2015-16 Russian Test skates | Page 36 | Golden Skate

2015-16 Russian Test skates

I've been a homer for the Russian ladies, but these programs need A LOT of work... and I'm rather baffled how they went from being mostly on point last year to where they're putting out programs lack that in many respects... especially in focus and projection. TBH, the programs from Polina Tsurskaya and Alisa Fedichkina on the JGP were better than what what shown this weekend.
 
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I was more enthusiastic yesterday. Outside Medvedeva (who is amazing) no one seems ready among the ladies. I did not expect to see 3A from Liza here but I was thinking of 3Lz-3T. It was not there. Then I did not see the place for the second 3A - may be they decided to skip it. What worries me as well is the accelerating tempo in the end. Will she have the stamina? Yulia is still struggling - just hope it won't last. The guys showed no quads. Well, Pitkeev did but he could not nail 3A. Even V/T at this stage look not very confident. Wait and see - what's left? I am sure - everything will be fine.
 
I've been a homer for the Russian ladies, but these programs need A LOT of work... and I'm rather baffled how they went from being mostly on point last year to where they're putting out programs lack that in many respects... especially in focus and projection. TBH, what I've seen from both Polina Tsurskaya and Alisa Fedichkina on the JGP was better than what I've seen this weekend.

You can't compare two junior girls who are in the midst of their prime competition season, vs. senior skaters who haven't even started their season. The whole point of test skates are to get feedback so programs can be changed or tweaked. I think people need to learn to adjust their expectations.
 
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Man, I don't like a lot of these.
Tuk's just confuses me a bit, for example, I don't like the music cut between the operatic part and "in the hall of the mountain king". I find it jarring. Elena's... Well... The whole program is the same thing over and over again, and the SPOKEN PARTS make me want to throw up. I am an Adian fan, and I like his program (love The Mission and am a cello player myself) but I'm annoyed that they pitched the key of the melody up at the beginning. Doesn't sound right. 2/2 quad toes though. Yulia's music is nice (if a bit predictable) but the choreo doesn't WOW me yet. Again, it might take time.
We'll see how they look in competition with better audio and costumes.
 
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You can't compare two junior girls who are in the midst of their prime competition season, vs. senior skaters who haven't even started their season. The whole point of test skates are to get feedback so programs can be changed or tweaked. I think people need to learn to adjust their expectations.

:thumbsup:
 
Finally! Stolbova and Klimov are back to their usual awesome selves. Their lp has so many lovely qualities and details. It has potential to be their masterpiece. Hopefully they can perform it clean-ish. That last lift of the program was wow.. and the dismount.
 
Man, I don't like a lot of these.
Tuk's just confuses me a bit, for example, I don't like the music cut between the operatic part and "in the hall of the mountain king". I find it jarring. Elena's... Well... The whole program is the same thing over and over again, and the SPOKEN PARTS make me want to throw up. I am an Adian fan, and I like his program (love The Mission and am a cello player myself) but I'm annoyed that they pitched the key of the melody up at the beginning. Doesn't sound right. 2/2 quad toes though. Yulia's music is nice (if a bit predictable) but the choreo doesn't WOW me yet. Again, it might take time.
We'll see how they look in competition with better audio and costumes.

I would love to hear a more HD version of the music because I really like that cut haha. I wonder if I will like it when we can hear it better.
 
Yeah, I don't think we'll really get a sense of it until we hear the music clearly, and not warbling and echoing like it is now. We'll have to wait until competition for that. :bang:
 
And you know what, good for her. This used to annoy the bejezusssss out of me too, but it's practically her signature now and at least she's abandoned the black leggings most of the time.

I do hold out hope that if I'm really good and pray a lot, some day she might wear a red dress, since I think she'd be stunning in red, but until that glorious day comes, we can only accept that she loves and rocks black, and that is as it should be.

She does rock the black, and it goes with her programs, but I agree she is stunning in red, as in last season's exhibition costume
 
I liked all of the Russian ladies. As a huge fan of Radionova, I hate to see her getting crappy or even just OK programs. I don't know if it's her idea, her coach's, or Morozov's, but why does she keep recycling other people's music? The Rach that Michelle did previously, now Je t'amei which is an exhibition that Julia previously did. And Mariah Bell performed to Titanic when she was a junior!! I just don't get what her team is thinking...I know she can emote, and she can perform the heck out of anything, but she still needs quality music! I feel like her best music choices were a couple years back when she was in junior competition.

