Free Dance Report

McCurdy-Coreno, Kyokos House

SeLi, CuLi, she changes position, Sp, upturned camel and rather painfully looking b2h, MiSt, forced, CiSt, sloow with hardly any flow in it, CuLi+RoLi, Tw not in unision and on very low sepped, RoLi, 1 hand.

Very strange dance, with looks like a rip-off from Duchenees (sorry, cannot remember the spelling). It don't think that the dancers of their level should tackle such "abstract" dances, they just couldn't pull it off.

Nagy/Elek, Romeo and Juliet, various soundtracks

SlLi+CuLi, she in upside down in sl, RoLi, she in split, DiSt, CuLi, she layback, he crouches, STw, Ok, SeSt, Ok, Sp, upturned camel, SeLi she layback he spreadeagle.

The best thing I can say about them is what she is trying to present the program and is not hopeless, he, OTOH...

Grebenkina/Azroyan, Take Five

In black with piano keys as decoration

Sp, SlLi+RoLi she in splin in Ro, Tw, Ok, DiSt, CuLi, CiSt, SeLi,upside down, SlLi...

Rather typical set of lifts, but I did not take notice on which was which. Slow and far too many crossovers, even though I like the general idea.


Last group is warming up, have to go.

Huang/Zheng, Harem

Spin, both sit, b2h, lost the centering, CuLi, change of position+RoLi, Tw, Ok, SeSt, weak start, but strong ending to the beat and they upped the energy, SlLi, leaning back while he sits, SeLi, cannot read the notes here, RoLi.

Both were in pink and generally looking like a cake. Overall, they have a nice quality of skating, not complex, but as long as they stay withtin their comfort zone they are smooth and pleasant to watch, but they need to find a choreography, who found the style that will suit them.

Carron/Jost, Edith Piaf medley

CuLi, layback standing on his hips, MiSt, Tw, he stepped out, RoLi, handstill on his arms, CiSt, RRoLi, 1 hand in both directions, CoSp, painfully looking b2h, SlLi, upside down, RoLi, layback.

She missed the runthrough during moring practice. They had a number of technical problems thoughout the dance, but it is a very good choice for them, they could really sell it well. Got PB even with mistakes.

Pechalat/Bourzat, Four Seasons

Tw, Ok, DiSt, he stumbles (he actually fell on nearly the same place during practice), CuLi, acrobatic one, the same as at SA, they now claim it was the caller's mistake to call it illegal, goes well with the music, though, SeLi, RoLi+CuLi, CiSt, he fell, and it took them really long to get back into the program, Sp, RoLi 1 hand

Even without two major mistakes it still was rather messy performance. Besides they cannot leave the mistakes behind, as soon as something is wrong, everything else is likely to go astay as well. They were upset after the first mistake and devastated after the second one. A pity, because I just love this dance and the way they carry the theme throughout.

Hoffman/Elek, Swing, Brother Swing

MiSt, ok, CuLi+RoLi, Tw, ok, SlLi, SeLi, CoSp, CiSt, too complex to them, they were really fighting their way through, RoLi.

Sorry, wasn't writing downn the lifts The dance looked messy and forced in places, but in the other places its rather nice with the good expression and character.

Virtue/Moir, Valse Triste

SlLi, CuLi+RoLi, CiSt, Sp, I do not understand why her Bielmann counts as such, since her blade is very far from her head, DiSt, Ok, RoLi, Tw, she really does the second one on the stop, like a spin, SeLi.

Ok, it is a very crowd-pleasing program, it suits them well and so on, but it is just sooo empty. More like a pair skating program with minimum of connecting moves between element. And "look into your partner eyes and smile tenderly" is no substituion for the actual "choreographic" interaction between partners. Lovely, though.

Delobel/Schoenfelder, Bonnie and Clyde

RoLi, 1 hand, CiSt, Tw, I think there was something wrong with the first one, SeLi, balancing on his hip to upside down, Sp, b2h to B, looking pained, CuLi, she in split, MiSt, checking each other whereabouts, SlLi, leaning back+RoLi, there she is a sort of donut.

Weird program. The theme, I presume, is them being on the run, looking suspiciously on everything around them. They tried to keep the mood throughout, but at the moment I think it is not working that well. Besides, there a sound of gunshot in the middle of the program and Isabelle is "shielding " Olivier with her body and pretends to be shot down, but toward the end of the program she is alive again. I was rather :think: about the choreography.

Cappellini/LaNotte, I've Got the Rhytm

Sp, CiSt, SlLi, SeLi, Tw, first one holding the blade, he messed the second one, CuLi+RoLi, MiSt, RoLi, 1 hand

It was much better in practice, still even with some unsecurities it was a very good program and between the elements they sell it well. I think i'ts better FD than B&A's program in the similar style.

Denkova/Staviski, Seven Deadly Sins

Tw without putting second feet down between, CuLi, he in spreadeagle, she first "stand" behind him on his crossed hands, then hangs on his shoulder, looked too complex, to hard and too acrobatic, CiSt, too little time spent in dance holds, SeLi, he in Ina Bauer, she upside-down // he in spread eagle, she in stands on his boot leaning backwards, Sp, he sits, she upturned camel, he stands up, she b2h, MiSt, once again far too little time spent in holds, CoLi, SlLi, he on 1 foot, holding her in front of himself, RoLi, SlLi, balance from the OD, this time without "kissing".

This dance reminds me of A&P's "Liberta". Which isn't a compliment. It is much better, but not my cup of tea. Far too open. It's really impressive at some moments (like then he sort of does "camel" spin around her, while they are moving on rather high speed), but overall I prefer ice dancing to be done in holds. Still their technical level and artistic skills make it a memorable program. But what's up with a child crying in the middle? Another dance mystery for this year, right up with Delobel's revival. And voice overs are such are "faux pas" in my book....

Faiella/Scali, Pantera en Liberta

RoLi, MiSt, CoSp, SlLi, reverse one, she in spread eagle, he upside down, Tw, ok, SlLi+CuLi, cannot read the notes, SeLi, CiSt, I am not sure that they have closed the pattern.

Nice to see a good dance-y program without global story behind it. They moves well to the music, but they still have to get more comfortable with the program.

Hey,Anna.First,thank you for your grat reports.Second i explain the moment about the "baby cry".Well, the whole conception of this dance.It is simple-about the malice and benevolence,about the 7 deadly sins(which are said in Latin).And the baby cry present the birth of a something new, of a new life, a new person, who(human being) is originaly pure,benevolent!This makes you people around him better as well...
This is the concept of their dance...I think it is amazing...I am speechless...So much power! I don't know what to say!Good job guys!

Thanks again Anna for the great reports and your impressions of the choreography, very interesting to read, and to KateIgnatova for the explanation of DenStav's dance. :agree:

Del/Schoe have had a succession of fabulous Freedances, I guess it's a hard standard to keep up year after year. Hopefully it will improve as the season progresses, though very close in the scores I notice with DenStav.

Such a pity that P&B had a meltdown again.

Looking forward to seeing the Italian No.2s skate this season.

Anna!

Yay for V/M for coming back in the freedance. I haven't seen either Denkova/ Staviski or Delobel/ Schoenfelder's freedances yet this year but I think I'll look them up on YouTube. I wasn't a fan of Del/Scho's FD last year, but adored Frida and thought it was the best dance of that season. While I've always appreciated Den/Stav's quality, I've never been enamoured of any of their FDs.

Added: Okay, I just went and watched Denk/ Stav's FD from Skate America on YouTube. Loved the choreography, very interesting and innovative. Hated the musical choice. It's distracting, heavy and unappealing.