2026 Olympic Season | Music Suggestions

[skylark]

I'd love to see Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov skate to Samson and Delilah, by Saint-Seans.

And take inspiration from Meryl Davis & Charlie White's 2008-09 performances.

I also love the war horses like Music of the Night, Die Fledermaus, and Carmen. There's so much passion in the music itself. That allows the skaters (especially pairs, who have so many elements to complete and thus have less time to communicate emotion and story) to really go with the passion and the expansive movements that communicate to the audience.

 

[Diana Delafield]

I'd love to see Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov skate to Samson and Delilah, by Saint-Seans.

And take inspiration from Meryl Davis & Charlie White's 2008-09 performances.

I also love the war horses like Music of the Night, Die Fledermaus, and Carmen. There's so much passion in the music itself. That allows the skaters (especially pairs, who have so many elements to complete and thus have less time to communicate emotion and story) to really go with the passion and the expansive movements that communicate to the audience.

I got talked into using Carmen twice, once at 20 for a competition and once at 30 with a different partner for a club show. It definitely doesn't work for pairs if you try to act out a story (unless you're Sale and Pelletier with something like Love Story). The lifts, throws, sbs jumps and spins are interruptions that just don't make sense. I always insisted on music that just strongly expressed a mood. I would have used your other suggestions, though, and like to see others use them.

I didn't think I was right to play the sultry, seductive Carmen either, and for the same reason didn't like Carreira and Ponomarenko's attempt at it. In their case, she needed more vivid colouring to pull it off. I don't have any skating photos of our version, but during a hairstyle experimentation session, my partner laughed at the tousled attempt and I glared at him over my shoulder. He took a quick picture of the scowl, and the head coach liked the result so much they used it in the show program

 

[skylark]

I got talked into using Carmen twice, once at 20 for a competition and once at 30 with a different partner for a club show. It definitely doesn't work for pairs if you try to act out a story (unless you're Sale and Pelletier with something like Love Story). The lifts, throws, sbs jumps and spins are interruptions that just don't make sense. I always insisted on music that just strongly expressed a mood. I would have used your other suggestions, though, and like to see others use them.

I think you're right about Carmen for pairs (although I wasn't necessarily thinking of Carmen for pairs, but I know the way I wrote my post probably made it seem that way), but I accept your reasoning, it makes sense; and also your qualification that there are exceptions, like Sale/Pelletier's Love Story.

You said what I really was trying to get at, that any music that strongly expresses a mood is a huge aid to skaters, whatever division. Thanks.

I didn't think I was right to play the sultry, seductive Carmen either, and for the same reason didn't like Carreira and Ponomarenko's attempt at it. In their case, she needed more vivid colouring to pull it off. I don't have any skating photos of our version, but during a hairstyle experimentation session, my partner laughed at the tousled attempt and I glared at him over my shoulder. He took a quick picture of the scowl, and the head coach liked the result so much they used it in the show program

ha ha.

If I'm remembering the story correctly, Ashley Wagner was considering using Carmen for a free skate; and Shae-Lynne Bourne came up with the idea of using Moulin Rouge. SB said the music conveyed the emotions and power that Ashley wanted, but it was (at the time) fresh. And the rest is history!

 

[elbkup]

Might not be tuneful enough for Olympic audiences, but it brings back a fond memory for me. One time the Detroit Symphony put on an outdoor concert, featuring this music. A little bird was perched in a nearby tree and started singing along with the orchestra. He out-sang the entire 100-piece ensemble.

My own fond memory: A very dear friend gave me a vinyl disc of this music years ago.. still have it, worn thin now..

 

[invisiblespiral]

Kao Miura skating to the Moon Knight OST.

 

[FaustinaF]

I'm glad there's a great discussion here about Olympic music, hope some of the teams will find it useful!!

 

[patchris84]

Peut-être qu'un programme sur ce thème puissant serait fun à voir.

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

youtu.be

 

[TontoK]

Two men's programs in my rewatch pile, and I don't recall ever hearing the music in skating again (somebody is about to prove me wrong, but whatever...)

Paul Wiley's Henry V from Albertville
Todd Eldridge's First Knight from his World Championship in 1996

I think the music in both is great skating music. Powerful, emotional, different moods... we could use some of that.

 

[Diana Delafield]

Two men's programs in my rewatch pile, and I don't recall ever hearing the music in skating again (somebody is about to prove me wrong, but whatever...)