I was thinking the same thing as you did. An someone asked me if "I am ok" as if Morozov did a masterpiece with these programs and I failed to see it. maybe Elena can make it up with her charisma even if the music will not help her to show her musicality.
 
I like Black but I never wear black from head to toe from Monday to Sunday. :mad: I mean Liza is a beautiful girl why why why? Black widow??
Well, whats wrong with a human wearing her/his favourite colour? Would you people dislike it if she always wore only purple, for example, or blue?
 
Well, whats wrong with a human wearing her/his favourite colour? Would you people dislike it if she always wore only purple, for example, or blue?

I can only speak for myself, but at a minimum I'd start to think it was strange, and probably eventually long to see the skater in another color, yes. We all like some variety in our skating programs and costumes I think... it's why the beginning of each season is so exciting with the changes.

With that said, like I said above, I no longer object to Tukt's rocking the black. I'd still like to see her in a different color, but she is clearly comfortable with this and it works for her, so who am I to tell her she has to do something different? I also do think it goes with her programs, though bolero could perhaps have been done in a different color...
 
Per interview, her coach chose Titanic.

It's one thing if an impressionable 16-year-old chose that piece but a coach ought to know better. In the future I hope Elena reaches out to other teams for programs. She deserves better material!
 
Well, whats wrong with a human wearing her/his favourite colour? Would you people dislike it if she always wore only purple, for example, or blue?
Yes, if she only wears one color to competitions of course her fans will just react the same. Be it all red or green, of course as a fan I hope she will try some different costumes. She will look more fresh IMO.
 
She had a purple costume last season. She's worn different colors in exhibitions. If she feels like being the goth drama queen supreme witch this season, that is her prerogative and it doesn't really bother me.
 
All FS links in HD

...

Thank you very much!

Overall, given that these are test skates, I thought the russian ladies looked great. Some really nice programs, some okay-ish ones and well, the occasional bad one in between... but overall I'm happy. And given it's still time until the competitions start, they looked in mostly good shape too to me.

Liza: I have no idea how I feel about the SP. Most of all, I'm happy she's trying something different, and she's working it quite well. Her big, beautiful jumps work perfectly with the powerful music, her spins sadly don't. And I don't think I like the choreo... but maybe that will change and improve during the season. It's going to serve her well though I think, no matter my personal impression. The LP though...

Adelina: Just be healthy, please. I still love the SP, I think I love it more and more with every outing! The LP is actually growing on me too (save for the ending, probably :p ). She looks so improved compared to 2013-14 - less movement for the sake of it, she's more refined and elegant but has a certain passion about her. Hopefully she can show that in competition too.

Julia: The SP music is a nice choice. The first half suffers a little from choreo-music detachment, but the 2nd half works. The LP is sadly a little 'save', music and choreo, but it's definitely not a bad program. If she gets into it a little more, it could be quite lovely.

Anna: has my favorite combination of programs and dresses so far. If she gets her jumps to work, she could really be a spoiler for those worlds spots (as I think as of now, most people count more on Liza, Elena, Evgenia or Julia to make it).

Elena: Aaahhhhh... I can live with the SP. I don't like the music, but Elena makes it work and for whatever reason I like watching it. I'm not liking the LP so far. Hopefully that will change later in the season, and Elena uses her endless charisma and energy to sell that thing to me somehow. If anyone can do that, it's her!

Evgenia: She's probably just not my cup of tea. The SP is pretty bland and I don't really remember anything about it right now. The LP is better, but I don't like how slow she is (which so far she was in competitions too, so I don't think it's a test skate thing). For some reason, her fast arm movements, despite being rather nice themselves, make her lacking speed even more glaring to me. She deserves major thumbs up though for delivering, that's for sure.


And I don't watch much Ice Dance, but I'm happy to see B/S back in good shape. I quite enjoyed their programs too :)
 
She had a purple costume last season. She's worn different colors in exhibitions. If she feels like being the goth drama queen supreme witch this season, that is her prerogative and it doesn't really bother me.

Tbh I love her even more because of these costumes. They're really quite out there! And with those music choices.. love it.
 
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