Upcoming Send-Off Shows

Jeremy Abbott, Alissa Czisny and Meryl Davis/Charlie White are among the scheduled performers on Saturday, January 2nd at 6 pm at the Detroit Skating Club -- for more info: http://www.freep.com/article/20091227/SPORTS17/912270464/1066/Sports18/Champions-to-perform-at-DSC

Thanks to the person who passed along this announcement to me...

The Gardens Ice House is excited to invite you to our Annual National Send Off Exhibition on January 2, 2010 at 4pm in Laurel, Maryland. It will feature US National competitors, the British Junior National Champion, as well as "The Sapphires" who are third ranked in the Theater on Ice program.

The 2010 US National competitors are Scott Dyer (junior), Haley Dunne (junior), Laurie Bonacorsi/Travis Mager and Gabrielle Friedenberg/Ben Nykiel (both junior dance), and Allison Timlen (novice). The British Junior National Champion is Charlotte Robbins, who defended her title in December.

Sanctioned by US Figure Skating.

Admission is free.

Directions to the Gardens Ice House: http://www.thegardensicehouse.com/directions.html

Here's hoping some people either in the Detroit or Washington, DC areas can make it to one of the Saturday shows and report back here!

Here are 2 send-off shows scheduled for Saturday, January 9, 2010...

Belbin/Agosto, Domnina/Shabalin and Faiella/Scali are among the scheduled performers at the University of Delaware's Fred Rust Ice Arena on Saturday, January 9th at 5 pm -- for more info: http://www.udel.edu/udaily/2010/dec/skating121609.html

The Skating Club of Wilmington (Delaware) is holding their "U.S. Nationals & Internationals Send-Off Skating Exhibition" on Saturday, January 9, 2010, at 7 pm. For ticket info: http://www.wilmicesk8.com/
Featured skaters listed on the club's site are: Ashley Wagner, Stephen Carriere, Shaun Rogers, Blake Rosenthal, and Austria's Victor Pfeifer.

I can't find any information on the "National & European Send-Off Exhibition" listed for Thursday, January 7th at IceWorks in Aston, PA, but will post if I do.

Thanks, Sylvia. I'm hoping we can go down to UDEL next Saturday (weather permitting). Why do both DE shows have to be on the same day (the show times will overlap). I like the lineup for the Wilmington one, too!

I don't know why Toyota Sports Center does not have a send off show. We have probably one of the highest number of skaters going to nationls.

From the Detroit Show

i just posted this on FSU Sorry if there are any spelling mistakes. I have notes sent to someone else who will post them

The place was packed. I mean it was standing room also. Since there was 3 national champs skating, they didn't over promote it so they didn't have to turn people away. There was some well dressed ladies in fur coats mad because they had to sit in the bleacher. I was happy in the standing room area on the floors so I could tape. I know this is not complete notes but enjoy.

I just got back from the Detroit show and trying to work on uploading the videos I took. Some quick notes.
Megan Gueli and Gabe Woodruff had really cool guitar music. It was a cross between classical and blues guitar. Gabe is a really strong skater. I wish he would find someone who would match his.
Weave and Poje speed and lovely skate to POTO. They skated in the last flight as Davis and White and I thought we were going to have dueling POTO. But no
Piper Gilles and Zack Donohue did great. They look like a good Jr dance team.
Jane Summerset and Todd Gilles were good too. I wish I could remember all the music. Jane's hair was very Euro. Short and jet black. There looked like a Sr team this year.
Hubbells were no shows. I have no idea why.
Ameena Skeikh and Aarron Van Cleave. Good team but not there yet. They need some time to grow. But solid skills here.
Grant Hochstien had a problem with his 3x. But very strong other then that.
Best and Young skated to The Godfather. Andrea had a bad fall on the throw. But they were solid other then that.
Casser skated his fs. I love this program how it builds to his amazing spead eagle. He had one minor mistake that I could see (He told me he had a few)
Abbott was amazing. I have to review the tape to see what he skated to. But I'm pretty sure it was his sp.
Alissa skated her fs. She has a missed jump and I remember a huge skid into her 2x. But she nailed everything else. Spins..nough said
Davis and White closed the show with the Nutcracker and brought the house down.
I've never have seen ice dance live so it was pretty cool to watch. Other then the twizzles and footwork, I can't tell you what lifts they had.
Juv dance kids were cute as buttons and so were the pairs teams.Shout out to Madeline Ruttledge (all in white with her cute white gloves) She skated to Hold your Hand (sung by a women). I'll post notes on these later along with the ones below.
there was a juv pairs team that skated to the Beatles medley.
Daniel Takayama is a male skater to watch out for. He's a mini Dice. Great foot work, tons of personality and great jumps.
Okay back to trying to load the videos. So far I'm not having a lot of luck since I have a PC and they are AVI files. PM me if you have a clue to what I am talking about.
I also have some stills that I will load also. Yes I have Charlie in a few of them.

