#and for pairs DEFINITELY sui/han's rain in your black eyes

[rondocapri]

I’m curious, if someone expressed interest in seeing figure skating what is the skate you would choose to show them?

[woodwind-sensei]

Top 10 Figure Skating Programs: 2018-19 season

It’s been about a month and a half since the normal figure skating competition season came to a close, bringing us one step closer towards the next Olympic Games. With the advent of the new IJS, the programs we saw this year was nothing like we have seen before, and some of them rank among the best programs in figure skating history (that’s right, I’m going there, kids). Without further delay, here are my personal Top 10 figure skating programs from this season.

10. Mariah Bell (USA) “To Love You More” short program, choreographed by Adam Rippon

Mariah Bell missed an Olympic berth last season, mostly due to inconsistency and packaging issues. With a majority of the major U.S. ladies out of the picture this season, it was high time for Mariah to step up to the plate. I absolutely loved the upgraded packaging and content. The short program was so positive in spirit, and it was a pleasant surprise to see Adam Rippon’s competitive choreographic debut (to my knowledge) to be a job well done. I hope we see a lot more Celine Dion power ballad programs in the future.

9. Shoma Uno (JPN) “Stairway to Heaven” short program, choreographed by Mihoko Higuchi

Figure skating’s resident smol boi/silver princess Shoma Uno hit it big with this short program. Sexy, daring, and smoldering with intensity, Shoma showed his capability of the dramatic with this program. Though his inconsistency with the jumps made it hard to enjoy sometimes, he just has an x-factor on the ice that draws you in. That spread eagle after the triple axel gets me every time. It’s such a small moment, but it gets me so excited because I’m completely hooked by how statuesque he becomes in such an instant.

8. Peng Cheng/ Jin Yang (CHN) “Ophelia” short program, choreographed by Lori Nichol

Peng and Jin had been the pair that was ever the bridesmaid. When Peng was with veteran pair skater Zhang Hao and Jin with up-and-coming star Yu Xiaoyu, the federation decided to switch these two partnerships up. Yu/Zhang always got the political push, and that somewhat left Peng/Jin in the shadows. That all changed this season, and a lot of it had to do with this short program. They really found a style all their own: simple, uncluttered, yet packed with stunning elements and a cute and charming spirit. We’re going to be seeing them for a while, and I promise you, they will be a force to be reckoned with.

7. Wakaba Higuchi (JPN) “Energia” short program, choreographed by Shae-Lynn Bourne

Wakaba Higuchi might have had a spotty season this year, but this short program showed us why we fell in love with her in the first place. Shae-Lynn effortlessly displayed her power in this program, emphasizing Wakaba’s capability of flow and control while balancing fun and working the crowd. Japanese Nationals was the peak of this program’s life, and I certainly hope Wakaba uses this as an exhibition piece in the future. Shae-Lynn was also responsible for her legendary James Bond free skate, and will choreograph Wakaba’s short program next year to “Bird Set Free” by Sia.

6. Kaori Sakamoto (JPN) “The Piano” free skate, choreographed by Benoit Richaud

So, as all three of my online figure skating fan friends know, I am a Kaori stan. I love and appreciate children of pure sunshine with fantastic skating skills, and Kaori is just that. Though this program isn’t the best program she’s had, what I think works is that the program is built on momentum. It builds continually, reaching a climax with the choreographic sequence moving straight into that stellar triple loop. It also shows how Benoit choreography is supposed to look. Benoit Richaud uses a lot of angular movements but tries to combine it with the natural flow a skater must have over the ice. It works better on Kaori than opposed to his other big ladies’ client Bradie Tennell (USA). Bradie’s movements and angles are so sharp and harsh it seems forced and almost unwatchable, while Kaori’s smoothness over her blades is more pleasing and interesting to digest.

5. Sui Wenjing/ Han Cong (CHN) “Rain, in your Black Eyes” Free Skate, choreographed by Lori Nichol 

Sui and Han made a surprising comeback after withdrawing from the Grand Prix series due to an injury and surgery to Wenjing. This program was iconic. From the very opening poses, it absolutely melted me. I don’t think it’s as good as their Blues for Klook short from a few years ago, but this free skate was overall amazing.

4. Evgenia Medvedeva (RUS) “Orange Colored Sky” short program, choreographed by David Wilson and Sandra Bezic

Evgenia’s move to Brian Orser created so much buzz, and everyone was waiting to see what she would do with choreography not from Ilia Averbukh or Daniil Gleikhengauz. I have to say, they really hit the nail on the head with this one. I thought the rebranding to the ingenue was so great, and the little touches from Sandra really brought the program to life. Those opening poses were my favorite part. It’s unfortunate that this program was eventually shelved, because I definitely liked this program more in comparison to the Tosca program, but I understand how important it is to make sure Evgenia has authority over her own skating career. 

3. Gabriella Papadakis/ Guillaume Cizeron (FRA) Free Dance to Rachel Yamagata songs, choreographed by Marie-France Dubreuil

Papadakis and Cizeron continue to evolve their unique style with this amazing free dance. I was personally very curious to see how they would have topped their timeless Moonlight Sonata FD from the Olympic year, and this program is right up there with the best programs of all time. The way they look at each other throughout just draws me in. Even the softest touch with a finger puts them in total sync. My favorite moment is the twizzle sequence that really comes out of nowhere. It’s so smooth. And then that low, flat curve lift is out of this world. No one can touch this team.

