Top 10 Choreographies 2019-2020 season

I'd love to see your cumulative lists across all disciplines and come up with a top 10 (or more!). And would love to read your thoughts about why they were so great!

I really like Valiyeva's SP!

I won't have ten because I only have two disciplines. But here goes:

1. David Wilson for Jason Brown, Schindler's List:

It is difficult to separate the heartfelt performance from the choreography, I'll grant you. But the hand gestures and expressions are everything, and the ending pose leaves me in a puddle. How do you do a Schindler's List that is grand in scope, not narrowed to one character or one story? This is how.

2. Andrew Torgashev, for Andrew Torgashev:thumbsup: Bloodstream

The hitch kick jump whatever it is at the drastic change in music is my everything. And the "Flying Torg". How does an 18 year old choreograph for himself like this?:luv17:

3. M-F Dubreuil, S Chouinard for Chock/Bates, Egyptian Snake Dance

Again, the precise movements, the twizzles, the all eyes on Madi theme, the ending pose. Entracing.

4. Alex Johnson for Alex Krasnozhon, Vampire medley

Perfectly chosen for a dynamic passionate skater, challenging him with movement, incorporating jumps.

5. Rohene Ward for Jason Brown, I Can't Go on Without You

Immediately identifiable. Rohene. :hap85: And Rohene can't be described, just experienced.

Just ditto everything El Henry just posted.

I would like to add Ksenia Sinitsyna’s SP to the list. I hope she keeps the program next season for her senior debut!

Also K & R’s FD to “In the End” and Wakaba’s “Bird Set Free” SP.

In no particular order:

1. Shae Lynne Bourne's FS for Junhwan Cha
2. David Wilson Schindler's List for Jason Brown
3. Carol Lane/Juris Razgulajevs Both Sides Now for Gilles/Poirier
4. Marie-France Dubreuil/Sam Chouinard Snake Dance for Chock/Bates
5. Julie Marcotte FS for Moore-Towers/Marinaro
6. Romain Haguenauer, G.Cournoyer, S.Chouinard for Smart and Diaz's FD

[snip] thanks dorispulaski!

Just to add on to some great examples mentioned before, in which two of my top 5 favourites have allready been noted: the choreographies of the Snake Dance and Schindler's List for Jason Brown. Andrew Torgashev deserves a big compliment: he brings something really new and thought of it himself too.

I also enjoyed Lori Nicol's SP choreography for Peng Cheng and Jin Yang (Allegria) a lot - and her LP Black Rain for Wenjing Sui and Cong Han, but that one really belongs to season 2018-2019 to be honest. Papadakis/Cizeron's Fame SD by Romain Haguenauer & Samuel Chouinard also had quite an impact, and not just because of the costumes (which I thought to be wonderfully camp) but because of the choreography which fits my memories of the film so well. Aleksandra Boikova and Dmitrii Kozlovskii also showed some wonderful choreography by Nicolai Morozov in their FS to the James Bond theme (Spectre).

I like all the other ones noted above as well (but one mustn't get repetitive), but these were my favourite ones.

I admit to enjoying Valyeva's SP as well, but to be honest to myself: only after I realised what she was representing in this programme. As I am no real fan of Picasso's art (sorry everyone, give me a Piero della Francesca any day) and really didn't know the painting before reading about it in an interview with Kamila. But she performed it really well and Daniil Gleikhenhaus's choreography fits the bill.

These are just the ones that come to mind right now:

Alysa Liu Illumination, Lori Nichol
Daria Usacheva Please Don't Make Me Love You, Sergei Rozanov (GIVE HIM CREDIT IT WAS NOT DANI G)
Anna Shcherbakova Firebird, Daniil Gleikhengauz
Alena Kanysheva The Earth Prelude, Daniil Gleikhengauz
Aleksandra Boikova/Dmitri Kozovski, Writing on the Wall
Apollinariia Panfilova/Dmitri Rylov No One Ever CAlled Me That, Nikolai Morozov
Alexandra Trusova Unstoppable Daniil Gleikhengauz

She used to be mine-Gracie Gold choreographed by Jeremy Abbott
Elton John Medley (Rocketman)-Nathan Chen, choreo by MFD, Sam C and Montreal Team
Vogue-Gibson/Fear, Choreo by Romain H.
Lord of the Dance FD, Team Koko, Choreo MFD and Romain H
SD and FD-Fournier-Beaudry and Sorensen, Choreo MFD, Patrice Lauzon, Sam C.
Alex K's programs choreographed by Alex Johnson
Nic Nadeau's Depeche Mode Free, choreo by Shae-Lynn Bourne
"Work....." SP, Mariah Bell, choreographed by Adam Rippon

Valieva "Picasso" Tutberidze
Scherbakova "Perfumer" Gleikhengauz
Petrosian "Apres Moi" Rozanov
Sinitsyna "Alfonsina" Kanaeva
Zagitova "Me Voy" Gleikhengauz
Kostornaia "Twilight" Gleikhengauz

