Programs that will still be talked about in 20+ years?

Ladies
Kostner's 2012 worlds long program. People will be talking about it primarily as an example of how low the level of ladies skating used to be

Men
I would say Patrick's Aranjuez. He was unbeatable with it and it will be remebered as a beautiful program and the one that was the peak of inflation.
Also Patrick's Phantom and maybe Boheme? Definitely Daisuke's Blues for Klook and Yuzuru's Romeo. Just because they were all beutiful .

Pairs
I hope S&S Pina and V&T Swan and this season long

Ice Dancing
Definitely Die Fledermaus. Americans won't let anyone forget about it.

If we add 2009-2010 season, then surely Yuna's, V&M, Mao's free skates, Xue&Zhao's short program -just perfection. Also Evan's olympic long as the one that gave him gold without a quad.

But when it comes to the programs that I find the best (these are all ladies ) I have to mention
1. Yuna's Giselle - her best short program ever! I found it so touching and elegant.
2. Mao's Scheherazade at NHK - now that was her best short in a long time.
3. Ashley's Black Swan - just a masterpiece
and now the ones that will definitely be not remembered by all and never forgotten by me
4. Caroline Zhang - 2012 nationals sp - I almost cried when I saw it and it touches me everytime I watch it. Such an improvement from here yet so underscored.
5. Makarova's Maria and the Violin String - mainly because she chose such a great music and interpretes it very well.

Cherryy said:

Ladies
But when it comes to the programs that I find the best (these are all ladies ) I have to mention
1. Yuna's Giselle - her best short program ever! I found it so touching and elegant.

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I think Yu-na's Arirang LP might have become a classic if she'd competed it for a whole season. I thought it was a beautiful, moving program even just the one time we saw it at Worlds. And I think it would have really developed if she'd competed it more. (She may have performed it again in shows that I'm not aware of, but for most of us, the Worlds performance was our only viewing.)

pitterpatter said:

I'm a bit surprised no one else has chimed in with Hanyu's Romeo & Juliet LP from last season. I admit I haven't been around for 20+ years, but I can't count how many times I rewatched his world's FS performance over the summer. There's just something about it that I can't exactly pinpoint, and its impact on me is what pushed me into my current level of figure skating interest. While I really liked a lot of other programs from last season (W/P's FD, Blues for Klook, Jeremy Abbott's SP) this is the one I can see myself remembering long into the future.

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I totally agree with your selections there. Hanyu's Romeo and Juliet FS was really special, easily my fav last year and likely for a very long time. He was at the right age, with the right package and he totally gelled with that piece of work like fish to water. I loved it since its Exhibition stage early in the season and just thought wow this kid absolutely got it and surely will go far. Like you, I've enjoyed Weaver and Poje's Je Suis Malade; Dai's Blues for Klooks and Jeremy's Muse were all among my favs. I will also add Patrick's Elegie in E gala program as well. They all defined the type of skating I really appreciate, something that pushes their portfolio progressively, athletically, technically, artistically, philosophically and musically without feeling artificial or contrived. Although I'd argue for a program that will last beyond 20 years, some good competition results must in support, if not that, then some special and unforgettable occasion will be required. Such as Michelle Kwan's field of Gold.

In general, it is no secret I am have a huge fan of Yuna Kim and thought she really brought something unique and brilliant with her: Lark Ascending, Tango De Roxanne, Danse Macabre, Gershwin, Bond, Arirang, All of Me etc. which all defined the best of Ladies figure skating during this era of COP format style programs, at least to me. It shows despite its limitations, it can still produce some spectacular programs that has a good balance technical prowess and artistry with the right skater. I consider her among the most musical and versatile skaters around, and the fact these programs wins competitions is just as amazing. She is one of the few rare skaters that conforms to my personal idea of the 'ying and the yang' that makes up the sport and arts (Mixture of eastern philosophy:'Truth, Goodness & Beauty', and western school of art/design appraisal: 'forms, function, concept, process, aesthetics, musicality') and what construed as a worthy artistic program. I admit, these strict criteria probably have little to do COP requirement or what attract skating fans to the sport initially, but I personally think these are the very key ingredients to win over new audience's heart to the sport. In the rare occasions where the stars aligns, these programs recalls big Eureka moments that are worth celebrating and rejoice.

This year I will add V&M's Carmen to that list.

