It's early in the #figureskating season, but I'm already hearing an old favorite that was absent last year... #PhantomoftheOpera!
Come read about its history with the sport in this #StateoftheSkateMUSIC piece linked below.
Come read about its history with the sport in this #StateoftheSkateMUSIC piece linked below.
“Phantom of the Opera” — Kelli M. Lawrence
As of the time I’m writing this, the three longest-running musicals in Broadway history (according to Wikipedia, which updates this stat regularly) are: 3) THE LION KING: over 11,225 performances ...
impala-cuboid-xsgf.squarespace.com
September 28, 2026 at 11:38 PM
It's early in the #figureskating season, but I'm already hearing an old favorite that was absent last year... #PhantomoftheOpera!
Come read about its history with the sport in this #StateoftheSkateMUSIC piece linked below.
Come read about its history with the sport in this #StateoftheSkateMUSIC piece linked below.
Seeing Bratti/Somerville's "Bohemian Rhapsody" FD at #LomardiaTrophy last weekend made me smile (despite the edits at the end of the program)... QUEEN is back in the arena this season! Read about the skating music history of this iconic band at the link below.
#FigureSkating
#StateoftheSkateMUSIC
#FigureSkating
#StateoftheSkateMUSIC
“I’m Having a Good Time”: All Hail the (skating programs of) QUEEN — Kelli M. Lawrence
I have a theory that if the rock band Queen were a food… it would be pizza. Everyone likes pizza, right? You might debate about the best style (sorry deep-dish haters, but I’m Chicago-style all the ...
impala-cuboid-xsgf.squarespace.com
September 23, 2026 at 7:36 PM
Seeing Bratti/Somerville's "Bohemian Rhapsody" FD at #LomardiaTrophy last weekend made me smile (despite the edits at the end of the program)... QUEEN is back in the arena this season! Read about the skating music history of this iconic band at the link below.
#FigureSkating
#StateoftheSkateMUSIC
#FigureSkating
#StateoftheSkateMUSIC
I'm not sure which part of this particular #StateoftheSkateMUSIC you'll like better-- "Sinnerman" (associated most w/J.Brown) or "Bolero" (associated w/MANY)-- but it's popular... and all the links are now updated! Go give it a read, won't you?
#figureskating
#figureskating
“Sinnerman” and Bolero — Kelli M. Lawrence
Scroll past SINNERMAN to get to BOLERO (though I’ve gotta say, the SINNERMAN piece is pretty interesting…)
impala-cuboid-xsgf.squarespace.com
September 17, 2026 at 4:19 PM
I'm not sure which part of this particular #StateoftheSkateMUSIC you'll like better-- "Sinnerman" (associated most w/J.Brown) or "Bolero" (associated w/MANY)-- but it's popular... and all the links are now updated! Go give it a read, won't you?
#figureskating
#figureskating
Seeing Shin/Howe with a 1994 Romeo + Juliet FS at #JohnNicksPairsInternational made me wonder how many R & J programs we'll be seeing this season... and how much I'll need to update my #StateoftheSkateMUSIC post 😂
No worries, I'm happy to do it!
Here's what I have in the meantime... #figureskating
No worries, I'm happy to do it!
Here's what I have in the meantime... #figureskating
Romeo & Juliet… (and Romeo & Juliet, and Romeo & Juliet) — Kelli M. Lawrence
“My bounty is as boundless as the sea, My love as deep; the more I give to thee, The more I have, for both are infinite.” — Juliet, Act 2 Scene 2
impala-cuboid-xsgf.squarespace.com
September 15, 2026 at 4:58 PM
Seeing Shin/Howe with a 1994 Romeo + Juliet FS at #JohnNicksPairsInternational made me wonder how many R & J programs we'll be seeing this season... and how much I'll need to update my #StateoftheSkateMUSIC post 😂
No worries, I'm happy to do it!
Here's what I have in the meantime... #figureskating
No worries, I'm happy to do it!
Here's what I have in the meantime... #figureskating
Summer's got a ways to go yet... guess it's a good thing I have not one, but TWO "Coolest concept" #figureskating programs featured in my new #StateoftheSkateMUSIC post! Read up on those, as well as 13 other noteworthy choices from last season! #Olympics #skating
Noteworthiest of 2025-26 — Kelli M. Lawrence
Skating music hits differently in an Olympic season. And by “differently,” I mean in a way that often feels all too familiar. Enough warhorses to fill a small planet of stables; enough massive, arena-...
impala-cuboid-xsgf.squarespace.com
August 3, 2026 at 3:33 AM
Summer's got a ways to go yet... guess it's a good thing I have not one, but TWO "Coolest concept" #figureskating programs featured in my new #StateoftheSkateMUSIC post! Read up on those, as well as 13 other noteworthy choices from last season! #Olympics #skating
It's the middle of a hot, hazy summer-- what better time to an ALL NEW post at #StateoftheSkateMUSIC?
