Showing Domnina/Shabalin how a Masquerade Waltz should be done.

Want an idea how far Domnina/Shabalin's FD to Masquerade Waltz is from being a truly top notch? Well here is an interesting comparision:

Krylova/Ovsiannikov at 1997 Worlds:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbeK1DIPw-o

Domnina/Shabalin at this year Cup of Russia:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izbGu4zSc5k

Draw your own conclusions.

Different skaters have different ways of interpreting a piece of music. It would be boring if everyone did it the same way. We have our preferences of course, but I still enjoy the differences. I liked Dom-Shab's interpretation even though I love K&O's version the most (even better than K&P's and P&G's).

Yes, it was interesting. The Dom/Shab. Waltz looked like a charicature.
They are working very hard, and Kril/Ovs. was skating artistically.
The difference between this 2´´s technical ability is like Michelle Kwan v.s. Suriya Bonali....

I think Domnina and Shabalin did a valiant job given the choreographic mandates the current judging system places on competitive ice dancers. Krylova and Ovsiannikov's dance was choreographed at a very different time and they had tremendous artistic leeway. Also, at the time they performed this, even though it was only their third season together, they were in their late 20s and very seasoned performers. That said, I was never that crazy about Krylova and Ovsiannikov's waltz. I thought it ran out of steam about halfway through.

Also, this YouTube clip is their performance at Worlds, which means they'd had the whole season to perfect the dance. The clip of Domnina and Shabalin is only the second time they've competed the dance.

I was never a fan of K/O she was a bit too OTT for my taste but they were both fine skaters.
I much prefer D/S Waltz.D/S indeed do a fine job with all the elements they have to do and to me it's just more interesting .K/O do seem to have more flow/faster but I think that's because they are more open .There just doesn't seem to be anything interesting in the dance no highlight or moves that stand out even the lifts are not exciting.Ending pose was nice though :yes:
Also it's the same tempo all the way through D/S is as well but they do have a lighter feel about it in the middle.

Much preferred G/P Arabian number same year.

No need for me to pull up Krylova & Ovsiannakov's version of this; I have it on tape and like to re-visit it from time to time as it is one of my all-time favorite free dances.

I only got about 2 minutes into Domnina & Shabalin's take, however; as far as I was concerned, I saw all I needed to see. Getting past the fact that I had a problem with the excessive seperation in the early portion (which I feel is inappropriate for a waltz), I had the same overall problem with this one as I did with their FD last season -- I just flat out don't like how they (or their choreographers) interpret music. This would be another way of saying that, to me, what they do on the ice makes does not seem to match up what is going on in the music. This just did not seem especially "waltz like" to me at all.

On another level, K/O also had better costumes. I actually like the dress Domnina is wearing, but can do without Shabalin's ensemble. Which is pretty much how I felt about their FD costumes last season as well.

They remind me of Fusar-Poli and Margaglio--Oksana does most of the work when they're not lifting or doing side by side step sequences. He does a lot of two-foot skating.

Not to mention, to hide his mistakes, during the side by side step sequence, they choreograph it so that Oksana is closest to the judges and obscures the view of Maksim's feet.

I enjoyed K&O's version better than D&S's. D&S still look rather laboured, and I don't like the choreography. Their OD is much better. Did they have the same choreographers for both programs?

slutskayafan21 said:

Want an idea how far Domnina/Shabalin's FD to Masquerade Waltz is from being a truly top notch? Well here is an interesting comparision:

Krylova/Ovsiannikov at 1997 Worlds:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbeK1DIPw-o

Domnina/Shabalin at this year Cup of Russia:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izbGu4zSc5k

Draw your own conclusions.

Click to expand...

actually i rather liked them both. good compare and contrast. I did not like Krylova and Ovsiannikov's ending, behind the music too. I i think thier begining better though. thanks for posting!