1. Fournier-Beaudry/Sorensen, "Bonnie and Clyde OBCR" by Romain Haguenauer and Sam Chouinard. I've said this before, but I think that to take a musical that bad and make a program that cohesive, enjoyable, strong and good from it takes a kind of genius. Plus, finger guns!
2. Papadakis/Cizeron, "Fame medley" by Romain Haguenauer. They were still working on building the ending in the leadup to the Worlds That Wasn't, but even then, the placement of the pattern and how it matched to the drive of the music, the out-of-nowhere twizzle sequence, the energy and the sheer commitment to 80s camp made it stand out like nobody's business.
3. Fear/Gibson, "Madonna medley" by Romain Haguenauer and Sam Chouinard. Building on the disco program from last season was always going to be tough. This did it, and kept them building their skills too. Those linked lifts...
4. Reed/Ambrulevicius, "Aurora medley" by Marina Zoueva and Massimo Scali. Striking, haunting, challenging and a big step up for them technically.
5. Meite, "Mas que nada" by Nestor Garcia. A powerhouse match of music to skater that produced an explosion of personality, ability and atmosphere on the ice that served as a perfect reminder of just how formidable Mae-Berenice is when her knees are co-operating.
6. Brown, "Schindler's List" by David Wilson. The sensitivity, emotional complexity (what other Schindler's List program in recent memory has been able to incorporate steps from the Hora in the midst of tragedy and have them make emotional sense to the viewer?) and technical precision of this are somewhat humbling.
7. Papadakis/Cizeron, "Find Me/Broadchurch OST" by Marie-France Dubrueil and Sam Chouinard. While this was certainly a divisive program, it was complex, exacting (those low Ina Bauers directly into the stationary lift!) and an attempt to do something rare and challenging that, for some of us at least, succeeded in spades.
8. Aymoz, "The Question of U" by Silvia Fontana. Another perfect match of skater to music and content. Aymoz moves like nobody else on the ice right now and this choreography used that originality to its fullest capacity.
9. Guignard/Fabbri "Bowie medley" by Barbara Fusar-Poli and Corrado Giordani. Technically strong, clever and impactful, and the fact that they were able to adapt and skate it very successfully while Fabbri couldn't use one of his hands due to injury was testament to how well it was built to start with.
10. Galyavieva/Thauron, "Carmen medley" by Anjelika Krylova and Mahil Chantelauze. A strong piece for a developing team that let them continue to progress while not succumbing to stereotyping too early - they might be the "French quirky" team so far but it's a different kind of quirk in each program, which is preferable.

I'm so happy this is picking steam! I'll complete a top ten and repost what I deleted.

Do exhibition programs count? If so, I'd add Alina's "Outro" to the list. Gleikhengauz choreographed it in honor of his recently deceased mother. Really beautiful and touching.

Others for me are Anna's Firebird, Ksenia's FS, Kaori's Matrix, Eunsoo's Capriccio Espagnol, Kamila's Spiegel, Adelya's Apres Moi.

Probably others I'm forgetting!

I wasn't wowed by a lot of choreography this past season, but there are a few that will stick out to me as being the most impactful game-changers on how the season played out.

Chock/Bates would not have propelled themselves to be (if Worlds had happened) a top 3 dance team in the world if it wasn't for the FD choreography. That's probably the best example this season of choreography elevating skaters.

I've been a big fan of Anna Shcherbakova's Perfume SP all season and still am. Very sophisticated work from Daniil. Of course the quads helped, but this SP helped close the gap between her and Aliona Kostornaia by demanding higher PCS scores.

Papadakis/Cizeron's Fame proved that they can be versatile and that they can be dominant RD ice dancers.

Boikova/Kozlovskii's My Way SP. The free is great but the SP made them this season. They were set to win Worlds.

Evgenia Medvedeva's Exogenesis SP. This program showed that the Zhenya/Averbukh team is capable of new tricks. I liked his showcasing of her bigger skating, and Jeff Buttle's step sequence was a great addition. This SP had a lot of presence and gravitas to me.

Peng/Jin's Cloud Atlas FS. Lori Nichol has really transformed this team for me. They are fun and charming, and between this season and last they are becoming much more versatile. I think Nichol is good at highlighting a natural chemistry between the two of them.

Haein Lee's Firedance FS. Charming and airy. That step sequence is delightful and won her many fans this season.

For the women, there were a number of programs I really liked but I'll stick to the few that really stood out choreographically to me:

Mariah Bell's FS - Hallelujah: Really beautiful use of the mood of the music. It's a slower song and the movements were paced perfectly to reflect it. That's a nuance that a lot of choreographers/skaters don't use. Matching movements to the music even when it's slower--too many skaters don't slow down and breathe into the movements. Mariah did and her interpretation was gorgeous. That moment at nationals is going to be a top moment of the decade for me.

Wakaba Higuchi's SP - Bird Set Free: Another fabulous SLB piece. Wakaba is a bit underrated when it comes to her interpretation. She gave the emotion and freeness this program needed to be effective. I think the judges suck for not marking her higher...

