Favorite program so far?

narcissa · Nov 15, 2018

Yuzu's Otoñal. When I first saw it at Autumn Classic, it was the most beautiful figure skating program I had ever seen. I was disappointed when he made changes to it in Helsinki because I was convinced that any changes made to perfection would make it less perfect, and I was right (mostly disappointed about him moving the combination and leaving out some of the twizzles, but he did the former to get the second-half bonus). However, I'm convinced if anyone could prove me wrong it would be Yuzu so...I await further version of Otoñal

leilaraj · Nov 15, 2018

Ladies:

Alena Kostornaias SP
Rika Kihiras LP

Men:

Nathan Chens SP
Yuzuru Hanyus SP & LP

Dance:

Olivia Smart/Adrian Diaz RD

Sam-Skwantch · Nov 15, 2018

Both Rika and Satoko have fantastic programs...maybe the best of the season! I’m not sure though if being the best always equals the favorite. Sometimes the emotion of a skater’s personal tale can intercede and alter the way I perceive a program.

For me seeing Anastasia Tarakanova leave Eteri allegedly sick and unable to train..throw in a last minute switch to Plushy and the drama of an anticipated Imagine Dragons program that suddenly became Moonlight Sonata has it all. I think people thought she may be done and she found a way to claw back and improve each step of the way. IMO it’s actually a great program too and she adds a certain wild and stylish power that makes it a good fit.

If you haven’t seen it then here it is and believe me...watch until the very end. It only keeps getting better and better right up until the very last second. Seeet kid who skates like her life depends on it!

https://youtu.be/AnhVTKMDGk4

I have t watched Yuzuru yet so I figured I’d sneak this favorite in while I still could.

FlyingFeather · Nov 15, 2018

Just catching up on my figure skating after not watching for a couple of months. I am almost in tears after watching G/P FD at Skate Canada. I knew it would be good, but it honestly shocked me that is was that great. I'll be watching it for years to come.

For ladies: Satoko's SP and Rika's FP. These two skaters never disappoint with their programs!

TontoK · Nov 15, 2018

The only program I have watched more than once from the same competition (I have, for example, seen both of H/D's dances from SA and SC) is Gibson/Fear disco free dance from NHK.

Oddly enough, it's one of the few programs that didn't feel dated. Because it wasn't some unmemorable flowy lyrical piece, it felt fresh and new. I loved it.

el henry · Nov 15, 2018

anna gabriela said:
whole post

welcome, anna gabriela. Post long and post often!:yay:

skylark · Nov 16, 2018

Sam-Skwantch said:
For me seeing Anastasia Tarakanova leave Eteri allegedly sick and unable to train..throw in a last minute switch to Plushy and the drama of an anticipated Imagine Dragons program that suddenly became Moonlight Sonata has it all. I think people thought she may be done and she found a way to claw back and improve each step of the way. IMO it’s actually a great program too and she adds a certain wild and stylish power that makes it a good fit.

If you haven’t seen it then here it is and believe me...watch until the very end. It only keeps getting better and better right up until the very last second. Seeet kid who skates like her life depends on it!

https://youtu.be/AnhVTKMDGk4

Wow. Wild is right. That girl exudes passion in every cell, with every slightest movement when she skates. Simply fabulous. This is the first time I've ever seen her, and here I am, a confirmed fan in four minutes! It doesn't hurt that I love the music, but oh my gosh, how she lives it! And you're right .... one must watch right to the last second! :love:

rikaquegira · Nov 16, 2018

skylark said:
Wow. Wild is right. That girl exudes passion in every cell, with every slightest movement when she skates. Simply fabulous. This is the first time I've ever seen her, and here I am, a confirmed fan in four minutes! It doesn't hurt that I love the music, but oh my gosh, how she lives it! And you're right .... one must watch right to the last second!

Anastasia is amazing!!!!
There’s a lot of great and exciting talent in the Juniors field but Tarakanova certainly stands out with her unique style, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a young girl skate with such an immense passion. Is passion the right word? I think @Sam described it right: she skates like her life depends on it, that’s a wonderful thing to watch. I wish her good luck in her career, Russia is such a deep field! But as I said, she absolutely stands out.

Ichatdelune · Nov 16, 2018

I'm too lazy to find my earlier post, so updating with a new one. A lot of programs were added, and some may have been pushed back.

Ladies: Eunsoo's SP, Yelim's FS, Haein's SP, Alyona Kostornaia's SP, Sasha Trusova's SP, Liza Tuktamysheva's SP, Sakamoto Kaori's FS, Kihira Rika's FS, Honda Marin's SP, Mariah Bell's FS

Men: Junhwan's SP, Yuzuru's SP, Kazuki's SP, Dmitri Aliev's FS, Jason Brown's SP, Julian Yee's SP, Yamamoto Sota's FS, Jimmy Ma's SP, Michal Brezina's SP (+Conrad Orzel's SP, provided he cleans)

Pairs: Mishina/Galiamov's SP&FS, James/Cipres SP&FS, Peng/Jin's SP, Boikova/Kozlovski's FS

