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sunskate · 4 months

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Man, Reflections, that is a blast from the past. I think what Dean was trying to do — because he had a brother sister team — was to move away from the romantic themes that dominated a lot of ice dance (and still do for many teams). It didn’t really work back then, and for better or worse, the success of VM probably hasn’t helped move away from romantic themes since they leaned into that chemistry big time.

Old school ice dance was a really persnickety sport that was hard for audiences to understand on a technical level (and maybe it still is?) T/D were good at creating a look and choreographic moments within the limits of the sport — I always liked their repeated movements and the little turns and lifts they did below shoulder level to comply with the rules.

My favorite period for old school ice dance is probably 1988-1994 where the programs got super esoteric. It’s actually closer to the conceptual stuff that Chock/Bates have been doing lately and it leaned into the drama. Kimova/Ponomarenko and Usova/Zhulin in that period were amazing. If any of your other anons can give me a reason besides politics for Bestemianova/Bukin being ahead of them, please send it in!

audiences and judges weren't ready to embrace a team dressed as two men skating together in 1991 sounds like. somewhat related, i'm conflicted about Usova/Zhulin - they're charismatic and very beautiful to watch, but he's a hateful person who says callous and vile things - i can appreciate their skating, but what do you do with the good work of an artist who is awful as a person?

did VM cause love stories to be skated more in ice dance? their appeal seems very organic and so specific to them. these days, seeing a F/M team as inherently romantic seems more a cultural preconception than something most teams are selling

nobody's shipbaiting these days? maybe it's also that very few have truly sparky chemistry in the VM sense. Marie-France and Patrice used to have that on ice too. i like seeing intimacy and trust and unison on the ice, but any two people can have that

that's interesting about older school ice dance being persnickety- there is kind of a fussy quality to it compared to now that the best teams sometimes transcended. maybe idgi because i don't understand the rules or the vocabulary of the dances of the time, but those repetitive little turns T/D do again and again feel like he's turning her over and around like a rotisserie 😅 though it's always done with great precision

i'll look for that in the 1988-94 dances - if you have any programs to recommend, i'd love to hear about them 💙

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wanderlustinwonderland18 · 2 years

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Stepanova & Bukin: A Redemption Story

Irina Zhuk: A month before the 2018 Games, they already got their uniforms and were so happy.

Alexander Svinin: Irina and I were out for the Russian Junior Championships when we got a call from Moscow and heard the news.

Irina Zhuk: I don’t remember the next three hours cause to be honest, the only moment in my life worse than that was when my mom died.

Elena (Ivan’s Mom): Well, what a tragedy! I thought I was gonna have a heart attack. I was crying so hard... And then Andrei came back from the shop and said; “I already know. You have to stop crying. Vanya will be here soon. You should collect yourself!”

Ivan: When I found out that I was not allowed to participate in the 2018 Games, I was just in shock. It was hard to get over it. I was driving when I heard the news and I just stopped in the middle of the road. I asked: “How? What is the reason?” And the response was: “They didn’t say anything, they just sent a letter to the federation stating you are not allowed to go.” I was very upset and ashamed for my partner and coaches. I drove to the nearest gas station in shock and bought myself some water. The day was very sunny and warm, even though it was February. I stood and silently drank some water. The hours after that was very painful, endless calls from different people. It was a really tough time but we decided for ourselves to move forward, this is not the end of life.

Alexandra: I remember people saying: “Don’t be hard on Vanya for that, okay?” And I was like: “What’s wrong with you people?” Or they would ask: “So now you’re gonna dance with another partner, right?” And I thought: “Gosh, what the heck!”

Irina Zhuk: We were absolutely not ready for the rejection of Vanya. That day will remain a black day for us on the calendar. We have been coaching them for more than a decade. They are like children to us. Sasha’s behavior after learning of the situation definitely struck me. She turned out to be stronger than me on that day. It was more difficult for Vanya since his name was the one that appeared on the list. It was really sad to witness, considering what a positive person he is.

Natalia Bestemianova: You know, whatever happens, happens for the best. All this has strengthened them and it is why they have completely transformed into stronger spirits.

Alexandra: l think you should live through hard times to finally get what you deserve. I’m a really weird person! (laughs)

Andrei Bukin: They became more mature, they started to skate better, with more soul, with better technique, and I hope the judges notice that.

