Can't help wondering:Originally Posted by isabella duncan
Are you saying only that "chasing after gold" and "simply dancing" are apples and oranges?? [Comparable to the "tastes great" vs. "less filling" beer ads -- which actually are meant to highlight both as desirable qualities.]
Or do you believe that apples are preferable to oranges? Or maybe the other way around?
IMHO, at the level of V/M and D/W, both apples and oranges are appropriate goals.
Can't help wondering:Are you saying only that "chasing after gold" and "simply dancing" are apples and oranges??
I am just saying that V/M were totally into their program, while D/W seemed to be casting a glance at the podium finish. V/M were in their ZEN moment so to speak; D/W weren't. D/W looked frantic. Indeed, apples and oranges are both desirable fruits. I was just impressed by the joy V/M exuded because they were dancing. There is freedom in being lost in the moment and that freedom just translated well to me. Which is the apple, which is the orange? You tell me.
Davis and white skated well but that music has been done to death there was nothing original about that waltz, Meryl`s arm movements are really weak compared to tessa and they weren`t hitting their edges on the step sequences all in all i thought there score was quite generous.
I guess you see what you see. I didn't see them glancing at the podium at all. I thought D/W had just as much joy in their performance. The audience thought so too. So did the British Eurosport commentators.
No, they were not glancing at the podium at all, Mrs. P. I was being metaphorical. This means I found D/W bent on beating V/M, while V/M simply danced as they should--lost in their own enchanting world. V/M seemed to me like they were performing the dance for art's sake, while D/W were after gaining points. Furthermore, if there were a waltz police, D/W would have been fined for speeding. You are supposed to glide in a waltz, not waltz as powerfully and as fast because you could.
I think the "lost in their own enchanted world" comes more from the viewer than from the performance. I am pretty sure that Scott Moir was trying like anything to beat the other guys. (See his press conference after Four Continents.)
I think Mrs. P understood that you did not mean physically looking at the spot where the podium would be set up later.I think think she was saying that she did not have the same reaction to Davis and White's dance as you did.
Waltzes can be both slow and lilting and fast and powerful. The critique of D/W on IN by Anna Trebunskaya (who is far more of an authority on dancing of all types than any of us could ever hope to be) was very positive and came to a very different conclusion than many of the V/M ubers here. She appreciated both teams, but found D/W's performances pre-Worlds to be more convincing. I don't know what she thought about worlds itself, but she seemed to be convinced by Mery; and Charlie's interpretation and movement up to that point.
I write for a living, so I definitely know what a metaphor is.
That said, I guess I wasn't clear — Mathman is right, I didn't get a "We must beat V/M!" vibe while they were doing the program; they too, were simply doing the dance to the best of their ability. (Although, I had a huge laugh, MM, when I read your statement about looking at the podium literally).
Again, I will point back to the audience at Nice — if they felt they were watching D/W "gaining points" I doubt that they would have been on their feet after they were done.
Anna's comments (as referenced by jcoates):
Also on Virtue and Moir:Trebunskaya, who has long been a skating fan, said she's always found Davis to be "exceptionally graceful."
"To me, she's like a fairy princess on ice," she said. "I feel that Charlie has a really good quality that complements her."
Their Viennese waltz program to music from Die Fledermaus has sections in which both skaters get to show their strengths.
"They have pieces where it was really about her and then there would be pieces that would go faster and it was kind of about Charlie driving it," Trebunskaya noted. "I found that very clever.
"Charlie sneaks little things in there, and he's able to showcase himself," she adds. "That's what makes this couple so exciting to watch. I watch both of them, which is so cool."
Her only critique is that at times Davis is more elegant than White.
"Everything else is beautiful," Trebunskaya said. "Charlie and Meryl set the bar right now for everybody."
With Virtue and Moir's classical Olympic free dance in her memory, Trebunskaya was pleased to see them try something different in this year's free dance set to music from the Funny Face soundtrack.
"They definitely pushed it out of their comfort zone to be showier, more Broadway, with this piece, which I think is great because it pushed them to a different character than they would normally be," she said. "It's great for development of their performance skills.
"Technically, they looked absolutely great and sound," she continued. "It feels sometimes maybe she overpowers him. You tend to notice her more. I don't know if it's because of Scott's great ability to partner her and showcase her or it's something he maybe needs to do differently.
"Scott is definitely a great, great partner and Tessa just shines. In my opinion, they work really well together. I just wish he would find moments for himself to be more expressive."
That's lovely to hear about, jcoates. It's great to get input from a ballroom specialist. And it's someone I'm familiar with, from DWTS, so I feel extra convinced because I've seen how she dances. I like what she has to say about both couples--and I happen to love both couples to begin with.
May I add, about the music from Die Fledermaus being "done to death," I don't feel that way. D/W give that music such freshness and life, it's as if Strauss wrote it just this year.
Last edited by Olympia; 04-03-2012 at 06:01 PM.
I do agree that D/W deserved not only the audience clapping to the beat of their waltz and the standing ovation afterwards but when trying to account for why V/M edged over them, it is my opinion that V/M did more than wanting to win, they danced for dance's sake, as in art for art's sake. This to me set V/M apart that night.
I do apologize for misconstruing your response as an inability to decipher metaphorical statements. Sorry.
No worries.
I guess I'll agree to disagree with you. I think the reaction to both dances varied from person to person. And I'm not sure if I could even determine if one or the other had some sort of existentialist moment there...(or lack of one, I suppose).
Also considering that I love D/W AND Akiko Suzuki's version of it, it goes to show you can express the same piece differently and still get delight out of both.
Can't say I would say that with all the Requiem for a Dream programs.
Thanks for posting Anna Trebunskaya's observations.
It is possible, though, to move the needle a little on partnering. Someone could say that Charlie is a little too flamboyant for Meryl, whereas Scott perfectly presents his partner. Practically the same thing as, Anna T's opinion that Charlie and Meryl both have their moments to shine and Charlie puts in a lot on interesting embellishments, while in the other couple Tessa stands out more than Scott.
Almost the same thing, but it comes out very different.
You know, it's interesting you say that, because I wouldn't think that at all. Meryl's the one often working the facial expressions and connection to the music aspect of the performance. The only expression I can recall from Charlie re: DF is his "we deserved higher but we'll nod classily" moment in the KnC.
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