Who are the top 5 ice dance choreographers?

The ones I hear about all the time are the Montreal group. Does Zoueva have any top teams? Is Igor Shpilband still tops? I have no idea who really choreographs the teams I like. Does Patrice Lauzon do choreo or is he the sidekick? MF Dubreil couldn’t possible do all those couple every year. Who are the geniuses behind the amazing top ten ice dancers?

Why does Shae Lynn work with singles when she was never a jumper but a dancer? I just watch to enjoy and I often wonder who is really coming up with all the choreo esp in the Montreal club. Who is the best choreographer in Russia? Lastly if Tutberidze was an ice dancer how did she end up coaching single girls and leading a jump revolution? Fill me in. Thanks.

You can find out who choreographed routines by looking up the skaters' ISU bios.

If you're looking at an ISU results page, just click on the skaters name to go to their bio. The choreographer info isn't always clear (sometimes you just get a list of choreographers), but sometimes it is very specific.

For example, Wang and Liu's page is here http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00012691.htm

It says:
Choreographer: Marie-France Dubreuil (RD), Romain Haguenauer (FD)

With all the ice dance fans here one would think we could have a pleasant discussion about choreographers. Every thread no matter how polite seems to get closed. I thought this could be pleasant but no one is interested in pleasant I guess. It is sad how many us fans are not here anymore.

I think a lot of great choreography is coming out of Marie-France Dubreuil and Patrice Lauzon's school. Not everything is a winner, but there's been a lot of great work. Sometimes it's done completely within the school, but sometimes there are outside choreographers brought in (not even specifically skating choreographers, such as the man who helped with Virtue and Moir's Moulin Rouge).

I used to like a lot of Marina Zoueva's stuff — particularly some of the things she choreographed for Virtue and Moir and Davis and White early on were really good. Loved Valse Triste, and of course, Mahler was a masterpiece of choreography. Later on she seemed to become pretty uninspired. Not sure if she would have her mojo back after having taken a break now.

Christopher Dean still works with numerous teams, and of course he's probably one of the best choreographers of all time.

I think Carol Lane is really underrated. Her stuff for Gilles and Poirier is always great, and she is constantly coming up with new and interesting things for them. That's one of the reasons I'd like to see a couple of teams split from Gadbois and maybe try her — I think she could do some good things with Soucisse and Firus or Hawayek and Baker.

I liked a lot of the stuff that came out of the Krylova/Camerlango school — thought it was very underrated.

And actually Shae-Lynn Bourne choreographed Weaver and Poje's Four Seasons free dance — one of my favourite pieces of all time.

Thank you Rain. I never see Chris Dean in the K and C and forgot all about him. I still watch once in a blue moon Torvill and Dean . I thought they deserved Gold in 1994. It is great that ice dance teams skate into their thirties. I have to say I love Kaitlyn but not so much her partner. Technicallly people say he is good but I think he looks very small and if she had a taller partner I think they would look better. Somehow they just don’t look like a couple to me. She is so expresssive and he seems not connected to her. I guess I mean no chemistry. I think she deserves a better partner and could be on every podium.

I didn’t know Marina is taking a break. I learned much just from your post. I wish there were a tutorial thread on ice dance. Other than twizzles and lifts I find it hard to see on tv or my iPad why the French are so special. I understand ice coverage and depth etc must be seen in person. Whoever did the French teams sp this year I hate it. I always enjoy their classic LP programs however although they always seem similar.

I am very happy with what they did for Chock and Bates and loved the FD. Whoever did that is genius and I cannot take my eyes off her. I do not like the LP that whoever did for H/D but I confess I do not like the movie and the song is just ok. Not Oscar worthy for me. I often don’t like the FDs they do. I did very much enjoy the OD and like to see upbeat numbers where they dance more. I must confess I know nothing about the top Russian teams. I am glad Piper and Paul are doing better. I guess Weaver Pope retired? I love them and if they wish to return I hope they do.

Who is doing the top two Russian dance teams? I like both and feel that they deserved to win Europeans. I can picture them. I cannot recall the names or likely spell it right. I notice the Russian girls in ice dance are very tall like Eteri. Long lines.

What is there to know?

