Blast from the past: Michelle Kwan's "Dream of Desdemona"

Every so often, a skating program reaches iconic status. It happened in 1988 with Katarina Witt's sultry "Carmen" free skate, and in 2002-03 with Xue Shen and Hongbo Zhao's emotional "Turandot" long program.

America's most decorated skater ever, Michelle Kwan, has an impressive portfolio of iconic programs herself, including the Rachmanninof piano medley short program she used in both 1998 and 2002, and her "Salome" free skate from 1996 -- the program which signaled her arrival as a major international threat, and which won her the gold medal as a 15-year old at the World Championships.

While all these programs are spectacular in their own ways, one program doesn't get as much love or attention from the skating world: Kwan's "Dream of Desdemona" short program from the 1996-97 season. It is another Lori Nichol masterpiece, with intricate choreography and difficult transitions into and out of her required elements, all accentuated by a fantastic piece of music. From the opening spiral sequence to the final death drop spin, it's hard to take your eyes off of the program.



There really isn't a piece of music called "Dream of Desdemona." The program is actually a combination of pieces by composer Jules Massenet. The "Desdemona" part comes from the brilliant thinking of both Kwan and Nichol, as it is a storyline they created to depict the turbulent relationship between two of Shakespeare's most famous characters: Othello and Desdemona.

Perhaps this program doesn't get the recognition it deserves from the skating community because Kwan won no major titles with it. It was used during the 1997 season, a season in which she suffered from growth spurts, injuries and confidence issues -- a season in which Tara Lipinski would sweep the major titles: U.S. Champion, Series Final Champion (now called the Grand Prix Final) and World Champion.

Nonetheless, the program epitomizes classic, beautiful skating with deep edges, gorgeous lines, solid jumps, beautiful spins and, most of all, heart. And while it may not be remembered as one of the best ever, it is certainly one of figure skating's greatest "hidden gems."