2019 U.S. Nats: FD

[gsk8]

Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue defended their title, winning their second consecutive gold at the 2019 Geico U.S. National Figure Skating Championships on Saturday in Detroit, Mich. Madison Chock and Bates, who were third last year, won the silver, while Kaitlin Hawayek and Jean-Luc Baker earned the bronze, their first senior national medal.

“I think Zach and I have grown a lot over the years training in Montreal,” said Hubbell. “One thing we learned is to put out our best performance and not to beat our competitors. Each competition is new, and in less than a week, we’ll head to Four Continents with these two teammates and some strong Canadian competition. We have put so much energy into getting levels and GOEs, and we want to make the story more beautiful.”

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What are your thoughts on the FD?

 

[Roast Toast]

My only question is: when did Madi teach Evan how to emote? They were so CUTE in that free dance! I'm so glad they didn't go the sizzling route with Elvis because adorableness is totally their ballpark!

 

[sowcow]

My only question is: when did Madi teach Evan how to emote?

And that's not something that can normally be 'taught'. Usually, you either have the ability to emote ... or you don't.

...So, I wonder how they were able to pull it out of him!?

It's certainly an amazing development that bodes well for C&B!! :agree:

 

[chuckm]

Madi and Evan are a couple off the ice. So maybe Evan is just reacting to Madi on ice the way he does when they're not on the ice.

 

[purplecat]

Loved all the FDs! I even enjoyed watching the Reynolds sibs - they were fun! Speaking of fun - Manta and Johnson were so fun to watch. Only sadness of the night was Parsons fall - very interesting that they had a new FD though - very brave of them.

My favorite was Chock and Bates - so happy to have them back and wow they were super! Loved Hubbell and Donohue too and I felt they were more powerful and confident here than on the GP. Congrats to Hawayek and Baker on winning a bronze medal, what a great year for them. And I'm so pleased for McNamara and Carpenter for getting the pewter this year - I loved all their transitions! Carreira and Ponomarenko were lovely too and have so much promise for the future.

Great job US dancers!!

 

[bramweld]

I tell ya, Gadbois could sweep that podium. It could happen.

 

[Ichatdelune]

Couldn't find a video of the Parsons, but my short thoughts on the teams that I watched. I am stating here that I am ID Jon Snow, I know nothing.

Hawayek/Baker: Again and again I am impressed by Jean-Luc Baker, he's one hell of a skater, dancer and a partner. Not that Kaitlin Hawayek isn't, it's just that Jean-Luc does catch your eye more. Lovely performance, did enjoy it very much.

McNamara/Carpenter: Lorraine's dress is lovely, can't mention this enough. Loved their precision and focus, they have this sharp, crisp feeling that I find delightful. The program is lyrical and soft and they do it well, and yet they still bring that crispness so that it doesn't feel too languid. Sort of a weird comparison, but the Greens have that sharpness too. Why do I bring them up?

Carreira/Ponomarenko: Because Nguyen/Kolesnik would be the junior comparison for C/P. They have this emotional fire, a passionate tenderness (if that makes sense). They draw you in, their emotions are clearly shown with every move and gesture and fills the ice along with the music. I loved their performance, especially Anthony (I know this must be mentioned like a zillion times, but genes don't lie and he is one heck of a dancer). I honestly can't pick between M/C and them, and I think that it was basically the twizzle mistake that decided who got the higher score.

Hubbell/Donohue: They are technically very, very strong, those lifts were something and overall had the smoothest flow across the ice. However, as this season is filled with R&J programs (and I personally can't hear I'm Kissing You and not expect JUUULIEET!! to come up) the program doesn't do much for me emotionally. One of the reason why is that Romeo and Juliet is a story about young lovers (Juliet is 14 in the play and all), and H/D is best known for their maturity. I mean, just look at the RD for this season, it's all sexiness and sizzling, heavy passion. Not the best transition to teenage first love. I get why they won, but I'm not the strongest advocate for this program.

