2012 Cup of Russia Free Dance | Page 8 | Golden Skate

2012 Cup of Russia Free Dance

samson

Medalist
Joined
Aug 10, 2012
It's a shame the Shibutani's debut started like this. I'm still perplexed by their SD music, but I love nothing more than being proven wrong when I think an idea isn't a great one.
My feed was so choppy so it was really hard for me to watch their FD, but Maia's hands were absolute perfection. Such a weird thing to note, I know, but I thought she looked pretty magical out there. I really hope they can grow from this experience as they get to NHK, and that Alex is able to make a full recovery before competition!
 

Mrs. P

Uno, Dos, twizzle!
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 27, 2009
It's a shame the Shibutani's debut started like this. I'm still perplexed by their SD music, but I love nothing more than being proven wrong when I think an idea isn't a great one.
My feed was so choppy so it was really hard for me to watch their FD, but Maia's hands were absolute perfection. Such a weird thing to note, I know, but I thought she looked pretty magical out there. I really hope they can grow from this experience as they get to NHK, and that Alex is able to make a full recovery before competition!

Actually, you should watch the SD again --- Maia's arms movements there (Alex's too) is quite interesting. I am 50/50 on the SD, but I too hope I could be proven wrong because after seeing it a few times, I could see some diamonds in the rough in that program -- namely their step sequence, faces (as noted by IP) and the arm movements....
 

herios

Medalist
Joined
Jan 25, 2004
That was not a Tango from Victoria and Ruslan - it was a bunch of random movements with tango music in the background. I hope they leave Kustarova soon.

I agree. Throughout their skate, i kept thinking, where are the tango steps??
They are good skaters, they so much deserve a better choreographer.
 

Kitt

Final Flight
Joined
Feb 1, 2007
Country
United-States
I love the Shibs and was amazed at how well they skated after the break, if Alex is injured. Maia is really quite a lovely dancer. Hope they can recoup for NHK.

On another note, what was up with Elena's "costume"? It looks like something you would wear for the Saturday housecleaning.
 

100yen

You can't explain witchcraft
Medalist
Joined
Jan 8, 2009
I hope Alex is alright. :cry: Watching it I was so scared like at 4CC last season. My heart dropped. But I am so looking forward to NHK Trophy, so I hope he has plenty of time to rest and treat his injury. Knowing Maia and Alex, they won't let this setback bring them down at all...praying for them~
 

herios

Medalist
Joined
Jan 25, 2004
It's a shame the Shibutani's debut started like this. I'm still perplexed by their SD music, but I love nothing more than being proven wrong when I think an idea isn't a great one.
!

I think it is a very bad idea. I even recognized some of Isabelle and Paul moves in their choreography. This choice won't do them any favor with the judges I think.
 

Mrs. P

Uno, Dos, twizzle!
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 27, 2009
I agree. Throughout their skate, i kept thinking, where are the tango steps??
They are good skaters, they so much deserve a better choreographer.

The British Eurosport felt that they would benefit from skating to music/style that was more suited to their youth. I don't get why Kursova's teams tries to make her teams look so old! I didn't even realize that Bobrova was actually nearly a decade younger than me, because her programs made her much older looking.
 

gmyers

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 6, 2010
One judge gave I/k a lot of sixes and one judge was a lot of sevens with most judges being all eights or some nines in pcs so they have to worry if it was not nationalist judging the sixes could grow at euros or just outside russia
 

missysays

On the Ice
Joined
Nov 8, 2007
V&M's Carmen is really special. Nothing else coming this year out of Canton is even in the same universe choreography-wise IMO. Which is great for the Canadians, but for the other teams there...You clearly saw the difference between this and what the Shibutanis did. Even with the mishaps IMO the Shibutanis have a beautiful FD, much much better than that misguided and IMO potentially harmful for them SD, but it's not in the same class choreography-wise IMO. And neither is D&W's FD, it's good, but it's conceptionally so much weaker than what the Canadians are doing IMO. The German commentators said that V&M seem in a league of their own this year, and I do think the much superior quality of their FD to D&W's FD plays a major part in that perception. Yeah, it's not quite there yet technically, but still...(that's a recurring theme with all three teams: not as sharp in technique and levels).

