Elena Ilinykh & Ruslan Zhiganshin

[elif]

We are talking about Elena Ilinykh, Queen of Badly Choreographed Dances. In 2011 they did waltz+tango. I don't want to remember waltz section, music was that bad. And there is 2013 Ozbek national waltz+polka short. (?) You had to listen really hard to find waltz section there. Some Body to Love and We will Rock You sounds 1000 times better than either of them. But I want them to do a waltz free dance. Maybe for 2018?

I also didn't like Hubbell/Donohue's short. Not because it is different. I just don't understand what they are trying to interpreted with that version disapp of the song. It feels like I'm watching Shibutanis, not H/D, dance is that dull :disapp: It is not their style.

Crone/Poirier skated a song from Alicia Keys in 2010 Golden Waltz SD. I don't remember other critics but I liked their idea. (Still I don't think they deserved GPF bronze)

 

[Alba]

We are talking about Elena Ilinykh, Queen of Badly Choreographed Dances. In 2011 they did waltz+tango. I don't want to remember waltz section, music was that bad. And there is 2013 Ozbek national waltz+polka short. (?) You had to listen really hard to find waltz section there. Some Body to Love and We will Rock You sounds 1000 times better than either of them.

Well, now we have a whole new team. So hopefully nothing will be similar again.

I also didn't like Hubbell/Donohue's short. Not because it is different. I just don't understand what they are trying to interpreted with that version disapp of the song.

At first I thought it was their FD. :hopelessness:

Crone/Poirier skated a song from Alicia Keys in 2010 Golden Waltz SD. I don't remember other critics but I liked their idea. (Still I don't think they deserved GPF bronze)

I actually liked that too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZz6uNhGLvU
By the way, what happened with her? Couldn't find any new partner? Why did they split?

I'm not saying all waltzes should be classic, I'm saying all waltzes should be waltzes.

Well said! I would also like to quote Doris here because it's exactly what I think about the SD this year.

I want the Ravensburger Waltz to actually be danced to a waltz. You can be creative with the rest of the program.

The SD is like a school assignment. If the assignment is to write a poem, you do not write a political op-ed or a novella and claim it is a poem. If you don't, there should be penalties.

 

[Marta25]

Well, the season is slowly starting, isn`t it great?

Regarding I/Z choices, I also wasn`t that convinced of a Queens SD to waltz, but after listening to Someone to love a few times I think this could work really well, not because I think it`s the perfect choice for a waltz, but because they have the qualities to pull it off. I`m a little unsure about the choreographer, because he seems to do only very modern choreography, but as I understood it from the interviews, Averbukh is overseeing the process and they still have their ballroom specialists, who did a great job with Y/M last season. Besides, the Russian teams are usually monitored very closely by their federation, it`s different for the American teams, I don`t know how many times D/W had to change their programs because USFSA only monitors them during their camp in September. In the end, what counts in the SD is nailing the technical part.

Concerning their FD, I rewatched D/S and M/K Frida programs and also listened to the whole movie soundtrack. IMO, the music is very emotional and passionate, which suits I/Z. D/S`s Frida in 2005 was very successful, it won them their first Euros medal and they were third in the FD portion at Worlds that year. I remember the German and British eurosport guys just raving about that program. M/K`s Frida was also very successful, since it won them their Junior World title. So, for me it seems like the judges do like the music and I think this could be a program, which could help I/Z to breakthrough similar to what their Carmen SD did for them this past season.

 

[bramweld]

Well Alba, if your teacher says your poem can take any form you like, elegy, ode or sonnet, and you utilize this creative freedom, then you have fulfilled the assignment, right? It she says you must write a Haiku and you give her a sonnet there's the problem. I think we need to hold off on any unnecessary hand wringing until after we see the dance. Also if we have deep seated notions of what a dance should look like we won't be able to enjoy it for what it is

 

[chameleon]

I don't see why choosing Queen means it has to be incredible or its a failure. It's probably going to be pretty much fine, like most of the SDs. The point of them choosing Queen seemed more to me that it was simply something they wanted to skate to. Their choice has a very distinct waltz rhythm, which is what really matters. It's hard to have a SD that's outright bad anyways.

As for the FD, while obviously it's a matter of personal taste I really like the music from Frida. And as stated previously both M/K and D/S did very well with their programs, so I don't think the judges will object.

 

[bramweld]

I don't see why choosing Queen means it has to be incredible or its a failure. It's probably going to be pretty much fine, like most of the SDs. The point of them choosing Queen seemed more to me that it was simply something they wanted to skate to. Their choice has a very distinct waltz rhythm, which is what really matters. It's hard to have a SD that's outright bad anyways.

As for the FD, while obviously it's a matter of personal taste I really like the music from Frida. And as stated previously both M/K and D/S did very well with their programs, so I don't think the judges will object.

