Elena Ilinykh & Ruslan Zhiganshin

[Marta25]

I think it was the same last year. Elena gave a couple of interviews, then they announced the music. When the GP already started we saw their SD costumes on the cover of Moscow Figure Skater, and then we finally saw the programs at COC. But they give us a lot more information than most skaters. We don't know the music choices for many people or the names of choreographers. Elena also posts pictures regularly, including a few pictures from on ice training. TBH I don't know who gives more information to fans. What else can they share now? Show half-baked programs? Or take time off training to do more media appearances?[/QUOTE

This off-season just feels loooong.

Anyway, to me it seems like a lot of teams are going into the soft, lyrical direction for their FDs, which bodes well for I/Z since their Frida will stand out.

 

[MK's Winter]

Everybody has got to pay their dues. Besides they could have a bit more polish and unison and this takes a little time. If what TAT says is true as in they've made a breakthrough, they should be able to score better, provided they bring it, which I hope they do.

With the new system "paying your dues" shouldn't even come into play when it comes to performing elements. Compare their straight line footwork- best in the business. Even at Rostelecom.

 

[bramweld]

I think it was the same last year. Elena gave a couple of interviews, then they announced the music. When the GP already started we saw their SD costumes on the cover of Moscow Figure Skater, and then we finally saw the programs at COC. But they give us a lot more information than most skaters. We don't know the music choices for many people or the names of choreographers. Elena also posts pictures regularly, including a few pictures from on ice training. TBH I don't know who gives more information to fans. What else can they share now? Show half-baked programs? Or take time off training to do more media appearances?[/QUOTE

This off-season just feels loooong.

Anyway, to me it seems like a lot of teams are going into the soft, lyrical direction for their FDs, which bodes well for I/Z since their Frida will stand out.

Everybody is trying to copy P/C which is a big no no. They should be trying to find their own style. Imitations NEVER have the same impact as originals.

 

[Marta25]

Everybody is trying to copy P/C which is a big no no. They should be trying to find their own style. Imitations NEVER have the same impact as originals.

It was the same with D/W and V/M. Everyone tried to copy them, which IMO never works. And it certainly isn`t going to move I/Z forward. I think they have the capabilites to attack the top 3 in the World, but I don`t think they can do that by imitating what P/C did with Mozart. I`m just glad I/Z are trying to find their own style instead of just following the trend.

 

[alithia]

It was the same with D/W and V/M. Everyone tried to copy them, which IMO never works. And it certainly isn`t going to move I/Z forward. I think they have the capabilites to attack the top 3 in the World, but I don`t think they can do that by imitating what P/C did with Mozart. I`m just glad I/Z are trying to find their own style instead of just following the trend.

Exactly. And I/Z can find their own style cause they have the abilities to do this and they match well together.There are other teams that spend their whole career trying to find a style, let alone personality.

I also think they should score higher than everyone at the SD but then Itry to understand that they were seen as new, it was quite a change as well, the style different than their previous teams, and especially her previous team, judges are people, rumours all around them. Scoring better than I/K ever did at Euros at their very first attempt was quite an achievement

 

[Alba]

No just a CD and FD format. I feel a CD would weed out those with no edges ect. I am still baffled at how Ruslena's SD didn't score higher. And you had to nail the CD you could just rest on being pretty like other teams

I'm with you. Besides, I always loved CD and it was the most comprehensible way to learn about ID and understand which couple had the best edges etc.

As for the so-called waltzes I've seen till now they all look like a short FD to me. I do blame the ISU Ice Dance Technical Committee. Their rules do not make any sense to me. A waltz should be a waltz. A viennese Wlatz idem. Call me old and call me conservative if you like but I haven't seen a proper waltz so far.

 

[bramweld]

With the new system "paying your dues" shouldn't even come into play when it comes to performing elements. Compare their straight line footwork- best in the business. Even at Rostelecom.

I have a feeling that's part of the reason they took out the step sequences, need to cool this woman's roll. Haha....pity they didn't know they done gone and made the SD even easier, didn't they see what these two did to the PD. If you can be getting scores like that as a new team doing the pattern for the first time, you rendered it basic. LOL. Time for dinner. Peace out!!

 

[MK's Winter]

I'm with you. Besides, I always loved CD and it was the most comprehensible way to learn about ID and understand which couple had the best edges etc. As for the so-called waltzes I've seen till now they all look like a short FD to me. I do blame the ISU Ice Dance Technical Committee. Their rules do not make any sense to me. A waltz should be a waltz. A viennese Wlatz idem. Call me old and call me conservative if you like but I haven't seen a proper waltz so far.

Girl I am just as old school as you. That's how I learned how ice dance worked as a 9 year old in 91.

 

[MK's Winter]

I have a feeling that's part of the reason they took out the step sequences, need to cool this woman's roll. Haha....pity they didn't know they done gone and made the SD even easier, didn't they see what these two did to the PD. If you can be getting scores like that as a new team doing the pattern for the first time, you rendered it basic. LOL. Time for dinner. Peace out!!

LMAO!! Tat was behind it

 

[bramweld]

MK's Winter ROFL...

 

[Alba]

I have a feeling that's part of the reason they took out the step sequences, need to cool this woman's roll.

Let's not exaggerate now. Judges liked them a lot. I love NtMiSt but StSq on dance holds are more difficult and are more dance. I&Z did those without problems in their FD.

Girl I am just as old school as you. That's how I learned how ice dance worked as a 9 year old in 91.

:yes:
Unfortunately CD's are not very tv friendly. I understand that to many they might result as being boring. In that case keep the SD as much authentic as possible. No mishmash please.