Bolero by T&D
Carmen by Katarina Witt and Debi Thomas
Salome- Michelle Kwan
Man In The Iron Mask- Alexei Yagudin
Lyra Angelica- Michelle Kwan.
Gershwin-Yu-Na Kim.
Tango de roxanne- Yu-Na Kim.
Turandot- Shizuka Arakawa.
Conquest- Todd Eldredge.
Daphnis et Chloe- Sarah Hughes.
Malaguena by Sasha Cohen.
Dark Eyes- Sasha Cohen.
The Swan- Johnny Weir.
Scheherazade- Evan Lysacek.
Blues on Klook- Daisuke Takahashi.
The Black Swan- Ashley Wagner.
Samson and Delilah- Ashley Wagner.
Phantom of the Opera- Patrick Chan.
Piano Concerto 2011 Worlds LP Takahiko Kozuka.
1989 Worlds LP Midori Ito.
Die Fliedermaus- D&W.
Love Story by S&P.
Tosca-Michelle Kwan.
Concerto de Aranjuez- Michelle Kwan.
Rachmaninoff by Chen Lu.
The Rainbow-Tara Lipinski.
Pina by S&S.
Otonal- Maria Butyrskaya.
Scene D'Amour-Maria Butyrskaya.
The Nutcracker- Xue Shen and Hongbo Zhao.
Turandot- Shen and Zhao.
East of Eden-Michelle Kwan.
Rachmaninoff- Michelle Kwan.
Prelude to an Afternoon Faun-Janet Lynn.
The Mission by Miki Ando.
Swan Lake by Mao Asada.
Masquerade Waltz-Mao Asada.
Winter- Alexei Yagudin.
O by Akiko Suzuki.
Hungarian Rhapsody by Akiko Suzuki.

Honestly I think the only programs we will remember down the line are:
Virtue and Moir's Mahler
Davis and White Samson and Delilah/Die Flaudermauss
Yu-na's Bond Girl

maybe Kostner's Prelude to a Faun...it deserves to be remembered but fear it won't if she dosen't medal at/win worlds again to solidify her place in the history books.

I was wondering when someone would mention Yuna's Gershwin program at the Vancouver Olympics...easily the most memorable (for me), not to mention a 150.06 FS score.

^That's because the original question was about this quadrennium, after Vancouver. But I think some are randomly choosig the period.

ForeverFish said:

I was wondering when someone would mention Yuna's Gershwin program at the Vancouver Olympics...easily the most memorable (for me), not to mention a 150.06 FS score.

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Tinymavy15 said:

Honestly I think the only programs we will remember down the line are:
Virtue and Moir's Mahler
Davis and White Samson and Delilah/Die Flaudermauss
Yu-na's Bond Girl

maybe Kostner's Prelude to a Faun...it deserves to be remembered but fear it won't if she dosen't medal at/win worlds again to solidify her place in the history books.

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The original post called for programs of this quad (post-2010) though ... Otherwise (let's face it), we'd be looking at an influx of Yuna mentions.

Honestly, I haven't really been following FS as much as I could've in the past three years, but I really liked Mao's "Scheherazade" program. Whether it's a 20+ year mention or not, I quite liked the choreography and her skating fit the whimsical nature of the program well.

For me Hanyu skate Romeo at world last year, he totally comsume in his program. I don't know how to explain but there is really something special on that skate; it like he say "don't worry about me, no matter what happen I will rise from ashes" with the tsuanmi, rink destroy, injuries and that 3A -3T after he fall make it even more special.

Yes, I'm fan of him, but don't think the feeling he give me on that skate will ever be repeated.

I haven't gone back to read all the posts, so I don't know if this has been mentioned yet, but Abbott's Exogenesis from last season.

I could be a bit biased since he's my favourite skater, but I think Shawn Sawyer's Mad Hatter routine is quite memorable.

