In the Senior division, Marie-France Dubreuil and Patrice Lauzon (QC) won their fifth title, while Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir (WO) and Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje (NO) won the silver and bronze, respectively.
All three teams will go to Worlds and the top two will also compete again at the 4CCs.
Lauren Senft and Leif Gislason (BC/YT), who placed fourth, will also compete at the Four Continents as Weaver and Poje declined the invite.
Vanessa Crone and Paul Poirier (CO) were the gold medal winners in the Junior event, while Joanna Lenko and Mitchell Islam (CO) and Sophie Knippel and Matthew Doleman (BC) won the silver and bronze medal, respectively.
The top two teams were chosen to represent Canada at Junior Worlds along with Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje (NO).
Compulsory Dance (CD) – Juniors
The Compulsory Dance (CD) for the juniors in this event was the Silver Samba. The dance was invented by Courtney J. L. Jones and Peri V. Horne and was first performed at the Queen’s Ice Rink in London, England in 1963.
Crone (16) and Poirier (15) were mature in their CD, displaying complex holds and using great expression in their tango. The took first with 29.60 points.
Lenko (14) and Islam (16) put out a dance – not just a set of connected elements – and showed great flow and speed to place second with 28.76 points.
Knippel (17) and Doleman (18) were third (26.54 points), followed by Christina Bourgeois and Frederick Allain (QC) who scored 26.30 points.
Original Dance (OD) – Juniors
The event continued with the OD in which the dance for the 2006-2007 season is the “Tango”. Couples can choose one to three tango rhythms. If two rhythms are used, one can be repeated. Vocals are permitted.
Overnight leaders Crone and Poirier delivered a solid routine which featured a very good level four rotation lift, serpentine lift, and dance spin. Crone struggle with a twizzle on a level four midline step sequence, but the team otherwise showed complicated holds and close footwork in their diagonal step sequence. The 2006 JGP Oslo bronze medalists placed first with 47.43 points, maintaining first overall with 77.03 points.
Knippel and Doleman showed nice choreography in the opening of their dance which featured a level four curve and rotational lift, however, Doleman had a bit of trouble during the last part of the level four midline twizzle sequence. They placed third with 43.35 point, maintaining third overall with 69.89 points.
Anna Stanislavska and Michael Whitehead (WO), who stood in sixth after the CD, placed fourth (39.92 points) in the OD. The team produced two good lifts, but Stanislavska touched down during the midline twizzle sequence. The 2007 Western Challenge Junior silver medalists were sixth overall (65.13 points).
Karen Routhier and Eric Saucke-Lacelle (QC), who stood in fifth after the CD, placed fifth (39.54 points) in the OD and fourth overall (65.78 points).
Bourgeois and Allain, who were in fourth after the CD, placed sixth (39.46 points) in the OD and stood in fifth overall (65.76 points).
Free Dance (FD) – Juniors
Lenko and Islam delivered an exceptional performance, showing great interpretation of the music and staying in character throughout their routine to Leyenda, Romanza, and Girl Fight. Their dance featured four difficult lifts (all level four and one in combination), an excellent level three circular and diagonal step sequence, and a level three twizzle sequence. The 2007 Eastern Challenge Junior Champions were awarded 70.15 points for a first in the FD, but with a total score 143.78 points, maintained second place overall.
Crone and Poirier displayed very close holds throughout their routine, displaying great edges and flow. The team produced four difficult lifts (all level four and one in combination), as well a very good level four dance spin, and a good midline step sequence. The 2007 Eastern Challenge Junior silver medalists placed second in the FD (68.43 points) and first (145.46 points) overall to win the Junior title.
Knippel and Doleman skated a clean and crowd-entertaining performance to a Michael Jackson medley which included two level four lifts, a good dance spin, and a nice diagonal step sequence. The 2007 Western Challenge Junior Champions placed third in the FD (63.58 points) and overall (133.47 points).
Routhier (15) and Saucke-Lacelle (17) placed fourth in the FD (61.03 points) and overall (126.81 points).
Bourgeois and Allain, who were in fifth after the OD, placed fifth in the FD (60.54 points) and overall (126.30 points).
Stanislavska (16) and Whitehead (19) were sixth overall (123.75 points).
Compulsory Dance (CD) – Seniors
The Compulsory Dance (CD) for the seniors was the Golden Waltz. The dance was invented by Natalia Dubova, Marina Klimova, and Sergei Ponomarenko and was first performed at the 1987 Moscow Cup.
Clearly a class above the others, veterans Dubreuil (32) and Lauzon (31) skated a romantic and flowing waltz, placing first with 41.16 points.
Virtue (17) and Moir (19) were gentle yet precise in their dance, placing second with 34.98 points.
Showing emotion and passion, Lefebvre (29) and Markov (25) also put out a good waltz, earning 30.82 points for a third place finish.
Lauren Senft and Leif Gislason (BC/YT) came in fourth (30.70 points), with Siobhan Karam and Joshua McGrath (EO) close behind (29.00 points).
Original Dance (OD) – Seniors
Performing to Payadora by Julián Plaza, Dubreuil and Lauzon opened with a level four midline step sequence with twizzles, followed by an excellent midline step sequence (graded a level two), and an excellent level four straight line lift. The 2006 World silver medalists also produced an excellent level four dance spin and rotational lift, easily taking first in the OD with a score of 61.80 points and overall (102.96 points).
Virtue and Moir also delivered an exceptional performance which included an excellent diagonal step and midline step (with twizzles) sequence, two very good lifts, and a good dance spin. The 2006 Junior World Champions, which received a level four on everything except for a midline step sequence, earned a score of 59.71 for their Association Tango routine, placing second in the OD and overall with 94.69 points.
Weaver (17) and Poje (19) placed third (49.84 points) in their OD to Jeanne Y Paul by Piazzolla. The team delivered a fast and smooth performance which included two level four lifts, a very good midline step sequence, and a good midline step sequence with twizzles. They rose from seventh after the CD to fifth (76.91 points) overall.
Lefebvre and Markov produced two difficult lifts and a level three diagonal step sequence in their routine to Piazzolla’s Primavero Porteno, but the team struggled with the third twizzle during a midline step sequence. They placed fourth in the OD with 48.48 points and were third overall (79.30 points).
Senft (19) and Gislason (23) placed fifth in the OD (47.62 points) and were fourth overall (78.32 points).
Karam (20) and McGrath (21) received a deduction for an extended lift. They placed sixth in the OD (46.65 points) and overall (75.76 points).
Free Dance (FD) – Seniors
Dubreuil and Lauzon performed their romantic and joyful FD to Etta James’ At Last, opening with an excellent straight line lift, followed by a beautiful reverse rotational lift and dance spin. Dubreuil had a bit of trouble on a twizzle, but the four-time and reigning Canadian champions otherwise produced a midline step sequence, a rotational lift, and a straight line-curve combination lift – all of which were excellent, to receive a score of 100.58 points, placing first in the FD and overall (203.54 points).
Virtue and Moir set the mood right away in their Valse Triste routine, displaying precision and good flow. The current national bronze medalists opened with a very good level four straight line lift, followed by an excellent curve-rotational combination lift and circular step sequence. The team also produced a very good diagonal step sequence, a good level four rotational lift, excellent level four synchronized twizzles, and a very good level four serpentine lift. With a score of 94.80 points, the 2006 Four Continents bronze medalists placed second in the FD and overall (189.49 points) to win the silver.
Every nuance of the music was used when Weaver and Poje performed to One Fine Day from Madame Butterfly and Honor Him from the Gladiator Soundtrack. The team produced a very good level four serpentine lift and level three circular step sequence, followed by a good curve-rotational combination lift. They delivered two more level four lifts, a good midline step sequence, and level four twizzles to place third in the FD (83.74 points) and overall (160.65 points).
Senft and Gislason appeared a bit slow and tentative throughout their dance to Anytime, Anywhere by Sarah Brightman. Despite some loss of unison during their twizzle sequence, the team otherwise produced five difficult lifts (one in combination) and a good level four dance spin. The team received a deduction for an extended lift, placing fourth in the FD (79.31 points) and overall (157.63 points).
Performing to Funeral for a Friend by Elton John, Karam and McGrath produced a five good level four lifts (one in combination), a good level three combination dance spin, and a nice diagonal footwork sequence to place fifth in the FD (78.96 points) and sixth overall (154.61 points).
Lefebvre and Markov placed sixth in the FD (76.74) and fifth overall (156.04). Markov caught his toepick during their last lift, putting a knee down on the ice while managing to hang onto Lefebvre while she maintained her balance.
