yuna really did not own anyone anything. True Yuna fans or people who truly loves Yuna will say "if Yuna is happy I am happy".
EDIT: are there another lady OG champion winning with perfect performances come back compete OG again with yet another pair of perfect performances. Are there another skater who are using her own money to support literally the next generation young skaters of a whole country. are there another skater donated more money to charity than Yuna, has there another skater whose goal for second OG is to bring youngster for their OG experience.... Honestly, Yuna has done way more than she needs to for this sport and this world.

TBH and to be fair, I think Yuna's FG career is long and in her long career, she didnot waste any of her outings,,never repeats herself and explored every aspects of FG (which is very rare as well).
As Yuna fan, I of course will love to see her skate forever, but I will be content with her hanging her skates forever as well.

if there is one day she can skate/compete falling a couple of times and people will still lift her up and support her instead of picking on her, trashing her or disappointed in her, she may come out and skate/compete with a light heart...

If Yuna is born in any skating Powerhouse country, FG will for sure already been elevated to the level David dreamed without anymore extra outing from Yuna. This sport sabotaged it own most talented, a gift from God skater from beginning (for various reasons), they made the wrong choice, please do not blame Yuna.

 

[RABID]

That TSL interview was to die for. Some parts were hard to hear but nevertheless I was glad that David was so open about his journey with her and his disappointments with her as well. I heard love, I heard pain, I heard great insight and I heard great admiration. As a Yuna fan I hunger for insights like this one. Wow! Just Wow! This needs a thread!

 

[yyyskate]

Am I the only one who thinks that he was drunk during this interview?

Anyway, I really appreciate this interview! It's so...refreshing? to hear him lay down the truth about Yuna. Let's be honest, don't we Yuna fans wish that she take a more active approach to skating after retiring? I do!

I know that she does not owe us anything. Nadah! BUT with the talent, the charisma, the star power, the fandom, and the money (let's face it, that's a given now - you need to finance the shows and she has the moolah and the sponsors), how can she not continue skating at least in shows or do something more elaborate than that?!?! Like what?!?!!? Anyway, such are moot point. I do feel glad that she is still giving back to the sport via supporting events and such. David's way of speaking about this did rub me off somewhat in the wrong way since in the end, she doesn't owe us and him anything after all. He just sounded so selfish but I found myself understanding his sentiments. In honesty, I would feel the same if a student of mine who I spent hours with and dedicated myself to do his/her best just fizzle out in the end. It probably hurts him more since he was so close to her and he knows that he could've done something better about it.
Anyway, my conclusions at this part: I am a selfish fan and I also want to see my true FS queen skate gloriously and transcend herself to higher heavens.

Another part that I found interesting is his honesty towards Sochi LP event. I'll be honest- I kinda dreaded this part just because of the possible bias that may come into play. But I didn't dread it at all. Maybe only on the solo 3Lz part since I do think it was on the passable UR parameters . I do wished that he talked about her Send in the Clowns program because of its probable poignancy and importance in her career. It's like the story of the song and its background somewhat mirrors what happened in her career.

Yuna did not fizzle out, like Yuna said "I hope when i leave, my last image will be beautiful" and she indeed did it with 2 perfect performances, it is ISU that fizzled her out, if Sochi OG happened in any other country, she will be a 2 time OG champion, (actually all those glorious articles has been already written by various journalists), will that kinda career ending fizzle out! Even it is just a silver medal it is NOT fizzle out. Also, I bet you will never seen another global scale upheaval about Sochi scandal ever again, that is certainly career ending with a bang, and in a positive way as well(expose ugliness).

Based on the tone of the whole sochi thing, i think David just wanna get out of this topic as soon as possible, therefore, any substantial such as discuss SITC etc wont happen.

 

[cooper]

i thought that interview was great. i love david's honesty and you could tell how he admire/love/respect yuna. i guess that disappointment is about letting go of someone who has still a lot to offer for the sport. i miss yuna a lot. but she seems happy and contented.

 

[yyyskate]

it is very obvious that Yuna's function/role has shifted into FG in Korea, from her numerous recent interviews, she emphasized, Korean skaters, Korean athletes and Korean FG. And it is obvious that her effect is huge, just looked at current lady's FG state in Korea and other disciplines as well.
That is also effort in promoting FG, just not in FG power-house country/market. but in Korea.
Yet, people conveniently ignore that... people talk about globalization of FG, yet, what they really want is their(the established FG power-house) control of the international market.
Also, Yuna has all the reasons to do what she is doing right now, why shouldnot she.
Yuna paid all the people worked with her affluently and worked with everyone of them with tremendous respect, she didnot own them anything.

EDIT: to be honest, Yuna's artistry has improved and matured after 2010 during 2014 quad (Sandra's NBC sochi commentary also agrees), if you just look at those performances itself, it is NOT Yuna go back Korea and suddenly she lost her expression ability due to Koreanness. The thing that indeed changed is the publicity of Yuna and ISU's attitude towards Yuna.
how ironic, Yuna leave her country and train in foreign country is the entitled/default way of training, yet Yuna go back to her HOME, train equally as hard if not more, focus even more on her artistry for her second OG is not the way of training, so she lost her expression....

EDIT: David love Yuna and wanna work with her forever, but move to Korea is not a option for him, so it is okay, but Yuna wanna stay with her family and in her own country to practice FG there is automatically not okay, a waste and a disapointment....:disapp: