Senior Free Dance Saturday, split.

[jcoates]

Ok...Now I can breathe.

Go Meryl and Charlie!!! Great job!

 

[turtle]

Yes, the Hubbells were amazing and I was disappointed with their placement. Davis/White were absolutely beautiful. I got so emotional watching them skate. I love their free program this season.

 

[Dodhiyel]

Wow. Woof. Hubba hubba. Davis and White--sensational!!! Had to miss most of the broadcast, but am recording it.

ETA: Caught a little of the Hubbells--promising!!!!

 

[museksk8r]

Yes, the Hubbells were amazing and I was disappointed with their placement. Davis/White were absolutely beautiful. I got so emotional watching them skate. I love their free program this season.

Agree with every word! The Hubbells are the future, for sure! Davis/White were absolutely breathtaking and I was so nervous watching them, but they eased my worries with that beautiful free dance. I knew they could win even with a fall, but I was still holding my breath through every skill. I'm so thrilled for them winning their 1st National title. Best of luck to them and the remainder of their season!

 

[cloudkicker09]

I love Kim and Brent and would have had them over over Emily and Evan.

 

[lmarie086]

I'm so happy!!

Meryl and Charlie were sensational! What a difference seeing it on tv makes! Their expression stood out, they had a wonderful connection! This is a great FD, with different shades expressed beautifully. I don't think they were altogether perfect (maybe a slight, slight glitch on a twizzle from Meryl?) but still definitely their best performance of the season. I have yet to make up my mind on Charlie's new shirt.

The Hubbells were undermarked IMO. They did lose some speed but the added content to the FD was seamless- no errors. Everything was very smooth, and I thought they had a great, natural spark. Of the Ann Arbor teams, they are my favorite.

Samuelson/Bates were really good except for that spin, but it didn't feel like there was any momentum because of the music. Tracy Wilson made a really good point about the music- it didn't give them any room to grow emotionally, it was all very one-note. I'd also call it generic.
I really like her dress, she looked beautiful.

Summersett/Gilles didn't seem as loose as I'm used to seeing them. Shame about that twizzle and lift, because I love that FD, seriously one of the best in the entire international field.

Navarro/Bommentre...I don't know what I think of their FD. But that was definitely their best performance of it this season, so congrats there!

 

[icedancedevotee]

I love Kim and Brent and would have had them over over Emily and Evan.

Me too! I don't understand all the hype about Emily and Evan. To me, their program was fine, but generic-looking. Nothing special about it. Very similar to lots of other FDs out there. The music--yuck. No highs and lows AT ALL. It would be great music to aid with self-hypnosis, however.

On the other hand, Kim and Brent's dance was fresh and fun, as is just about everything they do. Cute costumes! I was pleasantly surprised that they finished third--I was sure the Hubbells would overtake them.

 

[dorispulaski]

I can't stand S&B's music either, and it seemed so flat and slow after Charlie and Meryl's awesome performance.

I'm so happy that Charlie and Meryl won it with a great performance!

Their missing that spin is very concerning though. They fell on the spin at nationals last year, and AFAIR had troubles with the spin at NHK, too. And now here at Nationals again. Then there was the really bad fall they had at jr worlds 2 years ago. They don't seem to have a great head for competition.

And Evan should get some help from his college roommate about spins

 

[cassieandcheetah]

Me too! I don't understand all the hype about Emily and Evan. To me, their program was fine, but generic-looking. Nothing special about it. Very similar to lots of other FDs out there. The music--yuck. No highs and lows AT ALL. It would be great music to aid with self-hypnosis, however.

On the other hand, Kim and Brent's dance was fresh and fun, as is just about everything they do. Cute costumes! I was pleasantly surprised that they finished third--I was sure the Hubbells would overtake them.

OMG< my heart was pounding like crazy the whole time Meryl and Charlie were skating.....Oh gosh, they are so lightening fast, I was so afraid they would trip on a piece of ice and have an unfortuate fall, but yay, everything went perfect!!! I don't know if I like Charlie's new shirt though...I like the other one better, but I can see how they might have worried that his costume might be too similar in tone and design to meryl's...

As for Evan and Emily...I thought they were pretty good last year, but why am I feeling as though they haven't made much progress since last year. Their FD feels like a replica of their last year's.....except for the music, and oh boy, that's one terrible choice of music....Speaking of music, why is it that the hubbell's FD music sounds exaclty the same as Samuelson and Bates's from last year? except I think S/B's was in a minor key, and theirs is in a major key.....maybe I'm just hallucinating here...

 

[lmarie086]

Their FD feels like a replica of their last year's.....except for the music, and oh boy, that's one terrible choice of music.... Speaking of music, why is it that the hubbell's FD music sounds exaclty the same as Samuelson and Bates's from last year? except I think S/B's was in a minor key, and theirs is in a major key.....maybe I'm just hallucinating here...

I'd have to agree, it feels like last years FD to different music. Some of the lifts are used again, and others with very similar positions.

And the music for the Hubbell's FD is from the same musical artist as Samuelson/Bates from last season. The songs are indeed very similar, and they reuse some of the same lifts too.

Samuelson/Bates' song was Luna, and the Hubbells' is Sognami.

 

[jcoates]

Speaking of music, why is it that the hubbell's FD music sounds exaclty the same as Samuelson and Bates's from last year? except I think S/B's was in a minor key, and theirs is in a major key.....maybe I'm just hallucinating here...

I looked up their bio on the ISU site because I had a similar thought. The singer
is the same, Alessandro Safina. It's a different song though.

 

[turtle]

I'm so happy!!
I don't think they were altogether perfect (maybe a slight, slight glitch on a twizzle from Meryl?).

I noticed that too. Still their twizzle is the best of the world.

 

[fanofskate]

Congrats to Meryl and Charlie. Wonderful, expressive performance. Meryl really fought for that last twizzle, good for her. I hope they can truly medal at worlds. That would just be awesome for my favorite team.

N/B had a fun FD. I really enjoyed it.

I'm beginning to really like Summerset and Giles. They have really good musicality. Hope they stay together and improve. I just might start rooting for this team.

 

[turtle]

I'm beginning to really like Summerset and Giles. They have really good musicality. Hope they stay together and improve. I just might start rooting for this team.

I really enjoyed watching Giles' facial expressions.

 

[missysays]

Meryl and Charlie skated wonderfully through out the entire competition. Good for them.

As for the other skaters, I really liked Navarro/Bommentre tonight- it's too bad they don't have the technical difficulty of the 2 Ann Arbor teams. The Hubbells and Samuelson/Bates are wonderful, wonderful teams with that rare combination of technical ability and beautiful lines and musicality but the choreography and conception of their programs while utilizing their flexibility and ability to get into unusual positions lacks the spark, personality, and maturity that Kim and Brent are able to get across in a performance. I felt like the 2 younger teams while clearly talented were running through a skating exercise the equivalent of running difficult scales on a piano but Kim and Brent were actually playing a complete melody for you.

I hope that Yasa/Youri start to branch out more with their program concepts for their teams because if I hear another Italian operatic-type song from them with a pumping bass beat next year it will be too much of the same old same old.

Oh and I'm so glad that Tracy Wilson said on national TV that Tom Dickson should be getting more ice dance choreography jobs because S/G's FD is one of many ice dance programs from him that I've loved for its blend of unique movement to engaging music and good story concepts.

All around I'm so happy at the depth and talent in American ice dance- it's sooo great!!!

 

[yelyoh]

I loved D&W's free dance. I thought they were fast powerful w great difficult lifts and w no loss of speed when they did them. Strong choreo and of course those twizzles. I think even if B&A had shown up healthy D&W might have won at least that portion of the event. I hope they medal at World's. And I was glad to hear Ben is better and that they are back on the ice training. The Ice Dance future for the USA is looking good!!!!!

 

[Tigger]

Congratulations to Meryl and Charlie!!

They and this FD was one of my WOW moments from Skate Canada and to see it now...The improvement is just incredable!! If they can keep the momentum going, they'll be fighting for a podium spot come Worlds.

Really enjoyed the Hubbells and looking forward to watching them over the years to come.

 

[jcoates]

Here's a bit of trivia. Igor has coached the national dance champs every year since 1996. Quite a streak. Does anyone know if any other coach has such a record in the US? Maribel Vinson Owen perhaps?

 

[~tapdancer]

Congratulations to our new ice dance champions...Davis and White!

You know I've been rooting for them for a long time now and this was just so sweet...I'm so happy I could burst into flames!

So proud of them for skating this FD the absolute best I've seen it. They were so on technically and their expression was amazing. Charlie especially seemed so in control, I could tell from the first lift. So glad to see him get his adrenaline under control and he skated like a champion. Meryl's expression was wonderful, sometimes her face was so beautiful, I got chills.

To say I'm thrilled is a serious understatement!!

Meryl and Charlie!

I really loved the whole comp but I'm so overjoyed for Meryl and Charlie I can't think about the others right now!

 

[victoria90]

Whole post.

I'm just like you! Except that I haven't seen the FD because I don't live in the U.S. but for what everyone's been saying I'm just soooo happy for them I can't even say enough of how happy I am, it's like I've been dreaming about them winning the national title for so long and now they finally did it!
And I can't stop smiling, my mom saw me and she asked me "what's with you?" and I said "nothing, Meryl and Charlie have just become national champions!!!! ", and she was like: okey... (she doesn't even know who they are so she must think I'm crazy )