Ice Dance: Gilles/Poirier's RD&FD (especially the FD, it's stellar), Lajoie/Lagha's FD, Nguyen/Kolesnik's FD, McNamara/Carpenter's FD, Fear/Gibson's FD (disco!), Stepanova/Bukin RD, Zahorski/Guerreiro RD, Wang/Liu RD, Browns FD

noskates · Nov 16, 2018

I have never been a fan of Hanyu's but just saw his SP from Rostelecom and it was masterful. To me he skated with a joy and abandon that I really haven't seen before. Love his choreography and it was perfect with the music.

skateluvr · Nov 16, 2018

Satoko both programs and eunsoo Lim sp was so beautiful. Also Rika LP was so good.

tokoyami · Nov 16, 2018

I was soooo apprehensive about Yuzu doing Otonal after the Autumn Classic, I thought that it was too similar to Chopin but after Helsinki and ESPECIALLY here the SP has just grown into a masterpiece on its own. It conveys such a different emotion than Ballade No. 1 while, at the same time, proving that he is no. 1 at interpreting music. (piano music is a match made in heaven for him)
I love the nods towards previous programs, you can especially see a lot of Etude in there - when he throws both arms up in the steps before the combo - here's hoping he can polish his FS as much as the short. Because basing off the practices and previous performances, his FS doesn't seem to hold a candle to his peak artistic work (or even other skaters' free skates this season)

CreepyBug · Nov 17, 2018

Ladies SP Kostornaia & Miyahara (and Liza's SP is an honorable mention)
Ladies LP Kihira

Men SP Yuzuru
Men LP Yuzuru

I mean, hats off to the ladies this year. Satoko, Rika, Liza, and Alena have all had some amazing programs this year. And although I cannot buy into their programs this year, Alina, Sasha and Anna also have been magnificent. I do love Alina's Tomb Raider Ex though.

Maria Anna · Nov 17, 2018

Ladies

Rika Kihira's FS
Eun-Soo Lim's SP
Elizaveta Tuktamysheva's FS
Sofia Samodurova's FS

Men

Nathan Chen's SP
Mikhail Kolyada's FS
Junhwan Cha's FS

Pairs

James/Cipres' SP - FS

tabsy · Nov 22, 2018

Ladies - so hard to pick!
Eunsoo Lim SP
Alena Kostornaia SP
Anything Tuktamysheva is doing
Zhenya Gala

Men
Dmitri Aliev - whichever is clean :sad21:
Kevin Aymoz - SP & FS
Nathan - FS
Shoma - SP
Yuzuru - SP
Koshiro Shimada - SP

Pairs
Boikova/Kovloskii - FS
James/Cipres - anything
Kostiukovich/Ialin - SP (this performance https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YY4RPE6atWE&t=107s)
Mishina/Galliamov - FS

Dance
Stepanova/Bukin - FS
Hubbell/Donohue - Gala
Fear/Gibson - FS
Gilles/Poirier - FS
Nguyen/Kolesnik - FS

doublequad · Nov 23, 2018

Yuzuru's SP is incredible. Also Marin Honda's SP. For a classic warhorse Shoma's Moonlight Shomata FS :laugh:

gizmo · Nov 23, 2018

Otonal Otonal Otonal Otonal
Origin
Juuuuliiiiieeeetttt

DSQ · Nov 23, 2018

Stepanova/Bukin RD - They still need to work on the technical stuff (a B on the Tango Romantica guys? Especially you Bukin should know better) but I just love the intensity and music choice is genius.

DiamondDust · Nov 23, 2018

Let's see...

Yuzuru Hanyu's "Otonal" and "Origin"
Rika Kihira's "Beautiful Storm"
Satoko Miyahara's "Song For The Little Sparrow"; I also enjoy her tango.
Sota Yamamoto's "Air on G String" (But I really loved "Anthem")

Oh... they're all from the Japan team. :points:

Other Skaters also have wonderful programs as well but the above definitely top everything else for me.

chopinskate · Nov 25, 2018

schizoanalyst said:
Almost all figure skating programs are trash. Not so much their fault - figure skating choreographers are third-rate talents when it comes to relating motion to music. Just the most basic constructions/gestures/motifs etc they compose wouldn’t pass at the most mediocre of dance companies. I doubt *any* of them could even tell me what a turn is, how it’s used in say Piazzolla’s Oblivion and how they should construct a program to gain momentum for the scalar passage that follows in it - just as an example off the top of my head - but yet we've seen countless programs to this piece.

This rings truer every passing day in this season. Some of the most boring, hollow, uninspired choreography, and the way some of it is being delivered is especially terrible. Even some relatively good choreography is being washed out because the skater in question is utterly incapable of capturing the music.

There are maybe three programs in the men's field and two in the ladies field that are good, but they haven't been skated to their potential yet, so I hope those skaters pull it together later in the season.

The less said about ice "dance" the better.

Favorite program so far?

narcissa

leilaraj

Sam-Skwantch

“I solemnly swear I’m up to no good”

FlyingFeather

TontoK

Hot Tonto

el henry

Go have some cake. And come back with jollity.

skylark

Gazing at a Glorious Great Lakes sunset

rikaquegira

Ichatdelune

Long live the Queen and her successors

noskates

skateluvr

tokoyami

CreepyBug

Maria Anna

tabsy

doublequad

gizmo

DSQ

DiamondDust

chopinskate

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