Imagining alternative partners in pairs/dance | Golden Skate

Imagining alternative partners in pairs/dance

First Skate

Rinkside
Joined
Nov 24, 2013
I recently had a dream in which Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir did an exhibition dance with Evan Bates (dreams are strange). Tessa and Evan were wonderful to watch together and dream me was wondering what could have been if they had skated together all along... I woke up and was confused.

It got me thinking about alternative partners. Are there any skaters you think could have or could have had more interesting or successful careers with other partners? It might be fun to consider skaters from different eras.
 

ILuvYuna

On the Ice
Joined
Feb 27, 2014
I always wanted Sasha Cohen to go into pairs skating after her singles career :laugh: If we can pick from any era, I think I'd pick John Zimmerman as her partner :)
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
What an interesting question, and a lot harder to answer than I would have thought. My favorite pairs/ice dance teams have such strong chemistry between each other that it's almost impossible to imagine them with anyone else at first. I'll have to push myself.

Once years ago, in the first "Skates of Gold" program (which was televised), all the gold-medal pairs skated an ensemble number in which after an interval, the pairs broke up and skated with other partners. I still remember Gordeyeva skating toward Artur Dmitriev with a big smile and then performing briefly with him. It was fascinating to watch. The pairs may even have switched off another time or two during that number. I don't remember whether the ice dancers did a similar program.

One rather provocative switch occurs to me: Christopher Dean skating with Isabelle Duchesnay. Of course it would have to be before their volatile marriage broke up.
 

YesWay

四年もかけて&#
Record Breaker
Joined
Sep 28, 2013
A role-reversal pairs team, of Mae Berenice Meite, and Florent Amodio.

They would be AWESOME together.
 

PlaysInTheDirt

On the Ice
Joined
Feb 16, 2014
I would have liked to have seen John and Sinead Kerr skate with other people, although who those other people would be isn't coming to mind at the moment.
 

Anna K.

Final Flight
Joined
Feb 22, 2014
Country
Latvia
My fantasy's exausted but thanks for yours:

A role-reversal pairs team, of Mae Berenice Meite, and Florent Amodio.

They would be AWESOME together.

:agree:

I would have liked to have seen John and Sinead Kerr skate with other people, although who those other people would be isn't coming to mind at the moment.

I would just have liked to have seen John and Sinead Kerr skate... again :sigh:
 

BlackPack

Medalist
Joined
Mar 20, 2013
Ditto regarding Artur Dmitriev and Katia. While Sergei was always considered one of the hottest men in skating, he didn't have Artur's creativity and passion.

I think Tessa and Andrew Poje would be gorgeous together but obviously she would be the better skater.

Ben Agosto would do well with many different ladies.

Sometimes it's the partnering that makes all the difference, especially in the case of Volosozhar and Trankov. They struggled in the ranks with their other partners and together they won gold.

With someone steely and determined like Irina Rodnina, she could probably win gold with anyone.

I think Meryl would also work well with any male skater.

Maia Usova/Zhulin and Grishuk and Platov switched each other, and they didn't do so well in the pro circuit. If I recall correctly, people mocked them when Grishuk and Zhulin skated to Smooth Operator.:laugh:

As for Berezhnaya and Sikharulidze and Shen and Zhao... they're really made for each other on the ice and off in the case of S&Z. I can't imagine them partnered to anyone else.
 

Sam-Skwantch

“I solemnly swear I’m up to no good”
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 29, 2013
Country
United-States
I let my mind go blank and the first pair that pooped in my mind was.

Denise Beillman / Kurt Browning ...now that would be an interesting pair.

Currently skating I think Yulia and Yuzuru would be unstoppable. Although the cute factor may be too much for some here to bear.

