Hi Skylark! Maybe some dislike Ashley because she doesn't fit a lyrical, balletic mold of ice skating. Personally I think she has her own kind of grace that is just as nice to look at as textbook Vaganova steps and port de bras. Some of her programs do in fact rely on a more classical aesthetic ("Spartacus" "Black Swan" "Exogenesis Muse"), but overall her skating has a very modern look to it. She's got her own style and isn't content to just float around prettily with her arms in an eternal first arabesque or basic second position. I think that's a good thing, her speed and intensity is great in a different way, and she can actually be quite fluidly elegant at times. But, she's not a skater who's constantly hitting snapshots of perfect classical positions.
If you need female skaters to look like dainty princesses out there, a hip-hop inspired program is probably not going to be your cup of tea. I've always admired Ashley's innovative, creative choreography and I don't think it detracts from her skating at all, but tastes vary of course. She does tend to choose fiery, passionate music over soft romances but so do many skaters...probably she chose "Muse" partly to extend her range. And obviously, music with some drama, resonance and power to it helps sell a program.
That being said, she's also blunt and outspoken and some people don't like openly ambitious women, especially in a figure skater....again, something others will see as a positive trait.
