The Dance results from Worlds have somewhat restored my confidence in Ice Dance judging. I know that Domnina & Shabalin and the Russian Federation are fighting mad that their season of politiking did not result in a World medal for the team, but I for one am glad that the judges came to their senses.
Domnina & Shabalin's sudden rise was suspicious. Their suddenly beating technically stonger teams (Denkova & Staviski at Europeans) did not make sense given their level of difficulty (noticeable two-foot skating and lots of wild arm movements to cover the lack of difficulty in their foot-work). I think the judges at Worlds gave up the effort to push Domnina & Shabalin up and gave them the marks they deserved all along.
The French team winning Europeans was also odd to me. They may have good technique but they are probably the weakest team when it comes to performing. They never, ever, ever look at one another while skating. They don't relate to one another at all. She's always looking away from him. He's always looking away from her. I am surprised that no one has ever told them that they must look at one another to create the look of a "couple" on ice.
Furthermore, as tall as Olivier Schoenfelder is, he never makes use of the height. He's always hunched over and has rounded shoulders and a bent back. He never stretches out his long limbs to create line and this gives the team a rough, unfinished, ungainly look.
I think that bad posture and the lack of any kind of relationship between the two of them, should always keep Delobel & Schoenfelder off the podium (until they address these problems). The judges at Worlds gave them the marks they deserved.
As much as Gregory & Petukhov improved this season (much better line and posture, greater speed, more difficult technique, a better relationship between the two, better edging and flow, better choreography...just everything was improved with the help of their new coaches)...as much as they improved, Gregory & Pethukov's unwise choice of costumes at Worlds probably resulted in a costume deduction that dropped them a place in the standings.
All season long they competed in beautiful costumes (the burgundy ones designed by Johnny Weir) that really accentuated and highlighted their improved line and posture, costumes that helped tell the story of their free-dance and then they show up at Worlds in horrible white leotards that hide their line and wash them out to the point that you could not even see their free-dance (against the backdrop of the white ice).
What were they thinking? If I were a judge, I would have dropped them a place too.
Domnina & Shabalin's sudden rise was suspicious. Their suddenly beating technically stonger teams (Denkova & Staviski at Europeans) did not make sense given their level of difficulty (noticeable two-foot skating and lots of wild arm movements to cover the lack of difficulty in their foot-work). I think the judges at Worlds gave up the effort to push Domnina & Shabalin up and gave them the marks they deserved all along.
The French team winning Europeans was also odd to me. They may have good technique but they are probably the weakest team when it comes to performing. They never, ever, ever look at one another while skating. They don't relate to one another at all. She's always looking away from him. He's always looking away from her. I am surprised that no one has ever told them that they must look at one another to create the look of a "couple" on ice.
Furthermore, as tall as Olivier Schoenfelder is, he never makes use of the height. He's always hunched over and has rounded shoulders and a bent back. He never stretches out his long limbs to create line and this gives the team a rough, unfinished, ungainly look.
I think that bad posture and the lack of any kind of relationship between the two of them, should always keep Delobel & Schoenfelder off the podium (until they address these problems). The judges at Worlds gave them the marks they deserved.
As much as Gregory & Petukhov improved this season (much better line and posture, greater speed, more difficult technique, a better relationship between the two, better edging and flow, better choreography...just everything was improved with the help of their new coaches)...as much as they improved, Gregory & Pethukov's unwise choice of costumes at Worlds probably resulted in a costume deduction that dropped them a place in the standings.
All season long they competed in beautiful costumes (the burgundy ones designed by Johnny Weir) that really accentuated and highlighted their improved line and posture, costumes that helped tell the story of their free-dance and then they show up at Worlds in horrible white leotards that hide their line and wash them out to the point that you could not even see their free-dance (against the backdrop of the white ice).
What were they thinking? If I were a judge, I would have dropped them a place too.
. I absolutely *loved* their FD this season, and the new costumes ruined it.
