The Heart of an Artist: Jeremy Abbott's "Exogenesis: Symphony Part 3 (Redemption)" by Muse

Jeremy Abbott's skating is profoundly beautiful. I just watched his new freeskate from Cup of China to "Exogenesis: Symphony Part 3 (Redemption)" by Muse, and was transported to a different place. The mist rising off the ice further added to the program's intrigue. Jeremy's movements are seamlessly woven into this haunting piece of music laced with sadness and yearning. So subtle and enchanting was this program, I forgot the passage of time. When it ended, I was longing for more.

This may not have been Jeremy's best technical performance, but I find myself not caring. His edge-quality, spins, smooth, flowing transitions, and overall artistry is something to behold. I am in full support of a skater who can make me forget that I'm watching a competitive freeskate and instead make me feel like I am watching art in motion.

With this performance, Jeremy, a 2-time U.S. National Champion, moved up from third after the short program to win his first Grand Prix gold medal since his win at Skate Canada in the fall of 2009.

Congratulations to Jeremy on his gold medal! I'm looking forward to watching this program develop in the weeks to come. Good luck, Jeremy!

The Future of Ladies Figure Skating: Elizaveta Tuktamysheva

Meet 14-year-old Elizaveta Tuktamysheva: the new star of senior ladies figure skating.

The Russian phenom blew away the competition, and all of those spectators watching her skate for the first time--myself included-- during her senior Grand Prix debut at Skate Canada last week.

The scary part is that Elizaveta, fresh out of the junior ranks, isn't even the top-ranked Russian. That honor goes to her teammate, 14-year-old Adelina Sotnikova, the reigning junior World Champion.

Elizaveta's skating is fiery and technically-solid, but she also "sells" her programs with incredible maturity and composure. If this is how she skates at the beginning of the season, I'm greatly looking forward to seeing her skate as the season progresses.

Enjoy her stunning performances from Skate Canada! What a debut!

short program:

long program:

Ice Dance Highlights from Skate Canada:

Highlights from Skate Canada: Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir's Latin Short Dance

More Highlights from Skate America!

Beauty on Ice: Ekaterina Gordeeva's "Bachianas Brasileira No. 5" by Heitor Villa-Lobos

Ekaterina Gordeeva's rendition of "Bachianas Brasileira No. 5" by Heitor Villa-Lobos is pure magic. The 2-time Olympic pairs champion (with late husband Sergei Grinkov) skated this program at the World Professional Championships in 1998, early in her career as a competitive professional singles skater.

Here, Ekaterina's program is based on the idea that in Russian literature and art, women have an affinity to birds and see themselves in flight. No one better to portray this concept than a skater who appears to effortlessly float across the ice. Ekaterina's beauty on the ice is ethereal . There's no one else like her. This program is an unequivocal gem. And as Dick Button would say, I don't give a "rusty hoot" that her jumps weren't "on" in this program. So what, who cares? Her skating ability and performance are unmatched.

Classic Skating: Jeffrey Buttle's "Samson and Delilah"

Jeffrey Buttle's skating is simply timeless. The 2008 World Champion skates here to "Samson and Delilah". I love everything about this program. Watch, appreciate, and enjoy.