Team Japan: Definitely the Most Spirited

Chinese Figure Skating: Uprising Jumping Beans

For what its worth, China sure has a lot of rising jumping stars in the junior ranks with Jin Boyang and Han Yan and in the senior ranks, Song Nan. All of these skaters have great, sound technique and sure can land their powerful, high fluid jumps but can they add the artistry to make them the complete package?

Jin Boyang Asian Games 2012

Han Yan

Song Nan

Narumi and Mervin’s New Short Program: "Aint No Sunshine"

Quebec Summer Championships 2012

Dreams On Ice 2012- the Japanese always showcase their upcoming programs at this show

First impressions of their new short program:

Those are some NICE transitions haha. I love their innovative connections between elements and how their movements relate to the music. I think Narumi in particular has such great line and extension. She really helps create the polish that this young pair team is known for. Its great that she found Mervin as her pairs partners, he really shows her of and offers her support and stability. I find their brother sister relationship so adorable. The use of spread eagles in this program is well done, placed exactly to the music and on both edges! I like how they changed up their entrance to their lifts to a spread eagle. I noticed in previous seasons they always entered their lifts with her going onto his thighs. I think coming out of a spread eagle like he does here is extremely hard and they should be rewarded for that difficulty.  And it looks nice! Sometimes whats hard looks difficult but they do it so effortlessly. Other little things I like are their entrance into their side by side spins (so hard to synchronize those three turns and be ready to spin at the same time) and the upgrade they made to their throw. In the competition clip, I believe they tried a throw triple lutz. Although she double footed it, it was a definite outside edge take off and it looks really close! This team has always been plagued by jumping woes, especially Narumi so good for her that she landed her jump in competition this early in the season. Only time will time what form they'll be in once the grand prix starts. I wasn't instantly in love with this program like I was with Imagine last season but I really do like the music cuts, especially the orchestral parts. I'm not a huge fan of jazzy music but this music really suits their style. Can't wait to see the rest of the new programs :)

Highlight: Daisuke Takahashi's SP Garden of Souls

My favorite program from last season is definitely Daisuke's short program:

Daisuke just embodies this music. He IS the Garden of Souls. I love how he plays to his asian roots and uses oriental music. I love the instruments, the highs and lows of the program and just how unique it is. I don't think there's a male skater competing right now that has his mastery of artistry. He performs all the way through his fingertips, feels every note of the music. My favorite part of the whole program is at the beginning when he rounds the corner and flails his legs and arms up.

Love the costume. Sleek black with some Daisuke flair. 

Costume from early in the season, glad he switched, this is too generic. 

Look at THAT face haha, true performer

Ahh his triple axel, so consistent now even though he injured himself with that three seasons ago

What is he up too? haha

Johnny Weir Article I Love

I was looking up quotes to put on my QQ account and stumbled upon this funny article. I clearly remember Johnny saying at least five of these over the years haha. Enjoy:

The 12 Best Johnny Weir Quotes Of All Time

The best thing about Johnny Weir? Not his skating, his artfully coiffed hair, or his unabashed love of Chanel. It's his ability to create instant soundbites. Weir has a gift for spouting insane, enjoyable, marvelous proclamations.

The skater — who's about to drop a dance track and whose style involves lots of fur and Japanese flag pedicures — is profiled in the new issue ofNew York, where he quips, "In spite of all the skills that I do have, to relate to the normal world I have no applicable skills." But it's obvious: This guy, who shouts "COCAINE" when he wants a snippet of conversation to be off the record, is a gifted communicator.

Some recent bon mots:

"[For my performance] they kind of sat back and had their cognac and cigarettes and they were relaxing and watching, and [my competitor's] was more like a vodka shot, let's-snort-coke kind of thing."

"His name is Camille - two 'l's. I think he's my evil side. When I skate badly, I blame it on my glove."

"[Use] blot powder or concealer. I don't consider looking like a shiny mess manly. Men need to understand the importance of their skin and beauty regime; there's nothing not-masculine about taking care of yourself. The face you present to the world is the most important one."

"I could very well wake up and feel horrible, like Nick Nolte's mug shot."

"This heat makes me think about skating topless. Nipple tassles."

I love anything Chanel really. It could be a bag to a moist towelette and I'd love it. CC Forever.

"I so respect anyone who has created light in a world of darkness. Coco Chanel, Pushkin, Nureyev..."

"Technology frightens me so much. Whatever happened to the pony express?"

"I always, always, always have a bag. And it's a purse. I'm not even going to try to hide it. I carry purses. In general, they're Balenciaga."

From New York:

"There's a whole new generation of people who aren't defined by their sex or race or who they like to sleep with."

