2019 US Nationals Senior Free Dance

[NoNameFace]

Please don't shut up more! I really meant that I wanted to ponder much of what you've said. Carry on!

Hehe thanks. No, I will definitely continue to write if something struck me fancy, it's just an observation about my ID writings that I have now more blunt opinions over things yet I learned when to voice them/how to voice them while few good years ago I was eager to share these opinions which might be not that polarizing yet I sometimes screamed bloody murder with them. Guess we evolve as FS fans.

 

[NoNameFace]

I sure hope not. H/B are far and away my favorites

Seeing all 3 US teams being now in Montreal...Kaitlin/Jean-Luc have definitely a set of skills and capabilities to shine, also lovely, subtle emoting and chemistry going between them, yet I don't feel that there is a full advantage taken off of that. Maybe it is about this first season of training in a new place, maybe it is just making it more of capitalizing on what they already have, using it in style they obviously look good in and feel good as far as I can say. YET, seeing Chock/Bates next to them, the energy, drive, dynamism and still something different from them yet being inside their stylistic DNA as a team, I couldn't help but wondered about H/B and their material; similarly to H/D for me, it was skated very well, with softness matching the style/aesthetic, making up to a pretty visual, but there was a sense of a bit stagnant energy there. I would love to induce more dynamism there, more sharp sections of movement in choreography, just making it more of alive painting that just an aquarelle sketch blurred/watered. What I loved in their 'Liebestraum' FD was an exquisite energy flow throughout the dance, highs and lows were fantastic, the dance moved in its own vein which I frankly can't see or feel with 'In this shirt'. I am all about honing skills they already have, even with this preference towards contemporary/classical/lyrical repertoire, but I wish for something with more of 'punch' added to it, with more variation over rhythm and more sharpness in movement introduced - I don't expect them to change style/gears completely, but I count on more characteristic stuff coming from them, with more of a clear signature over THEM, not they style they're capable of pulling through successfully.

 

[Heleng]

NNF, I agree with you about Liebestraum vs Kaitlin and Jean-Luc’s program this season, as lovely as it is, and your general observations about what they need to work on. They could benefit from reading your post!

 

[NoNameFace]

^ thanks so much Heleng! One of the nicest things said to me here, that a skater could benefit from my words **fuzzy feels again**

 

[oly2018]

Yeah, my original comment about H/B was spurred on by the feelings expressed above. I used to love them as a team, but I feel like they have benefited the least of the 3 American teams in Montreal. They have limitations, yes, but some of their old programs highlighted their strengths better. I just think it is telling that the judges seemed to be ready to let the younger teams bump them. In the short, their PCS were only about a point higher than C/P. Internationally, M/C were doing better than them in the short. In contrast, C/B seem rejuvenated and imo, are benefiting the most form the Montreal coaching team and I include H/D in that. Sorry for the rant, I just have a lot of thoughts on the current state of American ice dance haha

 

[SnowWhite]

Yeah, my original comment about H/B was spurred on by the feelings expressed above. I used to love them as a team, but I feel like they have benefited the least of the 3 American teams in Montreal. They have limitations, yes, but some of their old programs highlighted their strengths better. I just think it is telling that the judges seemed to be ready to let the younger teams bump them. In the short, their PCS were only about a point higher than C/P. Internationally, M/C were doing better than them in the short. In contrast, C/B seem rejuvenated and imo, are benefiting the most form the Montreal coaching team and I include H/D in that. Sorry for the rant, I just have a lot of thoughts on the current state of American ice dance haha

I do think it's important to keep in mind that they also missed a lot of time with the concussion. Madi and Evan were dealing with an injury too, but they are at a very different point in their career than H/B. And it took a couple of years for Montreal to really improve H/D and for them to take a big step forward (as recently as 2016-17, people were still predicting that H/B could pass them soon). So I feel like it's too early to say they aren't really benefiting from the coaches. They may not, but we'll see how they look next season.

