The Carolina Kostner Thread

She's simply exquisite! :kickass::oksana1:

I fell in love with "Bolero" the first time I saw it. The skater, the moves, the choreography, the music, the passion, everything just gelled. Lol I concede I was so entranced by it all I totally forgot about the jumps (the true mark of a phenomenal performer), only noticing the very last one, the 3salchow, which she did at the very end of the program, which made me sit up and take notice because only a master of said jump can put it in at the very last second (e.g. Keegan Messing's 3toe; btw always wanted Zhenya to do so with the 3axel, his $$$$ jump, still crossing my fingers one day he will do so). :hat1:

After 10 years of watching this beautiful doe, it feels good to see her finally coming into her own, seizing that 10-carat she always has been.

What a joy it is to watch her skate! *bow:
 
This means her layout will probably be:

3lz
2a
3f3t
3l
3t2t
3sal2t2l
3sal

That is very ambitious. Curious to see what she does at Italian Nationals this weekend.
 
jiggs said:
This means her layout will probably be:

3lz
2a
3f3t
3l
3t2t
3sal2t2l
3sal

That is very ambitious. Curious to see what she does at Italian Nationals this weekend.
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It is quite ambitious. Also, if she misses the triple flip/triple toe combo she could turn the triple toe/double toe into a triple toe/triple toe and have that get the second half of program bonus. Nice strategy. Also looking forward to Italian Nationals :)
 
jiggs said:
This means her layout will probably be:

3lz
2a
3f3t
3l
3t2t
3sal2t2l
3sal

That is very ambitious. Curious to see what she does at Italian Nationals this weekend.
Click to expand...

I wonder why she wouldn't do

2A-3T and 3F

instead of

3F-3T and 2A

The first choice seems less risky, and scores the same points..
 
I guess she is testing to add the 3Lz. And I'm not sure, if she tries the 3Lz, that she'll try a 3/3 or a 2A/3T.
I guess the 2A/3T will be instead of the entering 3Luzt. JMHO.
 
This program is really amazing! So many interesting subtle nuances and I love how she always does a change of direction or turn right when the music changes as well. Beautiful phrasing and she really felt the Bolero rhythm throughout! Now just please turn that triple toe into a second triple flip and bring back the 2axel-3toe!
 
She really skated so great at Nationals. And now only waiting for Euros to see her live. Oh, I have to wait way to long time
 
Her SP is very nice! I don't like the LP as much.

The worlds will be so much more exciting than last year's! Hope everybody shows up healthy and ready.
 
Taso, thank you for sharing the video. What an amazing program! Loved the choreography, great jumps, artistry - can't get any better than that. Bravo, Carolina! :)
 
Those were two really beautiful programs showcasing what is IMO, the best lady skater in the world right now. Just the sheer quality of everything she does, the lines are amazing, her musicality spine tingling and the jumps, when they work, are every bit as good as anything anyone else has to offer. ;) It will be interesting to watch this grow through Euro's and Worlds and whether or not she plans to upgrade further. I wasn't so impressed in Zagreb but maybe that was because she seemed quite far away and the jumps weren't working that day, but watching this it looks like a whole different program. Love all the changes of direction throughout and that final triple sal out of the choreo sequence made my jaw drop. Ok someone help me, I think I'm becoming a Caro uber!! :eek:
 
I use to don't like Carolina, but now, she's m'y favorite skater in the ladies division! Her musicality is exquisite, her jumps are fabulous! She's the only one able to bring a Boléro perfectly in single skating!
 
floskate said:
Those were two really beautiful programs showcasing what is IMO, the best lady skater in the world right now. Just the sheer quality of everything she does, the lines are amazing, her musicality spine tingling and the jumps, when they work, are every bit as good as anything anyone else has to offer. ;) It will be interesting to watch this grow through Euro's and Worlds and whether or not she plans to upgrade further. I wasn't so impressed in Zagreb but maybe that was because she seemed quite far away and the jumps weren't working that day, but watching this it looks like a whole different program. Love all the changes of direction throughout and that final triple sal out of the choreo sequence made my jaw drop. Ok someone help me, I think I'm becoming a Caro uber!! :eek:
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Carolina has gone through an amazing and unique journey - from the 15-year-old speed demon that could whip out just about any 3-3toe combination who everybody thought was going to be the next OGM, to the artist skating with soul, vision, and a spine tingling musicality. She may not be your cup of tea, but I feel she's the one skater (in ladies) who has never given up on exploring and expanding her artistic capabilities even through all the ups and downs in her career. I admit I hadn't always been a fan in her younger days, but she had completely won me over a few years ago.
 
