Practice Reports

[genki]

Yuna's program is gorgeous. I am rooting for Mao, but it is gorges anyway. I love the choreograph with a lot of contrast with slow/quick likeYuna's.
Technically, Mao's program is more difficult, but I can not stop feeling that she sometimes does not skate to the music. Especially after the music was shortened for 5 seconds, her step sequence looks hurried and a bit confused. What a shame, Mao is such a beautiful skater with a lot of expression. She got to take advantage of her strength much more than her current short program.

[wallylutz]

Nice, but I prefer her danse macabre and james bomb's programs than this..maybe it's for the music I don't know! However she is in really good form.

It feels as though she could have changed the music to something else entirely and no one would have noticed any difference. The choreography was quite forgettable. I don't think this choice of music suits her, it doesn't bring out the best of her and her gift to connect with the audience. Technically, there doesn't seem to have any real changes compared to last year except the 3Lz/3T seems to have less flow and a little less powerful than before. Then again, it could be just that particular attempt, hard to read anything more. Even if she were to skate a clean SP, it will likely not give her a decisive advantage going into the FS as it did in the past.

[wallylutz]

What?? Her program is full of ballet elements. Many of her connecting moves are motived from ballet. If you can see it, you will see it.

There is nothing ballet about that SP, not even a little bit. Where is the pointed toe for example?

[alexeifan]

I have to say I'm not a fan of what I see so far either of Yuna's sp. Maybe it's just because it's practice I don't like it, not sure. It just seems like the choreography is boring, maybe she is just holding back some of it in practice? She's super fast and has great jumps, but other than that it's boring to me. It just seems so spastic fast without any ART to it. JMO

[Blades of Passion]

Has Miki done a full SP run-through with 3Sal+3Loop combination and 3Lutz out of steps as her jumping passes? That would be a very welcome change and she certainly needs the upgraded content if Yu-Na and Mao skate clean. I've always wondered why Miki never tried a 3Sal+3Loop combination, as it would be much less prone to downgrades. She did do a 3Toe+3Loop a couple years ago, and it still got downgraded, but since the 3Sal is such an easy jump for her I figured that would be an ideal fit.

Mao's SP is terrible. I hope she doesn't go back to Tarasova for a competitive program next season because that woman has lost her touch, at least in terms of making CoP programs. Nothing in the program goes well with the music at all. I wouldn't say her step sequence looks hurried, rather TOO much time is spent on the footwork sequence. The pattern becomes a mess and she spends way too much time on that one element trying to execute a million steps and turns. I think she must be going for a Level 4, but it's just not going to happen.

I don't think this music is the best fit for Mao to begin with but the current choreography is total crap. At the VERY least she shouldn't be doing all of her jumping passes back-to-back-to-back at the start of the program. Ick.

BTW, Yu-Na's LP is better than her SP. I was trying to put it as nicely as possible a couple months ago when I said that Yu-Na's Giselle SP was more like Miki Ando's Giselle than Yukari Nakano's Giselle (for those who remember the battle of the Giselle's back at 2008 Skate America). Musical similarities aside, hopefully you all see what I mean now.

[parma]

Trolls emerging. Hoped they would take a break from this worlds but no.

[alexeifan]

Im not a fan of the choreography for Mao's SP either. Tarasova was best with Morozov.

[miki88]

Well to be honest, I don't find any of the ladies' SPs this season that inspiring. I didn't expect Yuna's SP to be very balletic but I was expecting the music cut to be better.

Katia's Giselle program is still the best for me with Yukari's a close second.

[parma]

There is nothing ballet about that SP, not even a little bit. Where is the pointed toe for example?

There is plenty of ballet elements in the program, including her toes. Ask anyone with knowledge in ballet. It's just you who decided to be a troll and not to see it.

[lavender]

I don't get that trolling comment. It's a nice program but I love her short programs from the past better.

I can't wait for the long. I think I'm going to love the long program.

[Mathman]

BTW, Yu-Na's LP is better than her SP. I was trying to put it as nicely as possible a couple months ago when I said that Yu-Na's Giselle SP was more like Miki Ando's Giselle than Yukari Nakano's Giselle (for those who remember the battle of the Giselle's back at 2008 Skate America). Musical similarities aside, hopefully you all see what I mean now.

Still, based on the full run-through, that's all Yu-na needs to win the short program, IMHO.

[wallylutz]

There is plenty of ballet elements in the program, including her toes. Ask anyone with knowledge in ballet. It's just you who decided to be a troll and not to see it.

"The Emperor has no clothes." Feel free to call everyone - actually several people - who all come to similar observations independently of each other, trolls. It doesn't change that such attack comes across as a wounded bird frantically flapping its wings.

[wallylutz]

Still, based on the full run-through, that's all Yu-na needs to win the short program, IMHO.

You seemed to forget now ladies can do 3A in the SP, in addition to a 3/3 combo and there is one lady who plan to do just that. With an uninsipiring choreography and less than perfect element, as was the case with her 3/3, she can be vunlerable.

[parma]

"The Emperor has no clothes." Feel free to call everyone - actually several people - who all come to similar observations independently of each other, trolls. It doesn't change that such attack comes across as a wounded bird frantically flapping its wings.

You are lying when you said there is nothing ballet about the program. Clearly there are many elements taken from ballet in her program - it is not a matter of opinion but it is a fact and I hope I am talking to someone who can tell the difference - which makes your comment a lie. Ask anyone who have some knowledge in ballet and not some trolls who are just waiting for her clip to show up so that they can dismiss it.

[wallylutz]

You are lying when you said there is nothing ballet about the program and you are basing it on a practice clip. Clearly there are many elements taken from ballet in her program - it is not a matter of opinion but it is a fact and hope I am talking to someone who can tell the difference - which makes your comment a lie. Ask anyone who have some knowledge in ballet and not trolls who are just waiting for her clip to show up so that they can dismiss it.

Adieu to you. <Click>