Cup of Russia Short Dance Preview and Virtual Program: Friday, Nov. 19, 12:50 PM EST
Cup of Russia has an interesting cast of competitors. It has the young, up-coming teams, all trying to make their mark on the International Stage. The Russian teams are also trying to take over the top spots left empty on the Russian team, due to the retirement of Domnina and Shabalin and Khokhlova and Novitski.
Although Bobrova and Soloviev (RUS) beat Faiella and Scali (ITA) at Cup of China overall, even though this is home ice for Bobrova and not for Faiella, I believe Faiella and Scali will prevail in the short dance. For one thing, even with Massimo tripping over Federica's skirt in the Golden Waltz Segment 2, they finished with a short dance score of 57.21 at Cup of China, ahead of Bobrova and Soloviev, who only scored 55.85. I can't wait to see what Eliza Doolittle's Ascot dress with the huge bows looks like with a miniskirt on Federica!
The problems Bobrova and Soloviev had at Cup of China are more difficult to overcome than Faiella and Scali's, for one thing. The team has had a persistent problem with twizzles, and the problem occurred at both the short and free dances in China. The second problem is that Delilah is a questionable choice for this dance, dealing as it does, with a man singing while waiting to be arrested for killing his cheating girlfriend. The frou-frou Viennese Waltz (one of which the Golden Waltz is) steps just don't work that well with it.
As to who will finish third in the short dance, it will be a difficult choice between Paul and Islam (CAN) and Ilinykh and Katsapalov (RUS). For both teams, this is their first year doing the Golden Waltz, as it is their first Senior Grand Prix year. And, predictably, both had problems in the Golden Waltz section in their first appearnace. Paul and Islam missed several steps. Ilinykh and Katsapalov just didn't excel at the Golden, scoring Level 3 on the first segment, and level 2 on the second segment. Furthermore, they chose to mix an angsty waltz with a tango, a choice that works better than a traditional waltz with the tango, but not much better. At this point, the numbers favor Ilinykh and Katsapalov to finish third in the short dance.. However, if you look at the free dance scores, they favor Paul and Islam for third place overall. In reality, both young teams are so good, and apt to be improving so rapidly, that either could prevail.
One should not overlook that Hoffman and Zavozin have given strong performances in both their summer competitions, and finished fourth at Cup of China. They could surprise and sneak in for the bronze. (Coincidentally, Paul and Islam were fourth at Skate Canada, and Ilinykh and Katsalapov were fourth at NHK).
All of the competitors here have competed in the Short Dance at least once. Their best scores are interleaved below with the best and worst scores we've seen on the Grand Prix, both overall and in the Golden Waltz sections. Sad to say, competing the second time does not necessarily raise either your Golden or your overall Short Dance score. Davis and White scored the highest at their first competition, NHK, however, they really improved their Golden score (but not their overall score) at Skate America. Crone and Poirier scored lower at Skate America than Skate Canada in both categories. One reason for this is that scoring well in the Golden, under the current scoring system, requires precision above all else. This is why Zhiganshina and Gaszi, an otherwise quite average team, are near the top of scores for the Golden where they scored Level 4 in both segments. The other elements in the short dance, typical of the old Original Dance, score better when done with great speed and commitment. The team that switches between one mode and the other effortlessly will be the team that finally excels in the short dance.