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aleksandra-ivan · 3 years

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Bestemianova attempting to defend Stepbuk and big them up in the media, saying nerves are what caused their issues today.

"Can you imagine how much they would have been given if not this mistake? tomorrow. They have a luxurious free dance, the best in the world, in my opinion, so let them skate, skating has not been canceled."

#aleksandra stepanova #ivan bukin #stepbuk #stepanova bukin #ice dance #natalia bestemianova

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allekha · 4 years

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When figure skating becomes figure running.

Top and bottom: Bestemianova & Bukin, 1985 Euros FD to Carmen Middle: Stolbova & Klimov, 2018 Euros FS to also Carmen

#figure skating #fskateedit #ksenia stolbova #fedor klimov #carmen #Natalia Bestemianova #Andrei Bukin

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illyria-and-her-pet · 5 years

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“The Gene of Victory” documentary on the Bukin dynasty is my favorite thing I’ve ever watched. Thank you so much @alexandravlad for the English subtitles.

You can see all my reactions and favorite lines here lol: https://twitter.com/yang_bo_dudnik/status/1097254854257369088

But I’m a really big Besti/Bukin stan (idk if everyone on tumblr knows but lol on twitter I tweet about Besti/Bukin Carmen all the time lmao). And everyone knows I stan Stepanova/Bukin too and love their programs this year.

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Besti/Bukin Carmen is the first iconic Carmen in figure skating, one of the best Carmens on ice, and one of the best 6.0 ice dance programs ever.

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Also they have my favorite rhumba compulsory. Look at that creative free leg movement on that XB-RFI to Wd-LFI! Look at that deep right back outside edge on the Wd-XF-LFI-Open Choctaw! Torvill/Dean’s flat right back outside edges are shaking! I’m actually serious about that lol. See T/D’s choctaw here rip: https://youtu.be/YGckC9Tl6yA?t=137 Both are flat, especially Jayne’s, but this is how a majority of rhumba compulsories looked since there were no key points and a lot of teams had trouble with the rhumba double choctaw. 😬

“This is more than friendship. It’s family” 😭 😭 😭

Anyways back to the documentary- Besti/Bukin really do have my favorite ice dance relationship and imo the ideal relationship for ice dance partners. They’ve known each other for 50 years, were never romantically involved, TAT said that unlike other teams she coached they didn’t have big arguments and always understood each other, they won OGM and 4 world titles together, they did professional skating and skated in Besti’s husband, Igor Bobrin’s, ice theater together, and they’re neighbors now!!!

There was a period where Besti and Bukin were not in each other’s lives after they won the OGM. Besti refused tour offers and went to skate in Bobrin’s ice theater instead. Andrei tried to become a sports official, but it didn’t work out because he was pissed that the federation would take a lot of money, but wouldn’t use it to help poor athletes and he couldn’t stand telling for example poor boy who needs a costume for junior worlds that there wasn’t money for it. So he joined Bobrin theater as well and was reunited with Besti. They did many programs including those choreographed by Bobrin and also won 1991 World Professional Championships together. And of course they’re still neighbors! Besti visits Andrei and his wife, Elena Vasiuk, all the time, she plants bushes and roses for them, and she calls their dog Tina her honey! And of course she is like a mom to Sasha and Vanya and will literally do anything for them.

Now to the Stepanova/Bukin parts of the documentary:

I’m too lazy to post all the screencaps I already put on twitter again and also that would make the post super gigantic, but I’ll post the ones that also had cute pics here.

Vanya would say to young Vanya that he was a fool and that he needs to work, skate, study, and develop.

This is a super cute photo of Sasha and Vanya and lol the subtitle here is Elena (Vanya’s mom) talking about how it was a blessing that Sasha was always falling on jumps because it was clear she would take up ice dance and partner with Vanya after Vanya was dumped by Elena Ilinykh aksdalsjf

This is the license plate Andrei and Elena bought in Florida when Vanya was just 2.5 years old. They wanted Ivan Bukin plate, but it was taken so they got a B Ivan plate and have it hung on the wall of their house.

More cute pics from when Sasha was talking about how she was super shy when she and her mom moved in with the Bukins, but they gave them such a warm welcome and it was always like a family.