It's featuring 15 of my "Noteworthiest" #figureskating programs from the 2025-26 season! Are they yours as well? Take a look!
It's featuring 15 of my "Noteworthiest" #figureskating programs from the 2025-26 season! Are they yours as well? Take a look!
Noteworthiest of 2025-26 — Kelli M. Lawrence
Skating music hits differently in an Olympic season. And by “differently,” I mean in a way that often feels all too familiar. Enough warhorses to fill a small planet of stables; enough massive, arena-...
kellimlawrence.com
July 18, 2026 at 7:05 PM
It's the middle of a hot, hazy summer-- what better time to an ALL NEW post at #StateoftheSkateMUSIC?
It's featuring 15 of my "Noteworthiest" #figureskating programs from the 2025-26 season! Are they yours as well? Take a look!
It's featuring 15 of my "Noteworthiest" #figureskating programs from the 2025-26 season! Are they yours as well? Take a look!
New #StateofTheSkateMUSIC poll! Which of the recently announced programs of the 2026-27 #figureskating season are you anticipating the most?
A) Zingas/Kolesnik FD to "Bolero"
B) Neset/Markelov FD to "Phantom of the Opera"
C) Aleksandr Selevko SP to "Dirty Diana"
A) Zingas/Kolesnik FD to "Bolero"
B) Neset/Markelov FD to "Phantom of the Opera"
C) Aleksandr Selevko SP to "Dirty Diana"
May 10, 2026 at 1:45 AM
New #StateofTheSkateMUSIC poll! Which of the recently announced programs of the 2026-27 #figureskating season are you anticipating the most?
A) Zingas/Kolesnik FD to "Bolero"
B) Neset/Markelov FD to "Phantom of the Opera"
C) Aleksandr Selevko SP to "Dirty Diana"
A) Zingas/Kolesnik FD to "Bolero"
B) Neset/Markelov FD to "Phantom of the Opera"
C) Aleksandr Selevko SP to "Dirty Diana"
With Leah Neset & Artem Markelov announcing a PHANTOM OF THE OPERA free dance for next season, it seemed a great time to update my #StateoftheSkateMUSIC post about this Andrew Lloyd Webber classic! Check it out--
#figureskating #icedance #PhantomoftheOpera
#figureskating #icedance #PhantomoftheOpera
“Phantom of the Opera” — Kelli M. Lawrence
As of the time I’m writing this, the three longest-running musicals in Broadway history (according to Wikipedia, which updates this stat regularly) are: 3) THE LION KING: over 11,225 performances ...
impala-cuboid-xsgf.squarespace.com
May 1, 2026 at 4:26 AM
With Leah Neset & Artem Markelov announcing a PHANTOM OF THE OPERA free dance for next season, it seemed a great time to update my #StateoftheSkateMUSIC post about this Andrew Lloyd Webber classic! Check it out--
#figureskating #icedance #PhantomoftheOpera
#figureskating #icedance #PhantomoftheOpera
I've been busy with my third show in a row (Disney's THE DESCENDANTS)-- that's a lotta shows for little old me-- but I plan to take a break and put more energy into #StateoftheSkateMUSIC among other things! New stuff coming; hang in there! #communitytheater #figureskating
April 21, 2026 at 7:32 PM
I've been busy with my third show in a row (Disney's THE DESCENDANTS)-- that's a lotta shows for little old me-- but I plan to take a break and put more energy into #StateoftheSkateMUSIC among other things! New stuff coming; hang in there! #communitytheater #figureskating
Did you know that the Prokofiev ballet of Romeo & Juliet (the version used by Zingas/Kolesnik at #WorldFigure) was made into a film in 1955? This isn't it ⬇️ 😀 but I'll include a link to it in my #StateoftheSkateMUSIC post!
March 28, 2026 at 8:33 PM
Did you know that the Prokofiev ballet of Romeo & Juliet (the version used by Zingas/Kolesnik at #WorldFigure) was made into a film in 1955? This isn't it ⬇️ 😀 but I'll include a link to it in my #StateoftheSkateMUSIC post!