Precisely, it will be the performances and the programs themselves that determine how well they do.

 

[Tanka]

Concerning their FD, I rewatched D/S and M/K Frida programs and also listened to the whole movie soundtrack. IMO, the music is very emotional and passionate, which suits I/Z. D/S`s Frida in 2005 was very successful, it won them their first Euros medal and they were third in the FD portion at Worlds that year. I remember the German and British eurosport guys just raving about that program. M/K`s Frida was also very successful, since it won them their Junior World title. So, for me it seems like the judges do like the music and I think this could be a program, which could help I/Z to breakthrough similar to what their Carmen SD did for them this past season.

Thank you for the narration, Marta25, it really helped. Let the success of Frida go on.

Okaaaay. Now you're stretching my words, how nice of you. I never said or never meant this. I'm glad you approve their choice, let's hope it will turn out to be a good dance.

I just wanted to cheer you up a bit. Epic fail. Anyway, let's hope together.

 

[Snow63]

I just wanted to cheer you up a bit. Epic fail. Anyway, let's hope together.

Oops. Then I'm sorry I thought you had other intentions.

Btw, do you guys think they will use the actual songs with vocals, or just instrumental versions?

 

[Marta25]

Oops. Then I'm sorry I thought you had other intentions.

Btw, do you guys think they will use the actual songs with vocals, or just instrumental versions?

I hope that they will us "Somebody to love" with vocals and "We will rock you" without.

 

[Snow63]

I hope that they will us "Somebody to love" with vocals and "We will rock you" without.

I actually thought it would cool if WWRY will be with vocals, not sure about STL. Although, it doesn't matter, WWRY is very recognizable even without vocals, so people still can clap and scream along

 

[bramweld]

Seems like today was a very important day for Ruslena. Probably their Russian experts were checking readiness for the Senior B. The off season will soon be over !! Lena's IG http://ink361.com/app/users/ig-1103267565/blackswanei/photos
Lilia's IG http://ink361.com/app/users/ig-1582076997/lenaandrei/photos/ig-1050012295886747699_1582076997

 

[Marta25]

It`s 4 weeks until the test skates. Hopefully, someone will post videos of their new programs.

 

[Alba]

It`s 4 weeks until the test skates. Hopefully, someone will post videos of their new programs.

Are we sure they're going to be there? I mean I'm sure the FED people have seen them, or will see the whole programs, already. If they intend to do an early B competitions they might decide to skip the test skate.

 

[Marta25]

Are we sure they're going to be there? I mean I'm sure the FED people have seen them, or will see the whole programs, already. If they intend to do an early B competitions they might decide to skip the test skate.

Hm,good question. I thought they are mandatory, but if bramweld is right and they were already monitored today, maybe it`s not necessary for them to go. I hope the reaction was positive.

 

[Alba]

Hm,good question. I thought they are mandatory, but if bramweld is right and they were already monitored today, maybe it`s not necessary for them to go. I hope the reaction was positive.

The close test yes, although Sinitsina&Katsalapov didn't partecipate last season. I don't know this year how the FED is organizing the "close" and "open" test though.

 

[Marta25]

The close test yes, although Sinitsina&Katsalapov didn't partecipate last season. I don't know this year how the FED is organizing the "close" and "open" test though.

I think there was only one closed test for the Juniors and the Seniors could participate if they wanted to.

 

[Alba]

I think there was only one closed test for the Juniors and the Seniors could participate if they wanted to.

There is always a closed test. They have to see and give their suggestion to skaters and sometimes ask them to repeat certain elements. You don't do that in an open test. It's not clear how it will be this year though because if it's open I don't think it's mandatory.

 

[Spiral]

Seems like today was a very important day for Ruslena. Probably their Russian experts were checking readiness for the Senior B. The off season will soon be over !! Lena's IG http://ink361.com/app/users/ig-1103267565/blackswanei/photos
Lilia's IG http://ink361.com/app/users/ig-1582076997/lenaandrei/photos/ig-1050012295886747699_1582076997

It says on Elena's mother's page that the photo is no longer available. What was it of?

There was a vote on a Russian national fs team vcontacte page, and IZ won as the favorite Russian ice dancers of the previous season by a huge margin:
Ilinykh/Zhiganshin - 61.65%
Loboda/Drozd - 13.71%
Stepanova/Bukin - 8.97%

Here's the link: http://vk.com/topic-24972370_31780658

 

[paravolar]

I read an interview with V/T on FSU and Tatiana said that after the wedding, August 18th, they were going to Sochi for the test skates.

 

[paravolar]

It says that the photo is no longer available on Elena's mother's page. What was it of?

https://pp.vk.me/c628217/v628217067/11f68/IbPmYkCqlOQ.jpg