Not all choreographers do just one discipline. Many do all or most. I wouldn't say there is a top 5 anymore like there used to be in the 80s 90s.

Christopher Dean
Robin Cousins
Sandra Bezic
Lori Nichol
David Wilson
Tom Dickson
Kurt Browning
Benoît Richaud
Shae-Lynn Bourne
John Kerr
Sinead Kerr
Jeremy Abbott
Adam Rippon
Misha Ge
Jeffrey Buttle
Stephan Lambiel
Pasquale Camerlengo
Marie France Dubreil
Sam Chouinard
Benjamin Agosto
Charlie White
Tanith Belbin
Damon Allen
Yuka Sato
Marina Zueva
Jim Peterson
Judy Blumberg
Mark Mitchell
Rohene Ward
Igor Shpilband
Alexander Zhulin
Evgeny Platov
Kenji Miyamoto


I know I'm probably forgetting a few, but those are your most worked with choreographers in skating today.

skateluvr said:

Who is doing the top two Russian dance teams? I like both and feel that they deserved to win Europeans. I can picture them. I cannot recall the names or likely spell it right. I notice the Russian girls in ice dance are very tall like Eteri. Long lines.

Click to expand...

Look here:
http://www.isuresults.com/results/season1920/ec2020/

Click on ice dance results to get here:
http://www.isuresults.com/results/season1920/ec2020/CAT004RS.htm

It will give you the names of the top two Russian teams. Click on them to get their ISU bio. It will tell you who their choreographer is.

There is a similar results page for 4CC. You can look up the choreographers for all the teams that were there.

skateluvr said:

Thank you Rain. I never see Chris Dean in the K and C and forgot all about him. I still watch once in a blue moon Torvill and Dean.

Click to expand...

You never see Chris Dean at competitions (or at least very, very rarely) because he's still working all the time. Half the year he's in the UK working on Dancing on Ice or touring for DOI. (although in a reduced capacity since 2018). The other half of the year he's at home in Colorado Springs, and then skaters who want to work with him go to him. DOI was on hiatus from 2015-2017, the last program I can think of off the top of my head that he did was Savchenko & Massot's OGM free skate in PyeonChang.

skateluvr said:

Who is doing the top two Russian dance teams? I like both and feel that they deserved to win Europeans. I can picture them. I cannot recall the names or likely spell it right. I notice the Russian girls in ice dance are very tall like Eteri. Long lines.

Click to expand...

Stepanova and Bukin are choreographed by Aliona Samarskaia. Their programs are my favorite this season. I personally think they should be the Russian #1 team. The other team is Victoria Sinitsina & Nikita Katsalopov.

MCsAngel2 said:

You never see Chris Dean at competitions (or at least very, very rarely) because he's still working all the time. Half the year he's in the UK working on Dancing on Ice or touring for DOI. (although in a reduced capacity since 2018). The other half of the year he's at home in Colorado Springs, and then skaters who want to work with him go to him. DOI was on hiatus from 2015-2017, the last program I can think of off the top of my head that he did was Savchenko & Massot's OGM free skate in PyeonChang.

Click to expand...

Christopher Dean choreographed the fabulous FD for Karina Manta and Joe Johnson in 2018-19, to Sweet Dreams. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yz4n1LTUPU8

Please watch the video ASAP if you haven't seen it! They were spectacular and nailed every moment. It was definitely one of the highlights at Nats.

skylark said:

Christopher Dean choreographed the fabulous FD for Karina Manta and Joe Johnson in 2018-19, to Sweet Dreams. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yz4n1LTUPU8

Please watch the video ASAP if you haven't seen it! They were spectacular and nailed every moment. It was definitely one of the highlights at Nats.

Click to expand...

Great choreo, but I hate that version of the song. Wish they'd used the original version or something more upbeat, but I guess they wanted something slower?

Sai Bon said:

Great choreo, but I hate that version of the song. Wish they'd used the original version or something more upbeat, but I guess they wanted something slower?

Click to expand...

I have no idea, but of course that doesn't prevent me from having an opinion!

One of the things I admired from the beginning ... and it was perhaps even more noticeable experiencing it first in the arena ... was that the music starts out with a languid, stretched-out feeling and then the tempo escalates, but not too swiftly. Just little by little until it's going full throttle and a great feeling of "Just try and keep up with me if you can!"