I'm still adding things to my newest #StateoftheSkateMUSIC post on the many skating "faces" of Romeo & Juliet but can publish it in the next half-hour if anyone wants a sneak peek! LIKE this post if that's the case! #WorldFigure
a close up of a man 's face with the words under love 's heavy burden do i sink below him
ALT: a close up of a man 's face with the words under love 's heavy burden do i sink below him
media.tenor.com
March 28, 2026 at 7:18 PM
I'm still adding things to my newest #StateoftheSkateMUSIC post on the many skating "faces" of Romeo & Juliet but can publish it in the next half-hour if anyone wants a sneak peek! LIKE this post if that's the case! #WorldFigure
May all the skating stars align for Yuma today...
(And here's a little reading about his epic music)
#WorldFigure #StateoftheSkateMUSIC
(And here's a little reading about his epic music)
#WorldFigure #StateoftheSkateMUSIC
“Turandot” and “Tosca”: Puccini’s Skating Showcases — Kelli M. Lawrence
If you possess any amount of opera knowledge, you may find this look at Turandot and Tosca (as they relate to skating music) annoyingly simplistic. But I’m in constant learning mode when it come...
impala-cuboid-xsgf.squarespace.com
March 28, 2026 at 2:36 PM
May all the skating stars align for Yuma today...
(And here's a little reading about his epic music)
#WorldFigure #StateoftheSkateMUSIC
(And here's a little reading about his epic music)
#WorldFigure #StateoftheSkateMUSIC
There's a tale of two butterflies 🦋🦋 to be told between "Madame Butterfly" and "Butterfly Lovers" (the latter of which was used again by Maddie Schizas at #WorldFigure. Read more at #StateoftheSkateMUSIC!
impala-cuboid-xsgf.squarespace.com/stateofskate...
impala-cuboid-xsgf.squarespace.com/stateofskate...
“Butterfly Lovers” and “Madame Butterfly” — Kelli M. Lawrence
It’s hardly a coincidence that two treasured pieces of music— one telling a story rooted in Japan, the other with Chinese composers, sharing a Chinese legend– weren’t discovered for skating until Asia...
impala-cuboid-xsgf.squarespace.com
March 27, 2026 at 6:36 PM
There's a tale of two butterflies 🦋🦋 to be told between "Madame Butterfly" and "Butterfly Lovers" (the latter of which was used again by Maddie Schizas at #WorldFigure. Read more at #StateoftheSkateMUSIC!
impala-cuboid-xsgf.squarespace.com/stateofskate...
impala-cuboid-xsgf.squarespace.com/stateofskate...
"Last Dance" (Mone Chiba's SP)...
Last chance this season to tell you about my Donna Summer #StateoftheSkateMUSIC post...since Alysa isn't at #WorldFigure
impala-cuboid-xsgf.squarespace.com/stateofskate...
Last chance this season to tell you about my Donna Summer #StateoftheSkateMUSIC post...since Alysa isn't at #WorldFigure
impala-cuboid-xsgf.squarespace.com/stateofskate...
The Season of Summer — Kelli M. Lawrence
When Donna Summer ruled the world… There were no laptops. There was no internet. There were no streaming platforms.
impala-cuboid-xsgf.squarespace.com
March 25, 2026 at 3:18 PM
"Last Dance" (Mone Chiba's SP)...
Last chance this season to tell you about my Donna Summer #StateoftheSkateMUSIC post...since Alysa isn't at #WorldFigure
impala-cuboid-xsgf.squarespace.com/stateofskate...
Last chance this season to tell you about my Donna Summer #StateoftheSkateMUSIC post...since Alysa isn't at #WorldFigure
impala-cuboid-xsgf.squarespace.com/stateofskate...
#FigureSkating fans know that "Romeo & Juliet" programs are never in short supply... good thing there are so many music options for it!
Look for my newest #StateoftheSkateMUSIC post about the tragic young lovers this week during #WorldFigure!
Look for my newest #StateoftheSkateMUSIC post about the tragic young lovers this week during #WorldFigure!
a man and a woman are dancing in front of a full moon and the words center stage are on the bottom
ALT: a man and a woman are dancing in front of a full moon and the words center stage are on the bottom
media.tenor.com
March 23, 2026 at 8:00 PM
#FigureSkating fans know that "Romeo & Juliet" programs are never in short supply... good thing there are so many music options for it!
Look for my newest #StateoftheSkateMUSIC post about the tragic young lovers this week during #WorldFigure!
Look for my newest #StateoftheSkateMUSIC post about the tragic young lovers this week during #WorldFigure!
"Piazzolla’s stamp on tango is more like a gently broken mold in that he deftly folded elements of jazz and classical music into his compositions, helping create an evolution that came to be known as Nuevo Tango..."
