Should Ashley Wagner Keep Her Swan Lake LP Another Year?

[evangeline]

different eras, I think. Scott Hamilton wrote in his book that for most of his senior years he used the same program layout and changed only parts of the music. Always ending with a piece from Swan Lake... Kurt Browning used several pieces over several years over and over... I don't think Viktor was out of the norm for it...

Evan Lysacek skated to Espana Cani for four seasons and the judges didn't seem to mind....

But, like many others here, I too hope that Ashley gets a new LP next season.

[Skater Boy]

Ashley can skate to "Tosca", "Scheherzade", "Firebird" or "Samson and Delilah"- perfect for her powerful and beautiful skating!

When will someone skate to Lament de Arianne?

I suppose but such a cliche hasn't Slutskaya and Rochette among others done these songs over and over. Can't Ashley find osmehting a little different. These four pieces are like sure to be used as Brittany Spears is to screw up; as it rains in England; as the Canadian ladies will tumble...okay I am getting melodramatic but why can't ashley do something a bit different.

[Skater Boy]

On a practical side I think she can still push Black Swan but we'll see.

[verte76]

I'd love to see Ashley skate to Firebird!

[Serious Business]

I've never cared for the Black Swan program from Ashley, outside of the inventive and evocative spiral sequence. Black Swan was a nasty and gruesome movie about a horrible little person who hurts herself and others around her terribly just to put on a mediocre staging of Swan Lake. I'd rather not be reminded of it. And trying to make Ashley into a ballerina, even an edgy one, is a silly exercise. The part in the footwork where she imitates being en pointe is so awkward and stilted it's a laugh out loud moment every time she does it. Ashley is not a dainty ballerina and she doesn't have to be one.

The most convincing I've seen Ashley do in a style of dance is the club dancing in her On the Floor exhibition number. That seems to be the range of style that she should be going for: something modern and upbeat and aggressive. She should forgo traditional symphonic music entirely.

[verte76]

I've never cared for the Black Swan program from Ashley, outside of the inventive and evocative spiral sequence. Black Swan was a nasty and gruesome movie about a horrible little person who hurts herself and others around her terribly just to put on a mediocre staging of Swan Lake. I'd rather not be reminded of it. And trying to make Ashley into a ballerina, even an edgy one, is a silly exercise. The part in the footwork where she imitates being en pointe is so awkward and stilted it's a laugh out loud moment every time she does it. Ashley is not a dainty ballerina and she doesn't have to be one.

The most convincing I've seen Ashley do in a style of dance is the club dancing in her On the Floor exhibition number. That seems to be the range of style that she should be going for: something modern and upbeat and aggressive. She should forgo traditional symphonic music entirely.

I agree.

[Jaana]

"Black Swan" suits her really well, but I hope that she will find some other dramatic and strong music for her freeskate.

[R.D.]

I can understand her fans wanting her to keep it, and I won't hold it against her if she does, but IMO time to find something else.

[golden411]

Happy 21st Birthday today to Ashley Wagner! http://twitter.com/#!/jeremyabbottpc...068224/photo/1

[verte76]

Happy 21st Birthday today to Ashley Wagner!

[Butterscotch17]

Happy birthday to Ashley!!! As much as I liked her Black Swan program, I hope she gets two new programs for next year. I also hope she can build on her accomplishments from last season so we can have some consistency in U.S. ladies skating.

[verte76]

I do too!

[deedee1]

Happy birthday, Ashley!!!

I loved her Balck Swan to death!
And her short, too. I can't decide which one I would love better over the other...I can watch her performances from this season all day even with mistake(s), but my answer, if you ask mine, is NO.

[Blades of Passion]

I've never cared for the Black Swan program from Ashley, outside of the inventive and evocative spiral sequence.

Funnily enough, the spiral sequence is very similar to what she has always been doing (those very aggressive, punctuated arm/hand pushes), it just worked with the program perfectly this time.

[glam]

IThe part in the footwork where she imitates being en pointe is so awkward and stilted it's a laugh out loud moment every time she does it. Ashley is not a dainty ballerina and she doesn't have to be one.

I hate when skaters try to imitate being en pointe. It looks like poor man's fake ballet.