As you may recall, I posted my Top Ten All Time Favorite Ice Dance Performances quite a while ago. It was one of my earlier posts. If you haven't seen it, I definitely recommend checking it out. These posts take a while for me to do because I watch programs I know I love, then continue researching to see what else is out there. Then, the hardest part is only choosing 10!
I'm going to lay out what I look for and enjoy in pairs programs, similar to what I did with the ice dance post. I pull from both competitive and exhibition performances, and programs from any time period are allowed. Technical execution is looked at, but it isn't the be-all and end-all. How the program moves to the music, and the artistry and passion are most important. I'm an artistry junkie and always have been. I also look at programs that revolutionize the sport in some way, either by offering a different type of music, or with daring choreography. I also have a few pet peeves with pairs, which are 1) a lack of unison, and 2) half-assed death spirals. I CAN'T with crappy death spirals!!
As always, these are just the favorites from my perspective. I don't pay a great deal of attention to what the judges say about it, and my opinion isn't the only right one. I would love to hear about the programs you have enjoyed too!
Without any further introduction, here we go!
10. Wenjing Sui and Cong Han (CHN)- "Samson and Delilah"
They start out strong in this performance! Great musical interpretation, then BAM! The quad twist was perfection.There is some more cool choreography with the slide. It was not technically perfect, but their daring and passion more than made up for that. They got into their characters very well. One thing that really stands out with this team is their innovative lifts. They are able to pull off some really difficult positions, and I love how they ended. I'm glad Sui and Han are back in competition. I look forward to what they are going to do at Worlds.
9. Ekaterina Gordeeva and Sergei Grinkov (RUS)- "The Man I Love"
This program makes you feel all the feels. So much emotion! Their passion for skating and each other is so evident in every move they make. I don't think there could have been a more perfect song to capture that. What I loved about them is that they paid attention to every last detail. The costumes work perfectly, and every look and glance is part of the performance, but it never looks fake or put on. I could have easily filled my Top Ten with all G&G programs, but there were a few others I wanted to feature too. It's hard to believe it's been almost 22 years since Sergei has been gone. His mark on the sport will certainly never be forgotten.
8. Ekaterina Gordeeva and Sergei Grinkov (RUS)- "Vocalise"
Well, what do you know, I have another G&G program here! This is beautiful skating to a beautiful piece of music. It was interesting to hear this program was inspired by the Rodin sculpture "The Kiss", seen here:
I must say, they nailed it in that regard. Beautiful choreography by Marina Zueva. They are even wearing valentine colors! Even though this piece of music by Rachmaninoff has been around for a long time, G&G brought new life into it. Every time they skate to something, it seems as though the music was created just for them. The skating quality is superb here. They have such great speed, but everything is so quiet, and the landings are so soft and perfect. This pairs team is one of dreams that we are lucky to have witnessed in the time they were together.
7. Barbara Underhill and Paul Martini (CAN)- "Why'd You Lie?"
As the commentator (I think this is Verne Lundquist) states: this is a "different kind of love". This program's simmering sex appeal is supported with daring moves, the pair losing themselves to the music, and a complete commitment in every element. All those things working together brings the impact to this performance. Underhill and Martini's signature move, the "Leap of Faith", would be enough to secure them a spot on this list. But they didn't stop there. All the lifts were so dramatic. The way she positioned herself really showed a commitment to the character and flow with the music. All his lifts were over the head, and she looked like she was in the stratosphere! Another element of note was their death spiral. It was phenomenal, with her hair touching the ice! This is how it's done, folks.
6. Tatiana Voloshozar and Maxim Trankov (RUS)- "Masquerade Waltz"
This is an example of a traditional piece executed very well. There is no doubt that the roars of the hometown crowd fueled their enthusiastic performance. I also enjoyed their death spiral, where he switches hands! They were able to incorporate some dance elements into this pairs program, which made it more elegant. A waltz has specific timing, and they stayed in time with the music, executing the step sequences with great precision. I was glad to see this piece performed as a pair's program, as this may have been a little more boring and predictable as an ice dance performance. In this program, their dance-like footwork was embellished by huge lifts, twists, throws, and side by side jumps and spins. Truly a treat to watch.