Gordeeva - Grinkov - Moonlight Sonata, Vocalise, Westside story - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qWW-Ok4V0E
Dushneys - Mission
Bolero - Torvill and Dean
Grishuk Platov- 1997 Free Dance http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5zK32mEFfk and 1998 FD Memorial - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXNmarKjyiY
Katarina Witt - Carmen
Oksana Baiul - Swan SP 1994 and Exhibition http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6zKfZVurJY
Krylova - Ovsyannicov - Carmen, Malaguena http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwiQi9Wdt-A
Bourne-Kraatz - Riverdance http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZxdCZUAPjo
Berezhnaya-Siharulidze - Charlie Chaplin FD and Exhibition
Berezhnaya-Siharulidze - 2002 Olympics SP http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAJUcgMZMO4
Annissina - Peizerat - Carmina Burana, 2002 Olympics SP and LP, 1998 Romeo and Julie, Time to say goodbye Exhibition, Notre Dam de Paris Exhibition, Malaguena Exhibition http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fsvq-N7xAtc&feature=related; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVKlJw8ttrE&feature=related
Totmyanina-Marinin - 2006 Olympics FD http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zytM0JVXNY&feature=related
Gershwin-Yu-Na Kim.
Tango de roxanne- Yu-Na Kim.
Turandot- Shizuka Arakawa.
Dark Eyes- Sasha Cohen.
Plyushenko - Tribute to Vaslav Nijinsky, Criminal Peterburgh, Godfather and all other routines
The Black Swan- Ashley Wagner.
Elena Sokolova -Samson and Delilah 2003 SP http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veFDbTmMkoU
Davis and White - Samson and Delilah, The Fliedermaus, the current Giselle SP
Drobyazko-Vanagas - Phantom of the Opera
Denkova - Staviski - 2004 FD http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJuCv07i0LA&feature=related, 2007 FD http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQO8bYFgJSo, 2003 Worlds FD http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOGBMKaPiu8
Yukari Nakano - Memoirs of a Geisha SP http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5YCi_TwuZo, Giselle http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jh3xKviCJPk, 2008 Worlds LP - she was the best, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeSwUNLqFkE, Harem 2009 Exhibition -
Irina Slutzkaya - Toska 2002 OG LP
Rachmaninoff by Chen Lu.
The Rainbow-Tara Lipinski.
S&S - Cirque de Soleil, Shindler's List, Pink Panther, Pina
The Nutcracker- Xue Shen and Hongbo Zhao.
The Mission and Cleopatra by Miki Ando.
Masquerade Waltz SP 2010 Olympics - Mao Asada.
Sheherezade SP - Mao Asada
Carolina Kostner - Worlds 2012 LP
Ashley Wagner - Black Swan
Volosozhar Trankov - Black Swan
Virtue Moir - Mahler, Pink Floyd 2009 LP, Carmen 2012
Alissa Czisny - Doctor Zhivago 2009 Worlds, 2010/2011 FS http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXK3i98momk, Moon River Exhibition http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IM0c16_lYtQ
Alena Leonova - 2012 Worlds SP
Weaver Poje - 2012 Worlds Je Suis Malade FD - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbiC0GXkj1Y
Ilinykh-Katsalapov - Worlds Juniors 2010 FD - Shindler's List - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vjobRSN3Sk
Capellini-Lanotte - La Strada FD 2012 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTwCZHX7cew

Frankly V/M's Carmen isn't one that will go well with the general audience. Some of the moves are just absurd (like that strange synchronized step that looked like they were both out as vampires getting ready for a bite...). I get what they are going for, but I think it's rather a soulless attempt at avant-garde. Lifts are impressive though and I will remember those for a few years to come.

I think W/P's je suis malade will stick. B/S's new FD will too. Dai's klook for sure, and I hope Mao's Swan(even though strangely my favorite program of hers this quad was the Tango SD).

From this quad so far, maybe Patrick Chan's Canadian Nats FS to Phantom of the Opera, 2011. There have been others I enjoyed very much but 20+ years is a long time...

ForeverFish said:

I was wondering when someone would mention Yuna's Gershwin program at the Vancouver Olympics...easily the most memorable (for me), not to mention a 150.06 FS score.

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Yuna was good but wasn't it 140.06 or wow she was overmarked - really overmarked.

150.06 (it was easily 140+)

1. I do think Yu Na's skate will be spoken about in epic terms, but not the programs themselves, if that makes sense. It's one of those skates that inspire hyperbole in those who got to be around at the time (and I still think her trainer must've dislocated his shoulder!). But I've valorized that night enough.

2. Similarly, I don't think that Chan's POTO was a great program, but his skate at Nationals is, simply speaking, an out of body/out of mind type skate. I love listening to the earbud commentary, not for the commentary - which is typical pro-National stuff, but for the little peals of delight the trio give throughout. I doubt he'll ever skate this good again (and he's come close), but I almost don't mind. I love the woman in pink (she stands up really early to applaud, sits back down, then stands up again and she applauds above her head. It's hilarious and cute and wonderful. For me, personally, it was unforgettable because I just didn't know what to expect. He had a "clean" SP (but with a 2A, so no falls, but points left on the table), and he had yet to skate his long program great yet. When he finished his final spin, I was pretty much standing and cheering. I knew he was good, but I didn't know he was that good! I think that moment really redeemed the season for him in a considerable way (and makes all poorer efforts even more disappointing, admittedly).

