Free Dance

[Charlotte Elizabeth]

Tessa's dresses rock the house this season, IMO, I love them all. They strike the perfect balance between maturity and freshness - the designer, IMO, is brilliant. When she did her hair up for Valse Triste there was a bit of teen playing dress-up about it, but now she looks like a genuinely mature young woman. Also, love the make-up she's wearing in all three programs.

Comletely agree. They appear as classy elegant pair with a very good taste in music and clothes.

[astimegoesby]

But Zueva is not kidding when she says they remind her of Gordeeva/Grinkov, is she? Both the Mahler piece and the Flamenco she used for G/G/Katia as well...

As much as I loved V&M's new FD, I couldn't stop myself from seeing images of Katia's Celebration of a Life tribute to Sergei during certain parts of the music. I know V&M aren't using the exact same cuts of music as Katia and their interpretation of the music is completely different, but I couldn't help comparing them just the same.

Ironically, Katia said in "My Sergei" that Marina Zueva had always loved this particular piece of music, but never used it for G&G or any other skating couple because Marina only saw it as a skating solo. I'm impressed V&M managed to change Marina's mind on this point, but I imagine choreographing this program must have been an emotional experience for Marina.

That being said, I still loved V&M's new FD and I'm confident I'll be able to enjoy it in its own right once I've seen it a few more times...and I hope this music will give me much happier memories in Vancouver!

[nevergonnadance]

Tessa isn't interpreting this music in a void, the program is a collaboration among Tessa, Scott, Igor and Marina, according to the skaters. According to Marina whenever she hears this music she thinks she's going to have a wonderful life. She, too, sees it as joyous and remembers it as a Mahler's proposal to his 'girlfriend'. Girlfriend is Marina's word.

As we all know, been said many times, there is no one interpretation of music as there is no fixed interpretation of a classic role in a play for instance. Marina talked about it. She said for Mahler it was considered by his girlfriend a proposal. For Katia, Marina says, it wasn't funeral music, it was about Katia using the music to rediscover the energy to go forward into a new life. For V&M it's a joyful romantic piece. There's a lot to most classical music and unless its attached to a book (i.e., an opera) often it can be applied successfully in unexpected ways.

[mycelticblessing]

V/M have a great FD this season. I am so glad that they went back to their usual 'style' after trying something different last season.

I hope they get rid of that lift where she jumps of his back though. It looks spectacular, but it doesn't fit into the overall mood of this program

[1795]

Not an original theme though - have you seen this?
"Time Goes Millenium" - Winkler & Lohse's FD from 2000 Worlds.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQW7T7EdELE

oh wow. 100% literal but...they really took the theme of time and fully incorporated it to EVERY move. love the pedulum/ticking-like lifts

P/B should appropriate from winkler and lohse

[lmarie086]

Finally found Samuelson/Bates FD. When, oh when are they going to get the right FD? This still isn't it! They are such a young, team and this music just seems heavy, especially so when considering their youth. Maybe I'm alone in this but I think once again they've chosen music that doesn't really go anywhere, it was a bit one-note IMO.

The postives: maybe I don't remember their old programs well, but it looked like there was more variation in their step sequences. Their spins have improved a lot I think, and I also liked seeing new lifts. Some lifts were a bit similar to their old ones, but I appreciate that they weren't the exact same.

Emily and Evan...please get yourselves to an outside choreographer. I'd love to see them go a more modern route; their FDs always seem so...old fashioned to me.

[cornell08]

My thoughts exactly! They have so much potential and didn't they score the highest TES more than once last season? The music seems too old and cliche for such a young and promising pair. Emily's dresses also need to change-- it just varies slightly each season with color....the shredded skirt thing is so last decade.

