Is it just me or is Gracie becoming an arm flapper? She just does not pull me in, to me she does very basic skating, nothing about it really stands out.
The way Mirai looked when she took her opening pose you could tell she was not going to skate well, she looked too nervous and appeared as if she was dreading having to skate.
Some great skating today.
She has always been an arm flapper for me. She has actually improved in that department. You should take a look at her "Life is Beautiful" program, and see how much arm flapping she did back then.
She has always been an arm flapper for me. She has actually improved in that department. You should take a look at her "Life is Beautiful" program, and see how much arm flapping she did back then.
I think she has improved too. The problem is more that her arms are a bit stiff so it looks a bit flingy rather than flowy. It's not her fault. It's just the way she moves and you can tell she has worked on it. I think she's lovely. I was crushed by that last spin because up until that point I was thinking "this is what Gracie needs to do - turn in solid programs to become a big contender" - and then the botched spin. Arghhhhhhhhhhh. Well, it's not the end of the world. But she really does need to get in more clean performances. Judges like her.
I'm sure she was extremely nervous going into Skate America as the top American lady and if her performance seemed a bit stiff to some I think that would be why. But I liked it. Maybe this mistake and being in third will take the edge off a bit for the long.
What does, "NOT EVEN a Yu-na" type artist, mean? I'm not sure I know what you are suggesting.
I don't find Liza T to be artistic...at all really. What she is, however, is a very good performer. She's able to get into her music and the character of her music and project that to the audience. She's always been like that. She's not the most graceful or elegant skater in the field but she works with what she has, and what she has is power and attitude. I actually think her "artistic range" is somewhat limited. Liza T isn't able to pull of quiet/softer music; don't forget she used the same SP three seasons in a row. However, not everyone can be versatile...some people need to stick to what they're good at. Liza is good with mid to up-tempo music that allows her to add a bit of attitude and flair. I think Bolero suits her well and I really like her FS too.
I feel that Gracie has improved in terms of artistry, partly because this is a program that she's performed over and over again. Being more comfortable does a lot to lessen the stiff arm waving she used to always have in the beginning of last season. She seems to also be actually be listening to the music now, which is a big help TRUST ME. Whether this will carry over to her lp is another story.
Art&Sport, I wasn't complaining about Liza. She was wonderful. I was complaining about Brooklee's score, particularly in comparison to Nagasu, and more to the point, the endless threads and posts here complaining about how the Russians are always overscored and EVIL but the Americans are angels of light. Well, here you have an American totally overscored, but no-one actually cares because the victim was only Australian.
Just got caught up with the SP & the thread. Can I just say I sort of miss skyfly?