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In the same lines as shine's reply: I was not a fan at all before, though I always appreciated her skating skills and particularly her speed. When she was younger, I really found her to look awkward on ice. Her arms were always too long for her body, she didn't seem to know what to do with them, and even though she always seemed to follow her choreo, she was not musical. I still don't think she's the most musical skater, but she definitely worked on her artistic abilities. I'm sure she did ballet at some point as she know carries her arms much more gracefully.
But most importantly for me, Caro has had the most interesting programs of any lady in her entire career. She always makes great choices and her programs last year and this year are choreographical gems. And what I appreciate about her is that she follows them to the letter and it seems to me that she really portrays what the choreographer was imagining when they taught her the choreography.
 
annie_mg said:
I still don't think she's the most musical skater, but she definitely worked on her artistic abilities. I'm sure she did ballet at some point as she know carries her arms much more gracefully.
But most importantly for me, Caro has had the most interesting programs of any lady in her entire career. She always makes great choices and her programs last year and this year are choreographical gems. And what I appreciate about her is that she follows them to the letter and it seems to me that she really portrays what the choreographer was imagining when they taught her the choreography.
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I personally think that she is very musical - would be impossible to do all those nuances right to the music otherwise. I agree about interesting programs. But I don't think that it's all just about following what the choreographer says "to the letter" - it's more about making that choreography your "own" - and real intelligence is needed for that. Also, considering that Carolina often choreographs her own exhibitions (which, of course, are not choreographically as complicated as her competition programs), and now even designs her own costumes, I think that she has input also in her competition programs - in the choice of music, general idea of the program, and probably also some separate nuances in the choreo. I also think that most artistic skaters are that way - they don't just follow what they are told "to the letter".

I have always liked Carolina, but I liked her in a way that was sometimes closer to indifference than a real fandom. I thought she had nice programs and musicality, but she also seemed a bit cold and lacking emotionality to me, and I didn't consider her a real performer. But in the few last seasons that has changed. I think a huge part of it is her new confidence, and subsequent ease and joy in skating (I am not saying that she didn't enjoy skating before, just that now she seems to enjoy it even more), also that she has continued to explore new styles. Now she really seems to shine like a star on the ice when she skates even remotely clean.
 
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I love the SP already, and I love the end of her Bolero.
I'm not fond of the whole program, but if she skates like that at Euros and Worlds, I'll be more than happy :)
 
Thanks everyone for your comments, so interesting to read what you all think!

I too think that Carolina is the most interesting ladies' skater currently competing. It is her packaging that makes her so special imo. Everything she does has a certain "it-factor" - whether it's her costumes, her choreography or music choices - she never fails to challange herself and is truely being an artist on the ice. I love that.

I am very impressed with what Carolina showed at Nationals the past couple of days. From the SP to the EX she showed amazing skating, great jumps and supreme quality. She really skated like a World Champ! I was fortunate enough to witness her LP and EX this weekend live and it was such a treat.

The SP imo is a masterpiece, for me one of the best programs she has ever had. While I loved Shostakovich, I think this program is more challenging for her - it's theatrical and dramatic and it forces her to come out of her shell and emote more. Shostakovich was kind of funky and suited her style perfectly, and I loved it. I never thought she and Lori would come up with something even better. According to a newspaper the dress will be changed to fit the theme more, the one she used here was acutally one she got for last season. She is very involved in creating her dresses as well and I think the program will have an even better effect with a different dress.

The free program is still not really my cup of tea but it was amazingly skated here and it is so intense! It builds up very well until the end. When she hit her last Salchow I was literally on my feet. I knew she would break the 200 for the first time after this performance but I never expected a score of 143+! The judging got a little over the top on some elements but basically I agree that her PCS deserve to be higher than what she gets in international competitions.

Well done Carolina, so happy for you! Perfect ending to the 2012 competition year :-)
 
lauravvv said:
I personally think that she is very musical - would be impossible to do all those nuances right to the music otherwise. I agree about interesting programs. But I don't think that it's all just about following what the choreographer says "to the letter" - it's more about making that choreography your "own" - and real intelligence is needed for that. Also, considering that Carolina often choreographs her own exhibitions (which, of course, are not choreographically as complicated as her competition programs), and now even designs her own costumes, I think that she has input also in her competition programs - in the choice of music, general idea of the program, and probably also some separate nuances in the choreo. I also think that most artistic skaters are that way - they don't just follow what they are told "to the letter".
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ITA. She would not get those nuances if she didn't understand what she was skating to. She always works with the phrasing - really holding the notes with moves and giving them their full value. I think she has always been very musical, but what is coming through is a real self-belief in her musical ability. So you get confidence and emotional investment in what she is doing. It is believable and you have no doubt about what she is trying to convey. And you get a clear message that the music is foremost in the mind when the program was constructed.

I loved the SP. The choice of music is excellent (I always think of Young Frankenstein when I hear it - one of my favourite movies). Her step sequence again was fantastic. I thought Shostokovich was great last year but this is better.

Bolero for me is a working in progress. Some of it is looking very good but other parts are kind of skated from element to element. And I don't like the parts where she is standing to do choreography - she needs more movement during those parts.
 
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Caro's is bar none the best singles skater's Bolero I've ever seen. Caro is the skating goddess of all current ladies, IMO . . . no one can match her footwork sequences, her versatile and always interesting choreography, or her expressive musicality.
 
I looooooove her Bolero, too, but I do think that the credit for the choreography and her "interpretation" should go to Maurice Béjart. And, Caro deserves every credit for making it possible to be seen on ice.
 
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l'etoile said:
I looooooove her Bolero, too, but I do think that the credit for the choreography and her "interpretation" should go to Maurice Béjart. And, Caro deserves every credit for making it possible to be seen on ice.
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Without question - and I see that this is why the program has several standing portions as she is deriving so much from the Bejart interpretation for inspiration. She's gotta limit to one stop and find a way to do some of the other choreographic motifs while in motion, a la the fantastic final footwork sequence and finale :respec:
 
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