2014 Olympics Team Event Free Dance

Frenchie · Feb 9, 2014

I was impressed by Ilinykh/Katsalapov, they got 6 x Level 4 and 2 x Level 3.
Those were higher Levels than Virtue/Moir, who had a Level 2 in the DiSt.

D/W were sublime, even with the imperfection on the twizzles.
I love V/M, but I can't seem to connect with the music that much.

I really enjoyed Guignard/Fabbri's musical arrangement to Romeo and Julia.

Ice Dance · Feb 9, 2014

Very happy for Charlie & Meryl :clap:

Also, it was nice to see V&M skate a solid free. Love her new costume.

I'm glad I&K had this wonderful moment here, though I'm still cheering for C&L and P&B in the dance event. (I'm really appalled at what Igor has done to P&B's short, though. Ahh! There went one of my favorite routines of the year).

Italy. I wasn't expecting to see these two here, but they defeated the Reeds by a healthy margin which IMO is quite decent for Italy's team two.

I feel like the Reeds did their job for the Japanese team, who sadly had a rough go in the singles. (Really hope this team event will encourage Japan to become more invested in its pairs & dance disciplines).

Yes, D&W were off on the unison of their twizzles and, I think, a little early into their final position while V&M were unsteady on their opening lift. And, yes, the judges in the team event are going over-the-top with their enthusiasm for the top placements. That said, D&W sure showed up despite the pressure and they should be so proud of their effort in this team event. They are the only favorites and/or reigning world champions for gold out of all the disciplines who skated both events here.

Tara & Johnny know nothing about commentating ice dance, and frankly it's better if they DON'T try. (Yesterday they basically said nothing technical at all until B&S skated and then suddenly they seemed to think they were expert enough to pick apart a program that has been placing third in the world all season). I don't know why NBC couldn't invest in a real dance commentator for the live coverage (we seem to suddenly have an overflow of commentators throughout the rest of the season). Frankly at this point it's pretty obvious that NBC should just BEG Tanith to do the individual dance event. Or get Ben or Judy Blumberg on a plane right now.

sweetskates1 · Feb 9, 2014

I agree!!

rosacotton said:
Good skates from the top three. I'm glad V/M and D/W weren't absolutely clean here, leaving room for improvement in the individual event.

sweetskates1 · Feb 9, 2014

Very happy for Davis and White!!!!!!!!!!!!! Lovely new dress on Tessa - just gorgeous! She looks like a Russian bride!

Ice Dance said:
Very happy for Charlie & Meryl

Also, it was nice to see V&M skate a solid free. Love her new costume.

I'm glad I&K had this wonderful moment here, though I'm still cheering for C&L and P&B in the dance event. (I'm really appalled at what Igor has done to P&B's short, though. Ahh! There went one of my favorite routines of the year).

Italy. I wasn't expecting to see these two here, but they defeated the Reeds by a healthy margin which IMO is quite decent for Italy's team two.

I feel like the Reeds did their job for the Japanese team, who sadly had a rough go in the singles. (Really hope this team event will encourage Japan to become more invested in its pairs & dance disciplines).

Yes, D&W were off on the unison of their twizzles and, I think, a little early into their final position while V&M were unsteady on their opening lift. And, yes, the judges in the team event are going over-the-top with their enthusiasm for the top placements. That said, D&W sure showed up despite the pressure and they should be so proud of their effort in this team event. They are the only favorites and/or reigning world champions for gold out of all the disciplines who skated both events here.

Tara & Johnny know nothing about commentating ice dance, and frankly it's better if they DON'T try. (Yesterday they basically said nothing technical at all until B&S skated and then suddenly they seemed to think they were expert enough to pick apart a program that has been placing third in the world all season). I don't know why NBC couldn't invest in a real dance commentator for the live coverage (we seem to suddenly have an overflow of commentators throughout the rest of the season). Frankly at this point it's pretty obvious that NBC should just BEG Tanith to do the individual dance event. Or get Ben or Judy Blumberg on a plane right now.

Sk8n Mama · Feb 9, 2014

I have watched V/M's FD 3x. I still don't understand the downgrade to L3 on the circular and L2 on the diagonal. Most judges gave D/W +2 GOE on those twizzles.