3. I think a question that should probably be engaged is why exactly do you remember a program for twenty years? What about it sticks?

prettykeys said:

From this quad so far, maybe Patrick Chan's Canadian Nats FS to Phantom of the Opera, 2011. There have been others I enjoyed very much but 20+ years is a long time...

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Yeah, that one! I remember that night so well since it was the same night Shawn delivered his awesome Mad Hatter routine.

I remember when I was a newbie figure skating fan, I would spend hours on youtube looking at videos of nearly all MK videos, T/D Bolero, Duchenay's Missing, Janet Lynn's Faun, B/S City of Lights, all because you guys kept talking about these fantastic programs. Fans of individual skaters may talk about various programs because may be among their best work ie Dice-K Klook, D/W Fleidermaus, AW Black Swan, Sawyer's Mad Hatter, S/S Pina (granted Takahashi, D/W S/S and many other skaters had what I consider their signature pieces among the previous Olympic quad anyway). But, I don't see any of these as iconic enough for us to be hyping these programs up so much that a future yet to be born figure skating fan to search for these old videos. I think the closest may end up being Black Swan. Fortunately, we still have 1 more season, hopefully enough time to give us an iconic program of this Olympic quad.

prettykeys said:

From this quad so far, maybe Patrick Chan's Canadian Nats FS to Phantom of the Opera, 2011. There have been others I enjoyed very much but 20+ years is a long time...

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20 years goes by darn quick. Heck its almost 20 years since Tonya vs Nancy and its 24 years since the Battle of the Brians. (And I can still remember U&Z's program from 1988 Europeans. It's amazing what the mind will retain, and what it will forget, over 20 years.

And if a lot of people fondly remember a program and mention it, some newbies will likely look it up, even if when they watch it they are and have no idea what the big deal is about.

noidont said:

Frankly V/M's Carmen isn't one that will go well with the general audience. Some of the moves are just absurd (like that strange synchronized step that looked like they were both out as vampires getting ready for a bite...). I get what they are going for, but I think it's rather a soulless attempt at avant-garde. Lifts are impressive though and I will remember those for a few years to come.

I think W/P's je suis malade will stick. B/S's new FD will too. Dai's klook for sure, and I hope Mao's Swan(even though strangely my favorite program of hers this quad was the Tango SD).

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The definition and the worth of Avant Garde art were never meant to be measured by general audiences's taste. Absurdity to the norm, is a golden nugget to some connoisseurs. If it moved or changed the hearts and minds of fellow knowledgeable artists/experts/judges/audience and pushed for progress for tomorrow, then it served its purpose. Imagine the public outcry when they view impressionist painting for the first time, not made of strokes, tones, gradients or shapes but dabs of paint? Salmon pink next to indigo blues and lime greens that defined the new techniques of the new impressionist art movement.

Given Tat who I respect a great deal just did a standing ovation for T/S at COR, I'd say it is far from soulless or pointless. That Russian dame's blood boils for passionate art, and it is a great validation and respect consider it is Carmen in Russia from a Canadian pair. Her work might not always been fully realized with the right partnership, but she sure knows her stuff. On some level, I find it utterly amusing you describe this remarkable Carmen as soulless, yet seems to love Mao's Amnesia Grey Swan and Tango programs (Nickelodeon Ice Princess 2pm). It totally confirms a few things in my mind about general public taste that I can only described as 'Hmm... interesting.' Tessa was Carmen in her program, but where's the black and white swan of swan lake the music? And where's the Tango in tango? Mao has had great programs in the past and I still think Grand Bell of Moscow and Jupiter are easily her best work and effort to date. Those I will easily remember in the next 20 years.

Then again, I may know nothing. I still don't get the public obsession with Gangnam style, it being one of the many :think::confused2: moments that indiciate I am clearly out of touch with reality.

To me, there have been many memorable moments -- of the anecdotal incidents, great performances, impressive victories or defeats, or sheer excellence. And yes, 20 years can pass by quick, and I think I’d remember them all like they were a few corners back.

Of the current skaters, I hope we get to see more great programs from Patrick Chan. While he might have little room at this point to improve on his technique or skating skills, I think he could become an even better performer.

I expect more great programs from Yu-Na Kim and Virtue/Moir, too. Since Vancouver, they have matured even further as a performer, IMO. They are meticulously skilled, enough to interpret and display the theme and the atmosphere of the program, even without excessive emoting.

About Gangnam Style, I can get why it’s a big hit, but still can’t understand why it’s become such a frenzy. I guess the singer himself wouldn’t get it either, since he has been doing the similar stuffs for years.