Davis & White Golden Waltz at Skate America 14.58 (66.97 at NHK)
Kerrs Golden Waltz at Skate Canada 14.50 (62.96 at SC)
Crone & Poirier Golden Waltz at Skate Canada 14.14 (62.95 at SC)
Zhiganshina & Gaszi Golden Waltz at Nebelhorn 13.86 (54.02 at Nebelhorn)
Chock & Zuerlein Golden Waltz at Skate Canada 13.57 (54.19 at SC)
Pechalat & Bourzat Golden Waltz at Cup of China 13.00 (64.12 at CoC)
Bobrova & Soloviev Golden Waltz at Cup of China 12.86 (55.85 at CoC)
Hubbell & Hubbell Golden Waltz at Cup of China 12.44 (44.47 at CoC)
Hoffman & Zavozin Golden Waltz at Cup of China 12.35 (52.69 at CoC)
Gorshkova & Butikov Golden Waltz at Skate Canada 11.86 (51.56 at SC)
Ilinykh & Katsapalov Golden Waltz at NHK 11.22, (56.89 at NHK)
Paul & Islam Golden Waltz at Skate Canada 10.50 (50.55 at SC)
Faiella & Scali Golden Waltz at Cup of China 9.14 (57.21 at CoC)
Mysliveckova & Novak Golden Waltz at NHK 8.57 (45.20 at NHK)
Turoczi and Major Golden Waltz at NHK 4.67 (32.68 at NHK)
WARMUP GROUP 1
Alexandra PAUL / Mitchell ISLAM CAN World Standing 31st.
Coach: David Islam, Pavol Porac, K. Johnson, T. Myles
Choreographer: Pavol Porac (SD), M.-F. Dubreuil, P. Lauzon (FD)
Skate Canada, 2nd in the FD; 87.61
FD As Time Goes By by Herman Hupfeld
SD Tango: La Cumparsita - Amor por el Tango by G. M. Rodriguez; A los Amigos by A. Ponder
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sug92G0HCDs
Skate Canada, 8th in the SD; 50.55
1 Sequential Twizzle Level3
2 Golden Waltz Segment 1 Level 2 lost their place and missed steps
3 Golden Waltz Segment 2 Level 2
4 Rotational Lift Level 4
5 Midline Not Touching Steps Level 3
6 Transitional Lift
Base 25.50
TES 27.42
PCS 23.13
Total Golden Waltz 10.50
Total 50.55
Elena ILINYKH / Nikita KATSALAPOV RUS World Standing 26th
Coach: Alexander Zhulin, Oleg Volkov
Choreographer: Liudmila Vlasova
FD Don Quixote by Leon Minkus
NHK, 4th in the FD; 78.16
SD Waltz: Waltz from "Agony" (soundtrack) by Alfred Schnittke; Tango
NHK, third in the SD 56.89
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnwaVYyUFoQ
1 Sequential Twizzle Level 4
2 Golden Waltz Segment 1 Level 3
3 Golden Waltz Segment 2 Level 2
4 Straight Line Lift Level4
5 Midline Not Touching Steps Level 3
6 Transitional Lift
Base 27.50
TES 29.79
PCS 27.10
Total Golden Waltz 11.22
Total 56.89
Lucie MYSLIVECKOVA / Matej NOVAK CZE World Standing 20th
Coach: Natalia Karamysheva, Rostislav Sinicyn
Choreographer: M. Drobiazko, P. Vanagas, R. Sinicyn
FD Let My People Go; Money; Jessica Rabbit (You Oughtta Do Right); Venus
NHK 6th in the FD; 69.97
SD Waltz: Battagliero; Quickstep:Alexander's Rag Time Band
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2_JdZ6Yuqg
6th in the SD at NHK 45.20
1 Golden Waltz Segment 2 Level 1
2 Golden Waltz Segment 1 Level 3
3 Midline Not Touching Steps Level 2
4 Sequential Twizzle Level3 twizzle problems
5 Rotational Lift Level 4
Base 22.50
TES 22.07
PCS 23.13
Total Golden Waltz 8.57
Total 45.20
Kristina GORSHKOVA / Vitali BUTIKOV RUS 5 World Standing 19th
Coach: Elena Tchaikovskaia, Ksenia Rumiantseva
Choreographer: Elena Tchaikovskaia
FD Cha Cha by Santa Esmeralda; Manana de Carneval by Luis Miguel
Skate Canada 6th in the FD; 75.89
SD Russian Waltz by Alexandra Pakhmutova
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqQj4VUDC7c
Skate Canada, 5th in the SD, 51.57
1 Sequential Twizzle Level 4
2 Rotational Lift Level 4