Chock/Bates: One word: Awesome. Madison Chock is a diva in the best sense, and Evan Bates somehow managed to both assist her high up to show her diva-ness off and express his own emotions too. I was so into the performance, and that lift right on cue with the "Fever!" is just In fact I'm going to watch the performance again after I finish writing this, if I had to pick a favorite performance this would be the one. Can't wait to see it again at 4CC :hap85:

 

[theharleyquinn]

I'm really excited about the budding rivalry between McNamara/Carpenter and Carreira/Ponomarenko. Although I'm more partial to M/C, both need to work out their style in the next season or two. Still, they have a lot of refinement for being young seniors.

 

[chopinskate]

Wait, FD already happened? Huh. Tells me how much of a non-entity ice "dance" is to me.

 

[moonvine]

Wait, FD already happened? Huh. Tells me how much of a non-entity ice "dance" is to me.

Too bad as it’s by far the US’ strongest event IMHO.

 

[chopinskate]

Too bad as it’s by far the US’ strongest event IMHO.

It probably is, there's lots of talent. It's just a shame that the dancing going on is so formulaic, robotic, meaningless, and mechanical. Can't engage with it whatsoever. Maybe if they renamed it to something else I'd be more interested, because the name itself I find strangely insulting at times.

 

[WeakAnkles]

Manta and Johnson brought me Joy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hs_EP_ts-Y

 

[moses]

Manta and Johnson brought me Joy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hs_EP_ts-Y

Okay...Manta/Johnson STOLE the night for me! Absolutely iconic. I think I've watched it about 100 times today. The character step sequence? ICONIC!

 

[MiraiFan]

Was shocked that the Reynolds don't have a full time coach. They trained for senior moves on their own with their Mom--wow!
Was gutted for the Parsons. The look on Michael's face made me cry. Loved their Bohemian Rhapsody program--hope they keep it for next year. The future is bright for US ice dance...

 

[Heleng]

Kaitlin and Jean-Luc were wonderful, very happy for them that they finally got on the podium. So disappointed for the Parsons, love their new FD and hope they bring it back next season.

 

[skylark]

Manta and Johnson blew the roof off of that place! :dance: That was one awesome dance. Their personalities just leaped out and embraced everyone in the audience. I hadn't seen it (on video) before now, and after the standing ovation was over, I scurried to look and find out who choreographed it. And oh, no wonder -- Christopher Dean. But that doesn't take one sixteenth of an ounce from Karina and Joe. They were simply spectacular.

The whole evening of competition was more like an evening of spectacular entertainment. In great part, because there were such a variety of moods and styles shown by many of the teams. Christina and Anthony were amazing in the way they skated with such mature emotion. I join in dearly hoping that the Parsons keep Bohemian Rhapsody for another season. M/C and H/B were lovely, each in their own way.

For me, the standouts were Madison and Zach, with a close second going to Madison and Evan. C/B were just purely a treat for the audience, their sparkle and verve were almost otherworldly.

But my highest enjoyment came with Madi and Zach's Romeo and Juliet. The drama, the passion, the tenderness, everything was there, all the emotion was embodied by them, and they transferred their emotion to the audience. When they finished, we could finally breathe again, and that atmosphere of passion just hung in the air, suffusing everything. It's really something when an ice dance can do that.

Which reminds me ... Tanith quoted Igor Shpielband as saying (paraphrasing) that in ice dance, without emotion, all we're doing is a lot of rockers! She said (during Christina and Anthony's skate) that was what he communicates so well to all his students.

 

[skylark]

" ... training in Montreal,” said Hubbell. “One thing we learned is to put out our best performance and not to beat our competitors."

This says everything about Marie-France, Patch, Romain et al., and in my opinion blows the nay-sayers' arguments to dissipate emptily into the four winds.

My favorite skaters have always been about creating their best performances. And when that attitude is foremost in the environment, what miracles of both character and proficiency can occur. And do.

Kaitlin Hawayek also talked about their growth as human beings, as well as skaters.