I know Bolero is one piece of music one must hear live. (Next best?) Maybe the dance too. It was mighty great on TV though.
I know Bolero is one piece of music one must hear live. (Next best?) Maybe the dance too. It was mighty great on TV though.
The real Ice Dance ticket in 1984 was T&D's Paso Doble OSP, which I could watch on a continuous loop and never tire of it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwXTYlsynM8
IMO, there is a point where brilliant technical skill is art, and another where great art requires consummate technical skill. Both trajectories tend towards each other, and both ultimately lead to that explosion of wonder that is the perfect performance.
Both teams are headed to that point, where greatness lies IMO.
When IP tells me that he has watched D&W's FD many times just to see that amazing moment of their perfect rotational lift, he's showing you where D&W are now on that path-not yet at the end, but tending there.
I always liked the paso doble better than the Bolero, partly because I just love the Rimsky-Korsakov music, from his Capriccio Espagnol. It's got such a great rolling rhythm. And their black-and-white costumes were stunning. Bolero is magnificent too, of course! But that compulsory dance is the one that lingered in my mind. That whole event, even on TV, was a tremendous moment for me. I remember all my friends talking about them on the night after the paso doble, and all of us running home eagerly to see the final night of the competition. It was one of the high points of my skating fandom.Originally Posted by dorispulaski
Since I don't want to double-post, I'll add this totally unrelated paragraph to the old post. I just went back and watched Tessa and Scott's 2010 Mahler FD and then Meryl and Charlie's current Fledermaus program. One thing that has struck me throughout their career is how skillfully Shpilband and Zoueva bring out each couple's individual flavor. It's great that evaluating the world's two greatest couples is like comparing apples and oranges, instead of like comparing two peas in a pod. Meryl and Charlie seem sharper, more buoyant, while Scott and Tessa are smoother and more delicate. It isn't just the music, of course, but the delivery. Neither of these couples seems to be overshadowed by the other in S/Z's attention. Kudos to all six of the people involved.
Last edited by Olympia; 12-17-2011 at 08:42 AM.
Thanks for the link, Doris. I think T&D are the cat's whiskers, always have. This Paso Doble seems to capture the spirit of that dance even better than dancers do on Dancing with the Stars. The choreo is so appropriate, so artful.
Even better than Kristi Yamaguchi and Evan Lysacek?
me neither. But I m glad someone else said it loud!
Doesn't do anything for me either. I thought it was my fault.
I have a feeling that V/M will part from Zueva/Shpilband at the end of the year. I feel they may move to Tarasova or Linichuk?. They wont stay around if D/W win another world title.
It's possible, but they won't go to Linichuk. Retirement is more likely.
In a way, there's nothing more for V/M to achieve. They're so innovative that maybe at this point the rules are constricting their growth. I mean, look at how we've had to dissect their every move and turn to compare their quality with Davis/White--as if one could do such a thing with two such stellar couples. That removes the whole purpose of the programs they've created, which should be taken as a whole, not with cold eyes cast on whether they have a pause in the middle or use the "wrong" kind of lift. I don't know what the possibilities in pro skating are these days, but maybe that's where they're most needed, even if they have to do a lot of that skating internationally at first, in Asia for example, until North Americans get smart enough to know what it is they're missing out on.
Davis/White are just as wonderful, but they're still shooting for their complete medal haul, so it makes sense for them to stay in. But what is meaningful to V/M about getting an additional Olympic gold? For them to have some extra line in a record book? These aren't skaters made for statistical victories. They're made for beautiful skating. Of course, if they stay in eligible skating, I'll be thrilled. But they can't expect to win every time, and if they don't win every time, it's no reflection at all on their uniqueness or excellence.
Maybe it's just me, but I don't think they would want to miss the opportunity to skate in front of their home-town crowd at worlds in 2013. That would be awesome (and meaningful), whether they win or not. Few athletes ever get a chance to do that.
I also sort of suspect that V/M are a big part of the reason why worlds are being held in London, Ontario, in the first place.
Does anyone else think that it would be a good idea for Davis and White to do a remake of Torvill and Dean's Pase Doble? I think it's an excellent idea to do a modern version! I think if V/M were to go to another coach it would definitely not be Linichuk. That woman still has a BAD reputation because of what happened with Bebin/Agosto and that terrible Aborigines program. That was complete career torture. If they go anywhere I think it's more than likely to Krylova.
I don't think they can go to Tarasova, either. Isn't she committed to working only with Russian teams and skaters leading up to Sochi? They could go to Camerlengo / Krylova, though.
Not retiring after Vancouver did pose a risk to them, not just because of Tessa's legs, but also the possibility of losing to another team. When they chose to stay in, they had to accept those risks. Apparently Scott never thought losing was a possibility once Tessa was completely healthy.
Yes, and yes. ITA
Linichuk is a great technical coach, but her current taste is apparently not the taste of those who currently judge ice dance.
I also worry about injuries in her camp.
Sometimes the skaters came to her 'pre injured' like Max Shabalin, of course, but there seem to be more of them than I would like to see, particularly men having knee and back problems. It could be inferior orthopedic doctors in the Astin area, but I doubt it.
I think you are correct in saying that Scott probably never thought they would lose once Tessa was healthy. He kept saying in teleconferences that they wanted "their title back." But if he thought that Charlie's good nature was to be happy with just being second, he thought wrong.
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