Favorite Choreographer

[Skatingsarah]

Hey Guys, I dont know if this has been done recently but who is your favorite Choreographers. There are soo many out there, whats your opinion. I really like Lori Nicol's work with Fumie Suguri, it wouldnt be hard to make a skater like her look amazing but I think her programs are gorgeous! Also of course I'm a fan of Nicoli M and Tatiana Tarasova as well.

How about you guys!

[luna_skater]

I loved the programs David Wilson created for Jeff Buttle and L/F this past season.

[pinkjellybean]

Lady Lori (as in Nichol)...hands down!

I also really love Dave Wilson's choreography for everyone from elite skaters to competitive skaters still moving up the ranks!

And I *heart* Josee always! I can't wait to see more from her!

[calypso56]

ITA about David Wilson. At Canadians this year his work stood out like a shining beacon. It got so that if we saw great choreography we checked the program and sure enough, it was by David Wilson.

[GoldenLady]

I too love David Wilson's choreography; when I read this subject heading he came to mind right away.

[leap of faith]

Another fan of David Wilson.

The work he's done in all his disciplines has been wonderful with Joannie, Jeff/Ben, L&F

[roogu]

Tom Dickson is fantastic too.

[tdnuva]

Well - I'm biased, I'm a fan... but I love most of Torvill & Dean's and Jayne Torvill's and Christopher Dean's choreography 8-)

[Skatingsarah]

You know whos programs I really liked back in the day (lol) were Josee's..Who did those ones, she had such personality. Does she choreograph her self??

BTW--- I love David Wilson hes a genius!

[CanAmSk8ter]

She does now. I heard she worked with Lesley Hawker last year, and someone else- Annie Bellemare, I think. Of course, being in the US, I didn't get to actually see either of them skate. But I agree, I loved Josee's programs, both eligible and pro. Did she work with Sandra Bezic, or am I imagining that? I just read her book, too, and I can't remember.

[Tony Wheeler]

She choreographed Annie's long last season and has also choreographed Annie's new long, to Seraphin: Un Homme et Son Peche.

[mission99]

This for me would have to be Lori Nichol. I loved everyone one of Sale/Pelletier's programs aswell as Michelle Kwan's.

[StarshineXavier]

Add another vote for David Wilson. That man's a genius! I can't wait to see what he's done for Jeff this season!

[Skatingsarah]

Originally posted by StarshineXavier
Add another vote for David Wilson. That man's a genius! I can't wait to see what he's done for Jeff this season!

Oh I've seen both of them and if its artistically possible they are better. I know this is a stretch cuz they were soo good last year but they are just amazing. In his short every beat has something there is no left over music in the short and in the long for that matter he makes the best out of it FOR SURE!

[StarshineXavier]

Originally posted by Skatingsarah
Oh I've seen both of them and if its artistically possible they are better. I know this is a stretch cuz they were soo good last year but they are just amazing. In his short every beat has something there is no left over music in the short and in the long for that matter he makes the best out of it FOR SURE!

I'm going up to Mariposa tomorrow, with hopes that he'll do both of his programs. I can't wait to see them!

[Moped]

I'm going to have to go with Diane Agle. She's so creative!

[AnnieD]

Lori Nichol, definitely. I adore every single one of the programs she's done for Salé and Pelletier, and although I felt that some of the later programs she did for Kwan were a bit blah, she did some real masterpieces like Taj Mahal, the Rachmaninov short, Lyra Angelica, the 1999 version of East of Eden, etc. I also enjoy the programs she does for Jennifer Robinson and think that her work with both Fumie Suguri and Tim Goebel has been amazing. Every year he's worked with her, Tim has improved immensely and his American in Paris program was actually my favourite free amongst the men at the Olympics. In many ways she deserves just as much credit for her work with less naturally artistic skaters.

Other than Nichol I'd have to say Henrik Walentin who coached and choreographed beautiful programs for Mikkeline Kierkgaard, and did Susanna Poykio's gorgeous free program last season. David Wilson is amazing too, I love all the programs he's done for Jeff Buttle, but I just wish I'd seen more stuff he's done!

[hebequeen]

David Wilson and Tom Dickson. Jeff Buttle and Matt Savoie's choreographers.

[pasopaso]

I'd have to say Sandra Bezik.

[loveskating]

My favorite choreographer is Tarasova...I've loved her programs with the most talented skaters (Kulik, Yagudin, Sasha, G&P). What I really love about Tarasova is that she does not overwhelm any of her skaters with her own vision...she takes what she gets as to talent, emphasizes the best of the skater(s), and at the same time, she searches to understand and bring into full flower their own very particular and unique soul...as her work with Yagudin progressed, for instance, he was so much better, but he was more and more his own person out there. All of Tarasova's skaters are very different, IMHO.

