Random thoughts on TEB

[Wrlmy]

Yuna- Her short program is incredibly catchy. I showed it to few of my guy friends, and they are swooning over her. I shouldn't repeat some of the lewd remarks about what they'd like to do to her though
I believe this program will have the greatest mass appeal without being tacky. I saw some fans were ticked off my "sex sells" comment in another thread, but I'm glad Yuna is using her feline features and sultry quality to advantage here. That is something she has over Mao or Joannie.
Very appropriate amound and placing of posing, which was of course enhanced by her perfect execution of the elements. And the footwork section was reminscent of some of the great step sequence under 6.0.

But, her long program is actually my favorite. If Mao's program screams "Russian", Yuna's program screams "O Canada". The Gershwin program has somewhat elitist feel to it, which reminds me of Jeff Buttle's programs done by David Wilson. The transitions were just incredible, and the jumps Her 3-3 lost wow factor for me just because I am so used to expecting such quality from her, but her salchow and double axel are better than ever despite difficult transitions in and out.

Mao- Masquerade works much better as short program. It no longer sounds as repetitive, and it looks so much better without seconds spent for telegraphing two triple axels. If not for the "recycling the old program" part, this is her best short program since Nocturn IMO. The biggest problem in this program is her dress. I have a theory that many fans already expect to see a crappy "Russian" program the moment they regard Mao clad in that hideous dress obviously inspired by the icecream cake sold in Stop&Shop. Change the dress ASAP. How about something like Yuna's long program dress, only black?

Her long program has potential to be a masterpiece. It is so much less repetitive than Masquerade from last year, and even if it is, it does not sound obnoxious. Again, change the dress! If she wants to compete with Yuna, drop the second triple axel, and go for a 3r-3r or 3r-2r, and throw in some transitions. Then voila, there is a OGM worthy program. I think some of the criticisms on her program are not replective of the program itself but rather of the execution at this particular event.

I don't think the olympics will be a one-woman-show as some people suggest. Here, Yuna landed 8 clean triples and 4 clean double axels whereas Mao landed 5 clean triples and one clean double axel in total. Add three clean triples and double axels to Mao's programs, and the gap between the two is gone.

[dancefan77]

I only saw a few programs so I am basing my comments on the programs I was able to view.

I will start with dance since that is my favorite discipline. I really like the Navarro/Bommentre's OD. I love that it's a different style than what is normally used and its a great program.

I am not a huge country western fan. I like some songs here and there but overall, the style is not my kind of music so watching some of the ODs got tiresome quick. Though my fave of the bunch was Pechalat/Bourzat. I really liked the program a lot more than what I thought. I thought their choreography was clever and entertaining. I like some parts of the Kerr's but I am not sure about that ending pose. I am disappointed with the Hubbells and Samuelson/Bates since I loved their previous folk dances they did a couple of years ago. I think both couples have huge talent but those ODs need work. Virtue and Moir....I don't know. I was expecting to love it because I love Flamenco dancing but I didn't like the interpretation of it and I didn't like some of the choreography.

As for the FD's I really liked S/B. I read the comments here and I expected to hate the program, but I really enjoyed it. But I shouldn't be surprised, I was one of the few that enjoyed their Amazonic program last year. I also respect the Kerrs, N/B, P/B, and the Hubbells for doing something different. It takes a lot of guts to try something new during an Olympic year. I didn't like P/B's FD as much as their OD but maybe it will grow on me like their Circus FD did when they performed it at Worlds. I did like the Kerrs, N/B, and the Hubbells FDs. Again, I couldn't get into V/M. I like Scott Moir a lot. He's an awesome ice dancer and I rank him and Ben Agosto as the male ice dancers that can interpret ANY kind of mood and music.But the FD fell flat for me. It was elegant and had beautiful moves but I couldn't get into it.

