Elena Ilinykh & Ruslan Zhiganshin

Alba said:

That's true, but what I mean for "new" is referred to the choreo and music version used.
V&M program for example was completely new Carmen, and very "modern". That's why I said that even that has been done by V&M, but we'll see. Maybe this SD will be great as well. If Najarro thinks that's good than I trust him.

Click to expand...

uhh said:

I suppose it will be a bit "new" by your definition, because I can't think of anyone before who has done Carmen while having to use the set rhythms of the paso doble & flamenco - they've had touches of flamenco style, but this will have to have a much more disciplined sense of the dance. Hopefully Antonio will have come up with something unique!

Click to expand...

Sandpiper said:

I only wish for the dance to be good (like V/M's was). There are Carmens I disliked (*cough*Lysacek*cough*) but that was due to the wrong person skating to the wrong choreography rather than the music itself.

Click to expand...

surimi said:

Not what I was hoping to hear at all. Carmen is done each season, and V/M and C/L set the bar very high. I hope they just pick some less known parts and don't tweak too much the way Sotnikova did the last season. I don't doubt the suitability of Elena's looks, and their ability to skate in a way that catches your eye. But I'm sick to death of hearing the key Carmen themes over and over again, and am thinking I/Z would need to be extra original to make their dance stand out among others, possibly more original tunes. I hope they convince me that at least my fear is unfounded.

Click to expand...

surimi said:

But I'm sick to death of hearing the key Carmen themes over and over again, and am thinking I/Z would need to be extra original to make their dance stand out among others, possibly more original tunes. I hope they convince me that at least my fear is unfounded.

Click to expand...

surimi said:

Not what I was hoping to hear at all. Carmen is done each season, and V/M and C/L set the bar very high. I hope they just pick some less known parts and don't tweak too much the way Sotnikova did the last season. I don't doubt the suitability of Elena's looks, and their ability to skate in a way that catches your eye. But I'm sick to death of hearing the key Carmen themes over and over again, and am thinking I/Z would need to be extra original to make their dance stand out among others, possibly more original tunes. I hope they convince me that at least my fear is unfounded.

Click to expand...

kauh888 said:

I see where you're coming from and I agree, but in that interview Kustraova said that Elena suggested Carmen herself. I think it's important for the skaters to really love the characters and music of their pieces because a) they're going to be skating to it all season, and b) if they really love it, then it will be inspired each time they skate it. The good thing about the Carmen music though is that it quite readily facilitates getting into that flirtatious character because the music is so Latin, fierce, and seductive. It will help with capturing the feel of the paso doble/Latin flavor I think.

Click to expand...

MK's Winter said:

I agree with you all. If anyone can sell Carmen it's definitely Elena. I am actually excited to see this and I normally have an eye roll for anyone who uses Carmen.

Click to expand...

snowflakebeautiful said:

And....I'm going to be honest since we're all raving on Elena (and I agree)....I think that Ruslan has it in him to play the seduced. I feel like this may be really fun

Click to expand...

kauh888 said:

I agree. I always felt that Ruslan was always quite expressive and good at playing his characters.

Click to expand...

snowflakebeautiful said:

Same!! And i've went back and watched some of he and Vik's programs (bc i admittedly didn't pay a super amount of attention to them pre this split and switch up)....and he was good at being expressive! I can imagine that he may even be better with a partner who is good in that area as well.

Click to expand...

MK's Winter said:

I think it's funny, I'm normally pretty blah over a Carmen piece but I am really excited for this. Not only because I am excited for the I/Z pairing but I really feel these two can sell it. Elena has shown she can do big over used music larger than life. Expressively she has match in Ruslan. I hope they come together technically as well. They seem to be putting a lot of work into this as a team.

Click to expand...

snowflakebeautiful said:

I totally understand where you're coming from, but I don't think that using a more "original" song makes or breaks a performance or necessarily causes someone to stand out in a positive way. Just bc us FS fans say we'd like to hear different pieces of music, somehow tried and true pieces seem to come out on top over and over again. So, I think as long as they have their own performance of "Carmen," they'll be fine in that regard.

Click to expand...

uhh said:

He's one of the Russian team physios.

Click to expand...