3 Golden Waltz Segment 1 Leve l3
4 Golden Waltz Segment 2 Level 3 problems here
5 Midline Not Touching Steps Level 2
6 Transitional Lift
Base 27.00
TES 27.87
PCS 23.69
Total Golden Waltz 11.86
Total 51.56
WARMUP GROUP 2
Ekaterina BOBROVA / Dmitri SOLOVIEV RUS World Standing 17th
Coach: Elena Kustarova, Svetlana Alexeeva, Olga Riabinina
Choreographer: Elena Kustarova
FD Melody of the White Nights by Isaak Schwartz
2nd in the FD in Cup of China; 89.54
SD Waltz: Delilah by Tom Jones
Cup of China 3rd in the SD 55.85
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bs2MA7da3p0&feature=fvst
1 Sequential Twizzle Level3 twizzle problems
2 Midline Not Touching Steps Level 3
3 Golden Waltz Segment 1 Level 3
4 Golden Waltz Segment 2 Level 3
5 Rotational Lift Level2 small lift problem, lost a level
6 Transitional Lift
Base 26.00
TES 27.93
PCS 28.92
Deduction -1.0 extended lift
Total Golden Waltz 12.86
Total 55.85
Nora HOFFMANN / Maxim ZAVOZIN HUN World Standing 16th
Coach: Alexei Gorshkov, Sergei Petukhov
Choreographer: Elena Garanina
FD Nagyidai Ciganok (Gypsy Witch) soundtrack by Experidance
4th in the FD at Cup of China; 78.13
SD Waltz: Sleeping Beauty by Peter I. Tchaikovski; Waltz: Skaters' Waltz by Strauss
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcXHl0XQHco
Cup of China, fourth in the SD 52.69
1 Midline Not Touching Steps Level 2
2 Golden Waltz Segment 2 Level 4
3 Golden Waltz Segment 1 Level 2
4 Sequential Twizzle Level 2 problems with the twizzles
5 Rotational Lift Level 4
Base 25.00
TES 26.28
PCS 26.41
Total Golden Waltz 12.35
Total 52.69
Madison HUBBELL / Keiffer HUBBELL USA World Standing 13th
Coach: Anjelika Krylova, Pasquale Camerlengo
Choreographer: Anjelika Krylova, Pasquale Camerlengo
FD Ocean Club and Jungle Bill by Yello; Moments in Love by Art of Noise
5th in the FD at Cup of China; 76.48
SD Waltz: The Addams Family (soundtrack); Tango: Masochism Tango (from the Addams Family soundtrack)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L79VucZ-Q5M
Cup of China, 8th in the SD 44.47, three deductions, 2 for falls, 1 for the interruption
1 Rotational Lift Level 4
2 Golden Waltz Segment 2 Level 2
3 Golden Waltz Segment 1 Level 4
4 Midline Not Touching Steps Level 1 problems with the midline
5 Sequential Twizzle Level 3 twizzle problems
Base 24.50
TES 23.29
PCS 24.18
Total Golden Waltz 12.44
Total 44.47
Federica FAIELLA / Massimo SCALI ITA World Standing 5th
Coach: Natalia Linichuk, Paola Mezzadri, G. Karpanossov
Choreographer: Corrado Giordani, Barbara Melica, Ludmila Vlasova
FD Flamenco (Manolete - The Passion Within )
3rd in the FD at Cup of China; 82.31
SD My Fair Lady
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOB_ba3BdjQ
Cup of China, 2nd in the SD 57.21
1 Sequential Twizzle Level4
2 Golden Waltz Segment 1 Level 4
3 Golden Waltz Segment 2 Level 1 He tripped over her skirt and they lost levels and GOE here.
4 Straight Line Lift Level4
5 Midline Not Touching Steps Level 2
6 Transitional Lift
Base 24.50
TES 26.28
PCS 30.93
Total Golden Waltz 9.14
Total 57.21
Cup of Russia has an interesting cast of competitors. It has the young, up-coming teams, all trying to make their mark on the International Stage. The Russian teams are also trying to take over the top spots left empty on the Russian team, due to the retirement of Domnina and Shabalin and Khokhlova and Novitski.