 

[bramweld]

Don't worry Alba, just having fun. I know the holds make it more difficult it's just as a viewer seeing a team in closed hold for the entire dance can get rather monotonous and sad looking, especially for weaker dancers. Now if they were all Grishuk and Platov well that would be a different story. Looking at the CD's from the OG 2006, nobody has really come close to skating the RB Waltz as it should. The only team to me that had a waltz texture/feel down pat this entire competition was this young french team. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcunY4ourQM I know its not the RB Waltz and there were mistakes but it has the texture of a waltz.

EDIT: I forgot to watch P/O they were really lovely in the SD and FD, my favourite performances actually. They are ready for the GP now

 

[MK's Winter]

Let's not exaggerate now. Judges liked them a lot. I love NtMiSt but StSq on dance holds are more difficult and are more dance. I&Z did those without problems in their FD. :yes: Unfortunately CD's are not very tv friendly. I understand that to many they might result as being boring. In that case keep the SD as much authentic as possible. No mishmash please.

I never though they were boring as a kid. I was fascinated by edges. That's how I learned to skate.

 

[bramweld]

I never though they were boring as a kid. I was fascinated by edges. That's how I learned to skate.

Look at this beauty of a CD, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gq3vMU_r06A the PD from V/M, now that's how we used to separate the boys from the men. How C/B could be getting the marks this season for what they did to this pattern is just wrong, plain wrong.

 

[MK's Winter]

Look at this beauty of a CD, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gq3vMU_r06A the PD from V/M, now that's how we used to separate the boys from the men. How C/B could be getting the marks this season for what they did to this pattern is just wrong, plain wrong.

My favorite is : http://youtu.be/iMiQINf32xA

I love innovation

 

[bramweld]

My favorite is : http://youtu.be/iMiQINf32xA

I love innovation

I remember watching this on YT some time ago. It was gorgeous.

 

[Snow63]

I'm with you. Besides, I always loved CD and it was the most comprehensible way to learn about ID and understand which couple had the best edges etc.

As for the so-called waltzes I've seen till now they all look like a short FD to me. I do blame the ISU Ice Dance Technical Committee. Their rules do not make any sense to me. A waltz should be a waltz. A viennese Wlatz idem. Call me old and call me conservative if you like but I haven't seen a proper waltz so far.

I so agree with you, Alba. You have no idea. The
The most waltzy waltz I've seen so far was juniors Parsons SD. And people here said the music is too boring (haha! Prokofiev's waltz is boring, oh well ), while they're happy about Hubbel/Donohue's disaster of an SD. Some people may like it, but there is absolutely no waltz interpretation in that dance. And I'm afraid Elena and Ruslan will be right there with H/D. I strongly disapprove their music choice. Strongly. :disapp: I actually think these SD'es all have to get a deduction and pattern pelality for music choice (or whatever it is called), just like Agafonova/Ucar's 'polka' disaster in '12-'13 season, if you remember it.

 

[bramweld]

I'm so agree with you, Alba. You have no idea. The
The most waltzy waltz I've seen so far was juniors Parsons SD. And people here said the music is too boring (haha! Prokofiev's waltz is boring, oh well ), while they're happy about Hubbel/Donohue's disaster of an SD. Some people may like it, but there is absolutely no waltz interpretation in that dance. And I'm afraid Elena and Ruslan will be right there with H/D. I strongly disapprove their music choice. Strongly. :disapp: I actually think these SD'es all have to get a deduction and pattern pelality for music choice (or whatever it is called), just like Agafonova/Ucar's 'polka' disaster in '12-'13 season, if you remember it.

Actually Somebody to Love has a very strong waltz flavour. The ISU is trying to give the dancers some freedom and not put them into a straight jacket. While I didn't feel the waltz in H/D its a beautiful program. It's similar to how V/M turned the Polka into a waltz, they will be penalized for it though because it's too heavy for a waltz, so they will pay in PCS. I think its too early to draw conclusions though as we haven't seen the rest of the elite pairs.

 

[Snow63]

Actually Somebody to Love has a very strong waltz flavour. The ISU is trying to give the dancers some freedom and not put them into a straight jacket. While I didn't feel the waltz in H/D its a beautiful program. It's similar to how V/M turned the Polka into a waltz, they will be penalized for it though because it's too heavy for a waltz, so they will pay in PCS. I think its too early to draw conclusions though as we haven't seen the rest of the elite pairs.

Maybe, it's too soon to say anything about I/Z. I personally don't see a proper RB waltz to Somebody to Love, BUT it will be better than H/D's interpretation, that's for sure.
And I never said H/D' SD is not beautiful, it actually is. Long lines, long edges, musicality. It just looks like a short FD.
Low PCS is not a penalty. There should be a 1 point deduction and level 1 for waltz patterns (again Agafonova/Ucar fiasco comes to mind right away). I understand this season requarement is just to use a waltz rythm, not actually waltz music. It is just my taste and my conservativeness probably.

 

[bramweld]

Maybe, it's too soon to say anything about I/Z. I personally don't see a proper RB waltz to Somebody to Love, BUT it will be better than H/D's interpretation, that's for sure.
And I never said H/D' SD is not beautiful, it actually is. Long lines, long edges, musicality. It just looks like a short FD.
Low PCS is not a penalty. There should be a 1 point deduction and level 1 for waltz patterns (again Agafonova/Ucar fiasco comes to mind right away). I understand this season requarement is just to use a waltz rythm, not actually waltz music. It is just my taste and my conservativeness probably.

I honestly believe the ISU wants to go the avenue of OD and FD. Incorporating the required pattern just makes judging more objective. We just need to embrace this new direction or not. But this year many of our SD's will not look so traditional, so we'll have to either appreciate them for what they are or not.