Is there something wrong with the thread response counter or my iPad. It says one response when there are several. Is this a technical glitch of some kinds?

Sai Bon said:

Great choreo, but I hate that version of the song. Wish they'd used the original version or something more upbeat, but I guess they wanted something slower?

Click to expand...

i likes it even her Annie Lennox hair do. It is hard to be totally original is 8cedance because at this point every style has been done. It doesn’t look like any Torvill and Dean program but I guess Dean is very creative.

I have never seen this team before. I don’t think they skated this year at Nationals but maybe they did and I didn’t watch the earliest groups.

Christopher Dean choreographed FD for 3rd Russian team Zagorski/Guerreiro ( Tomb Raider)

skateluvr said:

Does Patrice Lauzon do choreo or is he the sidekick? MF Dubreil couldn’t possible do all those couple every year. Who are the geniuses behind the amazing top ten ice dancers?

Click to expand...

Not an ice dancer, but Nathan Chen's choreographers for his "Rocketman" FS are Marie-France Dubreil and Samual Chouinard. Nathan said that he'd been drawn to the music. Marie-France choreographed, and she had the idea of adding a hip-hop footwork sequence. I believe Nathan then said that she pulled in Chouinard to do the hip-hop section. My impression is that Marie is a great Idea Person. She's a great choreographer, but she also doesn't hesitate to give others a chance to shine as choreographer. Again, my impression. (It's like Naomi Judd years ago gave a band member (or someone?) partial song-writing credit because he had an idea for a title: Love Can Build a Bridge. Then Naomi wrote the song. He questioned her adding him as part of the song-writing team, and she stood firm, saying: "Ideas rule the world.")

I'm interested in pleasant conversations where it's not all cut-and-dried, either/or answers to questions. I admire your ability to think up topic-starters.

Ic3Rabbit said:

What is there to know?

Click to expand...

I think the OP posed some interesting questions for discussion. A conversation can be more than just a search or an exchange of information.

skateluvr said:

i likes it even her Annie Lennox hair do. It is hard to be totally original is 8cedance because at this point every style has been done. It doesn’t look like any Torvill and Dean program but I guess Dean is very creative.

I have never seen this team before. I don’t think they skated this year at Nationals but maybe they did and I didn’t watch the earliest groups.

Click to expand...

Karina and Joe were offered a fabulous chance to join the Cirque de Soleil performing group, which they are doing now. Not sure where.

The thing about Christopher Dean is, his choreography was always completely original, from the beginning when he was inventing T/D programs. At 2019 Nationals, as soon as I sat down after being part of the whistling, stomping standing ovation we gave Karina and Joe, I borrowed my friend's program to look up who choreographed. When I saw the answer, I said to my friend: "No wonder."

skylark said:

Christopher Dean choreographed the fabulous FD for Karina Manta and Joe Johnson in 2018-19, to Sweet Dreams. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yz4n1LTUPU8

Please watch the video ASAP if you haven't seen it! They were spectacular and nailed every moment. It was definitely one of the highlights at Nats.

Click to expand...

This is so great! Thanks for sharing! I'll watch anything Christopher Dean choreographs.

^^^ You're welcome! I'm glad you enjoyed it. Dean's choreo for S/M's 2018 fs was spectacular. I feel as you do; I'll watch whatever he choreographs. I love how he'll create a beautiful move, wait to let you take it in, then repeat it.

skylark said:

Christopher Dean choreographed the fabulous FD for Karina Manta and Joe Johnson in 2018-19, to Sweet Dreams. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yz4n1LTUPU8

Click to expand...

That FD was absolutely spectacular, and perfect for Manta and Johnson.

Dean also choreographed both P/C's Olympic RD (the Ed Sheeran medley) and their tango RD last season, if I'm remembering correctly.

Ic3Rabbit said:

I know I'm probably forgetting a few, but those are your most worked with choreographers in skating today.

Click to expand...

That's a pretty exhaustive list! I do think Romain Haguenauer deserves to be recognised as a separate choreographer from Dubrueil and Lauzon, though - his style is distinctive and rather different from theirs, and he has a pretty respectable body of work of his own.