Maybe the right word is “ anxious “.
Very interesting post from Gotlev. I agree that we see now much more artistic and musical programs properly choreographed, even though the lifts go back to more acrobatic positions ( lots of heads down again) to be sure of level 4 and high GOE but at least now, they are mostly feating the music. The problem is that, precisely because most couples, now work in this direction, spectators ( public, fans and journalists) tend to get tired of this well behaved programs and applaud any program that seem to be wild and black even when it is an artistic nonsense and a fake. Bad taste becomes refreshing in a sea of goody goody. How to remain in the search of beauty in this landscape and still be different and special? This is the challenge G and G have to face. I think.
I have great difficulty in defining what I consider old-fashioned and what I experience as genuine.
OK, this is GG's thread, but I have nowhere else to go to talk about stuff and compare programs. Humour me for a moment please.
You seem to be referring to S/B's FD, which in my opinion would be spectacular if they could pull it off technically (they're close but need some smoothness, that mountain climb lift makes me want to give her a ladder or a rope). I'm rooting for them to win many many medals, and I cannot say why I feel that way. They have 'it', somehow. They entertain me, excite me, make me want to shout and scream. This program just does it for me. I believe they are what they show.
The programs that don't do it for me but earn very high marks are H/D's and G/F's.
H/D simply don't have 'it', no matter what MF throws at them. I don't believe anything of what they want me to see, and I don't feel any emotion because I don't see them feel anything.
It's a repeat of a certain other couple that brings technical perfection and zero emotion (in my opinion)(and that seems unable to retire officially somehow
)
And G/F do have 'it', but Barbara seems unable to get out of the circus/movie/musical style and has creativity and innovation somewhere locked away as if it was nuclear waste or so.
Don't get me wrong: this may sound like horribly harsh criticism but I do have great respect for all these people. I love to watch Barbara rinkside and in the K&C. I am sure they are all wonderful persons, they all seem extremely loveable. And they are unbelievably good skaters.
It's just that G/G and their coaches (because MF and RH must have been essential in at least the Mozart and Build A Home programs, which did the trick in fact) have done something to Ice Dance that I love to see picked up and acknowledged. Even if McNamara and Carpenter look like some GG copy/paste program, I love to see them do it and go for it. It's gorgeous to watch and they pull it off. In fact, most couples do.
Obviously, it's impossible to expect that every team gets to a place that is so genuine and 'own' as GG do. But I have good hopes that the search for expression of genuine beauty and dance is going to go on for quite a number of years.
I'm loving it.