I/K just need to dump that music cut. Right now. I can appreciate what they were going for...and perhaps with a different music cut (without endless speaking!) and less soapy melodrama it might work, but not as it is now. I'm glad that they got deductions and relatively little (for COR LOL!) points for this, perhaps they'll get the hint.

I agree with you that Carmen is a really special FD but I don't agree that the Shibs FD isn't just as special- I think we just didn't get a chance to see it fully realized. It's not as dramatic and in your face for sure but its beauty (from what I could see) was in its fine details and elegant complexity. Of the 3 FDs from Canton, I like Meryl and Charlie's the least. (Which hurts me to say since I like them the best.)

I'm not sure I believe though that V/M are in a league all their own- I think they had a FD that is a legend in the making but their SD is only so-so for me. I think D/W's SD is the epitome of the polka/waltz concept- it's only unfortunate that their FD isn't on par with it or they would be difficult to beat.

As for I/K, unfortunately, I think their scores at Rostelecom Cup won't discourage them at all- I think they'll think they have a really great FD score and continue on with their FD. They got some deductions but not enough- it was still a really good score- even above W/P's FD scores so far this season if I'm not mistaken.
 

Mrs. P

Uno, Dos, twizzle!
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 27, 2009
I agree with you that Carmen is a really special FD but I don't agree that the Shibs FD isn't just as special- I think we just didn't get a chance to see it fully realized. It's not as dramatic and in your face for sure but its beauty (from what I could see) was in its fine details and elegant complexity. Of the 3 FDs from Canton, I like Meryl and Charlie's the least. (Which hurts me to say since I like them the best.)

I'm not sure I believe though that V/M are in a league all their own- I think they had a FD that is a legend in the making but their SD is only so-so for me. I think D/W's SD is the epitome of the polka/waltz concept- it's only unfortunate that their FD isn't on par with it or they would be difficult to beat.

As for I/K, unfortunately, I think their scores at Rostelecom Cup won't discourage them at all- I think they'll think they have a really great FD score and continue on with their FD. They got some deductions but not enough- it was still a really good score- even above W/P's FD scores so far this season if I'm not mistaken.

The good news for D/W is that we won't seem them until NHK; they will have had six weeks to refine it. I am not in love with their FD (yet), but I actually enjoyed seeing it live at Skate America, there's a lot of good things about it, but I think people were expecting a DF-type program right off the box; given that it's their second FD (again), they had less time to train it, while Carmen has been in the works for quite a while now. I think the program will be similar to their tango from the 2010-2011 season -- it basically took all season to get it to where they wanted it to be.

I think like people saying "Carmen is a cliche, why bother to do it?" and then realizing that V/M had a great concept for it (though it needs work technically), the Shibs got the "You already skated to this music, why bother?" For one thing they skated to this music as NOVICES in 2007 and Maia was only 13 years old. They are not going to approach this FD the same way they did when they were just building up in the sport. I think this time around they wanted to do the music justice, hence hiring the Japanese dance choreographer (Maia actually got a grant from the Women's Sports Foundation to do this!). As I said, it has potential to be great -- give it time.

I/K as a team drives me nuts. I really want to like them, they have great packaging, but then they do the worse FDs ever. As I said in the SD thread, I feel Mozorov put all his energy in the SD then just put a whole bunch of random things together for the FD then said, "Let's do isomething different" and put random music to it.
 

missysays

On the Ice
Joined
Nov 8, 2007
I think this time around they wanted to do the music justice, hence hiring the Japanese dance choreographer (Maia actually got a grant from the Women's Sports Foundation to do this!). As I said, it has potential to be great -- give it time.