I'm starting to wonder if the judges know what they're looking at. I would really prefer that former international calibre skaters judge, since they *do* know what they're looking at.

Chemistry66 · Feb 9, 2014

I've already seen a few comments by people I follow on Twitter that their "Olympic crush" is Charlie White.

dardar1126 · Feb 9, 2014

I like both teams, but I'd give the current edge to D&W.

I loved V&M's Mahler program from Vancouver...beautiful, sublime, perfection. But since then none of their free dances has come close imo.

And while they and D&W were really closely matched in 2010, I feel that D&W has really grown and excelled in the last few years, and that V&M haven't done so to the same level. I know Tessa was out for a time with injury, so that may be one factor. But from music to choreography to performance, I just think they've slipped back ever so slightly (or at least haven't progressed as much as D&W have).

rustyskater · Feb 9, 2014

Sorry if this has been discussed already but does anyone know the reason for IK's "Costume Failure" -1.0 deduction? Gracie Gold seemed to have a wardrobe malfunction also but what happened to IK?

BlackAxel · Feb 9, 2014

rustyskater said:
Sorry if this has been discussed already but does anyone know the reason for IK's "Costume Failure" -1.0 deduction? Gracie Gold seemed to have a wardrobe malfunction also but what happened to IK?

Apparently a feather came off of Elena's costume near the end of the program.

dardar1126 · Feb 9, 2014

rustyskater said:
Sorry if this has been discussed already but does anyone know the reason for IK's "Costume Failure" -1.0 deduction? Gracie Gold seemed to have a wardrobe malfunction also but what happened to IK?

Johnny Weir said it was because a feather fell off her costume!?! :rolleye:

Apparently in ice dance the judges are quite strict about such things. :scratch:

Frenchie · Feb 9, 2014

dardar1126 said:
rustyskater said:

Sorry if this has been discussed already but does anyone know the reason for IK's "Costume Failure" -1.0 deduction? Gracie Gold seemed to have a wardrobe malfunction also but what happened to IK?

Click to expand...

Johnny Weir said it was because a feather fell off her costume!?! Apparently in ice dance the judges are quite strict about such things. :scratch:

Here's what I wrote in the "what changes would you make?" thread:

Frenchie said:
Just one drop of super glue on Elena Ilinykh's Swan Lake costume so that that one tiny feather holds on just 5 seconds longer!
I only saw it fall off the 2nd time I watched them after having seen "Costume failure - 1.00" in the protocols
The only "mistake" in a beautiful performance!
The Sochi homepage even has a pic of them at the exact moment the feather falls - I don't even think that was on purpose!

rustyskater · Feb 9, 2014

Thank you! Amazing to think that a simple change to IK's FD costume (which they should do) would bring them about 3 points away from VM!!?? Who would have thought? I wonder what BS think about IK's scores?

bixby · Feb 9, 2014

Ice Diva said:
V/M's skate quite divine - loved her Faberge patterned costume. It's great to hear all the top coaches & skaters abuzz about how good they are. I/K - wonderful skate - they are definitely a team to watch for the future. D/W - I admire this team but hate this program - just another S/D with a bunch of hopping & her lying on his back. Laughable scores for them -- interesting how the only highly inflated scores were for the Russians and D/W -- kinda makes the L'Equipe article about the Russia/US figure skating deal seem way much more plausible all of a sudden!

You hate their program? Hmmm, more like you hate it for the fact that it's beating the crap of your favorite, V/M. You're sounding a little too desperate like that article you're quoting IMO.

dardar1126 · Feb 9, 2014

Just watched the repeat on NBC, and actually saw the feather fall! :laugh:

NorthernDancers · Feb 9, 2014

dardar1126 said:
And while they and D&W were really closely matched in 2010, I feel that D&W has really grown and excelled in the last few years, and that V&M haven't done so to the same level. I know Tessa was out for a time with injury, so that may be one factor. But from music to choreography to performance, I just think they've slipped back ever so slightly (or at least haven't progressed as much as D&W have).

