I still don‘t find Juliet to be a very good program to be honest. It was okay and it worked but what made it outstanding was only the way Alena skated to it. I saw it live in Linz. The choreography and music cuts were pretty forgettable. (To be fair, it’s always hard to make any program to one of the ultimate warhorses like R&J memorable given the many we‘ve seen already)
Alena, on the other hand is everything but forgettable. This is somewhat of an unique quality, to be able to sell any program you‘re being given and make it work. I have no doubts Alena will sell her vampire program. I‘m actually very sure about that. It still doesn‘t mean I have to be enthusiastic about her music choice. I was - about the original FS. Now that they‘ve changed it, it will be wait and see, definitely. But so far I‘m not impressed. Maybe it will change. But we have to discuss something in the meantime, don‘t we, and for Alena‘s program we at least have something more to base the discussion on, which is an exhibition that she‘s already performed.
My point is not what you have seen in Linz (I remember that, thank you), but that most dissatisfied voices were silenced throughout the season, fortunately. Also, that Aliona herself liked her free program more than her SP (or at least had nothing against repeating it while she was bored by the SP a little at the end of the season). It was obvious she liked what she was performing in FP. First rule is the skater must be pleased, otherwise she will have more problems with keeping the character, the interpreation will lack etc., I don't think I have to explain. There were so many talks about "freedom" in choosing of the music and themes of the programs (and deficiency of it, because we know that Eteri reigns with steel fist ), but at the end it seems that it is is rather fan's own desire than freedom.
I don't know whether I will like that program or not (saying that I'm obviously not a fan of Twilight at all ), but I will really wait with any conclusion without necesarilly keeping the discussion in the level of "pre-rejecting" (followed by "I was saying I won't like it", which is the way of some fans that is forming before our eyes - again ).