2017-2018 Program Music and Choreographers

Seerek

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If anything, some of the music is in the same vein as pieces like East of Eden, Out of Africa, or even On Golden Pond (and I really liked her SP last year). The music is so beautiful that it's probably going to help people to like the program or pay attention more.

On paper, you're right. The pieces I've heard thus far definitely have Bill Conti's 70s/80s stamp all over it. It will have a familiar feel even though it's largely obscure outside of the usage in the 1980s/90s as mentioned above.
 

Coco

Rotating while Russian!
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I listened to "Ovation" and that is skating music, lol. Good choice! I feel bad for her earlier choreographers. Apparently she had a Tosca program, then Carmen?
 

VGThuy

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Geez Tosca and Carmen? Were her choreographers trying to be the second coming of Morozov/Zhulin? I hope if she has another great season she’ll work with some choreographers that are a better match for her artistic sensibilities.
 

Visaliakid

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Tweeted today by Karen Chen: Karen Chen‏Verified account @Karebearsk8
UPDATE:
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✔️
"It's time to take a risk and trust my instincts."
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✨
FS Music: Slow Dancing in the Big City
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Choreographer:
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Sylvia

TBD
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79,989
Tweeted today by Karen Chen:
Already posted by @Wyliefan earlier today (one page back). :)

Cross-posting from the U.S. Ladies thread:

Karen later spoke to Elliott Almond, a Bay Area News group Olympic sports reporter, for this article: http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/10/17/karen-chen-on-her-carmen-routine-i-trashed-it/
Chen, her mother and coach Tammy Gambill thought “Carmen” would fit because it is a classic skating piece. But Chen, who trains in Riverside, had doubts that were confirmed during the Japan Open team competition 10 days ago.
“I didn’t do the music justice so I made that bold decision,” Chen said.
The music from “Slow Dancing” “just popped up in my head,” the skater added. “There is no one who can do this for me so I have to figure it out by myself.”
Although it’s a big gamble to try a new program so close to the season’s start, Chen said, “This is what I needed. This is what I want.”
 

Marco

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Wow good for her. I would love it if she could revisit the Carmen program in say 2 years time when she becomes more confident with expressing herself.

Is she doing the music edit and step sequence choreography as well? Those are tricky.
 

AxelAnnie

Like a small boat on the ocean...
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Is it just my lack of actual knowledge or are there way more change of program and reuse of program than normal?
 

nimi

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One less Carmen this Oly season! Yay! :cheer2:

I think it's kinda cool that despite being so young, Karen has the confidence to scrap a program and choreograph a new one herself with the GP season right around the corner, just because she feels in her gut that's the right thing to do. Go Karen!
 

PRlady

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Yay for Karen, and for us, with one less warhorse program. I think that any skater with a strong POV about her strengths and performance abilities has an edge over those who just docilely skate the warhorses. Believing in your program is key.

Even though I think I'll be up at 3 AM to see it, can't wait to see this at SC.
 

Marco

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I think it's kinda cool that despite being so young, Karen has the confidence to scrap a program and choreograph a new one herself with the GP season right around the corner, just because she feels in her gut that's the right thing to do. Go Karen!

Ashley didn't scrape R&J until the crushing defeat at Nationals...
 
S

SmallFairy

Guest
I'm so excited for Karen, can't wait to see the new program!! I'm equally excited for this choice as I was disappointed with her choosing Carmen, that means... a lot! I'm sure Bill Conti for her will be great :cheer2:

As a Conti-fan, I have to post one of my favorite older programs to his music:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTG6swQ-T8Q

Not often does a Dane place top ten in the Olympics. Sigh, loved his artistry. And I believe Igor Bobrin did the choreo:D
 

Sylvia

TBD
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79,989
Karen Chen wrote back in July (before she debuted her programs at Glacier Falls): "At first I was skeptical, but I really feel that I could make this special and interpret it my way so that it would be my own version of Carmen."

My guess is that Karen tweeted yesterday "time to ... trust my instincts" because she had hoped to convince herself and overcome her initial skepticism that she could make Carmen her own after competing it a few times... which apparently didn't happen.

