Free Dance 8:05 AM Eastern Time Saturday | Page 6 | Golden Skate

Free Dance 8:05 AM Eastern Time Saturday

skatingbc

Final Flight
Joined
Jan 2, 2009
I watched some ice-dance :yes: I know nothing about ice-dance, but I still want to give my five cents!

I think the new coaches made Belbin a better skater. This new program is miles better than last year's Tosca, which I loathed with passion.

But - I don't think it's the right choice for an Olympic year. They look good, the skating is fluid, I love their lifts so much more than D/W's and V/M's. It's just that in a non-Olympic year, this would have been a good program for them, branching out, going dramatic. But I think they should have done something more upbeat this year, something that suits their personalities better.

We already got one top ice-dance team that does fluid, lyrical and weepy skating to dramatic-lyrical music best - Virtue/Moir. I don't know, they should have done something voidy, something like e.g. the Circus program P/B had last year. She is so beautiful, in a bright happy way, he looks like a guy everyone would like to hang out with and have fun. Maybe their coaches got the couples mixed up. Those two are a perky Canadian lass with her hot Latino partner, not some uber-dramatic Russian lion and his temperamental lady. Sigh.

ITA. I like this program from B/A better than last year, but I'm still not crazy about it. I have liked their od's better in the past so I thought to myself, why do I like those and not their free's? I think it's because they are Tanith and Ben in their original dances. They show who they are in their od's but not their free dances. I thought this performance seemed a little rough around the edges, and I thought the first part/step sequence seemed exceptionally slow.

Anyone notice how they are in white for their cd and od? I don't mind when the girl is in white, and the guy in white top and black pants but all white is not a good look. And Ben's top in the free? He looked like he was wearing a hoody. I'd take V/M's all black over all white any day.
 

herios

Medalist
Joined
Jan 25, 2004
Both of K/N's programs look to me like nothing more than exercises intended to display her flexibility. There's not much dancing going on in either the OD or the FD.

They were a novelty in their early years, but now their shtick has taken over to such an extent that their dancing hasn't improved. At this point, I find Rubleva/Shefer far more enjoyable.

I would like to have seen Faiella/Scali in second place. But with 4 judges from former SSRs on the panel (UZB, RUS, KAZ, UKR), that was not going to happen.


I am with you, quite tired by the "Cirque du soleil" type of routines Koh / Nov put on. If you take the lifts out, nothing much is left. And those are tricks, not dancing,

Faiella and Scali's long program was smooth, flowing, pleasant. Their music is beautiful, I would have had them ahead of the russians by a wider margin in the FD.
 
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mycelticblessing

Final Flight
Joined
Nov 9, 2007
Plus Faiella's dress in the CD was dreadful and not waltzy (IMO only of course). And the FD dress made her look 45 years old with bad hair and makeup, and the sleeves torn off her blouse, truly ice dance sins. Granted, they are immigrants in the FD, so perhaps bad dress is required for the lady.

After reading your description of the Faiella's dress, I started to wonder if we were talking about the same dress because I thought it looked great. I thought she had the best dress in the competition. I agree about the makeup though. It looks like they used up an entire tube of mascara on her eyes!

I usually enjoy F/S FD and this one is probably one of their best. They have really good music choices in both their OD and FD.

As for Belbin and Agosto, I agree with what someone else said earlier about Tanith needing a new dress which will go with the music. I enjoyed their FD season as much as I liked their Chopin program.
 

Buttercup

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 25, 2008
Faiella's dress in the CD was dreadful and not waltzy (IMO only of course). And the FD dress made her look 45 years old with bad hair and makeup, and the sleeves torn off her blouse, truly ice dance sins. Granted, they are immigrants in the FD, so perhaps bad dress is required for the lady.
That's because the CD costume is a multipurpose dress, which she also wore for the Finnstep at Euros. It was ugly then, too. The FD dress is fine IMO, except I would like for it to have sleeves.
 

cornell08

Final Flight
Joined
May 10, 2009
Just gonna be blunt-- If B/A want to beat D/W or V/M, they're gonna have to step up their difficulty, artistry/interpretation, and flow.

This program-- yawn. Been there seen it done that, not that impressive after seeing V/M's Mahler and D/W's Phantom (even if I'm completely sick of that music). And they need to do their twizzles faster...they also always seem to do them right at the beginning of their FD, which to me, is a copout.
 

sfgirl

On the Ice
Joined
Mar 25, 2008
Yeah, Poje is definitely attractive. The program is okay. Her expression needs serious work. Combo-lift timed quite well. Lovely (curve?) lift near the end of the program. Makes D/W's program look better, but it's a softer (slower) take on POTO.