Also I found this part to be super relevant, so here’s everyone talking about Vanya not getting invited to the Olympics 😭 😭 😭

Their coaches Alexander Svinin and Irina Zhuk:

Vanya’s mom, Elena Vasiuk:

Vanya:

Sasha (Also smmmmmmhhhhhh at people who tried to get Sasha to dump Vanya as a partner):

Besti and Sasha:

And we end with “the history of the sport dynasty of Bukins is like a fairytale 😭 😭 😭

#alexandra stepanova #ivan bukin #natalia bestemianova #andrei bukin #figure skating #fs #fskate #ice skating #ice dance #ice dancing

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macaroni-rascal · 3 years

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Hi, I’ve been watching ice dancing events over the weekend, and I have to say not very inspired by any of the dances :(

But my question is this: is it a new fashion in recent years for women to do spread eagles with bent knees? Or is it that I just noticed it now? it seams in almost every single FD or/and RD done by majority of teams.. and to tell you the truth it just looks vulgar in dance, cannot see any elegance in that whatsoever.. maybe it’s just me and I’m getting old.. but somehow that particular move started bothering me over the last few seasons and it’s everywhere! I understand it in singles and in pairs, but somehow in ice dance it just out of place..or maybe another reason is that dancers just cannot incorporate it nicely 🤔

It’s not actually a question, sorry! Just some ramblings clearly..

Hey, anon!

Just want to clarify, I think it sounds like you are talking about besti squats, which is actually a particular move and is named, funnily enough, after the ice dancer Natalia Bestemianova; she did it about a million times in a program with her partner Andrei Bukin (father of Ivan Bukin) back in the 80’s.

It’s a spread eagle just with very bent knees, like you said:

I also don’t think besti squats are super cute in any of the disciplines in general, it’s one of my least favourite moves in figure skating, for sure.

I, too, have no idea how figure skaters think a transition like this:

…is at all aesthetically pleasing.

#it just looks like you’re peeing #“let’s be real #it looks like you’re full having a wiz #konner talks skating #if this isn’t what you’re talking about lemme know #😇😂✌️

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peacocksonice · 7 years

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@rogonov_alex Провели свои контрольные прокаты в школе Натальи Бестемьяновой и Андрея Букина на новом катке в Домодедово. Спасибо за уникальную возможность обкатать программы!

#alexei rogonov #Kristina Astakhova #anastasia shpilevaya #grigory smirnov #artur dmitriev jr #Ivan Bukin #Alexandra Stepanova #natalia bestemianova #andrei bukin

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lazaruspithottub · 6 years

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Olympic Ice Dancing Champions Marriage Facts

Time to spill some more tea!

Let's start from the beginning...

Lyudmila Pakhomova and Aleksandr Gorshkov - 1976 Olympic Ice Dance Champions

MARRIED

Natalia Linichuk and Gennadi Karponosov - 1980 Olympic Ice Dance Champions

MARRIED

Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean - 1984 Olympic Ice Dance Champions

Torvill — married to non-skater

Dean — formerly married to ice dancer Isabelle Duchesnay, formerly married to skater Jill Trenary

Natalia Bestemianova and Andrei Bukin - 1988 Olympic Ice Dance Champions

Bestemianova — married to skater Igor Bobrin

Bukin — formerly married to former ice dancing partner Olga Abankina, current partner is former ice dancer Elena Vasiuk (I'm considering this a de facto marriage in my statistics, okay)

Marina Klimova and Sergei Ponomarenko - 1992 Olympic Ice Dance Champions

MARRIED

Oksana Grishuk and Evgeny Platov - 1994 and 1998 Olympic Ice Dance Champions

Grishuk — no records of marriage or de facto relationships

Platov — formerly married to skater Maria Anikova

Marina Anissina and Gwendal Peizerat - 2002 Olympic Ice Dance Champions

Anissina — married to non-skater

Peizerat — married to non-skater (possibly? Unclear.)

Tatiana Navka and Roman Kostomarov - 2006 Olympic Ice Dance Champions

Navka — formerly married to ice dancer Alexander Zhulin, married to non-skater

Kostomarov — formerly married to skater Julia Lautowa, married to ice dancer Oksana Domnina

Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir - 2010 and 2018 Olympic Ice Dance Champions

Who TF knows?

