Who is everyone's guess for ladies podium-can Ashley take bronze? | Page 4 | Golden Skate

Who is everyone's guess for ladies podium-can Ashley take bronze?

Barb

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 13, 2009
Everyone speak about Ashley´s black swan program as a great program, but I hate it :scowl:, really, those arm movements in her spiral :disapp:, I prefer her S/D, it was great, I watched her TEB performance over and over :popcorn::points:, and I loved her yellow dress too.
 

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll
Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
I think people like Black Swan so much is because it was the first vehicle Ashley ever had that gave her the power and confidence to make her mark in skating. Hard not to think of it fondly if you're a fan!

I liked her S/D program and dress, too!
 

Layfan

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 5, 2009
I hate to say it but I also disliked her Swan program, although I recognize that she liked it and it gave her confidence. I hardly ever like anyone's swan skates. Swan Lake is the quintessentially difficult ballet. You just can't pull it off unless nature chose you to be a swan. I didn't hate Sasha's Swan Lake but I didn't love it either. Somehow, it left me cold.

Anyway, I loved Ashley's S/D and her SP from last year even more. I also like Romeo and Juliet. It's true what some people are saying that I don't exactly get Juliet from her but somehow it doesn't bother me. She does well to the music and at least Juliet is a person so there's no need to pretend to be a bird, which again, is so hard to pull off.
 

Nadia01

Final Flight
Joined
Nov 10, 2009
Yeah, but I thought that the 2010 experience was that way because Yuna had won gold and at that point she had nothing to prove anymore. I think when she talked about how empty she felt, it was because, well, she'd just won the most major award for her sport, so...now what?

If on the other hand she lands off the podium in Sochi, she might feel like she does have something left to prove.

ETA: Of course this is all just speculation on my part!

She was forced to go to the worlds in 2010 by her federation.
 

Nadia01

Final Flight
Joined
Nov 10, 2009
I hate to say it but I also disliked her Swan program, although I recognize that she liked it and it gave her confidence. I hardly ever like anyone's swan skates. Swan Lake is the quintessentially difficult ballet. You just can't pull it off unless nature chose you to be a swan. I didn't hate Sasha's Swan Lake but I didn't love it either. Somehow, it left me cold.

Anyway, I loved Ashley's S/D and her SP from last year even more. I also like Romeo and Juliet. It's true what some people are saying that I don't exactly get Juliet from her but somehow it doesn't bother me. She does well to the music and at least Juliet is a person so there's no need to pretend to be a bird, which again, is so hard to pull off.

You're not alone. I didn't like her Swan program either. I thought her arms looked really stiff and it didn't feel very swan-like. I also don't like R&J either. Last year's LP was better, but it's still not my favorite. I prefer her short over long.
 

skateluvr

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 23, 2011
Ashley is competing with her past two years

I think I said it before, and that was that Ashley had great rapport with Philip Mills. I really think Ashley is not letting us down this year. She is taking a risk with her SP choice. It is good, but not as good as the last two years were. Most of the ladies are competing with programs that are not as memorable as Ashley's LPs. We are comparing her more to BSwan or S/D than current LPs. I like both her Juliet costumes. I think she should skate to the music, not try to be Juliet. I wanted her to keep Swan. No one liked the idea, but the loss of Mills has taken the edge off her programs, but she will skate with power. I think skating cleanly with precision could win the bronze.

But she doesn't have to embody Juliet. Not needed to interpret.
 

Nadia01

Final Flight
Joined
Nov 10, 2009
I think I said it before, and that was that Ashley had great rapport with Philip Mills. I really think Ashley is not letting us down this year. She is taking a risk with her SP choice. It is good, but not as good as the last two years were. Most of the ladies are competing with programs that are not as memorable as Ashley's LPs. We are comparing her more to BSwan or S/D than current LPs. I like both her Juliet costumes. I think she should skate to the music, not try to be Juliet. I wanted her to keep Swan. No one liked the idea, but the loss of Mills has taken the edge off her programs, but she will skate with power. I think skating cleanly with precision could win the bronze.

But she doesn't have to embody Juliet. Not needed to interpret.

If she's not embodying Juliet or interpret anything (I'm not sure what you're trying to say there), why is she even skating to any music at all?
 

CarneAsada

Medalist
Joined
Sep 17, 2011
If she's not embodying Juliet or interpret anything (I'm not sure what you're trying to say there), why is she even skating to any music at all?
She doesn't have to embody Juliet. She could also portray Romeo. Just like Hanyu seems to be portraying Juliet, or all the female skaters going for character portrayal to the tune of Nessun Dorma are apparently doing Calaf.
 