 

[BrentWolgamott]

I have to say that I was annoyed when I heard Chock/Bates were going to come back, move to Marie-France and Montreal, and give another year (or Olympic cycle) another 'go'. I remember talking to my friend and I was like "they're IN THE WAY of my favorites! LOL!!" Cause we all know how competitive US Dance is. And I never really cared for them before; I just want to put that out there.

But MY GOD have they convinced me *I* was wrong. That FD was innovative and fun, and DIFFICULT, and light, and EVERYTHING that I want out of a 'free dance'. i'm a Hubbell/Donohue STAN and even *I* am rooting for Chock/Bates -- I just can't with Maddy/Zach's repurposed Romeo/Juliet mish-mash. It's so beneath them.

But Chock and Bates have really WOWED me this season -- I can see them challenging for the top and the world podium again. It's going to be tough, I know, I know. But that free dance is WONDERFUL. I've never been so gobsmacked by a couple that I was CLEARLY pre-disposed to DISLIKE, and have them completely turn around my opinion on them. Bravo!!

 

[BrentWolgamott]

This is by far the most I've ever enjoyed Chock/Bates. Such a fun dance!

You too, eh? SO GLAD that I am not alone in not previous liking them, and yet being utterly WOWED by them this year. I think that if they had done the Grand Prix and were able to build momentum, I think they could have beaten Hubbell and Donohue.

Side note: Was anyone else annoyed as me when Hubbell and Donohue got their scores of 131+ and they looked like "meh"? Maddy just nodded like "...ok" and Zach shook his head back and forth like "ok, ok...." as in "not really what we were looking for but good enough". They GOT 131+!!!!!!! What the hell do they want?! LOL

 

[NoNameFace]

You too, eh? SO GLAD that I am not alone in not previous liking them, and yet being utterly WOWED by them this year. I think that if they had done the Grand Prix and were able to build momentum, I think they could have beaten Hubbell and Donohue.

Side note: Was anyone else annoyed as me when Hubbell and Donohue got their scores of 131+ and they looked like "meh"? Maddy just nodded like "...ok" and Zach shook his head back and forth like "ok, ok...." as in "not really what we were looking for but good enough". They GOT 131+!!!!!!! What the hell do they want?! LOL

You are not the only one

Seeing this reaction, contrasting it yet again with this from Chock/Bates or even Hawayek/Baker, I wonder if the goal is to receive judges' scores pumped to the max regardless of what's happening on ice just as a platform of 'reputation' and securing position internationally; if yes, it is quite discouraging to see. I get that they took their time and improved under Gadbois, the thing is for me that this season I see more of safe stability under judges' scores blanket protection in terms of performance and their execution with definite regress in repertoire/quality of their material. Yes, their skating is strong, but the strength does not match the impact of their programs for me - there is a sense of uninspiration there and forcing emoting onto audience, making it bigger than the program itself. Maybe it is post-Olympic season, maybe not, but I definitely see a lot of expectation from them regarding scores, 'confirming the status quo' got after Worlds' silver medal - this kind of thing makes me think again that way of judging makes some teams appear better than they really are (especially to themselves) and it's getting inside their heads a tad too much I'd say. And I do hope that they realize deceiving power of national inflation, a hyperbole given to the real quality of performance showed - to be honest, I prefer their performances (programs are an entire different story) at GPF yet I saw disappointment/annoyance (?) in their faces that score was 131+, it's all quite bizarre.

 

[WeakAnkles]

Who choreographed this program? I want to send them an edible arrangements fruit basket! :luv17:

Christopher Dean. And it's SO Christopher Dean - I knew it was one of his programs about 30 seconds in. And Hyena has a really good idea, to send the Parsons to Dean for choreography next year, at least for a FD. I' m 117% on board with that.

Really, Manta/Johnson and our Disco Brit Babies are my two Feeling Good programs of the year.

For the record, M/J are the first "out" and mixed LGBTQ dance team. I to them.