I like Weaver/Poje very much. Lots of promise. I also liked their FD.:)
 

mishieru07

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 23, 2009
I like Weaver/Poje very much. Lots of promise. I also liked their FD.:)

Same here; I enjoyed their POTO FD (even with the overused music and all). Personally, I preferred their take and the music cuts; the music seemed to flow much better than D/W's.
I'm really quite sad that Canada only has 2 ice dance spots for Olympics/ Worlds ): They've got three lovely teams; W/P, V/M and C/P. Sigh.
 

chuckm

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 31, 2003
Country
United-States
Same here; I enjoyed their [Weaver/Poje] POTO FD (even with the overused music and all). Personally, I preferred their take and the music cuts; the music seemed to flow much better than D/W's.

Maybe the music seemed to flow better, but D/W's performance was WAY superior. D/W scored 101.02 compared to W/P's 80.36.
 

skatingbc

Final Flight
Joined
Jan 2, 2009
Maybe the music seemed to flow better, but D/W's performance was WAY superior. D/W scored 101.02 compared to W/P's 80.36.

I disagree. At this point in the season, I like W/P's performance better. I thought their program had more flow, polish and suits them better than D/W's does. D/W's scores are higher because they are technically superior, and will get a PCS bump, but I don't think their performance is there yet.

I thought the music cuts were better than D/W's as well.

Over all though, D/W will probably get a whole lot better, while I'm not sure if W/P will.
 

beabstress

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 31, 2009
I disagree. At this point in the season, I like W/P's performance better. I thought their program had more flow, polish and suits them better than D/W's does. D/W's scores are higher because they are technically superior, and will get a PCS bump, but I don't think their performance is there yet.

I thought the music cuts were better than D/W's as well.

Over all though, D/W will probably get a whole lot better, while I'm not sure if W/P will.

I was surprised to see how different the two programs are. My overall impression is that W/P's version is more romantic and more directed toward each other, while D/W's is more theatrical and more directed toward the audience (I think this is reflected in the costuming as well). I think W/P's might be the best thing they've ever done--at the very least, it's my FAVORITE thing they've ever done, but I'm not sure how much of a ringing endorsement that is since I do not enjoy watching them skate at all. I do agree with you that D/W will most likely just get better and better with this program as all the little kinks get worked out; W/P aren't going to fare so well against V/M or even C/P at Canadian Nationals, I don't think.
 

chuckm

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 31, 2003
Country
United-States
W/P's programs and costumes have far more audience appeal than C/P's. C/P always seem to pick dreary music, and this year, their costumes are nothing short of horrid. Paul's bizarre OD suit and Vanessa's FD feather skirt are just awful.
 

beabstress

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 31, 2009
W/P's programs and costumes have far more audience appeal than C/P's. C/P always seem to pick dreary music, and this year, their costumes are nothing short of horrid. Paul's bizarre OD suit and Vanessa's FD feather skirt are just awful.

I totally agree with you about C/P's OD costumes this year--especially his hideous pants (the little jacket part of her dress is no great fashion statement either). I disagree, though, about Vanessa's FD skirt--I think it's kinda cool, and when they really settle into the program and skate it well, I think it will have its intended effect (not sure just what that effect IS, but I think they're definitely aiming for something--I'm sure it's not just some random choice).

As far as W/P having more audience appeal, do you mean in Canada, when both teams are competing together? Or do you mean internationally, where W/P seem to be more well received than C/P?
 

dancefan77

Rinkside
Joined
Nov 15, 2008
I really really like B/A's FD. I would have never thought of Ave Maria/Amen as a program for them but I think Linichuk has done a great job to highlight Tanith's improvement. I loved how the music built and those lifts were beautiful and something I never expected from them. I think this is a great vehicle for them and it will get much better as the season goes along.

My second fave FD of the night goes to F/S. I love the idea and interpretation of the music. I think this is so much better than their dance last year and it is just a great concept and I can't wait to see how it will look by the time the Olympics comes around.

K/N---this program just highlights why I can't get on their bandwagon. I love their lifts but their programs and choreography never do anything for me. Something is always incomplete or missing for me when I watch them. Meadowlands is a great piece of music and I loved when B/S had performed it a few years ago. But I didn't think they skated to the level of the music. I suspect if K/N don't move up after this Olympic cycle, the Russian Federation will have them move to another coach if their current coaches and choreographers don't improve their programs and choreography.

W/P's Phantom of the Opera is a different take from D/W but that is fine with me. I am glad they went a softer and more romantic take on it. I enjoy W/P and D/W's interpretations. I hope they get that second spot for the Olympics. It will be hard as I predict C/P will get it, but at this point in their careers, I prefer W/P's programs more. C/P are better technical skaters but I prefer W/P's programs and choreography.

C/Z are young and I hope they will have better programs in the future. I found the FD dull. As an American, I love and support all the US Dance teams in general, but with C/Z, I go up and down with them. Some programs I like and some I find are not very exciting or original. They will have to improve because their is strong competition in US with all the up-and-coming teams like the Hubbells and Shibutanis.
 

mycelticblessing

Final Flight
Joined
Nov 9, 2007
Same here; I enjoyed their POTO FD (even with the overused music and all). Personally, I preferred their take and the music cuts; the music seemed to flow much better than D/W's.
I'm really quite sad that Canada only has 2 ice dance spots for Olympics/ Worlds ): They've got three lovely teams; W/P, V/M and C/P. Sigh.