On the negative side of the same coin, while I love Plushenko and consider him a master, I don't SEE Plushenko the person, rather I see Mishen overwhelming Plushenko (or maybe they are soul brothers and I'm mistaken)?

I've also loved Moskvina's pairs programs, very sophisticated and yet difficult, beautiful, as well as Marina Zoeva's work with G&G.

[Skatingsarah]

Originally posted by loveskating
as well as Marina Zoeva's work with G&G.

I saw some tapes of Marinas programs for G and G and OMG, they are so amazing, everything connects and flows and there are soo many highlights! But with talent like G and G you can't expect anything less. But marina did a wonderful job with programs for them.

[Steffi]

Originally posted by CanAmSk8ter
She does now. I heard she worked with Lesley Hawker last year, and someone else- Annie Bellemare, I think. Of course, being in the US, I didn't get to actually see either of them skate. But I agree, I loved Josee's programs, both eligible and pro. Did she work with Sandra Bezic, or am I imagining that? I just read her book, too, and I can't remember.

Sandra Bezic did Josée's choreography for at least the seasons she was with Louis Stong at Granite: 93-94, 95-96. I'm not sure who did Josée's choreography in 93 and before.

My fave choreographer is definitely Lori Nichol. The programs she's done for Jamie and Dave have been incredible. I also really enjoy Christopher Dean's work.

[96.23??]

Tarasova for sure!

[N.O.S pAiRsK8r]

I think one of the Choreographers that we are not hearing much about theses days are Jean Pierre Boyer
Hes actually a great choreographer

[sk8rbean]

nikolai morosov!

[TRAxel]

David Wilson... he does a number of skaters programs and he certainly brings out a skaters good qualities.

[lazenpa]

actually annette bowman does very good programs

[lutzskate]

I love the work that Leanne Miller has done. I don't know if she's done much in the past couple of years, but she used to do a lot of work with Canada's Skate the Nation.

I also love Sandra Bezik, Lori Nichol, and we can't forget KURT BROWNING!~a true arteest!;)

[melbo]

Lori Nichol, hands down. There's no one that compares to her. She made Timothy Goebel into a real artist, took Michelle Kwan to world-class status and gave her a character all her own, makes Fumie Suguri appear to float across the ice, and most of all, takes the natural talent and chemistry that Salé & Pelletier have and refines to nothing short of absolute perfection. As a huge Salé & Pelletier fan, I know those programs like the back of my hand and I love how she builds on what she has done previously and adds to it with each program, adding levels of complexity each year. If you're a fan...even if you're not...wait till you see "Come Away With Me!" It will blow you away.

Christopher Dean is positively amazing. I guess he would have to be number two on my list.

After those two...it varies from program to program, but I am generally a fan of Tom Dickson, David Wilson, Julie Marcotte, Zuzanna Szwed...I'm sure there are more.

OH, and I cannot forget Josée Chouinard! I am loving her mad choreo skillz.

[tdnuva]

Originally posted by melbo
Lori Nichol, hands down. (..) As a huge Salé & Pelletier fan, I know those programs like the back of my hand and I love how she builds on what she has done previously and adds to it with each program, adding levels of complexity each year. If you're a fan...even if you're not...wait till you see "Come Away With Me!" It will blow you away.

If you mean "Come fly with me" - that choreography is by Christopher Dean.... ;)

[melbo]

Come Fly With Me was by Chris Dean and Michael Seibert actually. ;)

Come Away With Me is one of their new programs for this season by Lori Nichol and it's the most amazing thing I have ever seen. :D

[tdnuva]

Thanks... :D

[Gaela]

I agree with Lori Nichol, David Wilson, and also Tarasova.

Nicolai M.--I dunno, since he's been choreographing so many step sequences seem the same. He brings style to the skater, rather than the skater to the style. Maybe this is just because he's to choreographing too many programs, though.

[Alexeiskate]

Originally posted by melbo
Lori Nichol, hands down. There's no one that compares to her. She made Timothy Goebel into a real artist, took Michelle Kwan to world-class status and gave her a character all her own, makes Fumie Suguri appear to float across the ice,


I agree that Lori has done great programs for Michelle and David and Jamie, but I think her "Swan Lake" program for Fumie was not one of her better pieces. The last set of step sequence in Fumie's program looked jarringly out of place, because Fumie couldn't quite pull off the carriage and attitude of a ballerina that the sequence required. Lori should have recognized this and retooled that step sequence section to better present Fumie.

As for Tarasova, it's hard to tell what creative input she has had in choreography in the past. How much of her skater's choreography was due to Nicolai and how much was due to Tarasova's creativity? I guess we will see Tarasova's true work as a choreographer if Sasha debut new programs this year.

[bandit]

I always loved the programs that Brian Wright did for Michael Weiss, especially his "On The Waterfront" and "Carmen." It's so sad that he's gone. :(