Harbin, China, August 14, 2025: ‘Stumblin’ In’, the late-70s hit by Suzi Quattro and Chris Norman is a popular song when sessions begin on ice at the Asian Figure Skating Youth Camp in Harbin.
Having reached the halfway mark of the nine-day camp on Thursday, August 14, the 47 boys and girls from 20 Asian countries and regions are no longer stumbling in on ice thanks to Korean choreographer Kim Hae Jin, an Olympian and one of the internationally-qualified instructors at the camp.
While the others focus on teaching skating skills, Kim’s job is to ensure that the children move to the groove. “Music is the key to figure skating,” says Kim as she effortlessly glides across the Harbin Ice Hockey Arena.
Head instructor Julian Yee offers: “Music is what binds it all together, it packages everything.”
The final product matters, and Kim’s task is to help the kids build confidence and choose their own songs which hopefully one day will see them perform in front of an Olympic audience.
“My goal is to help them express themselves through their body language on ice, and as such it is important what music you choose,” points out Kim, who represented Korea at the 2014 Sochi Olympics alongside Kim Yuna.
“It also depends hugely on the mood you are in, it can be classical or something fun, jazz or tango, it depends on your feelings,” she adds.
In competition, skaters have to perform short and free programmes to music. So it could be a classic like Carmen – one of the most popular choices over the years - or energising rhythms by Lady Gaga and Guns N’ Roses.
Julian loves Coldplay, but it was not always like this. A change in the rules after the Sochi Olympics, allowed the use of vocals in competition giving the sport a fresher look and helping skaters connect with the audiences. Move over Mozart, hello Queen.
“Some of the participants here have never done choreography on ice before. This is an eye-opening experience for them, but it is mainly about building their confidence. They can choose what sort of music they like later, for now the key is to bring them out with a positive attitude,” says Kim, a three-time Korean national champion.
One of her favourite songs which she performed to was ‘You Will be Found’ by Sam Smith and Summer Walker, a slow melody, full of meaningful lyrics about a high-school student giving a speech, having a panic attack, before taking a deep breath and giving a new speech through song.
“Have you ever felt like nobody was there,
Have you ever felt forgotten in the middle of nowhere?
Have you ever felt like you could disappear
Like you could fall and no one would hear?”
Kim says: “You must have confidence, and I hope we can instil it here.”