5. Megan Duhamel and Eric Radford (CAN)- "Hometown Glory"
I'm gonna go ahead and get my unpopular opinion out of the way before commenting on this program. I'm not a big Adele fan (please don't come after me with pitchforks), but that did not matter at all with this amazing performance. Sometimes it is just your day to win, and this was their day. Everything was so flawlessly executed and in time with the music. They looked amazing out there, and the crowd exploded. I'm super jealous of my friends that got to go see Worlds last year! What really made my day with this performance was the look of complete joy at the end. They knew they gave this performance everything they could. I also noticed that while Megan was beaming ear to ear for over half of the program, Eric continued to look serious until the end. I also love that they are in their 30s and still competing at the level they are. Don't ever let age limit you, and don't let anyone tell you that you need to quit! As a bonus, did you guys see that guy in the audience? It's at the 5:32 mark in the video...he's coming down the stairs in all the Canadian flag garb!!! The hat, the jacket, everything!!! OMG! So, um, yeah, I had to throw this in there...
4. Ludmilla Belousova and Oleg Protopopov (RUS)- "Beethoven Medley"
Here we have the team that kicked off the long line of Russian dominance in pairs skating. Right off the bat, I'm noticing a lot of differences between pairs skating of the 60s and now. Obviously, there are now more difficult jumps and throws, but they don't have quite the beautiful lines of Oleg and Ludmilla. They always moved together in unison. In their time, there used to be a lot more time spent in hold during the program, and longer step sequences. Their spiral sequence was really a thing of beauty. It looked so effortless like they could go on forever, as they merged into one being gliding across the ice. I also love their classy elegance and the way they carry themselves. They knew they were at the Olympics and took this special occasion very seriously. I also need to point out another audience member in this one: there's a very stylish lady standing at the 2:40 mark with a red coat and hat, with crossed arms and resting bitch face. She looks fabulous! You don't see people quite as dressed up in the stands anymore at these events. All the ladies on the pairs podium are serving up 60s beehive realness, but only Ludmilla is wearing a tiara. Apparently she showed up dressed to win that day!
3. Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze (RUS)- "The Dinner from La Califfa"
Ok, I'm about to spout off another controversial opinion: I preferred Berezhnaya and Sikharulidze's skating style over Sale and Pelletier. Don't get me wrong, they were both great. While Sale and Pelletier delivered more on the technical front, Berezhnaya and Sikharulidze delivered more on the artistry and emotional domains. I don't see anything wrong with them both getting gold medals. That being said, the block judging, bribery, and collusion are still completely screwed up. I had a tough time deciding between this program and their free skate. I went with the short program because 1) there were no mistakes, and 2) "Meditation", their music for the free skate is in the realm of overplayed skating music, whereas as this music is unique. Plus, it has a harpsichord in it, which reminds me of a great friend who plays the instrument. I love that their skating has delicateness and vulnerability, and of course Elena's accident and recovery really tears at the heartstrings...ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜. Their program is about a first kiss, and their ending pose looks like it's about to happen, the Elena gives Anton the "not now" look. Still, it was a great performance.
2. Vanessa James and Morgan Cipres (FRA)- "The Sound of Silence"
Remember at the beginning when I mentioned revolutionizing the sport? Well, this is it! The ISU's decision several years ago to allow lyrics in competitive programs has led to a myriad of creative possibilities. I cannot say I have agreed with everything they have decided, but this was one of the best changes to come to the sport. We have never seen anything like this before! I am so excited about different types of music coming into the realm of figure skating, especially when it's one of my favorite bands, Disturbed! This song has been the metal band's big crossover hit, and the song has been featured on Dancing With The Stars. What is great about the song is that it allows the band to reach a new audience, but it still has the gripping vocals they are known for. They are not selling out in any way. James and Cipres' performance perfectly captures the essence of the song. Their costuming is simple, and it's all that's really needed for this program. The music doesn't call for a lot of bling and frippery. Their coach is pairs skater John Zimmerman, and his influence is definitely present in the program as well, with the cool rock and roll edge.
You wanna know something else? This wasn't the first figure skating performance to this song either. On the 2016 Stars On Ice tour, Ryan Bradley, Jeremy Abbott, and Adam Rippon performed a trio to it as well. It's really cool, and you need to see it, so here you go:
1. Ekaterina Gordeeva and Sergei Grinkov (RUS)- "Moonlight Sonata"
Wow. This is breathtaking and amazing. I don't have many other words for it. Again, they make anything they skate seem like the music was created just for them. I found it interesting to compare this performance to Belousova and Protopov's Beethoven Medley. There are a lot of similarities between both pairs, how they interpret the music, and how they relate to each other. It is a way of passing the torch, similar what I had mentioned with Torvill and Dean passing the torch to Davis and White. G&G is just the best team to ever take the ice!
I hope you all enjoyed this, and there are so many more awesome pairs programs out there too!
💖 Icy Trails
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