Yuna Kim

[chopinskate]

I don't think Giselle was all that balletic, apart from a few moments. I think Yuna can't be accused of being balletic, and that's alright. A fine modern dancer on ice. The modern feel she brought to her Giselle and HtK is what sets them apart. Her interpretation of "typical" pieces is interesting because of this.

 

[yyyskate]

@Izabela

the duality is exist in her pair of programs SP AND FS since beginning, always some contrast in her pair of competitions programs although connected in other ways. but her later programs such as Kiss of Vampire etc. the duality is within one program itself, and it became more and more prominent.

In SITC, Yuna said in interview she wanna express "the bitter and sweet" and Adios Noinion really is a very complex mixed feeling interpretation, even more than just two. exactly like old wine.

to expect one skater, be it is Zijun or Korean Youngster or Wakaba etc. to be the heir of Yuna is not only unrealistic nor fair to the particular skater. The important thing is Yuna's philosophy of figure skating, inspired and influenced skaters (but not who is the next Yuna). And it is indeed deeply rooted in many new generation skaters. but unfortunately, ISU seems do not particular appreciate or understand the philosophy of Yuna's skating, especially in the artistry department, Thus we can see some spirit in e.g. Wakaba, but she is the minority here. The component score direction ISU currently is pushing is not what Yuna represents. Skaters need to follow the rules. but I believe Yuna's influence is deep although it may not show much at the moment.

about Giselle, in this summer break, I may translate an analysis I wrote years back about this program (in Chinese) and posted it on GS, there will be more details.

And I always thought Yuna's pursuit in figure skating artistry is a rarity. Obviously, there are many straight forward artistic appeal about her performance, who does not like her dance on ice. but there are also some level of deliberate pursuit of art in deeper levels that is hard to get upon just a couple of views, those things also may not valued in scores or unseen by some public or judges. And it also appears Yuna herself does not really care about the scores etc. as well.

 

[Izabela]

Oh no, I agree. She put ballet movements in Giselle, which were disruptive/distracting to me at first. I thought she could have done away with those. She didn’t put the same movements in her exhibition programs. I agree with you totally how Yuna transforms music through modern dance.

It’s funny to me that even though not balletic, she is often called a prima ballerina or like a ballerina on ice. Must be those arms of hers. Or is it because of her presence on ice that gives off this impression? Or the passion?

 

[yyyskate]

@Izabela about ballet and Yuna, I did some research and analysis about her Giselle, hopefully, if I translated it and post it here, and you read it and it can solve some of your questions.

 

[chopinskate]

It’s funny to me that even though not balletic, she is often called a prima ballerina or like a ballerina on ice. Must be those arms of hers. Or is it because of her presence on ice that gives off this impression? Or the passion?

The presence and the passion. No one can look away. Even with Scheherezade, as bad as I found it, I couldn't look away.

(Her arms were balletic though, in their extension and attention to detail. I don't think I would call them "balletic" in the sense that I could see some ballerina having similar arm posturing.)

ETA: As someone pointed out elsewhere too, her opening pose for her short routine in PC Olympic was her ending pose in her Imagine exhibition in Sochi.

A never-ending, timeless story I wonder if her opening in the new piece will harken back to her farewell to competitive ice -- maybe it will begin where AN left us off.

To the rest of the posters here: I hope you enjoyed reading through our thoughts here. It was a nice look-back, IMO, into this particular career. It sometimes felt like one of those shows that fondly remember a beloved actor, but we were on zero budget here I sure hope it wasn't annoying. ^^;

 

[Izabela]

@Izabela

the duality is exist in her pair of programs SP AND FS since beginning, always some contrast in her pair of competitions programs although connected in other ways. but her later programs such as Kiss of Vampire etc. the duality is within one program itself, and it became more and more prominent.

In SITC, Yuna said in interview she wanna express "the bitter and sweet" and Adios Noinion really is a very complex mixed feeling interpretation, even more than just two. exactly like old wine.

to expect one skater, be it is Zijun or Korean Youngster or Wakaba etc. to be the heir of Yuna is not only unrealistic nor fair to the particular skater. The important thing is Yuna's philosophy of figure skating, inspired and influenced skaters (but not who is the next Yuna). And it is indeed deeply rooted in many new generation skaters. but unfortunately, ISU seems do not particular appreciate or understand the philosophy of Yuna's skating, especially in the artistry department, Thus we can see some spirit in e.g. Wakaba, but she is the minority here. The component score direction ISU currently is pushing is not what Yuna represents. Skaters need to follow the rules. but I believe Yuna's influence is deep although it may not show much at the moment.

about Giselle, in this summer break, I may translate an analysis I wrote years back about this program (in Chinese) and posted it on GS, there will be more details.

