GPF Free Dance, Sun. 12/11 at 1:50 pm EST | Page 4 | Golden Skate

GPF Free Dance, Sun. 12/11 at 1:50 pm EST

NorthernDancers

On the Ice
Joined
Jan 15, 2010
Pechalat/Bourzat: You know, I really liked their program last year, and it is SO unfortanate it was not clean when it counted. This just doesn't seem as good. They play characters really well, and it was good, but it was missing that emotional connection. This is especially apparent after Weaver/Poje. These 2 are the acrobats and daredevels of the sport. But it just didn't do it for me. I'll have to look at the score sheets later, since I'm just not getting the high score.

Virtue/Moir: There is no other. Just out of this world, on a different planet. It's all the little steps in between, the articulation of the body with the music - an arm her, a look there, the extension of the leg. It is subtle, and marvelous, and really, really difficult. It's light, effortless, and musical and completely in character all the way through. Totally awesome score. And fabulous to see them get the credit for the PCS side.

Davis/White: Very beautiful FD. She is the ballerina, and he is the base. They have very solid elements, and they are fast with a lot of flow. They have improved a lot in slowing down and matching the music better. It started to get a little frantic in the last 30 seconds, but the first part and the middle was very good. Davis/White have a program that suits them very well (not as good as Samson and Delilah in my opinion, but very close), and so do Virtue/Moir. In my opinion, if tech is equal, Virtue/Moir are the more musical and get the nod in my opinion. We are very fortunate to have such 2 amazing teams pushing the limits of the sport.

Wow! That was a photo-finish! Just 0.05 points separating these 2 on the FD!! Interesting that Virtue/Moir had higher. TES, but not PCS. That is unbelievable to me. I would think that would be the other way around.
 

Axel Rose

On the Ice
Joined
Jan 25, 2008
every time I see D/W's FD I like it less and less. I almost loved it at SA but tonight it does nothing to me :( I don't know why... I know that the execution of elements was excellent as always but I find the dance itself quite boring.

That's how I feel too. I like D/W's music better than V/M's, but I'm less and less interested each time I see D/W's program.

I'm surprised D/W won the FD. After seeing both teams back to back, I was really struck by D/W's lack of extension. Meryl's free bent free leg is really distracting.

The team that impressed me today was W/P. I had tears in my eyes after that skate!
 
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cjsk8fan

On the Ice
Joined
Mar 11, 2005
D/W skated awesome. Also Meryl looked very nice today. Loved the way she softened her makeup.
 

1795

Final Flight
Joined
Sep 6, 2006
But this competition cleared up one thing. If they are both clean, V/M will win easily. Even with Scott's mistakes and an bobble or two in the FD they were practically tied with Marlie's two clean skates.

no.
 

sequinsgalore

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 12, 2008
Protocols are out:

V/M got all level 4's, but lost on GOE - probably because the slightly shaky setdown of two lifts. Nine 10.00's in PCS
D/W got all level 4's, but one level 3. They won on the GOE. Twelve 10.00's in PCS
 

WeakAnkles

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 1, 2011
We're just damn lucky we're living through what will undoubtedly be known as one of the all-time great rivalries in sport, much like Chris and Martina, Ali and Frasier.

One comment though...having lived through the era of traumadrama programs (the LP at the Olympics was like a Bergman movie, albeit one costumed by a very campy designer), it is so refreshing to see ice dance return to its roots, as dance. And not just dance--but as a combination of dance and (dare I say it?) sport.

Bravo to all six teams.
 

aniela

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 23, 2009
That's how I feel too. I like D/W's music better than V/M's, but I'm less and less interested each time I see this program.

I'm surprised D/W won the FD. After seeing both teams back to back, I was really struck by D/W's lack of extension. Meryl's free bent free leg is really distracting.

The team that impressed me today was W/P. I had tears in my eyes after that skate!

agree. W/P made my day! I actually thought that they could finish ahead of Nathalie and Fabian (I mean in FD).
 

jcoates

Medalist
Joined
Mar 3, 2006
Can get this rivalry get any better?

But this competition cleared up one thing. If they are both clean, V/M will win easily. Even with Scott's mistakes and an bobble or two in the FD they were practically tied with Marlie's two clean skates.