Pairs--I was glad M/T won. That was a really nice performance for them and a nice program. I enjoyed it. I love S/S but I don't like their LP at all. The costumes didn't fit the music and there just doesn't seem to be any connection between them or the program. I am really starting to like D/D. For years I couldn't get into them or their overly quiet, sweet, slow music programs of the past. Last year I started to like them and now I really enjoy them more. I love the music "The Way We Were" so I don't mind the program. The music has some delicacy to it but it has undertones of drama, pain, conflict that I felt in the characters they were trying to portray.

Ladies--I was shocked at how much I did not like the LPs for Asada or Kim. I much preferred their programs last year. I wish they both would have chosen those music pieces for the Olympics than what they currently have. I am sad and disappointed for Zhang. I love her but she seems to regress each year. I know she has an injury and maybe she will improve over the season. But I wish she would work on her speed and really focus on improving her jumps and presentation. I enjoyed Nakano's program. This was my first time seeing Gilles and I didn't like her program.

Men--Love Oda's Charlie Chaplin and he deserved to win. Rippon has much improved his presence and programs since he went to Orser. Its done a world of good and it shows in his skating. I use to love Joubert but over the years, his programs and skating just become more disappointing for me.

[rain]

I only got to see things really late, and online. One of the biggest puzzlers of recent time has got to be the question of who is directing Mao Asada's development, if you can call it that?

Here was a skater who was set to dominate the ladies field, but has utterly failed to do so. In the last couple of seasons it seems as if she's been going backwards.

She was always a technically good skater with a beautiful naturally light quality on the ice. Her one drawback, IMO, was that she did not connect with her music or skate from the heart — but in one so young, I fully expected her to develop these qualities. And yet, she hasn't.

Still nobody has taught her to connect to music. She continues to skate like a robot across the ice — it's made worse by the horrendous music and choreography choices. This year's selections leave me almost speechless. Who is choosing this stuff and for goodness sake, why? Her short program music doesn't at all connect with her costume, or her demeanor on the ice. Her long program music is ponderous and and pompous and overly dramatic — at complete odds with her natural movement quality. It's a drag, basically. And her technical ability certainly hasn't improved notably either. I don't get it. Is it Tarasova? Mao? Her federation? Whether she continues to win medals is immaterial to me, I'm just really disappointed to see her move seemingly further and further from the skater she could be.

Is it a futile hope that she'll ditch at least the LP before the Olympics and skate to something beautiful and lyrical?

[sillylionlove]

I put it this way- at the end of her SP, Carolina showed a bit more of herself than she meant to. You can see it clearly in the video.

After finally get a chance to sit and watch the short program.....did that costume even cover her boobs? If they are about an inch from her belly button....then yes....but most women's aren't. That costume needs to go or at least more not flesh colored fabric added to it. Who designed that mess?

[Otma]

I fell in love with Rippon in this GP, in the ice but also outside it. And I thought I couldn't love Kerrs even more, but after meeting them (quite a few times, actually) I saw it was possible

We had lots of fun with Javier Fernandez and his problems for signing pics and the japanese fans had lots of fun with us I felt like a rockstar surrounded by so many flashes (I think the rest of the arena hated us a looooot)

Hi Sigrid, the rest of the arena did not hate you ! By the way, you guys were just great, come back every year !
I totally fall in love with Rippon too (in his short), and what a nice guy !
And I agree : how can the Kerrs be so so sooooooooooooooooooo cool, and incredibly sweet ! They're my new idols as persons !

[sigrid]

wow thanks Otma! I'm glad our noise wasn't annoying, we tried to have fun and support the skaters... destroying the ears of the women who surrounded us was totally accidental

BTW how nice is Scott Moir too :P and poor Tessa, she looks like a ghost in our pictures with her... Happy Halloween!

[Otma]

wow thanks Otma! I'm glad our noise wasn't annoying, we tried to have fun and support the skaters...

That's all we need in Paris you know !

BTW how nice is Scott Moir too :P and poor Tessa, she looks like a ghost in our pictures with her... Happy Halloween!

I totally agree : Scott is really nice (Tessa's too), and she is quite pale anyway (I like it BTW).