First impressions. OK, so for $11 (a steal, given the quality of the show), you could sit in the blue seats and for $20 you could sit in the yellow seats. The difference was that the yellow seats were yellow and the blue seats were blue. But if you sat in the yellow seats, then if you went to get popcorn at intermission, you ran the risk that some teenagers would sneak down and grab your seat for the second half.

There are, however, no bad seats at this venue. The “nosebleed seats” are only about fifteen rows back, and you get a better view from higher up anyway because in the first few rows you have to look through the protective hockey shield. The sound system was good. The show featured competitive programs from all skaters and the light were up throughout (which made it possible to take notes )

I got there early, so I had plenty of time to check out all the banners celebrating past DSC champions, from Tim Wood (1968 world champion), through Todd Eldredge, Tara Lipinski, Punsalan and Swallow, Lang and Tchernyshev, Hartsell and Hartsell, to Belbin and Agosto, Davis and White, and Alissa Czisny.

Act 1 Skaters from the U.S. Junior Championships (i.e., Juvenile and Intermediate)

I was all set to oooh about how cute and adorable the kids all were. But instead we were treated to some serious competitive skating by determined young athletes. I tried to write down a complete list of elements, but for this report I will just mention a highlight or two. By the way, I am strictly an amateur, so if you were at the event, feel free to laugh at my guess-work in identifying elements, especially for dance and pairs. My notes on dance are sparser than for the other disciplines.

1. Cassie Lark and Joshua Leggett. Intermediate dance. Beatles Yesterday/Penny Lane, Cassie pretty in pink, Joshua a dashing figure in white shirt and tie. Good speed throughout. Nice twizzles in both directions, strong carry lift, intricate dance holds. Finished a little behind the music.

2. Madeleine Rutledge. Juvenile ladies. Pale yellow dress. I Want to Hold Your Hand (not the Beattles, but a slow, almost haunting version by a female singer). I assume from the number of jumping passes that this was Madelline’s LP. At least two double jumps in the first half and variety of singles throughout. Charlotte entrance into a jump. Excellent spiral position. Layback into blade-to-ear position, combination spin ending with catch-foot position, spins well-center with good speed, good use of music throughout.

3. Daniel Takayama. Intermediate men. He looked tall and straight in all black (aside – most of the male skaters wore black in this show. The Lysacek effect. ) Mission Impossible. Opened with a double-double combo, then a double Axel (I think. Some of these young skaters have such good single Axels that they look like doubles to me.) Combo spin, good low sit to cannonball, very fast. Fast skating overall, covered the ice well. After another double jump came a full-length-of-the-ice straiht line footwork sequence, with many steps and turns in both directions (+GOE). Fast combo spin to end.

4. Isabella Falseti and Brian Johnson. Juvenile pairs. I think I must have been sitting next to Brians’s sister, or else he has a very vocal superfan. Jazz music. Opening side by side jumps, pretty good. Nice pair lift (like a star lift but not all the way overhead), she had trouble getting into the side by side spins and there was a program break before getting back on track. The slow part are the music was very lyrical and they used it well. Nice death spiral, throw single jump right in rhythm with the music and choreography. Outstanding side by side jumps (+2 GOE), well constructed full-length footwork sequence, pairs camel spin to end.

5. Reagan King and Dylan DeWitt. Intermediate pairs. He is 17, she is 11. Very smooth pair. Excellent single twist, throw double jump (slight step out), spectacular travelling lift (+ GOE), carry lift, side by side double/single jump combo, good death spiral, throw double jump. Straightline footwork, another side-by-side jump, end with a dangerous-looking turning, spinning carry lift with her head a little too close to the ice for me!

