Two-time U.S. Champions Keauna McLaughlin and Rockne Brubaker entered the 2009/2010 Olympic season equipped with an imaginative new freeskate to the exotic, powerful "Slumdog Millionaire" soundtrack, choreographed by the ingenious Sarah Kawahara.
Here, skating at the 2009 Cancer.net Skate America in Lake Placid, NY, Keauna and Rockne were far from flawless, but it's the only video I can find of this program. Later in the season, the duo was again far from flawless at U.S. Nationals in Spokane and finished a bitterly-disappointing 5th at the Olympic Trials. Coming in as the reigning U.S. Champs, they had been expected to be a lock for the team.
Despite this program being a work-in-progress here, I feel strongly that this is one of the most inventive and intriguing pairs freeskating routines that I've seen in a long time. The music is driving, bold, yet sensuous in parts, and the choreography is fresh and interesting. Rockne is a brilliant skater, as he flows over the ice with reckless abandon. Though unfortunately Keauna and Rockne split after this season, I'm glad they left their fans with this novel work to remember them by. I appreciate the vision that Sarah Kawahara had for this program and the commitment to the choreography and performance by Keauna and Rockne.
Enjoy!
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