Something must be done about skate to the head

[rain]

Watching dance it became even more apparent to me that something has to be done about limiting the skate-to-the-head moves. Virtually every lift had some variation of this move, and many spins as well. And it's UGLY!!! It's the worst thing to hit dance since the crotch-shot lifts (now illegal, thank God). I don't think I saw a single one of the ladies that did it display sufficient flexibility to make it beautiful and so they just kind of sat there in the programs and multiplied.
I know teams do it because it brings levels up on lifts and spins, but this must be discouraged next year. It's a blight on figure skating. Kind of like most of the costumes from the OD.

[pollyls]

We're going to end up with a Move of the Year like we do in gymnastics. Last year it was the split lifts, this year it is the blade to the head. Hopefully next year they can come up with something that is difficult and yet still beautiful, so that we can put up with seeing it in every program.

Gymnastics has long endured this phenomenon...one year it would be forward tumbling, then backward tumbling would be back in the high difficulty category and floor exercises would go the other way...and routines would all start to look the same, once athletes and coaches figured out what combinations of which skills got the highest score. Alexei Nemov's electrifying high bar routine at the 2004 Games got a low score, and caused a near-riot, because of this very thing!

[Ladskater]

I agree. I also find there are too many lifts and far too many dangerous lifts - as in the case of D&L What ever happened to dance teams actually executing footwork as they used to? I don't like some of the new choreography out there. As you stated it's UGLY!!!

Good point

[julietvalcouer]

There is also an epidemic of twizzle turns. Yes, they're kind of hard sometimes. However, must ALL footwork be variations on the twizzle theme?

I vote for a Zayak Rule for catchfoot positions--one to a program, please, and no more. And don't allow them in the OD at all. Make these people actually dance. It's enough to make me get out my Torvill and Dean tapes and weep for my sport, as if C/S's Bolero didn't make me want to do that anyway. (Word to wise ice dancers: where Bolero's concerned? Just don't. You're fighting the memory of straight sixes for artistry. You cannot win against that.)

[rain]

There is also an epidemic of twizzle turns. Yes, they're kind of hard sometimes. However, must ALL footwork be variations on the twizzle theme?

I vote for a Zayak Rule for catchfoot positions--one to a program, please, and no more. And don't allow them in the OD at all. Make these people actually dance. It's enough to make me get out my Torvill and Dean tapes and weep for my sport, as if C/S's Bolero didn't make me want to do that anyway. (Word to wise ice dancers: where Bolero's concerned? Just don't. You're fighting the memory of straight sixes for artistry. You cannot win against that.)

During the ODs I couldn't help but reminisce a little about Torvill and Dean's comeback OD at the Olympics in 1994? I think it was. It sizzled. The heat! The restrained passion! It was like watching actual adults dance following watching a bunch of kids do a fake ballroom imitation version. There was no such dance during this competition. Almost no LATIN feel at all, in fact. Little to no awareness of their partner. Most of the dancers just kind of posed and shook their shoulders like that was supposed to add some latin flavour. Needless to say, it didn't. I have Torvill and Dean's program on tape somewhere. I'll have to dig it out. It was a masterpiece. It was a dance.

[Ladskater]

During the ODs I couldn't help but reminisce a little about Torvill and Dean's comeback OD at the Olympics in 1994? I think it was. It sizzled. The heat! The restrained passion! It was like watching actual adults dance following watching a bunch of kids do a fake ballroom imitation version. There was no such dance during this competition. Almost no LATIN feel at all, in fact. Little to no awareness of their partner. Most of the dancers just kind of posed and shook their shoulders like that was supposed to add some latin flavour. Needless to say, it didn't. I have Torvill and Dean's program on tape somewhere. I'll have to dig it out. It was a masterpiece. It was a dance.

That's why I liked Wing and Lowe's free dance best tonight. It was mostly foot work and the lifts were not overdone. It showed what ice dance is supposed to - the dancers edges and turns, not how many lifts they can accomplish in four minutes.

[julietvalcouer]

During the ODs I couldn't help but reminisce a little about Torvill and Dean's comeback OD at the Olympics in 1994? I think it was. It sizzled. The heat! The restrained passion! It was like watching actual adults dance following watching a bunch of kids do a fake ballroom imitation version. There was no such dance during this competition. Almost no LATIN feel at all, in fact. Little to no awareness of their partner. Most of the dancers just kind of posed and shook their shoulders like that was supposed to add some latin flavour. Needless to say, it didn't. I have Torvill and Dean's program on tape somewhere. I'll have to dig it out. It was a masterpiece. It was a dance.

Most people who are T/D fans call Bolero their greatest skate. I disagree. I worship their '94 Rhumba OD. That is as far as I'm concerned the ultimate in ice dance. It STILL beats anything we saw last night. I'm not sure it's entirely the skaters' fault, because they were trying to cram in required elements including twizzles and as such it...pretty much came out looking like a shorter FD. Someone needs to sit the judges and officials down and explain that dance. Is. Not. Watered. Down. Pairs.

[RubyNV]

The ice dancing was a travesty! Now the code of points is being used as an excuse for most of the free dances looking almost exactly the same!
How BORING!!!! I would like the free dance to be freed up from crazy rules and creativity to reign once again, as it did back in the days when we saw T&D's magnificent numbers, and kooky, but interesting numbers such as Bestemianova and Bukin's "Rasputin" number!! One of the few interesting dances I saw in last night's Olympic coverage, was the free dance of Delobel and Schoenfelder, with the mask drawn on Schoenfelder's hands!! D&S were robbed in the scoring.

[rain]

Most people who are T/D fans call Bolero their greatest skate. I disagree. I worship their '94 Rhumba OD. That is as far as I'm concerned the ultimate in ice dance. It STILL beats anything we saw last night. I'm not sure it's entirely the skaters' fault, because they were trying to cram in required elements including twizzles and as such it...pretty much came out looking like a shorter FD. Someone needs to sit the judges and officials down and explain that dance. Is. Not. Watered. Down. Pairs.

I must say (whispering quietly so as not to anger any devout fans) that I also think T&D's 94 Rhumba was the best they they'd ever done. Yes, Bolero will always remain a classic, but I actually prefer a couple of their professional efforts as well as a few of their amateur free dances to it (Missing, for one). Shrug. Personal preference, I guess.
I also agree with you that it's tough for the skaters now to really dance, as they're trying to shove difficulty in till the seams give. Maybe there needs to be a mark for actually capturing the essence of the dance in question?

[peachy]

It's a blight on figure skating. Kind of like most of the costumes from the OD.

oh my goodness the costumes were horrible!!! they just got worse and worse as the night went on!