I think you are overlooking the five point margin carried over from the SD which led to a five point margin in the total score. If anything, as Doris element breakdown from the SD shows, they would likely have been in a virtual tie after the SD had the fall not happened and if level 4s had been acheived in rhumba and step sequence. They are both incredibly close when both are clean and equal on elements.
 

samba

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 23, 2008
I was surprised V/M got less PCS. They're the best in the world in presentation. Their "togetherness", none can compare with them, they are so connected. D/W were fast but never seem to be connected. D/W're so robotic, the smile on their face,the movements, no connection. Scott is the best male icedancer in the world, IMO.
 

gold12345

Medalist
Joined
Dec 14, 2007
W/P were great. I had hoped they would break into the top 3 in the FD, but oh well.

I have a feeling that if D/W had not opened up such a gap after the short dance, that they would have won the free dance by a larger margin. But because they had already built up such a lead, the judges may have tightened the scores in the FD between the top 2.
 

WeakAnkles

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 1, 2011
I was surprised V/M got less PCS. They're the best in the world in presentation. Their "togetherness", none can compare with them, they are so connected. D/W were fast but never seem to be connected. D/W're so robotic, the smile on their face,the movements, no connection. Scott is the best male icedancer in the world, IMO.

Robotic? Actually, I couldn't disagree with this more--and for a specific reason: Charlie is finally looking like he's relaxed out there. There isn't the gung-ho intensity of previous years. It's particularly noticeable in the SD. Hard to do when you're working with as much power and speed as he generates, but I am really seeing a significant difference this year. In an odd way, I think that tango did HIM a world of good. A bit of a paradox, perhaps, but there it is.

Of course, I now expect the Voir fan base to come thundering down on my head, particularly when I add this: Voir are marvelous, marvelous performers, but I don't see them getting *better.* And I do think Marlie are. And that may account for the placements this year.
 

blackswanphoto

On the Ice
Joined
Mar 16, 2005
Robotic? Actually, I couldn't disagree with this more--and for a specific reason: Charlie is finally looking like he's relaxed out there. There isn't the gung-ho intensity of previous years. It's particularly noticeable in the SD. Hard to do when you're working with as much power and speed as he generates, but I am really seeing a significant difference this year. In an odd way, I think that tango did HIM a world of good. A bit of a paradox, perhaps, but there it is.

Of course, I now expect the Voir fan base to come thundering down on my head, particularly when I add this: Voir are marvelous, marvelous performers, but I don't see them getting *better.* And I do think Marlie are. And that may account for the placements this year.

Totally agree..
 

demarinis5

Gold for the Winter Prince!
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 23, 2004
Congrats to Charlie and Meryl, Scott and Tessa and Natalie and Fabian! Great ice dancing today from the medalists! Shout out
to the Shibs and W/P who were fabulous too. Good competition.
 

snowflake

I enjoy what I like
Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 10, 2008
Awesome performances and great entertainment. But not exciting as a sport while too easy to predict the result. Anyway clap, clap to all and congrats to the medalists :)

I watched it on this web feed. Funny ad in bottom :laugh: Suddenly a biathlete rised shooting at the skaters.
 

dorispulaski

Wicked Yankee Girl
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Country
United-States
For protocol mavens, V&M gave away the FD when they choreographed this dance. They picked the 3 lift option rather than the 4 lift option. Although the total base values are the same, an extended lift plus 2 short lifts has a maximum GOE of 5.5. 4 short lifts have a maximum GOE of 6. Net, 0.5 thrown away. V&M lost the FD by .05.

I need to see the US Sports broadcast this afternoon to see the dances without screen freezes to comment at all knowledgeably though.
 

Rachmaninoff

Final Flight
Joined
Nov 10, 2011
I started out the season liking Davis and White's free dance better than Virtue and Moir's. Tonight I liked Virtue and Moir's better. Surprised D/W edged them out of the FD win on PCS (more specifically on transition and Performance/Execution...V&M were tied or just barely ahead on the other three).

Regardless, I really like what ice dance has become. I'm finding it far more enjoyable to watch than I did when I first became a skating fan in the mid-90s.
 
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