Satoko Miyahara's FS - Schindler's List: Stunning as always. Amazingly choreographed down the the tiniest detail of the music. Exquisitely performed. She's not a Tiny Queen...she's a Tiny Goddess and we are not worthy.

Bradie Tennell's SP - Mechanisms/Chronos: Definitely the best program she's ever had. I feel like Bradie has struggled to find something to fit her style until this program came along. It was strong and energetic but also a bit sassy and sexy. I wouldn't have thought the combo would work for her but it did. Lots of little choreographic details that played on the accent of the music--I love that--and a powerful ending (that girl is a seriously underrated spinner). Amazing program from her.

Honorable Mentions
These don't win the award for choreography per se but they were programs I enjoyed:

Kaori Sakamoto's SP & FS - Holes/Matrix: Definitely the best set of programs she's ever had. She didn't really hit her peak with either but they fit her style perfectly and I hope she keeps them for next season.

Anna Shcherbakova's FS - Firebird: Of all of the Russians, I actually enjoyed her FS the most. There was a delicateness and lightness that complimented her style and I enjoyed watching her.

You Young's SP - Romeo & Juliet: I thought the powerful music mixed well with her powerful skating. Gorgeous jumper, lovely skating skills...crossing my fingers for her.

Alena Kostornaia's SP - Departure: I don't really want to include this one because it's technically from the 2018/2019 season but it was still a solid program made lovely by her skating.

Mariah Bell's SP - Britney Medley: I groaned when I found out she was skating to Britney but this was an edgy and fun program. It was quite different from everything out there and she sold it perfectly.

Evgenia Medvedeva's SP - Exogenesis: I loved the long edges and held moments in this one. It was something very different from her but it worked so well.

Rika Kihira's SP - Breakfast in Baghdad: I know some people didn't like this but I actually liked this program. I was just frustrated because Rika never gave it the umph! it needed to really shine.

Alina Zagitova's SP - Me Voy: I thought this was her best SP to date. I didn't like the music at first but I got used to it. It was a better/more mature look for her and I enjoyed it...I just wish her posture was--never mind.


Fed up with how predictable and kinda boring the women's even was this season, I ventured out and found ice dance! My favorites this season:

Papadakis/Cizeron - I loved their SD. It was so far left of what everyone else was doing but they made it work. And their FD was art, plain and simple. It gave me contemporary dance vibes, which I love. Dancing to spoken word is very different and hard but they pulled it off beautifully. I can't wait to go back and watch more of their programs.

Chock/Bates: So much fun and energy in the SD. Their FD was special. They tapped into something with the music and choreography that resonated with everyone. I think that could end up being a signature program for them.

Hawayek/Jean-Luc Baker: I think their disco SD was under-rated--I loved the music and the choreo was awesome.

Wang/Liu: Their Black Swan FD was fabulous! I know they aren't ranked that high but their FD stood out a lot for me. So many great moments and I loved the ending.

Papadakis/Cizeron - FD 'Find Me'. I generally like their style and this one was a bit outside the box but simply breathtaking.

Evgenia Medvedeva FS 'Memoirs of a Geisha' There is just something mesmerizing about the program. The cuts were great and the movements went well with them.

Satoko Miyahara Gala. One of the best galas I have ever seen. Not typical entertaining style, but very graceful and subtle.

Kevin Aymoz FS 'Lighthouse'. Most people were amazed by his SP, but IMO this program is no worse. It had really great music and well placed movements.

Bradie Tennell SP 'Mechanisms. Chronos'. Again, great music choice and matching movements in a style that is not usual in women's FS.

Shoma Uno SP 'Great Spirit'. I don't know, I just liked it because it was rhythmic and fun.

Tarasova/Morozov SP 'Bolero'. I haven't seen a good Bolero for a while and just had to include a good pairs program in this list. The program itself was entertaining, but not too busy or empty.

Satoko Miyahara FS 'Schindler's List'. Satoko has always been a good performer and received exquisite choreography and this program is no exception - very emotional and graceful.

Rika Kihira SP 'Breakfast in Baghdad'. Many disliked the music but it has grown on me. Then I have noticed her great skating skills and variety of movements used in this program.

Alina Zagitova FS 'Cleopatra'. The music had little to do with program's name, but it goes together well and helps create the image. The program itself is very demanding, but when everything goes well, it's amazing.

It's also worth mentioning that ice dance choreography is mostly superior to that of singles or pairs, so I included only one, but there are many to enjoy.

The Best Senior Program Choreographer is one of the categories in our Golden Skate Accolades. Based on the nominations you submitted until 31 May, a list of 5 most rated choreographers was made and very soon you'll be able to vote for your favourite one here. The polls will be open between today and tomorrow. I only need to find the links and create the poll for the last category (there are 27 in total). I warmly invite you to participate in the GSA contest

Jason Brown's short program "I Can't Go On Without You", choreo by Rohene Ward. I agree with the PSA's nod for this being the best Mens performance at U.S. Nationals this year. Awesome step sequence!