2. Lim Eun-soo (KOR) “Somewhere in Time” short program, choreographed by Jeffrey Buttle

Eun-soo’s rise to the senior ranks was one of the big buzzes of the season. With a recent move to Rafael Artunyan, it looked like she was ready to take her competitive career to the next level. And this short program was BEYOND almost every program that everyone else had. Every element was beautifully woven into the choreography. She just looked stunning on the ice almost every time. The only criticism I have is that the sleeves on her costume were a bit distracting, but that’s such a minute detail on an otherwise ethereal program. 

1. Satoko Miyahara (JPN) “Song for the Little Sparrow” short program, choreographed by Lori Nichol.

This was the clear standout program of the season for me. Out of all the skaters from the previous Olympic cycle, I thought it would be hardest for Satoko to keep up with the pack. But I was proved wrong, with this short program proving that artistry is still what brings the audience into a skater’s performance. Everything is so perfectly placed: every hand had a purpose, every stroke had a meaning, and it all melded together to create a masterpiece. This is what skating should be.

So many of the programs were good this year, but these 10 are the ones I want to watch over and over again. They set the bar for the Olympic cycle so high, and it’ll be interesting to see if these programs will be surpassed. We’ve already had some interesting announcements in terms of next season. I’m particularly intrigued to see Benoit Richaud work with Satoko Miyahara. The premiere of that program at Fantasy on Ice wasn’t stellar, but I’m interested to see how the program will evolve as Benoit and Satoko continue to work together. Figure skating continues to bring it with amazing programs, so next season should be an interesting ride.

[austerlitzborodinoleipzig]

Ranking the JGPF Pairs SP

Aka something I should have finished doing days ago but... well... new year old me, go figure.

A couple of points to begin with

-  I’ve only recently gotten into figure skating, therefore I’m in no means a specialist. I really can’t comment on a skater’s technique. My enjoyment of a program mostly relies on the packaging and interpretation of the skater.

- Pairs skating is my absolute favourite discipline also if anyone wants to hear me rambling about RusNats pair event which was awesome and brilliant and basically the best thing ever...

So let’s start. From worst to best

6 - Anastasia Poluianova/Dmitry Sopot - Rain in Your Black Eyes (vid from JGPF)

Probably my least favourite russian junior pair at the moment (also why on earth did Pepeleva/Pleshkov receive only one JGP assignement ?). Last year they had pretty good packaging, but here...  Their short is lackluster and a bit boring. But ultimately, they look really slow and laboured on the ice, and a bit stiff/awkward during the step sequence.

On the plus side, I really like Anastasia’s position when she exists the throw jump. She’s quite elegant with her arm forward. And I like their lift position.

Ironically enough, Sui/Han are skating to the same music for their FP

5 - Ksenia Akhantieva/Valerii Kolesov - Interstellar OST (vid from JGPF)

Okay, first of all, I absolutely love their costumes. I like the colours, I like the futuristic vibe given by the silver V on their shirts. The program is nice enough, if nothing special. Also I feel like they have already developped a pretty good connection between them and it shows in their skating. I like their throw and twist. They have definitely a lot of room to grow and I’m really excited to see it.

4 - Apollinaria Panfylova/Dmitry Rylov - I Put A Spell On You (vid from JGPF)

There’s only so much I Put a Spell programs I can take but juniors get a pass for skating to a warhorse. Actually it’s really a sensible choice and they’ll have time to develop their own style later. Apollinaria’s dress and hairdo are beautiful. That pair is also very pleasing to watch, beautiful lines and extensions, outstanding elements... The choreo is a bit meh and not really suited to the music IMO. I feel like they should skate a bit faster, more agressive, idk... 

3 - Sarah Feng/TJ Nyman - Farrucas (vid from JGP Ostrava)

The problem with Feng/Nyman is that they are hit or miss. When they’re on they’re great, (upsetting the russians, qualifying for JGPF, they only non-russian pair to do so), but they tend to fall apart after the first mistake. Also they need to fix their twist. Apart from that I really like this program. I adore Sarah’s dress... I adore watching her in general. She has beautiful expressions and nice musicality. Also the step sequence is fire. 

2 - Anastasia Mishina/Aleksandr Galiamov - Party Like A Russian (vid from JGP Richmond)

That program is bonkers and I love it ! Anastasia just draws your eyes like a magnet, and Aleksander is also a beautiful skater. Great skating skills, great throws... They still have to work on their lift tho, even if they have nice positions. It’s a shame they were a bit to stiff (anxious?) at JGPF but they had a good skate at RusNats.

1 - Polina Kostiukovich/Dmitry Ialin - Tomb Raider OST (vid from JGPF)

Seriously tho, junior russian pairs have better packaging than senior ones ! That SP is amazing. K/I’s speed is insane, their lift entry and exit are crazy, their twist is breathtaking. I love how fierce they are. Also that final pose with Polina shooting her leg up ? Iconic. And Survivor is a great tune to skate to. 

(note I can’t upload A/K’s SP, dunno why, tumblr wont let me. I’ll try to fix that)