Read about #figureskating 's favorite tango artist--#StateoftheSkateMUSIC
Read about #figureskating 's favorite tango artist--#StateoftheSkateMUSIC
Astor Piazzolla and Argentine Tango — Kelli M. Lawrence
“To me, Astor Piazzolla means expansion… He coaxes your bond with music to grow and change with you. Growing up in the city where he was born leaves you with no choice but to love tango, to love...
impala-cuboid-xsgf.squarespace.com
March 6, 2026 at 6:27 PM
"Piazzolla’s stamp on tango is more like a gently broken mold in that he deftly folded elements of jazz and classical music into his compositions, helping create an evolution that came to be known as Nuevo Tango..."
Read about #figureskating 's favorite tango artist--#StateoftheSkateMUSIC
Read about #figureskating 's favorite tango artist--#StateoftheSkateMUSIC
Find out more about this operatic piece of figure skating music history with the State of the SkateMUSIC post linked below!
#figureskating #Olympics #StateoftheSkateMUSIC
impala-cuboid-xsgf.squarespace.com/stateofskate...
#figureskating #Olympics #StateoftheSkateMUSIC
impala-cuboid-xsgf.squarespace.com/stateofskate...
“Turandot” and “Tosca”: Puccini’s Skating Showcases — Kelli M. Lawrence
If you possess any amount of opera knowledge, you may find this look at Turandot and Tosca (as they relate to skating music) annoyingly simplistic. But I’m in constant learning mode when it come...
impala-cuboid-xsgf.squarespace.com
March 4, 2026 at 5:13 AM
Find out more about this operatic piece of figure skating music history with the State of the SkateMUSIC post linked below!
#figureskating #Olympics #StateoftheSkateMUSIC
impala-cuboid-xsgf.squarespace.com/stateofskate...
#figureskating #Olympics #StateoftheSkateMUSIC
impala-cuboid-xsgf.squarespace.com/stateofskate...
Like many top men in Milano-Cortina, Yuma Kagiyama didn't have the free skate he wanted. But he DID win his second individual Olympic silver medal with a custom-made (!) version of TURANDOT. #figureskating #Olympics #StateoftheSkateMUSIC
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vj0X...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vj0X...
Japan's Yuma Kagiyama skates to Olympic silver
YouTube video by Olympics
www.youtube.com
March 4, 2026 at 5:12 AM
Like many top men in Milano-Cortina, Yuma Kagiyama didn't have the free skate he wanted. But he DID win his second individual Olympic silver medal with a custom-made (!) version of TURANDOT. #figureskating #Olympics #StateoftheSkateMUSIC
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vj0X...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vj0X...
I really hoped to get my Romeo & Juliet #StateoftheSkateMUSIC post completed by #MilanoCortina2026 but it's been a challenging month for me and my family on a few different levels... just wasn't able to get it finished. Aiming to have it by Worlds now! Thanks for your patience ❤️
February 20, 2026 at 6:05 AM
I really hoped to get my Romeo & Juliet #StateoftheSkateMUSIC post completed by #MilanoCortina2026 but it's been a challenging month for me and my family on a few different levels... just wasn't able to get it finished. Aiming to have it by Worlds now! Thanks for your patience ❤️
Skating has been blessed twice now with what I've called THE SEASON OF SUMMER... read more about disco icon Donna Summer and her music in the #StateoftheSkateMUSIC post below! #MilanoCortina2026
impala-cuboid-xsgf.squarespace.com/stateofskate...
impala-cuboid-xsgf.squarespace.com/stateofskate...
The Season of Summer — Kelli M. Lawrence
When Donna Summer ruled the world… There were no laptops. There was no internet. There were no streaming platforms.
impala-cuboid-xsgf.squarespace.com
February 19, 2026 at 3:39 PM
Skating has been blessed twice now with what I've called THE SEASON OF SUMMER... read more about disco icon Donna Summer and her music in the #StateoftheSkateMUSIC post below! #MilanoCortina2026
impala-cuboid-xsgf.squarespace.com/stateofskate...
impala-cuboid-xsgf.squarespace.com/stateofskate...
Also, here I discussed some of the lyrics in "Promise" by Laufey (Alysa's music) and how her skating edit of the song makes an interesting shuffle of them:
#MilanoCortina2026
#StateoftheSkateMUSIC
impala-cuboid-xsgf.squarespace.com/stateofskate...
#MilanoCortina2026
#StateoftheSkateMUSIC
impala-cuboid-xsgf.squarespace.com/stateofskate...