It's apparent that I watch mostly singles skating:slink:
 

hyperinflation

Match Penalty
Joined
Jan 19, 2014
Currently skating I think Yulia and Yuzuru would be unstoppable.

they were paired together in the gala! they looked like two kids at their first middle school dance holding each other with at least three feet of space between them, it was hilarious
 

BlackPack

Medalist
Joined
Mar 20, 2013
Yulia and Yuz together :love: It's not just cute. Together, they emanate this innocence and purity. First love sort of thing.
 

First Skate

Rinkside
Joined
Nov 24, 2013
A role-reversal pairs team, of Mae Berenice Meite, and Florent Amodio.

They would be AWESOME together.

That would be fantastic!

I think Tessa and Andrew Poje would be gorgeous together but obviously she would be the better skater.

I think that amount of gorgeousness combined would be too much for the world to handle.

What an interesting question, and a lot harder to answer than I would have thought. My favorite pairs/ice dance teams have such strong chemistry between each other that it's almost impossible to imagine them with anyone else at first. I'll have to push myself.

Thanks, yes I think it's difficult because you can't help but associate one partner solely with the other.
 

NYscorp6

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 23, 2005
Country
United-States
I♥Yuna;884625 said:
I always wanted Sasha Cohen to go into pairs skating after her singles career :laugh: If we can pick from any era, I think I'd pick John Zimmerman as her partner :)

Wow. Now that US pair would be interesting!
 

ILuvYuna

On the Ice
Joined
Feb 27, 2014
Wow. Now that US pair would be interesting!

Their exhibition tricks would be awesome b/c he's so tall, and she's even tinier than Kyoko! (maybe they could do the iron lotus :laugh:) and for competitions, maybe a quad twist and quad throws lol.

Sam mentioned Kurt Browning - he's be a great match for Sasha as far as artistry - good expression, perfect posture, and stuff... Also, I'd put Denise Bielman with Artur Dmitriev :yes:

Yulia and Yuz together :love:

They're adorable :love: Also found a cute pic w/Zijun Li :) http://i789.photobucket.com/albums/yy176/os168_photo/ZijunYuzuru-1.jpg
 

vinganca

Rinkside
Joined
Feb 20, 2014
i think Jeremy Abbott would have made an amazing ice dancer. His artistry and steps are exquisite, and when he does choke in competition it's nearly always on jumps, which would be a non-issue in dancing.
 

gkelly

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Going back to the 1990s, Denise Biellmann and Rudy Galindo, as pros. Both clockwise, and potential for all kinds of intricate pair spins. Plus they could probably throw each other.

At 1998 Skate America, I thought that, after Anissina & Peizerat, the skaters with the best basic skating were Peter Tchernyshev and Nicole Bobek, and that they could make a good US dance team with her extension and musicality and not have to worry about those pesky jumps.
 

Ryan O

Final Flight
Joined
Mar 5, 2004
Country
Canada
i think Jeremy Abbott would have made an amazing ice dancer. His artistry and steps are exquisite, and when he does choke in competition it's nearly always on jumps, which would be a non-issue in dancing.

It's an interesting question to think about. With the jump requirement gone, there would be the opportunity to focus on other skating skills and the moves and the artistry.

However, the other factor to consider when wondering how a particular single skater (eg. Jeremy Abbott) would do in pairs or dance is the partnership aspect. That is the biggest difference between being a single skater and being a partner. Single skaters only have to worry about their own skating and their own personalities and life challenges. When you are in a pairs or dance team, you not only need good skating skills, but also the ability to work with another person from morning to night, for many years. You go through emotional ups and downs together, injuries, pain, etc. and lots of other daily issues from family, friends, school, etc. that may intervene in each other's lives.

So any single skater contemplating a change to pairs or dance has to figure out whether they can adjust to their life being intertwined with someone else's for many years. :)
 

desertskates

Medalist
Joined
Nov 19, 2013
I like the thought of Jeremy Abbott and Christina Goa for pairs or dance. Both are immensely talented and they could maybe feed off each other to calm nerves or whatever causes their inconsistencies.
 
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