Michelle Mania !
The 1995 - 96 Skating Season was a whirlwind for Michelle. This year, she won 14 out of the 19 competitions that she competed in. This was the year the skinny little jumping bean found her artistry and wowed the world with the complete package. As a matter of fact,shortly before Sergai Grinkov died, he and his wife Katia were discussing the amazing and graceful Michelle Kwan.
This was the year she got into character and made us see and feel deep down, that she was the character in the music she skated to. Her short program was Romanza and her long Salome. Salome is a piece of music based on the Biblical story of King Herods step daughter, Salome, who was convinced by her mother to dance for the King in return for John the Baptist's head on a platter. Michelles coach Frank Carroll had heard this music years before and saved it for that special someone to skate to it.
That someone was Michelle. Packed with great jumps, graceful and expressive hand movements that kept time with the music, and her magnificent spiral, Michelle won the 1996 Nationals and Worlds.
Photo by Barry Milken
Photo by Barry Milken
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