I admit I pinned by hopes to Li back then thinking that maybe she could be the next Yuna, but you're right that this is unfair to all skaters. I want Wakaba to succeed, mostly because she really does have the intention to be original, to put out programs that she can be satisfied, and to perform. And in part because I want this sport to go back to what I think it should be: a combination of athleticism and artistry. If there's a new skater right now who can embody this as truthfully, it's her.

And I always thought Yuna's pursuit in figure skating artistry is a rarity. Obviously, there are many straight forward artistic appeal about her performance, who does not like her dance on ice. but there are also some level of deliberate pursuit of art in deeper levels that is hard to get upon just a couple of views, those things also may not valued in scores or unseen by some public or judges. And it also appears Yuna herself does not really care about the scores etc. as well.

And probably why post-Vancouver Yuna is more appealing to me Aside from TLA and El Tango, her programs pre-Vancouver although has straight forward artistic appeal to them as you put it, were also constructed with the intention of how they could win points. This is IMO different in post-V Yuna. I know many got the feeling that at that point, she is no longer into it, that she lost the spark she had once, but the programs she created in 2011, 2013, and 2014, all of them are so artistically valuable and so subtle or atypical in their creation that we can have more discussions about them about their artistic merits compared to what she did before.

The presence and the passion. No one can look away. Even with Scheherezade, as bad as I found it, I couldn't look away.

That part! Yes, exactly! Her sheer presence on ice is what stands out about Yuna. It's so difficult to not stop and watch her skate. I've been reading interviews on Yuna and stumbled on her forum (she has her own forum?!) and quoting directly:

German Eurosports commentator Hendryk Schamberger mentioned on her talent and jumps.
"The most special talent Kim Yuna has, i think it's natural-born, is her presence on ice. You cannot acquire it by learning, nor can it be learned."

I am working as a choreographer and a coach after retirement, and have been watching lots of skaters. She fills the arena to the full with herself. You would understand me if you watched the official practice with 5 or more skaters in the same rink. Despite the numbers, we often feel the rink empty. But even being alone, she just commands the ice.

Whatever action you are doing does not matter. Whatever you may be doing, you cannot help but stop your job and watch her. She has that specialty which captures ppls attention. Less than one out of a thousand skaters has this ability. And the odds of such talented skater's having all kinds of perfect and flawless top-level triple jumps is one in a thousand again. Therefore, Yuna is the one in a million skaters. For this reason, if Yuna goes clean, she is unbeatable."

http://yunaforum.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=935

A never-ending, timeless story. I wonder if her opening in the new piece will harken back to her farewell to competitive ice -- maybe it will begin where AN left us off

I would love this to happen!

To the rest of the posters here: I hope you enjoyed reading through our thoughts here. It was a nice look-back, IMO, into this particular career. It sometimes felt like one of those shows that fondly remember a beloved actor, but we were on zero budget here I sure hope it wasn't annoying. ^^;

Well, we can blame her! "I want people to remember that there was once a skater named Yuna Kim" and we're just paying attention to that. LOL

Next thing you know we’ll gonna start discussing her dresses because we’re that bored.

 

[chopinskate]

Next thing you know we’ll gonna start discussing her dresses because we’re that bored.

Nah, I'm good.

 

[Izabela]

Because I seem to always find something to drag her 07-08 season, I just also have to put on record that she had her worst costumes there too.

 

[chopinskate]

Is 2007-08 the season we're supposed to all forget, instead of Sochi?

 

[OS]

Always a great joy reading thoughts revisiting her old programs, FYI, this is an old thread, some of you might be interested in before Yuna forum gets shut down soon. On this thread

http://yunaforum.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=3119&st=20

I translated some comments from Chinese forums I picked up on, including fresh thoughts from seeing the event live.

As for what is art and what is not, I believe any great work will speak for itself from how people are affected by it, revisit it, imitated, philosophically follows it, her approach to what is a figure skating programs, not just for points, and talk about them over time. What is so interesting is even though the 2 programs did not win her the gold people still enjoy revisiting them.

 

[yyyskate]

OS，so nice to see your post once in a while.

" the work will speak for itself from how people are affected by it, revisit it, imitated, philosophically follows it and talk about it over time.."
just wanna mention here "the work will speak for itself" is one philosophy Nathan also embraces or at least thrive to achieve.

Homage of Korea did won Yuna a medal though it is a silver world medal

Times flies, Water flows, Yuna's fans move on with ours lives, but when thinking about figure skating, the time stops, the water freezes, and we stuck on this one and only skater. How can I find another Yuna, you cannot...:sad21:

 

[Izabela]

I always find TLA and HtK to be Yuna's lost masterpieces. I have not been exposed to the fandom back in her competitive years and pretty much from what I gathered, Danse Macabre or her Gershwin are her most iconic programs. But reading posts and threads here made me realized that these two programs are two of her most fondly remembered, that even non-fans want to see again. Perhaps because they are also not skated to their full potential, but also because I would like to think that these are really some of Wilson's best works.