Meryl Davis and Charlie White - 2014 Olympic Ice Dance ‘Champions’

Davis — currently engaged to skater and ice dancer Fedor Andreev (I'm considering this as a de facto marriage in my statistics)

White — married to ice dancer Tanith Belbin

Statistical analysis time!

Note: Tessa and Scott will not be included in this statistical analysis as they are technically the only ones not married or in a de facto relationship (apart from one other) and because the whole point of this statistical analysis is that it can eventually be applied to their situation.

Olympic Ice Dance Champion teams married to partners: 3/9, 33.33%

Olympic Ice Dance Champions married to other ice dancers (including partners): 10/18, 55.56%

And with former marriages included: 12/18, 66.67%

Olympic Ice Dance Champions married to other ice dancers or skaters (including partners): 11/18, 61.1%

With former marriages included: 14/18, 77.78%

Summary

1/3 of other (non-V/M) Olympic Ice Dance champions have married their partners

77.78% of other Olympic Ice Dance Champions went on to marry their partners, or other skaters or ice dancers

This means that other Ice Dance Olympic Champions were over 1.5 times more likely marry a fellow skater than marry a non-skater or not marry at all

Take with this what you will and please share! I spent a long time (over 2 hours) on this!

#virtue moir #olympics #tessa and scott #torvill and dean #tessa virtue #scott moir #Meryl Davis #Charlie White #you’ll notice that none of the ones who have married their partners have divorced #so statistically VM are in the right boat if they...#i mean sjkhskh it’s only statistics what can i say #please say you noticed how i went ‘champions’

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theicedancekingdom · 6 years

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TBT ~ Olympic Ice Dance medalists 1988-2014

2014 1. Meryl Davis & Charlie White (USA) 2. Tessa Virtue & Scott Moir (Canada) 3. Elena Ilinykh & Nikita Katsalapov (Russia)

2010 1. Tessa Virtue & Scott Moir (Canada) 2. Meryl Davis & Charlie White (USA) 3. Oksana Domnina & Maksim Shabalin (Russia)

2006 1. Tatiana Navka & Roman Kostomarov (Russia) 2. Tanith Belbin & Benjamin Agosto (USA) 3. Elena Grushina & Ruslan Goncharov (Ukraine)

2002 1. Marina Anissina & Gwendal Peizerat (France) 2. Irina Lobacheva & Ilia Averbukh (Russia) 3. Barbara Fusar-Poli & Maurizio Margaglio (Italy)

1998 1. Oksana Grishuk & Evgeny Platov (Russia) 2. Anjelika Krylova & Oleg Ovsyannikov (Russia) 3. Marina Anissina & Gwendal Peizerat (France)

1994 1. Oksana Grishuk & Evgeny Platov (Russia) 2. Maya Usova & Alexander Zhulin (Russia) 3. Jayne Torvill & Christopher Dean (Great Britain)

1992 1. Marina Klimova & Sergei Ponomarenko (UnitedTeam) 2. Isabelle Duchesnay & Paul Duchesnay (France) 3. Maya Usova & Alexander Zhulin (United Team)

1988 1. Natalia Bestemianova & Andrei Bukin (USSR) 2. Marina Klimova & Sergei Ponomarenko (USSR) 3. Tracy Wilson & Robert McCall (Canada)

#ice dance #Tessa Virtue #scott moir #Meryl Davis #charlie white #Elena Ilinykh #Nikita Katsalapov #virtue and moir #davis and white #ilinykh and katsalapov #oksana domnina #Maksim Shabalin #Tanith Belbin #benjamin agosto #figure skating #olympics #olympic games #olympic winter games

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scottandtess · 6 years

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I think the judges might feel bad for Stepanova/Bukin for not getting an invite to the Olympics since Bukin has never tested positive for doping, never got any of his medals stripped, never got any suspension and is competing at Worlds, and was never given a reason by the IOC as to why he wasn't invited. There was also that letter with a lot of skaters signing it in support of him like Hamilton, Plushenko, Yagudin, Petrenko, Peizerat, Gordeeva, Ponomarenko, Klimova, Berezhnaya, Sikharulidze 1/2

and Medvedeva. Natalia Bestemianova even said she would give up her Olympic gold medal if Stepanova/Bukin were allowed to compete, but of course they weren't. So maybe they will be the "anointed" ice dance team for the next quad since they have so much support from skaters and people feel really bad for them. Like people felt really bad for Carolina Kostner after she got suspended for helping her loser ex bf evade doping officials and she was welcomed back.

