Best Ladies step sequences

FSGMT · Apr 13, 2014

I think that one great thing about IJS is that (even if we're seeing a lot of skaters performing horrible and labored 40-seconds-lasting step sequences) during the past years a great developement of step sequences has taken place, and some skaters are really reaching levels of pure art. Which are your favourite footwork pieces?
My picks are (I'm not making a ranking, because I don't want to turn this into a Carolina-loving thread :slink:

)
Kostner's Bolero: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmT876rlpfA (from 4:25), pure art, probably the best female step sequence ever for me
Kostner's Nocturne and Violina Concerto: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrkwoSzY_3k (from 2:55)
Mao's Rachmaninoff: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gw3ZBgPSlY (from 4:18)
Akiko suzuki 2010 SP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WssWugss7RI (from 2:25)
Sasha Cohen 2004 SP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sI-cbt1u1uc
Michelle Kwan 1998 Rachmaninoff: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHfgjszz_Tk (from 1:17): everything about this is pretty perfect for me

CarneAsada · Apr 13, 2014

A couple I like that you didn't mention, in chronological order:
Midori Ito 1988 SP
Irina Slutskaya doing one-footed footwork sequences in 2002, years before it was ever required
Shizuka Arakawa 2004 SP
Yuna Kim 2006-07 SP
Mao Asada 2008-09 SP
Mao Asada 2008-09 LP (I could post more of Mao but I'll leave it at 2)
Yuna Kim 2011 LP
Carolina Kostner 2012 LP

TheCzar · Apr 13, 2014

In the last two quads? MAO ASADA. Hands down. Then Kostner, then Kim. The rest of the field just makes it look so laboured and mathematical and quite frankly this does just makes for unbearable StSqs. Kim has slowed down a little in this cycle but that's more due to lack of competition. That Tango FP at Sochi could have been FIRE (and Arirang in 2011), had she competed a couple of more times. We all know what Kim and Tango do to each other- she owns the tango. And really- these three ladies use it to elevate the music and use the element accordingly.

In this recent surge of ladies, I think Radionova, Lipnitskaia, Miyahara, Osmond (esp if its jazzy) show promise. They just need to let the choreography breathe and develop naturally.

JayW · Apr 13, 2014

TheCzar said:
In the last two quads? MAO ASADA. Hands down. Then Kostner, then Kim.

In this recent surge of ladies, I think Radionova, Lipnitskaia, Miyahara, Osmond (esp if its jazzy) show promise. They just need to let the choreography breathe and develop naturally.

Agree. Mao's stsq is to die for!

Ophelia · Apr 13, 2014

Mao's stsq in her Rachmaninov LP is a thing of pure beauty. The part where she's spinning on the tips of her blades is GORGEOUS. I re-winded to watch that part several times.

I like Yuna Kim's stsq in her Danse Macabre and Bond SPs.

Barb · Apr 13, 2014

Mao's Liebestraum, Bells and Rach. 2 :love:

Sam-Skwantch · Apr 13, 2014

I really like Mao's FS StSeq and feel like she is drawing what the music would look on the ice if we were able to see music. Mao is the best! That said, I see promise for Yulia's StSeq in her Schindlers list. She really seems to use her whole body to express as best she can at her young age. Then again it seems like the only step StSeq people want to acknowledge are Caro,Yuna, and Mao :slink:

gotoschool · Apr 13, 2014

Mao's Step Sequence in Roch 2 has brought me to tears in both the Olympics and at Worlds. It is so agile, limber and mystical that I think she is going to take to the sky like in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
Also love Mao's sultry darkness in Bells of Moscow step sequence from 2010, especially at Worlds. The Dark Angel firing frantically nimble lightning bolts

Michelle's Spiral · Apr 13, 2014

This season: Mao and Carolina's LPs. I'd also like to add Michelle's 2004 Tosca LP (the Nationals performance) to the list. I like watching step sequences even more than jumps. It shows that a skater has a real command of the blade.

Franklin99 · Apr 13, 2014

Of this quad,Yuna has the best toe jumps, Caro has the best edges , but when it comes to step sequences, Mao definitely has that on lock. And all three has great musicality and are beautiful packaged skaters. And there's a scientist somewhere that is putting the talents of these ladies together (with a sprinkle of kwan, Li, and Suzuki) into one person, to make the perfect female figure skater for the next quad. :laugh:

cuon_alpinus · Apr 13, 2014

Franklin99 said:
Of this quad,Yuna has the best toe jumps, Caro has the best edges , but when it comes to step sequences, Mao definitely has that on lock. And all three has great musicality and are beautiful packaged skaters. And there's a scientist somewhere that is putting the talents of these ladies together (with a sprinkle of kwan, Li, and Suzuki) into one person, to make the perfect female figure skater for the next quad.