The Noteworthiest Programs of 2024-25 — Kelli M. Lawrence
It was a figure skating season of Disco and Dune…Beyonce and Bizet… Summer and Stravinsky… Riverdance and, um, ( checks notes ) Robots? Yes, robots. In 2024-25 the elite skating was so many things: (...
impala-cuboid-xsgf.squarespace.com
February 17, 2026 at 9:36 PM
Also, here I discussed some of the lyrics in "Promise" by Laufey (Alysa's music) and how her skating edit of the song makes an interesting shuffle of them:
#MilanoCortina2026
#StateoftheSkateMUSIC
impala-cuboid-xsgf.squarespace.com/stateofskate...
#MilanoCortina2026
#StateoftheSkateMUSIC
impala-cuboid-xsgf.squarespace.com/stateofskate...
The artist so nice, skaters use programs to her music TWICE
(Mone Chiba in the SP)...
#MilanoCortina2026
#StateoftheSkateMUSIC
impala-cuboid-xsgf.squarespace.com/stateofskate...
(Mone Chiba in the SP)...
#MilanoCortina2026
#StateoftheSkateMUSIC
impala-cuboid-xsgf.squarespace.com/stateofskate...
The Season of Summer — Kelli M. Lawrence
When Donna Summer ruled the world… There were no laptops. There was no internet. There were no streaming platforms.
impala-cuboid-xsgf.squarespace.com
February 17, 2026 at 9:27 PM
The artist so nice, skaters use programs to her music TWICE
(Mone Chiba in the SP)...
#MilanoCortina2026
#StateoftheSkateMUSIC
impala-cuboid-xsgf.squarespace.com/stateofskate...
(Mone Chiba in the SP)...
#MilanoCortina2026
#StateoftheSkateMUSIC
impala-cuboid-xsgf.squarespace.com/stateofskate...
For all Chopin's magnificent compositions, did you know he never composed an entire ballet?
More about a dance and skating music favorite here:
#MilanoCortina2026
#StateoftheSkateMUSIC
More about a dance and skating music favorite here:
#MilanoCortina2026
#StateoftheSkateMUSIC
“Hallelujah” and Chopin Selections in E Minor — Kelli M. Lawrence
Mariah Bell skating to “Hallelujah”
impala-cuboid-xsgf.squarespace.com
February 17, 2026 at 7:55 PM
For all Chopin's magnificent compositions, did you know he never composed an entire ballet?
More about a dance and skating music favorite here:
#MilanoCortina2026
#StateoftheSkateMUSIC
More about a dance and skating music favorite here:
#MilanoCortina2026
#StateoftheSkateMUSIC
I swear there are just as many "Gladiator" and "Interstellar" programs this year as there are "Dune," but the good news is they're all part of THE ZIMMER EFFECT:
#StateoftheSkateMUSIC
#MilanoCortina2026
impala-cuboid-xsgf.squarespace.com/stateofskate...
#StateoftheSkateMUSIC
#MilanoCortina2026
impala-cuboid-xsgf.squarespace.com/stateofskate...
THE ZIMMER EFFECT — Kelli M. Lawrence
Play a little word association with composers associated with figure skating music, and you’ll find yourself in a game brimming with options. Say Tchaikovsky , and the powerful-yet-delicate Swan L...
impala-cuboid-xsgf.squarespace.com
February 16, 2026 at 9:11 PM
I swear there are just as many "Gladiator" and "Interstellar" programs this year as there are "Dune," but the good news is they're all part of THE ZIMMER EFFECT:
#StateoftheSkateMUSIC
#MilanoCortina2026
impala-cuboid-xsgf.squarespace.com/stateofskate...
#StateoftheSkateMUSIC
#MilanoCortina2026
impala-cuboid-xsgf.squarespace.com/stateofskate...
Make that a TRIO of #StateoftheSkateMUSIC posts...
you wouldn't want to miss a (newly updated) BOLERO post, right? #MilanoCortina2026
impala-cuboid-xsgf.squarespace.com/stateofskate...
you wouldn't want to miss a (newly updated) BOLERO post, right? #MilanoCortina2026
impala-cuboid-xsgf.squarespace.com/stateofskate...
“Sinnerman” and Bolero — Kelli M. Lawrence
Scroll past SINNERMAN to get to BOLERO (though I’ve gotta say, the SINNERMAN piece is pretty interesting…)
impala-cuboid-xsgf.squarespace.com
February 15, 2026 at 9:36 PM
Make that a TRIO of #StateoftheSkateMUSIC posts...
you wouldn't want to miss a (newly updated) BOLERO post, right? #MilanoCortina2026
impala-cuboid-xsgf.squarespace.com/stateofskate...
you wouldn't want to miss a (newly updated) BOLERO post, right? #MilanoCortina2026
impala-cuboid-xsgf.squarespace.com/stateofskate...