6. Sierra Chadwick and Alex Martin. Juvenile dance. She in rose top, white skirt, sort of a peasant dress effect, he in black. I do’t know exactly how to characterize the music, sort of oom-pah ragtime (?) Anyway, this team interpreted the heck out of their music. Wonderful choreography, right with the the beat of the music . Very musical team. Fast carry spin at the end.

End of first flight.

Mathman where were you at? I was up in the nose bleed seats so I could tape. It was only 8 rows up. I was there before 5PM. Glad you have notes on the skaters after the first act because I was taping.
I agree, not to count out Alissa or Abbott. They rocked. Alissa skated her Dr Z program and Abbott his sp.

Mysticchic said:

Mathman where were you at?

Click to expand...

I was in the Gold section (the south half), row three, first seat (i.e, fartest in). Then in the second half two girls grabbed my seat and the next one, so I was in the third seat in the same row.

I think there are 12 or more rows of blue seats in the sections that are all blue, aren't there?

Anyway, here goes Act Two. Corrections welcome.

Alexandra Aldredge and Daniel Eaton. Novice dance. Alexandra in purple and gold, Daniel in black and gold. Very dramatic music (some sort of giant epic movie score?) Innovative dance spin to lead off. Nicely paced and good flow. Close together and good unison when not in hold. Made good use of the music for dramatic moves. Large patterns throughout, filled the ice.

Grant Hochstein Junior GP finalist, moving up to men’s singles at Nationals. Big crowd favorite. He did his short program. I didn’t recognize the music, but it was the climactic movement to somebody-or-other’s Symphony Giganticus.

Opening triple-triple was perfect. (I wrote down 3A+3T, but I don’t think that’s right.) 3A, good height but fell. Combination spin, could be faster for seniors. 3F (?) out of footwork, fine. Good variety of in-between moves, transitions. Big movements matched the big music. Big combo spin to end, many variations, much faster.

Piper Gillis and Zach Donohue. Junior dance. More sturm and drang music (twentieth century classical?) There was a delay while the tech guy found their music. She in magenta, he in black. Good fast twzzles in both directions. (I like saying “twizzles” Besides being a cool word, it is the only dance step I recognize. ) Outstanding carry lift where she wraps around his body. Nice lines, good chemistry.

Evolution Senior synchro. Competitive program. Blue gowns . Impressive speed. They put on a whole show just getting in place before the music started. Music, There’s a place for us (West Side Story).

If you have never seen a competitive synchro program, it’s a treat. I started to write, “good unison,” but “duh! – it’s synchro. Great choreography, they took advantage of all the big crescendos in the music.

End of Act II. Zamboni time. The big names are on deck. Popcorn ($1 for what costs $4.50 at the movies) and snacks in the lobby.

Speaking of money, I don't know if this was a fund-raiser to help the skaters with their expenses in going to nationals, or if it was just a club event. I assume that the performers did not get paid per se, and in any case admission was practically free ($11), compared to most entertainment extravaganzas.

Act III. I did not take notes, in part so that i could settle back and enjoy the show, in part because I was too busy with my popcorn.

Kamila Haikova and David Vincour. Senior ice dance, headed for Europeans where they will represent the Czech Republic. I think this was their Original; Dance. French Waltz. This team had the most intriguing music of the whole evening. Songs by French lady with a very distinctive voice, like Edith Piaf.

Megan Gueli and Gabe Woodruff, junior pairs. Blues.

Jane Summersett and Todd Gillis. Senior dance. Rhythm and blues.

Ameena Sheikh and Aaron Van Cleave Senior pairs. Lyrical music. LP.

Jonathan Cassar Big applause. Crowd favorite. He skated his long program. I wrote down his jumps, but what I wrote doesn’t seem to make sence, so I will omit it here. I think he doubled two of his inteded triples, but was otherwise clean. Opened with a strong 3Lz/3T and I think he came up with a triple Axel at the very end, having doubled his fisrt Axel attempt. (Not sure about that.)

Andrea Best and Trevor Young My personal faves. Senior pairs. Dead serious. (I say this because Trevor is a versitile entertainment/comedic skater. I hope he and Andrea have an opportunity to tour as professionals one day.)

Pretty good triple twist, side by side double jumps, excellent star lift with an eye-popping dismount. She took a hard fall on a throw jump, fine death spiral and closing pairs spin.

