Ashley Wagner Cheer Thread #3: The Subject of Tonight's Lecture...

Sylvia

TBD
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Ashley was filmed by NBC on the ice in Artesia, California on Thursday night:
https://twitter.com/USFigureSkating/status/857734779487232000

The USOC/NBC Sports photo shoots took place yesterday (Friday 4/28/17) on many different sets in a West Hollywood, California studio - here are a couple of Ashley's solo pics:
"Having a major Khaleesi moment #gameofthrones": https://www.instagram.com/p/BTemzgjAl-5/?taken-by=ashwagner2010&hl=en
https://www.instagram.com/p/BTclsaNFmqh/?taken-by=usfigureskating&hl=en
With Elmo from Sesame Street: https://twitter.com/NBCOlympics/status/858012372367101953

Getty Images - Ashley Wagner's photo shoot (just a sampling was published here)

Here's the link to the archived People magazine FB live chat with Ashley on Friday afternoon (summarized by @Willin, quoted below, in the U.S. Ladies thread in GSD): https://www.facebook.com/peoplemag/videos/vb.95926963131/10155616309008132/?type=3&theater
Interesting Tidbits (Probably a lot of this is known already):
-Ashley has a tattoo of the Olympic rings on her ribs (because she thought it would be the most painful place)
-Ashley's favorite exercise is cycling (but she hasn't done SoulCycle)
-Ashley did get in trouble for the swear word in the Sochi K&C
-Ashley wasn't allowed to watch cartoons growing up, and instead grew up on Animal Planet/Discovery channels; her mother was a 4th grade teacher
-Ashley and Gracie [in a brief cameo] are fawning over a bunch of baby animals (including pug puppies, piglets, goat kids, and a cat) that are on NBC's winter Olympics promo set for some reason.
ETA from the end of the previous thread:
Excerpt re. her current FS music idea for next season:
“(‘La La Land’) is the plan as of now, but I learned my lesson from the last Olympic season, whatever I end up competing has to feel right to me,” she said. “I identify with the story and thought it was so true to who I am as a person and in my career. … I think Shae and I are going to go to the drawing board, see if anything else pops up, but for right now ‘La La Land’ feels like the perfect choice for me.”
...
“I love the song Emma Stone sings during her audition (‘The Fools Who Dream’), and that’s the kind of story I want to tell,” she said. “At this point in my career I only have so many long programs left, and I want to skate to music that really speaks to me and helps tell a story. My long program this year was so off the beaten path of what I’ve done — I have no regrets, skating to it helped me expand my skills — but I’m ready to go back to taking on a character and having people recognize the story I’m telling.”
The skater also has no regrets about announcing her probable choice on Instagram back in February.

“Oh, a million skaters are going to use ‘La La Land,’” she laughed. “I just wanted to at least put it in people’s heads I was going to skate to it. … It feels very hopeful, and that’s what I really like.”
 
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DDNatalia

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I still expect her to end up choosing LaLa Land. I suspect that her immediate identification with the lead character and the story will end up being important to her ability to deliver performances amidst all of the Olympic season pressures. No regrets season coming up.
 

arakwafan2006

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If they can chose " Moulin Rouge" edits, it's a good way to go. I just hope she returns to her old dress maker. Lisa McKinnon's creations if you will are the same damn dress over and over again. Jan Longmire really created stellar dresses that allowed Ashley draw from to create a complete look. I also hope Ashley rests well but commits herself to executing her jumps the way she can to avoid under rotation calls. She can do them clean but in competition she reverts back to avoid an error.

Ashley may not be the United States best skater but she is the best competitor and hope we have for a medal.
 

Simone411

To Boldly Explore Figure Skating Around The World
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I just listened again to The Fools Who Dream. I can understand what Ashley's referring to. Whatever she feels comfortable doing is what Ashley should do. She should do it for herself especially during this time of her career. She knows what she wants and that's the way to go.

Wishing Ashley the best in whatever she pursues in the future whether it be La La Land or not and I support her all the way.
 

AngieNikodinovLove

Frangi & Piazza & Paul & Hektor & Theo. Oh My! 😝
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...... The rhythm section.........

While I am no fan of La La Land (I was into Lion and Moonlight) I think Wags will pull off whatever song she does from that film.

She has no problem going into character and because of that I expect to like it!!!!

Added later: Speaking of Lion that is one helluva score.. Check out that soundtrack. Someone should do some justice to that. Even Sia's song "Never Give Up" could be a good SP for someone.
 

Marco

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I just listened again to The Fools Who Dream. I can understand what Ashley's referring to. Whatever she feels comfortable doing is what Ashley should do. She should do it for herself especially during this time of her career. She knows what she wants and that's the way to go.

I am at work and can't listen. Is it a dramatic and loud piece or is it more soft and melodramatic? As I said, she of all people need a big ta-da ending.

On the topic of UR, is there something she can do still or is it simply too late now? Is it an issue of having more speed going into the jumps, achieving a tighter air position, better height or simply better snap? Is it a matter of losing weight or gaining power?
 

Firedancer

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It doesn't have a big ending. Really I found most of it pretty subdued. I hate to see Ashley set on La La Land and end up in the same position she was in with Romeo & Juliet. I don't even know what she would go back to this time. She needs that big character to sell like she had with Moulin Rouge.

I just listened again to The Fools Who Dream.
Thank you for finding this!
 

Marco

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Well this Muse program was actually pretty powerful but she just wasn't able to sell it or make it about her. It just never had the "watch me" magic of Black Swan, Samson & Delilah or Moulin Rouge.

I think Carolina Kostner could have done the Muse program justice with her long sweeping edges.
 