I think the fact that W/P used the instrumental version worked in their favour as it helps with the overall flow of the music. D/W's theater version seemed really choppy as some of the songs would get cut off at odd sections.

It's a pity that the team who won't be able to go to the Olympics will probably W/P. Personally, I've always preferred W/P's programs but C/P have almost always fared better in competition. I'm still hoping that W/P will be the ones sent to the Olympics though.:yes:
 

Big Deal

Final Flight
Joined
Jan 23, 2004
I've been watching today the Free Dances on youtube.

I was REALLY surprised. I used to like Kokhlova-Novitski in many reasons ( I prefer them to Dom/Shab of course). Even with that, I've NEVER seen such an uninspired, chaotic, "non-dancing", sometimes ridiculous program in this level!!

PLEASE (!!!) change it!
It looked like all the "choreography" just came into their mind in the previous night.
But they must had a nightmare than.

Belbin/Agosto had the most clever program. Nice, flowing, has the necessary musicality, calm and smooth. A masterpiece from Linichuk, who knew how to use all the possible benefit of this couple. Maybe first time I had a feeling, I quite like them....
This program is made for the case if the (again) weak Dom.Shab. has visible mistakes in the Oly.... Not in the list of the "greatest" programs, but "good enough" to win something big with some "tail-wind".

Faiella/Scali. A GREAT improvement!!! Smooth, meaningful, technically much improved, attractive, well-sold out. First time I really liked them. Very well-done!
 
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Ituriel

On the Ice
Joined
Apr 18, 2009
Tanith & Ben: I like them this year, really promising OD and FD. But I keep thinking Agosto needs a cut hair:biggrin:

Jana & Sergei: they are my fav, but they make me sad :disapp: Not good choreography in both programs, ugly and distracting costumes, bad music choice for OD. :( I hope they improve in the season... and I want their lugagge gets misplaced:p

Fede & Massi: I like the programs, but they need to improve a lot.:yes:
 

Tinymavy15

Sinnerman for the win
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 28, 2006
K/N---this program just highlights why I can't get on their bandwagon

exactly my thoughts. It was just a stromg of tricks... no emotional connection between them or to the music. I can't believe that they place as high as they do.

Faiella/Scali. A GREAT improvement!!! Smooth, meaningful, technically much improved, attractive, well-sold out. First time I really liked them. Very well-done!

my thoughts exactly. They look so much more polished and elegant. There was emotion, nice lifts and chemistry between them. So much better than 2006.
 

Narumi1997

Rinkside
Joined
Aug 24, 2009
Jana & Sergei: they are my fav, but they make me sad :disapp: Not good choreography in both programs, ugly and distracting costumes, bad music choice for OD. :( I hope they improve in the season... and I want their lugagge gets misplaced

If that happens, they should get advice from Tessa and Scott about wearing practice clothes in competition
 

mishieru07

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 23, 2009
Maybe the music seemed to flow better, but D/W's performance was WAY superior. D/W scored 101.02 compared to W/P's 80.36.

I never said anything about W/P being superior! (Not technically at least!) I just said I like their programme/ style better. Don't get me wrong; no where did I mention that D/W didn't deserve their marks. And personally I think one reason why it flowed better was partially because of the orchestral cuts and partially because it didn't have an abrupt change. Good for W/P anyway, love them!

ITA about Ben needing a haircut. Tanith looks GORGEOUS, as usual. :love:

:rofl: At least our eyes wouldn't hurt that badly if they did wear practice clothes. IMO, V/M's "practice clothes" suited their PF FD last year (To quote B.Eurosport: It's probably the cheapest in the competition but it worked perfectly). I kinda like K/N but if anyone is going to be arrested by the fashion police, it's them. Second would be either Wang/ Yu (Cats?!) or C/P for their OD outfits.
 

herios

Medalist
Joined
Jan 25, 2004
I
It's a pity that the team who won't be able to go to the Olympics will probably W/P. Personally, I've always preferred W/P's programs but C/P have almost always fared better in competition. I'm still hoping that W/P will be the ones sent to the Olympics though.:yes:


"Almost always fared better", meaning last year. C/P are just very young and improving at a faster pace, that is the only thing. And technically are stronger.

W/P were bypassed in 2008 by the younger team, but now their changes this summer (going to Camerlengo) shows an improvement which they needed. In ice dance you have to find a way to keep improving otherwise you are faling behind. Now that W/P are counterattacking, let's see if C/P will do the same, because their dances were not as well prepared at their first event, as they should have been.

All in all, both teams are young enough to have their potential maxed in the next Olympic cycle. Weaver / Poje are only 20/22, same age as Tessa and Scott, there is no reason not to see the top 3 ranked Canadian teams getting their best of their career in the next 4-5 years or so.

I am glad to see they have a good program and got good positive feedback by the judges, putting them ahead of the israelis and ukrainians in the FD, teams ranked higher than them.
 
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