Paul Wiley's Henry V from Albertville
Todd Eldridge's First Knight from his World Championship in 1996

I think the music in both is great skating music. Powerful, emotional, different moods... we could use some of that.

And The Wooing of Catherine track from the same Henry V soundtrack would be lovely for someone who needed a quiet and lyrical section.

 

[elbkup]

Lorna Doone.. has it been used before? John Lunn’s score from the BBC film is lovely and skatable I think with the proper cuts.. (a twist of the classic Romeo & Juliet story)

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

youtu.be

- YouTube

Profitez des vidéos et de la musique que vous aimez, mettez en ligne des contenus originaux, et partagez-les avec vos amis, vos proches et le monde entier.

youtu.be

 

[removof]

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

www.youtube.com

please stop classical choices we are in 2025 !

 

[removof]

- YouTube

Profitez des vidéos et de la musique que vous aimez, mettez en ligne des contenus originaux, et partagez-les avec vos amis, vos proches et le monde entier.

www.youtube.com

i love this song

 

[Diana Delafield]

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

www.youtube.com

please stop classical choices we are in 2025 !

And classical music is wrong because....? Seriously, I'd like to hear your reasoning, in detail?

 

[Arigato]

Step sequence music begins at 2:20. Come on Benoît, do something that's never been done at the OLYG!

 

[iluvtodd]

Two men's programs in my rewatch pile, and I don't recall ever hearing the music in skating again (somebody is about to prove me wrong, but whatever...)

Paul Wiley's Henry V from Albertville
Todd Eldredge's First Knight from his World Championship in 1996

I think the music in both is great skating music. Powerful, emotional, different moods... we could use some of that.

Oh, I both of these programs. I actually do remember a US skater who skated to "First Knight" @ the Liberty Summer Competition in Aston, PA, circa 2010/early 2010's (?). His name is Marcus Mimidis. I went nuts when I heard his music choice & I got to tell him why! A skating fan friend of mine made a CD of skating music in 2001 (including music from "First Knight," "Henry V," "Gladiator," "Gettysburg," "Dragon," "East of Eden," "1492," "Blame Canada," What Would Brian Boitano Do?" and snippets of "banned music medley" - including Carmen, & several overused warhorses from that time).

I can't begin to tell you how much my CD collection has grown thanks to figure skating! I have bought movie soundtrack CDs on the strength of the skating performances (thank you Todd, Elvis, Paul, etc.), in some cases even if we haven't seen the movies they are from.

 

[noskates]

Old choices but IMO very skateable......Out of Africa and Legends of the Fall. Just please no more Carmen or Roxanne or any of the wretched tangoes that seem to be so popular.

 

[Diana Delafield]

Old choices but IMO very skateable......Out of Africa and Legends of the Fall. Just please no more Carmen or Roxanne or any of the wretched tangoes that seem to be so popular.

And Somewhere in Time. I loved skating to that and Out of Africa. Still bring out the music from time to time just to improvise.

 

[Magill]

The music I suggested x pages ago at the beginning of this thread - Bow and Arrow by Kenshi Yonezu, the opening song to the Medalist anime - has just been skated to by kids from Tokyo Junior Skating Club at the WTT opening ceremony today, as its opening number, in fact. They closed with Yuzuru's iconic closing pose from the music video (and not the one used in the anime itself) just as I suggested it was bound to be used as an inspiration by someone sooner or later! Came sooner indeed!
Waiting for some happy returns!
Proud mama (and to all the naysayers from x pages ago)

 

[TallyT]

The music I suggested x pages ago at the beginning of this thread - Bow and Arrow by Kenshi Yonezu, the opening song to the Medalist anime - has just been skated to by kids from Tokyo Junior Skating Club at the WTT opening ceremony today, as its opening number, in fact. They closed with Yuzuru's iconic closing pose from the music video (and not the one used in the anime itself) just as I suggested it was bound to be used as an inspiration by someone sooner or later! Came sooner indeed!
Waiting for some happy returns!
Proud mama (and to all the naysayers from x pages ago)

That was utterly adorable , the kiddies were loving it and yes, it may not be an easy choice but I can see some of the Asian juniors wanting to try using it next year, the song as a whole has so many layers of shiny...

Also, I may be wrong, but I am also expecting an onslaught of Wicked and Barbie (I am now mentally visualizing a mashup).

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

I'm just going to leave this here