I think yuna has some good edges too and so as Carolina. http://gall.dcinside.com/board/view/?id=yeona&no=561648&page=1&exception_mode=recommend
http://gall.dcinside.com/board/view/?id=yeona&no=561649&page=1&exception_mode=recommend
Mao doesn't have good edges, but she definitely has great flow and interpretation during her step sequence.

Mao- complex turns and complex transitions
Caro- deep edge, transitional speed
Yuna- deep edge, harmony with the music

what's ur opinions?

pointyourtoe · Apr 14, 2014

Carolina and Mao's sequences are always so effortless and fast to me.

Mao's 2014 Rachmaninoff lp sequence gives me chills (it's already been linked). I also love Akiko's O footwork, Yuna's Scheherazade and Danse Macabre and most of Carolina's

For 6.0, Yagudin, Kwan and Slutskaya had the best. Yagudin kind of started the Morozov craze, and Irina's 2002 sequence done on just one foot was ahead of its time.

In the 90's Kwan's footwork was always fast, dramatic and covered a ton of ice, and towards the end of her career she improved the difficulty/complexity. My favorites for her include:

97 Dream of Desdemona: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEklWrSU8VQ#t=2m30s
98 Rachmaninoff: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEaZ_4BZW9I#t=5m44s
2001 east of eden : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTO6104VEqc#t=1m46s
2005 spartacus (nationals): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kwr4zH53-bo#t=2m42s
2005 bolero (worlds): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgYMR6B8s8I#t=3m47s

mirai4life · Apr 14, 2014

Yuna Kim 2009 Worlds SP

qwertyskates · Apr 14, 2014

Agreed that Mao's Rachmaninoff stsq was the most stunning and breathtaking. I would place Caro's after hers, and then Adelina's stsq for Carmen at Sochi.

plushyfan · Apr 14, 2014

FSGMT said:
I think that one great thing about IJS is that (even if we're seeing a lot of skaters performing horrible and labored 40-seconds-lasting step sequences) during the past years a great developement of step sequences has taken place, and some skaters are really reaching levels of pure art. Which are your favourite footwork pieces?
My picks are (I'm not making a ranking, because I don't want to turn this into a Carolina-loving thread )
Kostner's Bolero: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmT876rlpfA (from 4:25), pure art, probably the best female step sequence ever for me
Kostner's Nocturne and Violina Concerto: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrkwoSzY_3k (from 2:55)
Mao's Rachmaninoff: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gw3ZBgPSlY (from 4:18)
Akiko suzuki 2010 SP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WssWugss7RI (from 2:25)
Sasha Cohen 2004 SP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sI-cbt1u1uc
Michelle Kwan 1998 Rachmaninoff: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHfgjszz_Tk (from 1:17): everything about this is pretty perfect for me

I agree Carolina's Bolero step sequences is the best!! The whole program is amazing.. I add to the list Mao: Swan in last year..

Cherryy · Apr 14, 2014

Apart from Mao's Rach that almost everyone mentioned I also share the opinion that Michelle's nationals Tosca step is one of the best. Others that come to my mind are Sasha's Malaguena, her Rachmaninov, then also Adelina's Carmen and definitely Yuna's 2007 and 2009 SP.
But all in all, Mao is the best and what I find surprising is that while most people say that step sequences became terribly boring under COP, I think Mao's latest steps are actually better then her first ones, which were more 6.0 oriented and in general better than most of the 6.0 era steps. All her post 2012 step sequences are just to die for. She had some nice before Vanocouver, like the ones in her Ladies in Lavender or Clair de Lune but after she learned how not to make them look so strained (too much unnecessary and meaningless upper body movement) she just became perfect in executing steps.

However, one thing that I miss so much now are the russian splits, falling leaves and such jumps that were present in 6.0 era but now are entirely gone. Sasha's jumps in her 2002 olympic short program step sequence were such highlights!

Meoima · Apr 14, 2014

If only this quad then: Mao, Caro, Yuna.
I love Yulia's in long program but I think it works partly thanks to her petite image.

GGoldberg · Apr 14, 2014

Rachmaninoff piano concertos have fueled some of the best "end of program" straight-down the middle of the ice footwork sequences in my memory. Mao and Sasha did them both to great dramatic effect.

Best Ladies step sequences

FSGMT

CarneAsada

TheCzar

JayW

Ophelia

Barb

Sam-Skwantch

“I solemnly swear I’m up to no good”

gotoschool

Michelle's Spiral

Franklin99

cuon_alpinus

pointyourtoe

mirai4life

1Lo <

qwertyskates

plushyfan

Cherryy

Meoima

Match Penalty

GGoldberg

Match Penalty

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