I get that ppl gave their support but he must’ve done something to be banned...

#ask #anon #Anonymous

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wanderlustinwonderland18 · 4 years

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Stepanova & Bukin: “We Have Been Together For So Long That We Have Already Become Family”

Do you watch ice dance competitions of the past?

Alexandra: Yes, especially when the compulsory dance for the season is announced. We then go back to the roots - Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, Oksana Grishuk and Evgeni Platov...

Ivan: Tatiana Navka and Roman Kostomarov.

Alexandra: Yes, we also watched their dance when we had the tango.

Ivan: We return to the days when my dad skated, Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean. It is interesting to watch, because there was a great emphasis on compulsory dance during that time.

So you don’t watch it for your own interest, just out of necessity?

Alexandra: It’s not possible for me to sit down and review the entire Grand Prix series. We do not like every program, and many we do not like in terms of skating. We can enjoy some of our favorite pairs, but not everyone.

What are your favorite programs of the past decade?

Alexandra: Among ours, the free dance this season, and last year’s tango.

Ivan: I like Virtue and Moir’s Moulin Rouge. I think it’s an incredible program, amazingly executed.

Alexandra: Yes, I absolutely agree. This is one of our favorite programs.

In your opinion, how has your sport changed over time?

Ivan: The dances have become more complicated. The judging system has changed, the compulsory dance has been removed. This dance was moved into the short, and it became more interesting for the audience. Everyone began to skate different programs but as for free dances, I like how it was a long time ago. People really skated free dances, did not worry too much about particular elements. They just created the dance and it was very cool.

Alexandra: This has some truth, but there are also quite interesting programs today. The rules are getting complicated, and something new is constantly being invented. It becomes more interesting to watch dances. Previously, there were two compulsory step sequences. Now, they have been abandoned and everything has changed. There is more space for creativity.

What do you do to distract yourself from figure skating?

Alexandra: It seems to me that we don’t distract ourselves from figure skating.

Ivan: No, this does not happen. We rest on weekends to gain strength for the next week’s training.

Alexandra: Perhaps, I just don’t talk about figure skating.

Ivan: Yes, me too.

Did you give each other presents on New Year?

Ivan: Of course! This is a family holiday, and we have been together for so long that we have already become family.

Alexandra: Vanya gave me the sunglasses that I’ve wanted for a long time. It’s very cool when someone gives you what you want, although only close ones can do that.

You have been skating together for 13 years. What is the secret of such longevity?

Alexandra: The coaches passed that on to us from childhood. It comes from the people who take care of us.

Ivan: We have great respect for each other. When you care deeply about a person, you don’t want any scandals.

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allekha · 3 years

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Would it be possible for you to make a list of the best figure skating programs- those which are not only your favorite but that u also think perfectly exemplify everything great about the sport? If you ever decide to make such a list, can you also describe shortly what makes each program great? It would be terrific to hear your thoughts

Hello, anon! As requested, a list!

First, a disclaimer: it's really hard to try to stay objective while making a 'best programs' list. There are skaters who I think 'objectively' should be on here, but I find them boring or they don’t speak to me, or I like their programs but wouldn’t call them the ‘best’; there are skaters on here who I love but other people think are terrible/boring/ruining the sport. And then there’s deciding what is the ‘best’. Many of the programs I've included are not ones I think are perfect in every way, but I think they all show something great about FS. I hope you enjoy the list, anon :) I had fun going through my videos to make it.

Also: this list exhibits recency bias (I think the sport has improved in a lot of ways over the years - I personally know someone who disagrees so vehemently they don't follow modern skating at all) and is biased towards singles, as I watch dance less and pairs not much at all. Apologies if you’re a pairs fan. And, finally, I only included competition programs and at most two from any skater.

John Curry, 1975 FS: I have already given this one its own post because that’s how much I love it, but tl;dr it’s beautiful at every moment, IMO is the closest FS has ever gotten to ballet, and it has solid tech for 1976.

Torvill & Dean, 1983 FD: It's The Bolero. It's the figure skating program and the figure skating moment for a lot of people, even to this day. People more well-versed in ice dance than me have probably written about how extraordinary and revolutionary it is. I'll be honest, it took a few viewings (and finding a video where the music wasn't repeatedly stabbing my ears) to start to Get It, and it's not my favorite of their programs, but even I can tell you that those lifts are amazing.

