Monday, August 3, 2009

More on Musademba (from the Need-To-Know Files)

Before I get started—if anyone out there has heard of “elite”(read: somewhat recognized) skaters this coming season who plan to use music from the Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack in some competitive capacity, would you be so kind as to post a note and let me know? I’ve been listening to it a lot of late, and it strikes me as the kind of thing that would be especially good as either a short program (think Peter Gabriel’s “The Feeling Begins”), or an ice dance in the way that “Riverdance” trickled over in the late 90s. Will this be the Bollywood-esque “it” program of the Olympic season? Just a thought.

Anyway… I’m back to the Need-To-Know Files, and this time we’re in the “M”s… for 17 year-old Kristine Musademba. Eleventh in U.S. Senior Ladies Nationals this past January, she won the Madrid Cup and Courchevel in 2008… and just a couple weeks ago, she won her group in both the SP and FS categories at the Liberty Open. What’s to know? Well…

1) She is half Filipino and half Zimabawean, a unique heritage that bears some similarity to Tai Babilonia (who is Filipino, African-American, and Native American if I’m not mistaken)…

2) She is using “Claire de Lune” for her SP this season, a classic Debussey piece that seems to have found new life since Mao Asada used it as her SP last season (and Douglas Razanno just used the same music to win the mens division at the Liberty Open). All I know is that listening to/watching a “Claire” program is infinitely better than trying to practice that piece on the piano. I have nightmares…

3) She is listed as the choreographer of some of her routines, and apparently has also served as the choreographer of several school dance productions. Perhaps she will go the way of Lea Ann Miller or Renee Roca? Not a bad way to make a living.

Musademba’s free skate from last season’s Junior Grand Prix Final (where she finished 6th) is the
Clip of the Day. Not a bad outing, except for maybe the very end of the program. Hope we can keep an eye on her for many moons yet!

5 comments:

Isobel said...

McLaughlin and Brubaker are using Slumdog Millionaire for their free.

Aaron said...

McBru? Wow!

Kelli Lawrence said...

Wonderful! Thanks for passing that on... I look forward to seeing it. Are they doing any pre-GP events this year...?

Sharon said...

Davis and White are doing an Indian OD...no confirmation yet but we're thinking it's India Indian not Native American(I got an inside tip that it's "Bollywood" style) and I think it's likely they will use Slumdog. Have to wait and see.

Sharon said...

Oh, just to add, word is that Davis and White are competing at Nebelhorn. I sure hope so!