My Favorite Figure Skating Programs of 2025 - Part II
Today we're focusing on men's singles, pairs and ice dance, as we wrap up the competitive portion of this Year in Review
On Monday I took a look back at my favorite women’s singles programs of 2025, so today it’s time to look at the other three competitive disciplines (at least from an ISU World Championship perspective — I know there’s also competitive synchro, solo dance, theatre on ice, etc.). These lists were just as hard as the women to narrow down, but I did manage to keep it to five for each of them.
And, as a reminder for those who didn’t read Monday’s post, my two rules in selecting these programs were:
Only one program per skater/pair
I had to have seen the program in person
So let’s dive in, starting with the men!
Men’s Singles
Kevin Aymoz - Le Lac/Judas
Where I saw it: Skate America
Sadly, Aymoz has shelved this program temporarily, saying he’d revisit Gaga eventually, but I adored this skate. And he absolutely bodied it at Skate America, winning gold in the event.
Jason Brown - Riverdance
Where I saw it: Skate America
There have been a lot of complaints, justifiably so, about skaters recycling programs for the Olympic season, but I haven’t seen a single person complain about Brown bringing back Riverdance. Nor should anyone complain. This program is amazing.
Ilia Malinin - Running
Where I saw it: ISU World Championships
Simply put, if I say something is the best sporting moment I’ve seen in a building where I’ve seen LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Stephen Curry and Michael Jordan (among many others) play, it’s gonna make my year-end list.
Emmanuel Savary - Lion King
Where I saw it: ITNY Fall Frolic and Philadelphia Skating Club Exhibition
I could have probably classified this with the show programs (those are coming on Wednesday), but Savery is an active competitor and has used this music in competition. And this program is incredible.
Aleksandr Selevko - Kiss
Where I saw it: Cranberry Cup and An Evening With Champions
Selevko now trains out of Skating Club of Boston, which might explain why I got to see him perform this program twice in Boston this season. It’s not only a fun program, but he’s such a technically skilled skater too.
Pairs
Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov - Love Story
Where I saw it: John Nicks Pairs Challenge
I’m not sure I’ve seen a more emotional program than this free skate tribute to Ekaterina Gordeeva and the late Sergei Grinkov. I’ll be sure to have tissues at the ready when I see them skate it next week in St. Louis.
Annika Hocke and Robert Kunkel - I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)
Where I saw it: Skate America
Honestly, I love both of Hocke and Kunkel’s programs this season (their short is set to Lady Gaga’s “Hold My Hand”) but it’s their free skate that rises to the top for me. They didn’t have the strongest performance in Lake Placid, but I love the program nonetheless.
Katie McBeath and Daniil Parkman - Vale
Where I saw it: John Nicks Pairs Challenge and American Gold Live
I won’t apologize for playing favorites with McBeath, who started skating when she was six after seeing a Disney On Ice show (I also won’t say what year that was, because it makes me feel even more ancient than I am). Fingers crossed that Parkman’s citizenship issues will be taken care of and he and McBeath can represent the U.S. at the Olympics.
Anastasiia Metelkina and Luka Berulava - Bolero
Where I saw it: Skate America
This is one of two Bolero programs I loved this season, along with Aymoz’s free skate. The starting position is completely unhinged in the best ways, and the program itself is masterful, especially when they skate it as well as they did in Lake Placid (where they had to settle for silver after a disappointing free skate).
Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps - Carmina Burana
Where I saw it: John Nicks Pairs Challenge
Being in the building for the first time they landed their assisted throw backflip during a competition was definitely one of the highlights of the season for me. And this program only got better and better as they put in more work on it throughout the season.
Ice Dance
Hana Maria Aboian and Daniil Veselukhin - Vogue
Where I saw it: Haus of Diamonds Exhibition
There were a lot of Vogue programs this season with the ‘90s rhythm dance theme, but this is by far the best one. I’m sad that I won’t be able to see it in St. Louis, since junior rhythm dance is the first event on the schedule on Monday morning, and I don’t arrive until Monday afternoon.
Phebe Bekker and James Hernandez - Freedom
Where I saw it: An Evening with Champions and Skate America
As mentioned above, there were a lot of common music choices this season in ice dance, so Bekker and Hernandez not only get points for skating to a unique choice, but also doing so beautifully. Plus Bekker’s dress, which I didn’t get to see in person until the second time I saw this program, is a masterpiece.
Isabella DeGroot - Reputation
Where I saw it: Violet Ice Classic
How about a little love for Solo Ice Dance? DeGroot, who skates for the University of Vermont, was in her Reputation Era on the ice. Truthfully, we need more Taylor Swift programs in figure skating — and hopefully we’ll get some in a non-Olympic year, where there’s a little more flexibility on not worrying about music clearances.
Marjorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha - ‘90s Rhythm Dance
Where I saw it: Skate America
I feel like I’m on an island in absolutely adoring the costumes for this program (and as I’ve mentioned before, I would one-hundred percent buy these jerseys if Skate Canada sold them as official merch). But whatever you think of the outfits, you have to acknowledge that this program is exactly what the ISU was hoping for when they set the ‘90s theme for this season.
Evgeniia Lopareva and Geoffrey Brissaud - Blue/Daft Punk Medley
Where I saw it: Skate America
I was also out on an island in straight up loving when Lopareva and Brissaud debuted this program wearing red costumes, which obviously clashed with the song “Blue.” It totally fit their reputation as the “weird” ice dance team, and it was so amazingly quirky that it worked (at least for me). But they eventually switched to blue outfits, more fitting for the song, but slightly less of a stand out. Still, the program is incredibly fun.
Looking forward to seeing Oona and Gage's Godfather program!