Gary Beacom, 1983 FS: Though he excelled as a pro/show skater, even as an amateur, he showed innovative, full-body movements, excellent use of spins, and difficult jump entrances.

Bestemianova & Bukin, 1984 FD: I've watched a lot of Carmen, but for me, this is the one Carmen program. The chemistry is on point, and they turned the drama up to 11 and sold the hell out of it while skating in a way that matched their bombastic arrangement.

Midori Ito, 1987 SP: Even in the short program, even before she had landed her first competitive 3A, Midori’s technical prowess was obvious: easy rippon’d and high required 2F, oh hey a combo requiring 2Lo might as well be the one to make the 2Lo first and do 2Lo3Lo, back counter 2A with hands on her hips. She also had decent spins and, while she was never the most graceful, this program was creative, worked well for her, and showed off her charisma and energy.

Duchesnay & Duchesnay, 1989 FD: Intense from the beginning to the end; even if you don’t know the story behind the program, you know what they’re feeling. They way they switch off who is leading or supporting the other gives them in some sections lends a sense of equality, and the choreography makes really good use of vertical space. It’s also interesting that their FD at next year’s Worlds was a direct continuation (after they decided their other FD wasn’t working), down to starting with the ending pose of this one.

Midori Ito, 1991 FS: Some of Midori’s programs felt like her team was trying to jam her into a mold of Witt and failing, but here they hit on something that was ‘classical’ but also suited Midori’s performing style. As always, her jumps absolutely popped. And not only did she attempt the women’s first 3A at the Olympics... she landed it! Three and a half minutes in after falling off her edge on the first one. (IMO hers is still the most jaw-dropping 3A a woman has ever landed.)

Gordeeva & Grinkov, 1993 FS: They had it all: high quality elements, a lovely glide, and a strong connection - they’re in sync every moment. The way he lifts her, holds her, and sets her down on the ice is precious.

Rahkamo & Kokko, 1994 OD: Just a delight to watch - quick and cute and playful without being overtly romantic. This dance eventually became an official dance pattern (the Finnstep).

Anissina & Peizerat, 1997 FD: Innovative and lovely program. I also find it striking that despite the traditionally very gendered story, there are several moments when they seem to be showing off him and not just her and make him feel like a more vulnerable Romeo than you might expect - not least with those reverse lifts! Call them a gimmick if you want, but they’re memorable and fit.

Sasha Cohen, 2003 FS: Lines to die for, a lovely layback, well-used flexibility, and dramatic, held spirals. Sasha hits a pretty position on nearly everything, save that Charlotte spiral here.

Ilia Klimkin, 2003 FS: This is a technically demanding program with intricate, detailed choreo, including the spins, and a strong mood. And weird as fuck music, but that's part of what’s great about it - how many other people could skate to this music and make it work besides, like, Czakó? You're certainly not going to forget it when the program ends.

Daisuke Takahashi, 2007 SP: You’ve seen one Swan Lake, you’ve seen a million, it can feel like - but you haven’t seen this one. Hip-hop is not a kind of dance that is often translated to the ice, and both of those step sequences look exhausting, but Daisuke completes them brilliantly, moving his entire body and matching every twisting beat and going quickly without flailing.

Stéphane Lambiel, 2009 SP: The William Tell Overture is the kind of music that can swallow skaters. But Lambiel manages to fill the ice and meet it anyway, and he does it fluidly. And of course, there are those Lambiel spins: incredibly fast, great positions, done on a dime.

Akiko Suzuki, 2012 FS: Extremely pretty basic skating - see the speed she gets at the climax of the music - and beautiful interpretation of the music. I appreciate that she plays a bird without going overboard on the I’M A BIRD arms (watched too many Swan Lake programs, sorry).

Carolina Kostner, 2012/3 FS: The Other Bolero. Not my personal favorite of her programs, but this program wears its Plisetskaya inspiration very nicely, and while being inspired by a ballerina doesn’t automatically make anyone great or balletic, Caro has the maturity to capture both the subtle sexiness and strength of the choreo. Plus, she has buttery smooth skating skills and at her peak, surprisingly floaty jumps.

