Historical performance vs. 2010 (Ice Dance)

[KKonas]

A&P and V&M's OD's are Olympic-winning OD's, so of necessity, comparisons to attempt to give one team the edge over the other are going to be very nitpicky, so of course (and I apologize), I'm being nitpicky.

I won't bother with the minutia of detailing which flamenco was better other than to say that although I think Virtue and Moir are probably the better technicians over Anissina and Peizerat, I've already forgotten V&M' flamenco whereas I still vividly remember A&P's 2002 version.

[Phoenix347]

The two flamenco O/D (well one with a Tango in the middle) are both extraordinary but in different ways. Yes, A/P's OD was more "authentic" but only to a point. I don't really think you can really have a truly authentic Flamenco ice dancing program since true flamenco dance looks like this, although very few dancers in history can take it to this level:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQlk5AYsZtk

However, that said, Peizerat did display the stiff back required for Flamenco that was lacking in Moir's performance and had a few more move that resembled Flamenco dancing. Still, it is a far cry from true Flamenco. Rather I would say that A/P invoked the authentic flavor of Flamenco more than V/M. Nevertheless, V/M's program often managed to invoke the essence of Flamenco without explicitly mimicking the movements. Or perhaps it was just Pepe Romero's playing of Farruca that did that. They are a two different interpretations of Flamenco and both enjoyable in different ways.

But, when you look at the two program as ice dancing, V/M's program show more of the beauty of ice skating. While you appreciate their interpretation of the music, what was really magical about their program was the intensity, the exquisite lines, the breath taking lifts, the pristine twizzles and the deep edges. Now that's skating, not just ice dancing. So I personally find V/M OD superior as an ice dancing program.