This was the most exciting part of the show, because I could pretend that it was an actual pairs competition, with three senior pairs, Best and Young, Sheikh and Van Cleave, with Lepzinski and Burgess yet to come, plus strong juniors Gueli and Woodruff. I give the gold medal to Sheikh and Van Cleave. They skated beautifully and gave a clean performance, though perhaps not with the same polish and level of difficulty as the other two seniors.

End of Act III.

Anxiously waiting for act IV...

I'm starting to get the videos up from Saturday DSC send off. Here is Davis and White. Join my network. Alissa, Abbott, Weaver &Poje, Casser, Grant H, will be up soon and many more to come Enjoy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fqJCPKv3pU

sorry they are messy New camera

julielai said:

Anxiously waiting for act IV...

Click to expand...

Oj, thank you! I got so carried away on the "Scientific analysis of Mao's 3-Axel" that I forgot. I will finish it up tomorrow.

Mysticchic said:

I'm starting to get the videos up from Saturday DSC send off. Here is Davis and White. Join my network. Alissa, Abbott, Weaver &Poje, Casser, Grant H, will be up soon and many more to come Enjoy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fqJCPKv3pU

sorry they are messy New camera

Click to expand...

Excellent camera work, even so. Thank you.

It is just astonishing how Meryl and Charlie move together in hold.

If you just click on my name above the videos Abbott and Alissa are now up I'm now loading Cassar, then Lauria and Ethen , then Weaver and Poje. I have most of the 2nd 3rd and 4th act

I was right behind the gold seats on the far side. Skate Detroit we need a meet up

Abbott http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eMMGqYe2GY
Czisny http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=369fDql64U4
Weaver And Poje http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-ukFl9foaw

Mysticchic said:

I'm now loading Cassar, then Lauria and Ethen , then Weaver and Poje.

Click to expand...

I forgot to mention: the "most spectacular move of the night prize" goes to...Jonathan Cassar. inside spread eagle all the way in to the center.

Mysticchic said:

Abbott http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eMMGqYe2GY

Click to expand...

He looks amazing, does he not. If only he skated like that in Nats.

Act IV. Will the skaters please take the ice for a five minute warm-up period. Will Alissa please look like a million dollars.. Will Jeremy please nail a couple of giant triple Axels. Will Meryl and Charlie please look like the King and Queen hosting the Grand Ball at the Enchanted Castle. Thank you.

Since the videos are now up (thanks to MisticChic ), I won’t give a detailed list of elements, just my overall impression as a spectator.

Weaver and Poje. Phantom of the Opera. She in white, he in black and white, appropriately sinister (not Sergei Sakhnovshy sinister, but still…). Smooth and delightful, they used every note of the music (of the night. )

Laura Lepzinski and Ethan Burgess OK, I have a new candidate for most beautiful lady in skating. Gorgeous couple. She is stunning and he squires her to perfection. Guitar version of Bolero.Two falls, but who cares about minor details like that?

Question: How is "Lepzinski" pronounced? Is the z silent so that it sounds exactly like Lipinski?

Jeremy Abbott Big applause. This is Jeremy’s first season with the Detroit Skating Club (coached by Yuka Sato ) He has been warmly embraced by the other skaters and fans. He did his bluesy jazz SP. Pretty much perfect. 3Lz/3T. big 3A, sit combo spin, 3F (+ GOE), camel combo spin with about five changes of position. Excellent.

Alissa Czisny Dr. Zhivago LP, purple dress. Looked relaxed and confident skating before a supportive home crowd. I couldn’t see every jump properly, but other reporters listed 3Lz+2T+2T (I gave +1 GOE), 3F (satisfactory, less flow out of landing, possibly UR), 3Lo (her best of the season!), 2A+2A sequence (+1 GOE), 3Lz (step out, -1 GOE), 3T+2T, 3T. Outstanding combo spins, level four spiral (Charlotte to forward to back, +2 GOE). Pretty good speed.

Smile = +3 GOE. She has every right to be pleased with this performance. Together with a solid short, she could win Nationals with this performance. At least four solid no-questions-asked triples (out of 6 attempted). I will be rooting for her.

Davis and White Nutcracker exhibition number from last year. She in a flowing gown, he resplendent in full coat and tails. Total command of the ice. To me, they were particularly impressive in the way their bodies moved together in subtle ways while in hold. Gold medal performance.

Evolution Reprise of the senior synchro team, which will be competing in the National synchro championships in Minneapolis in March. They were fifth last year. Worlds is in Colorado Springs in April. Skated to Jai Ho medley.