Tatsuki Machida, 2012/13 FS: The choreo is strong, sharp, and full of details, and Tatsuki demonstrates his musicality as he skates it. The single swizzles on the accents at the beginning are a very simple touch, but still add visual interest, and I like how the middle of the step sequence alternates portions that are moving or relatively still on the ice in line with the music.

Mao Asada, 2013 FS: Just look at that step sequence and how perfectly each turn and twizzle matches the music! That drama, that smile, that hop she does, that spiral with a bold sweep of her hand on the ice. It’s unusual to end a program with a step and choreo sequence, but it makes for an amazing finish here.

Jason Brown, 2013 FS: Great example of how to build anticipation. That long section of flute music at the beginning could have been boring, but Jason has you on the edge of your seat the whole time, waiting for the moment when it's going to explode. And when it does, oh boy, Jason is full of joy and energy. This program does really well at showing off his best assets, too, making the steps, spirals, and spins focal points.

Yuzuru Hanyu, 2015/etc FS: I adored the Onmyouji films and their soundtracks before I ever watched this program, and I adore how Yuzuru used them. The program stands out from the first moment just for having non-Western music, and Yuzu uses every beat of it while also doing a difficult jump layout and above-average spins. He creates his own kind of Seimei with his performance, maintaining a magical atmosphere while the mood varies from dangerous to contemplative to joyful.

Evgenia Medvedeva, 2016 SP: "Allekha, are you really going to put the cringey schmaltzy miming on a greatest program list?" Yes, because I like it. Miming can be done poorly, but I think this is an example of it done well, serving the program without interrupting it. It's an age-appropriate program for a teenager - not sexualized or too juniorish or advanced - and Zhenya joyously tells the story of it. The whole program flows smoothly from one element to the next without interruptions, full of steps but not too rushed.

Satoko Miyahara, 2016 FS: Satton is a delicate skater, and she shows that beautifully in the first part of the program, skating like she’s a lovely little fairy - and then the Star Wars music kicks in and she transforms in a moment into determination. I think it’s a good combination of disparate music sources, and she never quite loses that strength even when the music softens again. Her spins are timed well, and she hits beautiful positions throughout the program (spiraaaaaal).

Savchenko & Massot, 2017 FS: Big :| at Savchenko and screw her new partner, but this was a great program. Savchenko is a skilled performer, and Massot yeets her amazingly high and then sets her down like she's made of glass. The music is beautiful and they flow across the ice with it, at times light despite the big elements and at others dramatic.

Virtue & Moir, 2017 FD: Okay, full disclosure, I hate this music and I’m not a fan of the program myself. Buuuut V/M have some of the most believable ‘we are totally going to make out’ acting I’ve seen in ice dance and great chemistry with each other, on top of quality steps and lifts.

Shibutani & Shibutani, 2017 FD: TWIZZLES! They shine technically, and the program also showcases such joy and a trusting sibling bond (see that moment when Maia jumps and Alex catches her from behind).

Kevin Aymoz, 2018 FS: Kevin’s a very emotional skater and also a creative one, and you can see that from the first moments of this program. He starts off with fluid and unusual movements, he uses his face throughout, and the whole program is well-matched to the rhythm and build of the music.

Jason Brown, 2018 SP: Every movement is sharp as a tack and right on the beat of the music; every element is done well, fast spins and confident jumps. It doesn’t feel like it’s going to end when it does.

Satoko Miyahara, 2018 SP: Satton just floats on the ice, and she makes use of everything as she performs: the bobbing of her soft knees, her facial expressions, her wrists, her fingertips. And of course, those Satton spins - I don’t only mean her amazing layback, but also how her second spin fits into the music instead of just being put there.

Evgenia Medvedeva, 2019 SP: Zhenya communicates a pure feeling through her skating here just by moving her gaze, by holding an edge for five seconds. Her smooth movements perfectly match the mood of the music. It’s a quiet, contemplative kind of program that could have been introverted, but Zhenya repeatedly invites you along for the ride.

Yuzuru Hanyu, 2020 SP: I feel a bit strange adding such a new program to this list, but what a program - it’s exploding with extroverted rock-star energy, especially during the step sequence, where Yuzuru really puts his expressions and movements to work. Add in Yuzu’s SS and 3A and those spin arm gestures and it’s sure something special.

#figure skating #(Mostly) text post

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