You may send your letter
to
the address below,
and it will be forwarded
directly to Michael.
While Michael loves to
hear from his fans,
please understand that
he has a busy travel
and performance schedule
and may not be able
to respond back to you.
Michael Kuluva/Spirit
PO Box 12846
1100 AV Amsterdam-Zuidoost
The Netherlands
• I'm glad to know that you are dedicated to your fans. I was also wondering if you are planning to
be in any other Disney On Ice shows in the near future. Thanks once again!
Hi Heidi! Right now I am planning on staying with the Incredible's/Disneyland Adventure. If I do change shows I will definitely post it on this website! Thanks for the question & take care!!
• Heidi asks: saw you in Disney On Ice in Arizona a few days ago and you were
amazing. Just curious, what is your favorite Disney ride? I've always wanted to ice skate, but never had the opportunity, so I switched to theatre. If you have the time, I would very much appreciate hearing from you. Hi Heidi! I'm so glad you enjoyed the show!! Phoenix was a great city! I just went to Disneyland this week so I would have to say Space Mountain is my favorite ride at the park. They are using music for a limited time from the Red Hot Chili Peppers which made it even better!! I like a lot of the fast rides at the park but I also love Pirates of Caribbean & the Haunted Mansion. Thanks for the great question!!
• Tiffany asks Do you want to go to the olympics some day? Hi Tiffany! I did want to go to the Olympics for about 10 years but then I found professional figure skating which I have fallen in love with. I love performing for audiences around the world and having the ability to be as creative as possible! Thanks for the question!!
• What are the biggest differences between amateur skating and professional skating? I think one of the biggest differences is that you are not skating for a panel of judges anymore. You are performing nightly for thousands and thousands of people who come to see a show and be entertained. It's not about landing triple after triple anymore, its about having fun and trying to get the audience into your performance.
• Which do you enjoy more, amateur skating or professional skating?
I enjoy professional skating more then I did amateur skating. I skated amateur for over 10 years and have now been professional for around 5. I find that since turning professional I have become more consistent in jumping. I also do not feel the same pressure as when I did competing. I know that if I don't land this jump tonight that my career isn't over and that I will get a chance tomorrow night to re-do this performance for a whole new crowd.
• What has your favorite tour been so far? Japan! I loved the Japan tour! I was there in 2002 and it was my third tour. I traveled to 16 cities in 4 months. I loved the culture, the food, the shopping (because I am only 5'4 - it was very easy for me to find clothing there then the US) and the atmosphere in that country. There is so much culture surrounding you wherever you go and there is so much respect in that country.
• What advice do you have for skaters who want to become professionals? My advice to any amateur figure skater who wants to become a professional is that if you are ready to start another chapter in your skating career and you like to travel, then I think turning professional is the way to go. You have the freedom to do anything in professional figure skating. There are no rules! You can be as creative as you want and you do not have anything holding you back.
• When you were younger, did you ever envision a professional skating career? Yes! Ever since I was very young, I always performed various little shows around the house for my family and always wanted to make a career out of it someday. Once I started skating, I was introduced to a lot of professional skating shows and it always sparked my interest. My former coaches, Sashi & Denise Kuchiki were in the Ice Capade's for many many years and I use to love hearing all their old stories about the shows. Now I have my own stories from the shows to share with other people.
• What was your role in the "Cutting Edge 2? I had a small role in the Cutting Edge 2 movie. I was one of the guys who was suppose to tryout with the lead girl (Christy Carlson Romano). The funny part about me trying out with this girl, is that I am too small for her. I am only around 5'4 and she was probably 5'6 or 5'7. So it did not really work out too well! It's a pretty funny scene in the movie when all the guys she goes through to try and find her new partner.
• Do you still keep up with the amateur skating world? I try to keep up with the amateur skating world as much as I can. With my schedule it's very hard to watch a lot of the competitions since I travel worldwide, perform at night and live in hotels with limited channels. I do attend Champions On Ice every year, usually Champions either crosses with one of my tours or I am in Los Angeles when it comes to town. It's great because its like a yearly re-union with all of my friends who are on that show or who come to see it.
• What did you think about the Olympic Games in Torino? WOW! That's what I thought about the Olympics this year. Of course I had my favorites going into that competition and I was fortunate enough to be able to watch most of the single skating. I think our athletes did the best that they could do! I am a huge fan of Sasha Cohen, who I have known since I was little, so it was very exciting to see her on the podium.
For the other US women who went to the Olympics I just wanted to say Congratulations! Kimmie Meissner did an excellent job at her first Olympics and I think Emily Hughes had a great attitude during this whole competition. She had nothing to lose and everything to gain! She skated great programs and it looked like she enjoyed every second of the games! I know that they will go on and show the world what they can do in the future and I am very excited to see what they will accomplish!
The men was also very entertaining to watch. I am a fan of Johnny Weir and I was very excited to see him skate at the Olympic games. Evgeni Plushenko was incredible as always showing his terrific technical ability. Evan Lysacek also did a great job and he should be very proud of himself!
As for the pairs and dance, I wish I was able to watch those events, however I was performing during those times. I have it saved on a video for me to watch a little bit later!
• How you become involved in designing clothes? I have always been interested in fashion. I own a lot of clothes myself and am always on the hunt for clothing that is designed to fit smaller people. I had a lot of ideas for new clothing and one day I just decided to do it. I have always done this as a side project and will continue to do so until I retire from skating.
• How does it feel to have celebrities wearing your designs? Its amazing and unbelievable! I started this line while on tour and I never thought it would grow this much. The first celebrity to wear one of my t-shirts was Ricky Martin. After Ricky, I had Jessica Simpson and Ryan Seacrest wearing my shirts.
• Do you design skating costumes? I haven't designed any skating costumes yet! I am always interested in new ventures and challenges, so maybe one day the opportunity will arise!