Just check out the Spiral sequences, when the music swells up and uplifted the spirit and caused a major rippling effect around the rink. It apparently surprised many casual viewers who are unfamiliar with the history and culture of Korea and the music. Similarly the introduction to Korean Folk Vocals has polarised effect among the average skating fans. To some, these are distracting wailing excessively, to others, spiritual cleansing and shaman meditative like with a tragic undertone about the yearning and forbearing of being a Korean who has to overcome sadness. Personally I love that part of the performance and love the unique risk taking and mesmerising sequence. I'd even argue it is when I saw Yuna became alive and fully get into her performance. The 2nd half of her performance is just wonderful. While the overall quality and the ambition of the program is the better than anything we see this year certainly, and is just on another level.

This is you, OS no?

Also, other than the obvious, the beginning and the step sequence, one of my favorite parts of this program is how Yuna accelerates from 0 to infinity, from the end of the step sequence to the start of the spiral and on...beautiful in the craft and art as well as the athleticism.

THIS. This has been what I've been trying to articulate but couldn't do well when we were reviewing HtK. The highlight of this entire program was that part when they built the step sequence to that breathtaking spiral sequence. I think spiritual cleansing (or even that sense of finally being free/flying) is the closest and most appropriate description for this :yes:. And if we look at the audience's reaction during those moments, I think they felt the same way.

In this way I have to agree completely now with chopinskate here, her stsq for HtK is her most intricate one.

Is 2007-08 the season we're supposed to all forget, instead of Sochi?

I thought there's already a silent consensus that 2007-2008 didn't happen

 

[yyyskate]

@Izabela

OS is there and witnesses the only version of Homage of Korea in person and took that precious fancam video in which the "rippling effect" of Yuna's spiral sequence is displayed, which is also a textbook example of how spiral sequence could be used artistically and impactfully.

@OS, since we talked about the universal impact of certain oriental music performance regardless culture background, such as Yuna's homage of korea in Russia, I wanna share an fan experience here, also in Russia, at cup of Russian, Nathan's Last Dancer program captivated a Russian fan, the word she used is "I am in a trance ". Although she never heard the song before.

 

[yyyskate]

Danse Macabre and Gershwin are considered as Yuna's iconic work is because, Macabre is her breakout program which she distanced herself from peers.
Gershwin is her OGM winning free, so.

why the lark ascending and homage of korea is fondly loved by many fans is because, both programs showed some level of the traditional virtue of Women's figure skating -- the lyricism which is not all that common in Yuna's works.

BTW, as a Yuna fan, I will never forget her heroic Sochi season and her two masterpieces that season, would not replace it with anything else. Her 2007-2008 season' programs is relatively weaker. but it is kinda cute

 

[yyyskate]

I just visited Wakaba's FF, seems she is going to have a MJ program. Yuna also did a MJ medley group number in her 2010 ATS show.

 

[narcissa]

Always a great joy reading thoughts revisiting her old programs, FYI, this is an old thread, some of you might be interested in before Yuna forum gets shut down soon.

Shut down? Why??

 

[yyyskate]

ATS show tickets sold out in 2 mins....

 

[chopinskate]

why the lark ascending and homage of korea is fondly loved by many fans is because, both programs showed some level of the traditional virtue of Women's figure skating -- the lyricism which is not all that common in Yuna's works.

Completely disagree. The reason is her performance, the choreography, and the interpretation. Scheherezade and Miss Saigon are the "traditional" ones. HtK and TLA are completely out of the norm, as can be seen by the fact that no one to my knowledge has ever performed to TLA again (and very few Korean skaters have performed to Arirang). They were personal, and she felt a connection to them. That is what made them special.

 

[lappo]

Has this been posted? https://www.instagram.com/p/Bh-ZJ0uj_Xy/
Cannot express how happy this photo makes me...

 

[OS]

Shut down? Why??

Yuna has retired for a while, PC Olympics is over, and alot of the figure skating fans moved on with their lives and dispersed to Social Network like FB i guess

It is up to Lakewood the admin, although nobody expect she come back to ice lol... so the latest ATS show development is a nice surprise!

Has this been posted? https://www.instagram.com/p/Bh-ZJ0uj_Xy/
Cannot express how happy this photo makes me...

Yup yup yup Very good happy news.

The bar has been set impossibly high though, given her last performance was to a spectacular Nessun Dorma. Hard to top it really... Fingers crossed!! The phantom thread can make a nice contrasting program again!!

ATS show tickets sold out in 2 mins....

She need to bring the show to Canada and the US. She can still sellout tickets!!! (US with guest star Michelle Kwan, the Chens: Nathen, Karen, Abbott, Wagner, Negasu, Brown, Tennell?) She has alot of fans in China too as far as I know.