I/K as a team drives me nuts. I really want to like them, they have great packaging, but then they do the worse FDs ever. As I said in the SD thread, I feel Mozorov put all his energy in the SD then just put a whole bunch of random things together for the FD then said, "Let's do isomething different" and put random music to it.

I think that's great- I had forgotten that Maia won a grant to pay for the special dance training. They are so motivated- love that about them.

As for I/K, she has so much charisma but I didn't like either their FD or SD. Frankly, the music in both numbers give me a headache.
 

Mrs. P

Uno, Dos, twizzle!
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 27, 2009
I think that's great- I had forgotten that Maia won a grant to pay for the special dance training. They are so motivated- love that about them.

As for I/K, she has so much charisma but I didn't like either their FD or SD. Frankly, the music in both numbers give me a headache.

You didn't like the SD? I actually like it. I feel they are always into skating in funeral attire, so I actually appreciated the fact they were joyful and were dressed in bright colors....
The thing that I don't understand about I/K is why Elena is such a showpiece in their dances, when Nikita is a really good dancer as well. They aren't as bad as they were in their first senior season -- let's face it that FD was about showing Elena in a cute tutu. :p -- but I still feel that it doesn't come across that he's just as good -- if not better-- as a dancer.
 

missysays

On the Ice
Joined
Nov 8, 2007
You didn't like the SD? I actually like it. I feel they are always into skating in funeral attire, so I actually appreciated the fact they were joyful and were dressed in bright colors....

No, unfortunately, I didn't find it appealing. I found the music a bit jarring and while I thought her expression was fresh and joyful I didn't really feel that it went with the music.
 

heyhey

On the Ice
Joined
Dec 31, 2011
With regards to the Shibs - they will regroup and depending on Alex's injury - they will compete at NHK...the FD is solid and the SD is a work in progress.
With regards to I/K - I also agree with Mrs. P that the packaging of both dancers should be equal. I feel lukewarm about these programs and I prefer B/S's FD...
With regards to V/M - all eyes were on them and they delivered two solid performances. Maybe not great performances but considering that they had to deal with Igor at SC and then the Russian crew here - I think psychologically they must have been stressed. Hopefully all the teams will receive productive feedback and work on their levels...

On a sidenote - after the next olympics - I think the SD will be scrapped and the ISU will go back to the OD....
 

Mao88

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 9, 2011
FREE DANCE - VIDEOS & RESULT

1. Tessa VIRTUE & Scott MOIR (CAN) - 173.99 Free Dance
2. Elena ILINYKH & Nikita KATSALAPOV (RUS) - 158.46 Free Dance
3. Victoria SINITSINA & Ruslan ZHIGANSHIN (RUS) - 145.08 Free Dance
4. Maia SHIBUTANI & Alex SHIBUTANI (USA) - 140.91 Free Dance
5. Nelli ZHIGANSHINA & Alexander GAZSI (GER) - 140.54 Free Dance
6. Ksenia MONKO & Kirill KHALIAVIN (RUS) - 135.84 Free Dance
7. Penny COOMES & Nicholas BUCKLAND (GBR) - 126.66
8. Nicole ORFORD & Thomas WILLIAMS (CAN) - 124.96 Free Dance
 
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100yen

You can't explain witchcraft
Medalist
Joined
Jan 8, 2009
Maia just tweeted that Alex's injury was a strained quadricep which caused a muscle spasm during the program.
 

A.H.Black

Final Flight
Joined
Feb 1, 2004
Actually, you should watch the SD again --- Maia's arms movements there (Alex's too) is quite interesting. I am 50/50 on the SD, but I too hope I could be proven wrong because after seeing it a few times, I could see some diamonds in the rough in that program -- namely their step sequence, faces (as noted by IP) and the arm movements....
I, too, am 50/50 on the SD. I quite like the program. However, I don't see it as an effective vehicle for a Short Dance that includes a Yankee Polka. I also agree with the comments about Maia's hands. There was a close-up of Maia's hand resting on Alex' shoulder at the beginning of the Free Dance and I thought how lovely that one hand looked at rest.
 
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