Nadia01

Final Flight
Joined
Nov 10, 2009
She doesn't have to embody Juliet. She could also portray Romeo. Just like Hanyu seems to be portraying Juliet, or all the female skaters going for character portrayal to the tune of Nessun Dorma are apparently doing Calaf.

I don't think she HAS to. But she has to interpret SOMETHING and bring SOMETHING to the ice. I was questioning what skateluvr meant by "not needed to interpret"
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
You're not alone. I didn't like her Swan program either. I thought her arms looked really stiff and it didn't feel very swan-like. I also don't like R&J either. Last year's LP was better, but it's still not my favorite. I prefer her short over long.

My impression was always that Ashley was portraying a character from the movie Black Swan. Though I didn't see the film, I gather one of the dancers kind of becomes unhinged after obsessing on the role of the Swan, and the jerky "wing" movements stem from the film portrayal. I didn't love this program either, but it certainly marked a watershed moment for Ashley as a confident skater.
 

Nadia01

Final Flight
Joined
Nov 10, 2009
My impression was always that Ashley was portraying a character from the movie Black Swan. Though I didn't see the film, I gather one of the dancers kind of becomes unhinged after obsessing on the role of the Swan, and the jerky "wing" movements stem from the film portrayal. I didn't love this program either, but it certainly marked a watershed moment for Ashley as a confident skater.

I know it's not Swan Lake. And it's not the jerky movements I object to, but I felt that her movements were more stiff than jerky.

I thought she skated it confidently, and that season really worked wonders for her career. But I'm not sure where she's going w/ her programs this season because I honestly don't get her LP -- I'm not moved by it or connected by it. I'm not certain that skating it error-free is going to fix the lack of connection and interpretation. I feel like she could've skated in complete silence and it wouldn't have made that much difference in connection.
 

CanadianSkaterGuy

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 25, 2013
Oh she was clearly interpreting the movie that had just come out. Which was a fiery modern take on an otherwise played out piece. Although, yes, now it certainly is played out. No more swans, thanks! Hopefully every time a coach suggests Black Swan the skater immediately shuts it down. :p
 

jenaj

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 17, 2003
Country
United-States
My dream podium is:
Gold: Anyone but Yu Na (so Mao, most likely)
Silver/Bronze: Yu Na/Ashley

My realistic podium
Gold: Yu Na
Silver: Mao
Bronze: Carolina
 

Barb

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 13, 2009
She doesn't have to embody Juliet. She could also portray Romeo. Just like Hanyu seems to be portraying Juliet, or all the female skaters going for character portrayal to the tune of Nessun Dorma are apparently doing Calaf.

Why people are saying Yuzu is trying portray Julieta :scratch:? It is a kind of joke?, he said something about it?, or in what moment in the coreography he seems portray her?
 

skateluvr

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 23, 2011
Is it the whole feminine blouse thing? I have no idea what the costume means, but consensus was negative on his outfit in the costume thread. It is always better to be understated than overstated. The red dress Julia L. is wearing is a big hit on the boards because it is appropriate, understated, age appropriate. She is miles ahead of her compatriots on the costume thing. It really does matter, in some programs more than others.

I really have like Ashley's costume choices and I think her Black Swan was brilliant. Was there a more memorable costume that year? Not for me. This year it hasn't been such a great blend of music, choreo and costume but her skating is good and if she can control her nerves and skate what she does in practice, it will be very good indeed.

I so hope for bronze, but I think there are 3 skaters the judges want on the podium, and a huge threat from Julia in Russian soil. Akiko doesn't have a great LP like "O" which to me is an Olympic program. If I had a dream podium, it would be those who are good and I think underscored. Because she has worked so hard, for so long, I'd like to see Caro have her life skate on Olympic ice. Whatever she gets -well, we can't control judges, I just want her to be free of nerves and skate with the joy we have seen the last few seasons. I'd like to se Akiko skate great and may the judges be generous to her. I hope osmund comes back and does well. And if Julia does get the bronze medal as many feel is very possible, I hope she skates that program from her heart. It is impossible I thought for her to skate this music with genuine understanding. I just hope she concentrates on that music as it mean a lot to very many people.

I don't think Grace has special programs that show her to advantage, but I sure hope she finds the fun in Sochi that Sarah and and Tara did. Grace likes to come from behind, as we saw last year at Nationals. Naturally, I'd like to see a lady from USA do well. I have always found Ashley worthy and deserving. She is now a woman out there, and she really can skate to most any type of music. May it be rewarded. She wants it so badly.
 
Top