Although Bobrova and Soloviev (RUS) beat Faiella and Scali (ITA) at Cup of China overall, even though this is home ice for Bobrova and not for Faiella, I believe Faiella and Scali will prevail in the short dance. For one thing, even with Massimo tripping over Federica's skirt in the Golden Waltz Segment 2, they finished with a short dance score of 57.21 at Cup of China, ahead of Bobrova and Soloviev, who only scored 55.85. I can't wait to see what Eliza Doolittle's Ascot dress with the huge bows looks like with a miniskirt on Federica!
The problems Bobrova and Soloviev had at Cup of China are more difficult to overcome than Faiella and Scali's, for one thing. The team has had a persistent problem with twizzles, and the problem occurred at both the short and free dances in China. The second problem is that Delilah is a questionable choice for this dance, dealing as it does, with a man singing while waiting to be arrested for killing his cheating girlfriend. The frou-frou Viennese Waltz (one of which the Golden Waltz is) steps just don't work that well with it.
As to who will finish third in the short dance, it will be a difficult choice between Paul and Islam (CAN) and Ilinykh and Katsapalov (RUS). For both teams, this is their first year doing the Golden Waltz, as it is their first Senior Grand Prix year. And, predictably, both had problems in the Golden Waltz section in their first appearnace. Paul and Islam missed several steps. Ilinykh and Katsapalov just didn't excel at the Golden, scoring Level 3 on the first segment, and level 2 on the second segment. Furthermore, they chose to mix an angsty waltz with a tango, a choice that works better than a traditional waltz with the tango, but not much better. At this point, the numbers favor Ilinykh and Katsapalov to finish third in the short dance.. However, if you look at the free dance scores, they favor Paul and Islam for third place overall. In reality, both young teams are so good, and apt to be improving so rapidly, that either could prevail.
One should not overlook that Hoffman and Zavozin have given strong performances in both their summer competitions, and finished fourth at Cup of China. They could surprise and sneak in for the bronze. (Coincidentally, Paul and Islam were fourth at Skate Canada, and Ilinykh and Katsalapov were fourth at NHK).
All of the competitors here have competed in the Short Dance at least once. Their best scores are interleaved below with the best and worst scores we've seen on the Grand Prix, both overall and in the Golden Waltz sections. Sad to say, competing the second time does not necessarily raise either your Golden or your overall Short Dance score. Davis and White scored the highest at their first competition, NHK, however, they really improved their Golden score (but not their overall score) at Skate America. Crone and Poirier scored lower at Skate America than Skate Canada in both categories. One reason for this is that scoring well in the Golden, under the current scoring system, requires precision above all else. This is why Zhiganshina and Gaszi, an otherwise quite average team, are near the top of scores for the Golden where they scored Level 4 in both segments. The other elements in the short dance, typical of the old Original Dance, score better when done with great speed and commitment. The team that switches between one mode and the other effortlessly will be the team that finally excels in the short dance.