AngieNikodinovLove

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Well this Muse program was actually pretty powerful but she just wasn't able to sell it or make it about her. It just never had the "watch me" magic of Black Swan, Samson & Delilah or Moulin Rouge.

I think Carolina Kostner could have done the Muse program justice with her long sweeping edges.

Hey Marco.. your absolutely right about Carolina.. now that I think of it she could have done that Muse piece very well.

But I dont think Ash did that bad with it.. its just her jumps werent as big as last year, and apparently it was evident at CoC and Worlds.... sigh...

For me what sticks out is that her spins are rotating slower... (the layback) just like Michelle's did as she got older...

But, yea, I think Ash is good at portraying characters more.
 

Wyliefan

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Probably best to watch the actual scene to get some context and the emotional impact.

Agreed. In fact, I'd go further and say one should watch the whole movie (pace those who can magically pronounce judgment on the whole thing after watching a two-minute clip ;) ).

Then you see that this character has spent the last few years getting her hopes up, going to auditions, putting her heart and soul into them, getting dismissed with barely a look or a comment, pulling her hopes back up, launching out with her own project, seeing it fail dismally, giving up altogether and running away, not wanting to go back, finally being pulled back for one last-ditch try -- basically going through a grueling cycle of hope and doubt and almost succumbing to despair.

I can easily see how Ashley could relate. I think she'll sell the daylights out of it.
 

Jay42

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Agreed. In fact, I'd go further and say one should watch the whole movie (pace those who can magically pronounce judgment on the whole thing after watching a two-minute clip ;) ).

Then you see that this character has spent the last few years getting her hopes up, going to auditions, putting her heart and soul into them, getting dismissed with barely a look or a comment, pulling her hopes back up, launching out with her own project, seeing it fail dismally, giving up altogether and running away, not wanting to go back, finally being pulled back for one last-ditch try -- basically going through a grueling cycle of hope and doubt and almost succumbing to despair.

I can easily see how Ashley could relate. I think she'll sell the daylights out of it.
I completely agree. I will admit when she initially said she was going to do a La La Land program I thought it didn't seem like her kind of music. But then I actually really thought about it and realised that she's probably one of the best people to understand the character and bring her to the ice. I'm really looking forward to seeing her skate to La La Land.
 

toddlj

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Probably best to watch the actual scene to get some context and the emotional impact.
Thanks for sharing this. The section from 3:46-4:42 (nearly a minute of the song!) is emotional, dramatic and powerful, and would be great for about 2/3 of the way through the program; and then I could certainly see the program ending sweetly and emotionally with the last part of the song.
 

AxelAnnie

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Agreed. In fact, I'd go further and say one should watch the whole movie (pace those who can magically pronounce judgment on the whole thing after watching a two-minute clip ;) ).
.

I don't think I could watch that whole thing.....even for Ashley!
 

Wyliefan

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The music isn't long enough on it's own, so she'd have to add something else.

I was thinking about that this afternoon. There's an instrumental version of the song in the Epilogue music; I wonder if she could splice some of that in.
 

IceAlisa

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I haven't seen it but people whose opinion I trust didn't like it. So I am prepared to not like the program just like I didn't like Moulin Rouge. It worked for her though.
 

SkateFanBerlin

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I haven't seen it but people whose opinion I trust didn't like it. So I am prepared to not like the program just like I didn't like Moulin Rouge. It worked for her though.
God, I hope she picks something that works. It's not that hard for her - driving, rhythmic, highs/lows, good edit. I was thinking today how Mirai threw away a season on "Winner". The wrong music and you're swimming upstream all season. Hope she has the humility to drop La La if it really won't help her win.
 

VGThuy

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God, I hope she picks something that works. It's not that hard for her - driving, rhythmic, highs/lows, good edit. I was thinking today how Mirai threw away a season on "Winner". The wrong music and you're swimming upstream all season. Hope she has the humility to drop La La if it really won't help her win.

TWO seasons. ;) Who knows, it might work for her this time around.
 

AngieNikodinovLove

Frangi & Piazza & Paul & Hektor & Theo. Oh My! 😝
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Interview and article with Ashley Wagner discussing staying in shape in off season, committing to Olympics and SOI

Figure skater Ashley Wagner back home, proving 'age is just a number'

http://www.king5.com/sports/olympic...ready-to-prove-age-is-just-a-number/441263963

"I feel like I'm technically stronger than I have ever been," Wagner said. She said she has worked on her strength training to help with jumps, and endurance, which will help her navigate a busy schedule up until the U.S. Nationals and the Olympics."
 

Sylvia

TBD
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Source? I only ask b/c I want to be sure it's actually happening before I start celebrating...
Link to the new interview is posted in the Mirai cheer thread (also the U.S. Ladies thread in GSD): https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/in...agasu-cheer-thread.98454/page-19#post-5075893

ETA:

The Seattle NBC (KING 5) interview video is also posted on YT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZOa9uefGRI

Another Ashley-focused Seattle SOI publicity article that I posted in the SOI thread in GSD: http://www.queenannenews.com/Content/On-the-Town/Out-About/Article/Skating-into-Seattle/3/3/39271

"On Armed Forces Day [May 22] figure skater and Army brat Ashley Wagner reflects on which freedom she is most grateful for." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zM0ee8lYd48
 
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aftershocks

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https://www.instagram.com/p/BUKajqGFUGC/
From Ashley C to Ashley W:
  • icegirlashHappy birthday to this amazing person! Thank you for always providing advice and support throughout my career. A few years ago, when I had just moved up to Senior, I messaged you asking for advice. Within seconds you responded with words that I still hold dear to my heart. Thank you for being a great friend and mentor. You deserve to have the most incredible day!❤️
Ashley Wagner bio blast video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnaZU1eotLc

Ashley Wagner championship moments video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYr1S4vTsFs
 
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