Greatest short programs in ladies' figure skating

[christinaskater]

This is the thread where we could put the best short programs ever for the women!

 

[Jtsmith12]

Sasha Cohen:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sI-cbt1u1uc&feature=related 2004 Worlds
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELFerA2QZX8 2006 Olympics
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-loMk4Zrko 2000 Nationals

Katarina Witt
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIjBp2jFgbI 1987 Worlds

Midori Ito
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3_D6H8aWXc 1990 Worlds

Chen Lu
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSPLHDLQ91w 1992

 

[iluvtodd]

Wonderful choices! May I add Michelle's "Romanza" from 1998 US Nationals (and 1996 Worlds)?

 

[Poodlepal]

I loved Irina Slutskaya's new age music from 1999. It was one of three outstanding Russian short programs that year, the first year I followed the Grand Prix. The other two were Evgeni Plushenko's Saber Dance (weird dance moves-he stood in the middle of the ice and flailed his arms and legs, and Dick Button had a conniption) and Alexei Yagudin, who dressed like a piano and played himself (no, I don't mean anything dirty by that, LOL!) Figure skating was so much fun back then!

 

[dorispulaski]

Wonderful choices! May I add Michelle's "Romanza" from 1998 US Nationals (and 1996 Worlds)?

I hope so! I love that program.

I was looking for Michelle's East of Eden SP and found this exquisite 1998 East of Eden tech program from a Pro Am. Just wonderful

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yS3FntkFAyU

For that matter, I loved the Rush short program (here from 2000 Masters of Skating)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlPvFn_vwBk

 

[Layfan]

Michelle and Sasha gave us so many over the years. Sasha's 2004 short was near perfect. And I can't think of a good enough word for Michelle's East of Eden and her 1998 nationals SP. Sublime?

I would have to vote also for Kim Yuna's Dance Macabre at 2009 worlds and James Bond at the 2010 Olympics. Talk about near perfect. And at the right time.

 

[Hanaka]

I recommend this one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRM4Qj2u_jo

It's nearly perfect. The 3A-2T, beautiful, beautiful and exqusite spiral and spin positions. I especially love the circular step sequence. The skating is smooth and seamless. She interprets the music so naturally that I almost forgot it was a choreographed program.

 

[Layfan]

I recommend this one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRM4Qj2u_jo

It's nearly perfect. The 3A-2T, beautiful, beautiful and exqusite spiral and spin positions. I especially love the circular step sequence. The skating is smooth and seamless. She interprets the music so naturally that I almost forgot it was a choreographed program.

:thumbsup:

Of course, I soon as i read that it was obvious you were talking about Mao What other lady skater and ever achieved such a combination of skills?

 

[BlackAxel]

In my opinion, this is one of the best short programs that I have ever seen.

Oksana Baiul - 1994 Olympics SP Swan Lake

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6zKfZVurJY

 

[ImaginaryPogue]

Carolina Kostner

2007 Worlds SP, Canon by Pachebel
2008, Worlds SP, Riders of the Storm

 

[Hanaka]

Oh, maybe I should have said " She is nearly perfect here."

 

[jcoates]

Midori Ito
1988 Olympics

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wl3PelmX05M

Kristi Yamaguchi
1991 Worlds
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-vRIzbBMsg
1992 Olympics
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KplWMCsgx2Q

Michelle Kwan
1996 Worlds
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KplWMCsgx2Q
1998 Nationals
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHfgjszz_Tk

Debi Thomas
1988 Olympics
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChmdEFrn3OY

Caryn Kadavy
1988 Olympics
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57AXUFZ_Vho

(Sadly both would see their dreams crushed after these performances)

Joannie Rochette
2010 Olympics
Unfortunately this is really difficult to find.

 

[Tinymavy15]

Nobody mentioned the obvious: Yu-na's 007 SP in Vancouver.

 

[burntBREAD]

Nobody mentioned the obvious: Yu-na's 007 SP in Vancouver.

I also loved Tango de Roxanne and Danse Macabre, and she did set records with all three of these SPs!

 

[evangeline]

In terms of sheer creativity and quality of choreography and use of music, I think this is the greatest ladies' SP ever: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEklWrSU8VQ&feature=related (Michelle Kwan, Dream of Desdemona)

This is my personal (and everyone else's, for that matter) favourite, though: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHfgjszz_Tk (Michelle Kwan, Rachmaninoff)

Also, this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bt98gppjr0 (Michelle Kwan, Spartacus)

Some favourite short programs by people not named Michelle Kwan:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PQBBXDId-g (Oksana's Only Other SP That Is Not Called Swan Lake)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rnkku5aJzZM (Stephanie Rosenthal, Rockit)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bt98gppjr0 (Lu Chen, Spring Breeze)

 

[doubleflutz]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ofbph3T6_xM Irina Slutskaya's SP from 2002 Olys in SLC. I know she doesn't get too much love here (or on any English-speaking/North American board, really!), but I think this is pretty great. Lots of speed, technical elements all spectacular (especially the footwork and the spiral sequences), and I think she did a very compelling job of conveying a kind of athletic, commanding grace. No, she wasn't a pretty pretty ballerina princess, but she had a clear sense of command and purpose that I think matched the music very well. If you listen, it's not quite the soft, gentle piano ballad that Sandra is trying to make it out to be! Pretty forceful, lots of confidence, just like Ira.

 

[Bartek]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ofbph3T6_xM Irina Slutskaya's SP from 2002 Olys in SLC. I know she doesn't get too much love here (or on any English-speaking/North American board, really!), but I think this is pretty great. Lots of speed, technical elements all spectacular (especially the footwork and the spiral sequences), and I think she did a very compelling job of conveying a kind of athletic, commanding grace. No, she wasn't a pretty pretty ballerina princess, but she had a clear sense of command and purpose that I think matched the music very well. If you listen, it's not quite the soft, gentle piano ballad that Sandra is trying to make it out to be! Pretty forceful, lots of confidence, just like Ira.

I agree, huuuuge jumps (triple lutz was enormous), wonderful fast and difficult layback (would've been level 3 under CoP), fast one-foot footwork, fast spirals, everything fast actually. And I agreee with sense of command. She combined grace with power and did the job with this music. Sandra was terrible with her commentary on Irina.

 

[parma]

Yuna Kim totally owns this category with the phenomenal 2009 Worlds (and also 4CC) Danse Macabre and the 2009 SA/2010 Oly 007 number. Her 2007 Worlds Tango de Roxanne is also among the very finest.

 

[burntBREAD]

I have to say, there is not one of MK's SPs that I dislike..I love all of them but I agree with evangeline in that I think DoD, Rach, and Spartacus are excellent but I also enjoyed "A Day in the Life".

 

[hrmsk8ngnutt]

Chen Lu, 1998 Olympics: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFt3bDPar60 - Someone already posted 1996 Worlds (which I like better), but the context of this performance makes this amazing (25th in 97 and had to skate in qualifying event, terrible practices during the week). She nailed everything and it put her in the hunt.

Kim Yu-Na, 2007 Worlds: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTCAsSGgFWc&feature=watch_response. This performance put her on the map. Actually, she already was on the map. With this performance, she set a world record - which she would continue to break over the next 3 years.