Artistic female skaters

[Jorje286]

That Maria Butyrskaya thread prompted me to open this thread.

What do you think are some of the most artistic female skaters out in competition now or in the history of the sport? What are some standount programs when it comes to artistry?

I personally love some of Lu Chen, and her "spring breeze" sp at the 96 worlds is such a beautiful work of art. Katarina Witt's "Carmen" at the 88 olympics is also a classic. It was more like a stage performance.

 

[Ogre Mage]

1990s
Jill Trenary -- 1990 LP
Kristi Yamaguchi -- 1992 Blue Danube SP, 1992 Malaguena LP, Fantasy-Impromptu (Professional), Romeo & Juliet (Professional)
Lu Chen -- 1996 Rach Piano Concerto #2 LP, 1998 Butterfly Lovers LP
Oksana Baiul -- The Feeling Begins (Professional), Meditation from Thais (Professional)
Michelle Kwan -- 1996 Romanza SP, 1996 Salome LP, 1997 Taj Mahal LP, 1998 Rach Piano Concerto #3 SP, 1999 Ariane LP.
Maria Butyrskaya -- 1999 Otonal LP

2000s
Michelle Kwan -- 2001 East of Eden SP, 2003 The Feeling Begins SP, 2003 Aranjuez LP.
Sasha Cohen -- 2004 Malaguena SP, 2006 Dark Eyes SP, 2006 Romeo & Juliet LP.
Shizuka Arakawa -- 2004 Turandot LP.

 

[iluvtodd]

Caryn Kadavy!

 

[Jaana]

I will not put any specific programmes here, just the list of current female skaters that I see as especially artistic:

Arakawa
Baiul
Butirskaya
Cohen
Gordeeva
Kadavy
Karademir
Liu
Maxwell
Meier
Poykio
Sato
Suguri
Yamaguchi

 

[Mathman]

To me, Kristi showed her artistry (in the most inclusive sense) with Bridge Over Troubled Waters and with Doop Doop.

Janet Lynn's "L'apres-midi d'un faune" was no slouch.

MM

 

[ceg15]

Joannie Rochette and Sasha Cohen are the most artistic to me...

 

[Vash01]

I won't allude to specific performances because an artistic skater is artistic practically every time she takes the ice.

Here is my list- (* indicates I have seen just one or two of their performances on tapes). Some of these skaters had athletic ability too.

Janet Lynn*
Oksana Baiul
Peggy Fleming*
Dorothy Hamill
Katarina Witt
Michelle Kwan
Jill Trenary
Caryn Kadavy
Chen Lu
Kristi Yamaguchi
Sasha Cohen
Shizuka Arakawa
Maria Butyrskaya
Fumie Suguri

 

[SusanBeth]

I haven't seen Tiffany Chin listed, but she was wonderful too.

 

[sk8m8]

agree with lots of people's choices but would add

Katherine Healy
Lucinda Rue
Alissa Cyzny

 

[redladybug21]

Artisitic skaters, so many good names...
Michelle Kwan
Sasha Cohen
Lu Chen
Katia Gordeeva
Kristi Yamaguchi
Shizuka Arakawa
Maria Butryskaya
Fumie Suguri

 

[Ogre Mage]

An interesting side-note to this discussion is some of these ladies were not initially known as good artistic skaters. I remember watching Lu Chen in the early 90s and wasn't too impressed with her presentation. IMO, her breakthrough came in her 1995 "Last Emperor" LP. I noticed Lulu was no longer telegraphing her jumps, skated with better flow and carriage and seemed to relate to the music in a way she never had before. The judges rewarded her with a World Title and by 1996 and Rach #2, her artistic mastery was complete. Similarly, I remember watching Kristi Yamaguchi's 1990 Swan Lake LP and found it uninspiring. Then Yamaguchi dropped pairs to concentrate on singles and she blossomed as an artistic skater. Her 1991 Sampson & Delilah LP showed new finesse, nuance and command. Similar to Lu, she won a World Title and thereafter became known as a "presentation" skater. But perhaps the quintessential example is Michelle Kwan who, after previously being known as a pony-tailed child, shocked the skating world with Salome in 1996.

 

[shine]

Lu Chen, Oksana Baiul, Galina Maniachenko, Yukina Ota, Fleur Maxwell, Joannie Rochette

 

[Teresa Dawn]

Katherine Healy, Sasha Cohen, & Keyla Ohs

 

[Tonichelle]

Sasha Cohen
Josee Chouinard
Angela Nikodinov
Yuka Sato
Jenny Kirk
Kristi Yamaguchi (as a pro anyway)


this would be so much easier if I paid more attention to the ladies side of the sport

 

[clairecloutier]

Here's another name: Karen Kwan.

Not many people remember her these days (except as Michelle's sister), and her career was very short, but she was an incredibly lovely skater. So elegant. I saw her in a live performance once, and she blew me away, more so than many Olympic or World medalists I've seen live.

 

[rob43]

Chouinard
Kwan (in late 90s LPs and 00s shorts and Ex)
Cadavy
Maria (99-00 in particular)
Bobek when she was on (yeah- I know...)
Roz in her day.

I think of Sato as more technical- footwork, flow and edges are beautiful but to me technical. I also put Yebin Mok in this category with Sato, everything so technically clean it's beautiful- I think Kerrigan described this as technically beautiful and I will agree. This isn't a knock because I could watch these two skaters for days; I just think we get used to thinking technical = jumps and these two showed it could be pure elements.

 

[layman]

Artists

Surya Bonaly - though her artistry was never accepted by the ISU, being based on modern and west african dance

Chen Lu (inspired by Chinese music and culture)

Oksana Baiul (ballet inspired)

Angela Nikodinov (ballet inspired)

Michelle Kwan

Naomi Nari Nam

Sarah Hughes (ballet inspired)

Janet Lynn

Dorothy Hamill

Sasha Cohen (ballroom dance inspired)

Peggy Fleming

 

[passion]

Okasana Baiul
Michelle Kwan
Sasha Cohen
Ekatarina Gordeeva
Lu Chen

The skater that I think is the most artistic is Yuka Sato. I just love the way she skates. Her movements and edges are always in unison to music. She is just mesmerizing.

 

[Eeyora]

Michelle Kwan
Peggy Flemming
Janet Lynn
Angela Nikodinov
Sasha Cohen
Fumie Suguri
Kristi Yamaguchi
Yuka Sato
Chen Lu
Oksana Baiul
Yukina Ota
Caryn Kadavy
For those who have seen Yu Na KIm, Where would you place her?

 

[jsteam4501s]

Janet Lynn's performance of Ravel's "La Valse" at the 1973 National Championships was, and still is, the greatest singular performance by a female figure skater that I have ever seen.