I liked the contrast between her two competitive programs last year and am glad she appears to be headed in that direction again.
 
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Sylvia

TBD
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79,989
OK, it's been bugging me that someone skated to Slow Dancing in the Big City more recently than those recalled by @Tony Wheeler and @essence_of_soy (impressive memories! their posts are quoted below).

I just figured it out! Malaysia's #2 man (behind Julian Yee), Kai Xiang CHEW, used "The Ovation" track from Bill Conti's film soundtrack for the slow middle section of his FS last season (turns out I had copied out his and others' program music during the 2017 Asian Winter Games for the play-by-play threads here) and again this year -- here's video from his JGP in Gdansk earlier this month: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8V60DHF6KLY&t=1m50s
This actually makes me very excited. Slow Dancing in the Big City was a widely popular choice of music for the Japanese skaters in the early 80's IIRC.

Yuka Sato also used it for the first part of the 1994 season before returning to Don Quixote.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTSTbTxCJBU

Masakagu Kagiyama in first first 'pro' event: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-33kjvo9X0g

Takahito Mura 2011 free skate (gorgeous skating): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gx5Vg9BP0os

Born/Schonborn 1985 Worlds FD (in Japan): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfrrftRfAek
The slow piece entitled 'The Ovation' from the score is one of the most beautiful pieces of music I've ever heard. She will no doubt include it in her free skate.
Confirmed :) - 14-second clip captured from Karen Chen's Instagram story today: https://twitter.com/boyangjins/status/920667481299144705/video/1
Gosh, this beautiful piece brings back memories. The last team I remember skating to it was a West German couple, Petra Born and Rainer Schonborn, in 1985 at the World Championships.
 

Foolhardy Ham Lint

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Not sure if this has been posted yet, but Jun Hwan CHA's programs have been announced:

Music Short Program / Short Dance as of season 2017/2018
What a Wonderful World

Music Free Skating / Free Dance as of season 2017/2018

The Planets by Gustav Holst

http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00054719.htm

I am more interested to know whether he is recovered from his injury yet.

I hope he is more expressive this year than when he skated to selections from A Chorus Line last season. For music that requires a skater to sell the performance to the rafters, he was so stone - faced.
 

paskatefan

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According to Sean Rabbitt's Facebook page, he has announced a change in his short program music. His short program music had been "Tequila,' which was loads of fun & entertaining (and he still will be doing it in shows this season :D), but competitively speaking he will skate his sp music to "Somewhere in Time." While I don't think he has a realistic chance of making the US podium (he doesn't have the quad), I think the world of him & wish him all the best! :cheer2:
 

gkelly

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16,442

So I clicked on that link and listened. On the side youtube gave me an "Up Next" list of other animals singing and screaming.

I then clicked on the Goats Yelling Like Humans video, and got more animal videos on the side. And also Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron's short dance from Finlandia.

I wonder what algorithm put that in there. Obviously youtube knows I usually use it to watch skating. But why lots of animals vocalizing and that particular skating program? Because Goat, Gabriella, and Guillaume all start with the same letter?
 

Sylvia

TBD
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79,989
Weaver/Poje's ISU bio, updated for Skate Canada International, has a FD music change from Spartacus to Je suis malade performed by Lara Fabian (2011-12 FD): http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00009841.htm

Jun Hwan Cha (his GP debut) has changed his SP to Gypsy Dance: http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00054719.htm

Cha's programs were originally announced back in June.
Not sure if this has been posted yet, but Jun Hwan CHA's programs have been announced:

Music Short Program / Short Dance as of season 2017/2018
What a Wonderful World [performed by OneRepublic]

ETA - re-posting from the Canadian Men's thread:

Roman Sadovsky has a new Les Miserables FS program choreographed by Mark Pillay -- this clip is to vocal version of "Bring Him Home" (voice is Pillay's): https://www.instagram.com/p/BangfKYnpFV/

Sadovsky had a Mark Pillay-choreographed FS to Les Miz (instrumental version) back in 2014-15.
 
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