Davis & White Golden Waltz at Skate America 14.58 (66.97 at NHK)
Kerrs Golden Waltz at Skate Canada 14.50 (62.96 at SC)
Crone & Poirier Golden Waltz at Skate Canada 14.14 (62.95 at SC)
Zhiganshina & Gaszi Golden Waltz at Nebelhorn 13.86 (54.02 at Nebelhorn)
Chock & Zuerlein Golden Waltz at Skate Canada 13.57 (54.19 at SC)
Pechalat & Bourzat Golden Waltz at Cup of China 13.00 (64.12 at CoC)
Bobrova & Soloviev Golden Waltz at Cup of China 12.86 (55.85 at CoC)
Hubbell & Hubbell Golden Waltz at Cup of China 12.44 (44.47 at CoC)
Hoffman & Zavozin Golden Waltz at Cup of China 12.35 (52.69 at CoC)
Gorshkova & Butikov Golden Waltz at Skate Canada 11.86 (51.56 at SC)
Ilinykh & Katsapalov Golden Waltz at NHK 11.22, (56.89 at NHK)
Paul & Islam Golden Waltz at Skate Canada 10.50 (50.55 at SC)
Faiella & Scali Golden Waltz at Cup of China 9.14 (57.21 at CoC)
Mysliveckova & Novak Golden Waltz at NHK 8.57 (45.20 at NHK)
Turoczi and Major Golden Waltz at NHK 4.67 (32.68 at NHK)
WARMUP GROUP 1
Alexandra PAUL / Mitchell ISLAM CAN World Standing 31st.
Coach: David Islam, Pavol Porac, K. Johnson, T. Myles
Choreographer: Pavol Porac (SD), M.-F. Dubreuil, P. Lauzon (FD)
Skate Canada, 2nd in the FD; 87.61
FD As Time Goes By by Herman Hupfeld
SD Tango: La Cumparsita - Amor por el Tango by G. M. Rodriguez; A los Amigos by A. Ponder
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sug92G0HCDs
Skate Canada, 8th in the SD; 50.55
1 Sequential Twizzle Level3
2 Golden Waltz Segment 1 Level 2 lost their place and missed steps
3 Golden Waltz Segment 2 Level 2
4 Rotational Lift Level 4
5 Midline Not Touching Steps Level 3
6 Transitional Lift
Base 25.50
TES 27.42
PCS 23.13
Total Golden Waltz 10.50
Total 50.55
Elena ILINYKH / Nikita KATSALAPOV RUS World Standing 26th
Coach: Alexander Zhulin, Oleg Volkov
Choreographer: Liudmila Vlasova
FD Don Quixote by Leon Minkus
NHK, 4th in the FD; 78.16
SD Waltz: Waltz from "Agony" (soundtrack) by Alfred Schnittke; Tango
NHK, third in the SD 56.89
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnwaVYyUFoQ
1 Sequential Twizzle Level 4
2 Golden Waltz Segment 1 Level 3
3 Golden Waltz Segment 2 Level 2
4 Straight Line Lift Level4
5 Midline Not Touching Steps Level 3
6 Transitional Lift
Base 27.50
TES 29.79
PCS 27.10
Total Golden Waltz 11.22
Total 56.89
Lucie MYSLIVECKOVA / Matej NOVAK CZE World Standing 20th
Coach: Natalia Karamysheva, Rostislav Sinicyn
Choreographer: M. Drobiazko, P. Vanagas, R. Sinicyn
FD Let My People Go; Money; Jessica Rabbit (You Oughtta Do Right); Venus
NHK 6th in the FD; 69.97
SD Waltz: Battagliero; Quickstep:Alexander's Rag Time Band
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2_JdZ6Yuqg
6th in the SD at NHK 45.20
1 Golden Waltz Segment 2 Level 1
2 Golden Waltz Segment 1 Level 3
3 Midline Not Touching Steps Level 2
4 Sequential Twizzle Level3 twizzle problems
5 Rotational Lift Level 4
Base 22.50
TES 22.07
PCS 23.13
Total Golden Waltz 8.57
Total 45.20
Kristina GORSHKOVA / Vitali BUTIKOV RUS 5 World Standing 19th
Coach: Elena Tchaikovskaia, Ksenia Rumiantseva
Choreographer: Elena Tchaikovskaia
FD Cha Cha by Santa Esmeralda; Manana de Carneval by Luis Miguel
Skate Canada 6th in the FD; 75.89
SD Russian Waltz by Alexandra Pakhmutova