I can see why one might think Tessa smiles too much or this program is too 'joyful,' especially given the literature on Mahlers piece and Katia's performance.....but I think it works here. If I didn't know any of the background connected to this piece and I just heard the music, I would think that it was about young love. The pair, the look, the music, the choreography just fit together so well here that I think I'm going think back to this program whenever I hear this piece in the future. They nearly brought me to tears!

Oh, and Marina Zoueva is a goddess

[nevergonnadance]

I LOVE the no-hands besti-squat lift and my only real disappointment in the free dance was Tessa didn't hit the one foot dismount. I like it because I do think it fits - I think her light as air dismount (when she gets it) is an incredible moment emotionally, technically and choreographically/musically. I like the piece as well because there's a slight undertone of edginess - it's lyrical but with a sort of sneaky subtle contemporary skew and I think that move helps with that.

[i love to skate]

I've watched V/M's free dance a number of times now and I just can't quite get into it as much as I would like to. It is a beautiful program but something is just...missing. I don't know if it's the music or what. I love their lifts but agree that they need to be cleaned up - the first one Scott really struggled with. I guess you could say I'm a bit disappointed with it - hopefully it picks up steam throughout the year!

[lmarie086]

Found the Kerrs as well. I like it! It doesn't resonate with me as strongly as last years did right away, but it'll grow on me. Though there were a few points that seemed somewhat disconnected from the music, I thought it was well done overall. I suspect that disconnect will disappear for me with repeated viewings.

I love how much more confident they seem since moving to Platov. I truly think he's done wonders for them. I'm rooting for them to win silver at NHK!

[1795]

Finally found Samuelson/Bates FD. When, oh when are they going to get the right FD? This still isn't it! They are such a young, team and this music just seems heavy, especially so when considering their youth. Maybe I'm alone in this but I think once again they've chosen music that doesn't really go anywhere, it was a bit one-note IMO.

The postives: maybe I don't remember their old programs well, but it looked like there was more variation in their step sequences. Their spins have improved a lot I think, and I also liked seeing new lifts. Some lifts were a bit similar to their old ones, but I appreciate that they weren't the exact same.

Emily and Evan...please get yourselves to an outside choreographer. I'd love to see them go a more modern route; their FDs always seem so...old fashioned to me.

so true, i feel that they are "stuck"in this generic genre of programs. nonetheless, they did improve. theyve matured greatly from the first time i saw them at 08 nationals.
an outside choreographer would be nice to mend their really rigid and strong posture to a more expressive and personal style

[Tinymavy15]

I LOVE the no-hands besti-squat lift and my only real disappointment in the free dance was Tessa didn't hit the one foot dismount. I like it because I do think it fits - I think her light as air dismount (when she gets it) is an incredible moment emotionally, technically and choreographically/musically. I like the piece as well because there's a slight undertone of edginess - it's lyrical but with a sort of sneaky subtle contemporary skew and I think that move helps with that.

I really don't like that move at all...it looks like a trick "look at us...no hands" and does not seem to fit the emotional romantic mood.

[Wicked]

Really enjoyed the Kerrs and NavBoms. Watching V&M, at first I was a bit bored. It wasn't grabbing me. But as it went on I liked it more. I enjoyed the voids from P&B!

[Kinga]

Tessa isn't interpreting this music in a void, the program is a collaboration among Tessa, Scott, Igor and Marina, according to the skaters. According to Marina whenever she hears this music she thinks she's going to have a wonderful life. She, too, sees it as joyous and remembers it as a Mahler's proposal to his 'girlfriend'. Girlfriend is Marina's word.

As we all know, been said many times, there is no one interpretation of music as there is no fixed interpretation of a classic role in a play for instance. Marina talked about it. She said for Mahler it was considered by his girlfriend a proposal. For Katia, Marina says, it wasn't funeral music, it was about Katia using the music to rediscover the energy to go forward into a new life. For V&M it's a joyful romantic piece. There's a lot to most classical music and unless its attached to a book (i.e., an opera) often it can be applied successfully in unexpected ways.

ITA with you!