"I don't need anyone for anything. I can have sex with myself, I can love myself, I can do all those things myself. The importance that people place on me not having another half even if it's just for sex, it's irrelevant to me. It's very old-school. When you put people in boxes, you take away a lot of who that person is. How many gay men do we know who are completely straight-acting, who don't even seem gay but they get classified in the same box as somebody who's a drag queen? It's void. It's not real. I filled out my census form and I wrote down that I was a Pacific Islander because yes, I'm white, but why is that important? Why is anything important? You don't need to have labels. I would marry a woman. I very well could. People laugh at me, but why is that so funny? I love women. My whole stance is that I just want people to react to who I am, I don't want people to react to what I am."

"The reason I haven't told the nitty-gritty and the dirty past and what I chose to be involved with sexually is because, first of all, it's trashy. It's not cute."

http://jezebel.com/5614158/the-12-best-johnny-weir-quotes-of-all-time 

Yu Na Kim's Music Selection for next season

With the upcoming skating season approaching as are the start of our school year, music selections are being revealed. Not surprising considering the hype around Kim Yuna's comeback to the competitive ranks, her music selections have probably made the biggest splash and here they are:

SP: The Kiss of the Vampire (1963) OST

LP: Selections from Les Miserables 

First off, short program music. 

Background Information about the movie:

"Gerald and Marianne Harcourt are traveling by car when the car breaks down and they have to spend a few days in a small, remote village. It doesn't take long before they are invited to Dr. Ravna's castle. Without their knowledge, Dr. Ravna is the leader of a vampire cult, and he has become astonished by Marianne's beauty"

        -IMDb

I've never heard the music from that movie, which isn't too surprising since I don't really watch older movies so I went on youtube and found this:

After listening, I wasn't too into the music. For me, the music doesn't really seem to have the depth I like to look for in my favorite skater's music. It's very dramatic no doubt but in my opinion in an overly "in your face" way. There's no subtlety and I wouldn't call this music "beautiful". I wonder what cuts from the film score she'll use but I hope she surprises me and overcome my low expectations. I am glad that she has finally chosen some music that hasn't been overdone, I'm sure this program will be unique for that. With David Wilson as the choreographer, we are probably in for a treat (especially after seeing daisuke takahashi's short program he choreographed from last season, masterpiece!) David Wilson choreographs for a lot of skaters but for the skaters who are themselves artists, his programs are a thing to behold. I don't think Yuna is as fluid or natural a "dancer" as daisuke but she can certainly hold her own against the rest of the women's field. 

I was interested in seeing other programs done to "vampire" music because I remember there was a rule change a couple years back (?) that mandated that the music had to quote unquote "upbeat" because the previous year's music had so many masquerades and random witch music. The only one I could find in the short time I tried haha was Artur Gachinski's long program from the 2011-2012 season: 

Here he's performing it at worlds

Music from "Interview With A Vampire", "Bram Stoker's Dracula", "The Red Violin"

Gachinski is far from one of favorite skaters or the most lyrical so his program but I put this in just for some perspective to see how it COULD and HAS been used. Hopefully Yuna can be a little more inspired/creative haha. 

Onto the long program..

Background information on the musical:

"Prisoner 24601, known as Jean Valjean, is released from prison and breaks parole to create a new life for himself while evading the grip of the persistent Inspector Javert. Set in early revolutionary France, the story reaches resolution against the background of the June Rebellion."

      -IMDb

Yuna's choice for her long program music is much more familiar to me and probably to most skating fans. Les Miserables is a wonderful play and I have listened to the soundtrack many times. My childhood friend was in love with the soundtrack and consequently when I was younger I even knew the words to some of the songs. This music is extremely touching and I have always have had a soft spot for orchestral and classical soundtracks. I love the highs and lows of this music. However, Les Miserables has been done in figure skating and at times not very well. I hate it when skaters skate to pretty music and skate right through it. They let the music carry them through without inspiring to make the music their own. Before I get to any of that here are some tracks from the score:

Come to Me (Fantine's Death)

On My Own (I really think the instrumental behind the voices in this is really nice)

One day more (something more strong)

Over the years watching skating, I have seen a fair number done to Les Miserables so here are some I managed to find again:

Pechalat and Bourzat 2006 Olympics FD

This team is known for their creativeness and have greatly matured over the years. I'm not a big fan of the beginning music cuts but I like the slow section toward the middle where they use "On my own". 

Effortless elegance: Michelle Kwan 1997 "On My Own"

Nothing can really be said about the beauty of her skating, only amplified by the music. I hope Yuna can achieve the heart that Michelle portrayed in her skating. All we want is true emotion, for skating that touches our hearts. 

Nicole Bobek LP in 1992

Not a big fan of this one, not memorable in my opinion. I feel like if I played another soundtrack while watching this it would fit just as well. 

This is a different interpretation of Les Miserables, using the more upbeat pieces by Todd Eldridge in 1998:

It seems that "On My Own" is quite popular. I wonder what selections Yuna will use this season...