You know, this has been the narrative that has gotten the most play over the last couple years. Not sure where it started, but it's following the old adage that if something is said often enough, it must be true, even if its not. Unfortunately, not enough people have bothered to correct this statement often enough. And the truth is, this statement doesn't hold up to fact. While V was injured, she has come back stronger than ever before. As a team, V/M are stronger physically and technically than they ever were. They are faster, cleaner edges, new elements every year, and deeper interpretation. When you look at their body of work over the last few years, its Latin, Broadway, and Modern. They've pushed the boundaries of the sport each and every year. Carmen was an absolutely incredible achievement. This year's free dance is a masterpiece, and a gift to themselves and their fans. Maybe it isn't a "blockbuster" as Kurt would describe D/W, but there are more outstanding movies than blockbusters. And this is a sport. It shouldn't be about personal preference in music, but how one skates, as measured against specific criteria, whatever the music. And their skating skills, choreography, how they interpret (as opposed to skate to) every nuance and beat of the music, the closeness with which they skate, the lines, the quality and depth of edge, the emotion, the chemistry...its stunning, and unmatched anywhere. Its the stuff that dance has always been about, but mysteriously the last couple of years has taken a back seat in judges marks. What I hope for the individual events is the same standards applied to all teams, and PCS and GOE that match the technical rules, and applied to all the same way, without bias or personal preference.

sk8tngcanuck · Feb 9, 2014

LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That's all I got for this ludicrous comment!

blackswanphoto said:
I thought V/M score was too high. The Russians should have beat them. They had a problem with every single lift. That is just s bad, bad, bad freedance. After they finished almost no reaction from the crowd, even some of the lower ranked teams got a better response.... And what the hell was that red thing Tessa was wearing? Looked like something from a after Christmas yard sale.

dardar1126 · Feb 9, 2014

I don't follow ice dance closely enough to know about any narrative; this is just my own opinion based on the performances I've seen.

hyperinflation · Feb 10, 2014

v/m's fd is a tough one. i've only ever liked it once when they did it at gpf (i guess i liked it at canadian nationals too, so one and a half) and was pretty much bored to tears all the other times they've done it. i think if they can bring it to their performance, it'll be a close race. and v/m do deliver a lot of it when they want to and can make the incredibly saccharine schmoopiness of the program work for them. and even by virtue and moir standards it is an incredibly schmoopy program

i don't think i'll ever like it as much as mahler, but i don't think i'll ever like anything as much i liked mahler. they haven't done anything since to beat it, but neither has anyone else or anyone in the twenty or so years before them, so it's kind of an unfair comparison point. i don't think it necessarily means they've regressed in terms of skill.

Olympia · Feb 10, 2014

It's remarkable to watch the top dancers and to see how differently they all arrive at excellence.

Tessa's costumes are probably my favorites. Both the all-black one from the short program and the red tapestry one from the free dance suit her perfectly, bringing out her alabaster skin and black hair. I'm not nearly so fond of Meryl's free dance costume. Its lines aren't flattering, especially the bodice, and I don't like that hanging sash/train. (I love their dance, though.) I did love I's and K's Swan Lake costumes, his especially. It projects romance without looking too fussy.

hyperinflation · Feb 10, 2014

Tessa's costumes are probably my favorites. Both the all-black one from the short program and the red tapestry one from the free dance suit her perfectly, bringing out her alabaster skin and black hair. I'm not nearly so fond of Meryl's free dance costume. Its lines aren't flattering, especially the bodice, and I don't like that hanging sash/train. (I love their dance, though.) I did love I's and K's Swan Lake costumes, his especially. It projects romance without looking too fussy.

meryl's illusion fabric looks like it was put together at home depot, she needs to get whoever does tessa's - it never looks like it's actually there unless the lighting hits her just so

2014 Olympics Team Event Free Dance

Frenchie

I'm gonna customize the CRAP out of this title!

Ice Dance

sweetskates1

sweetskates1

Sk8n Mama

Chemistry66

Mmmmm, tacos.

dardar1126

rustyskater

BlackAxel

dardar1126

Frenchie

I'm gonna customize the CRAP out of this title!

rustyskater

bixby

dardar1126

NorthernDancers

sk8tngcanuck

dardar1126

hyperinflation

Match Penalty

Olympia

hyperinflation

Match Penalty

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