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqQj4VUDC7c
Skate Canada, 5th in the SD, 51.57
1 Sequential Twizzle Level 4
2 Rotational Lift Level 4
3 Golden Waltz Segment 1 Leve l3
4 Golden Waltz Segment 2 Level 3 problems here
5 Midline Not Touching Steps Level 2
6 Transitional Lift
Base 27.00
TES 27.87
PCS 23.69
Total Golden Waltz 11.86
Total 51.56
WARMUP GROUP 2
Ekaterina BOBROVA / Dmitri SOLOVIEV RUS World Standing 17th
Coach: Elena Kustarova, Svetlana Alexeeva, Olga Riabinina
Choreographer: Elena Kustarova
FD Melody of the White Nights by Isaak Schwartz
2nd in the FD in Cup of China; 89.54
SD Waltz: Delilah by Tom Jones
Cup of China 3rd in the SD 55.85
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bs2MA7da3p0&feature=fvst
1 Sequential Twizzle Level3 twizzle problems
2 Midline Not Touching Steps Level 3
3 Golden Waltz Segment 1 Level 3
4 Golden Waltz Segment 2 Level 3
5 Rotational Lift Level2 small lift problem, lost a level
6 Transitional Lift
Base 26.00
TES 27.93
PCS 28.92
Deduction -1.0 extended lift
Total Golden Waltz 12.86
Total 55.85
Nora HOFFMANN / Maxim ZAVOZIN HUN World Standing 16th
Coach: Alexei Gorshkov, Sergei Petukhov
Choreographer: Elena Garanina
FD Nagyidai Ciganok (Gypsy Witch) soundtrack by Experidance
4th in the FD at Cup of China; 78.13
SD Waltz: Sleeping Beauty by Peter I. Tchaikovski; Waltz: Skaters' Waltz by Strauss
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcXHl0XQHco
Cup of China, fourth in the SD 52.69
1 Midline Not Touching Steps Level 2
2 Golden Waltz Segment 2 Level 4
3 Golden Waltz Segment 1 Level 2
4 Sequential Twizzle Level 2 problems with the twizzles
5 Rotational Lift Level 4
Base 25.00
TES 26.28
PCS 26.41
Total Golden Waltz 12.35
Total 52.69
Madison HUBBELL / Keiffer HUBBELL USA World Standing 13th
Coach: Anjelika Krylova, Pasquale Camerlengo
Choreographer: Anjelika Krylova, Pasquale Camerlengo
FD Ocean Club and Jungle Bill by Yello; Moments in Love by Art of Noise
5th in the FD at Cup of China; 76.48
SD Waltz: The Addams Family (soundtrack); Tango: Masochism Tango (from the Addams Family soundtrack)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L79VucZ-Q5M
Cup of China, 8th in the SD 44.47, three deductions, 2 for falls, 1 for the interruption
1 Rotational Lift Level 4
2 Golden Waltz Segment 2 Level 2
3 Golden Waltz Segment 1 Level 4
4 Midline Not Touching Steps Level 1 problems with the midline
5 Sequential Twizzle Level 3 twizzle problems
Base 24.50
TES 23.29
PCS 24.18
Total Golden Waltz 12.44
Total 44.47
Federica FAIELLA / Massimo SCALI ITA World Standing 5th
Coach: Natalia Linichuk, Paola Mezzadri, G. Karpanossov
Choreographer: Corrado Giordani, Barbara Melica, Ludmila Vlasova
FD Flamenco (Manolete - The Passion Within )
3rd in the FD at Cup of China; 82.31
SD My Fair Lady
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOB_ba3BdjQ
Cup of China, 2nd in the SD 57.21
1 Sequential Twizzle Level4
2 Golden Waltz Segment 1 Level 4
3 Golden Waltz Segment 2 Level 1 He tripped over her skirt and they lost levels and GOE here.
4 Straight Line Lift Level4
5 Midline Not Touching Steps Level 2
6 Transitional Lift
Base 24.50
TES 26.28
PCS 30.93
Total Golden Waltz 9.14
Total 57.21
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