I've been thinking all day about Mishina/Galliamov's connection, because I think not only do they have a great on-ice connection, I almost feel it's unique. They've taken a direction that other pairs have played with, and they've created something entirely extraordinary.
People have made remarks about yesterday's FS that they need better skating skills, better connection. The classic things you might say about a team that's this young and this new-looking. When people say that (and I think Mark Handretty may have), do they mean they want a pair to look into each others' eyes during the skate and show a romantic connection? That's been a standard for a long time, I think, and it's one reason brother-sister pairs have to work so hard to develop a different aura. Don't want to be icky.
I showed my husband Anastasia and Alexandr's FS today. When they were about 3/4 through it, he said, "He skates like he's her, and she skates like she's him." Bingo! They're so perfectly attuned with each other that it's like they're astrally connected or something. I feel that this is related to what everyone sees in the GOATs Gordeeva and Grinkov. They skated as one. But M/G are often doing different moves from each other, not the same ones, but complementary. The choreographic complexity is fantastic. An aspect of this that I've been admiring for a while is that Nastya presents Sasha beautifully in the places where he's highlighted, just as he presents her beautifully in the places where she's highlighted. This is counterintuitive with the old compliment that a pairs man presents his partner, calls attention to her without overshadowing her. And it goes against the old "she's the flower, he's the stem" formula.
This is why I've been so fascinated with the choreographic touches that have Sasha doing something cool -- and he's such a diva! and I mean that in the very best way! And Nastya's so generous with her attention. They're both stars, and the pair is a sparkling constellation.
To bring this down a few places, to the US pairs. Jessica and Brian have a beautiful connection of the classical kind. Alexa and Chris had it and played up the romantic connection and were proud that it was real, not acting. Alexa and Brandon, so far, have chosen some romantic style music and look to be possibly leaning toward playing the romantic connection. All this is just fine, and very pleasing to many (including me, but I'm demanding: Like Goldilocks: not too much, not too little. Just right).
Sui and Han said last year that their connection is in their mutual dedication to interpreting the music well. Ashley and Tim have always said they're not going to do the flower/stem thing and their vision is of two equal partners. Their connection comes from their passion for music and movement as well.
I also had a random thought yesterday during the final flight of the pairs' free skates. And maybe it's crazy that I hadn't thought it before, and maybe plenty of other people have entertained this thought. But it just lit up in my mind that this particular competition with those four particular pairs seemed like a sort of dividing line between the younger generation of pairs (M/G and B/K are 19 and 21) and the older pairs. This year, this World's. Now of course all this could switch around next year, domestically, internationally and at Olympics and Worlds and it's entirely possible for the late-twenties pairs to re-establish their dominance. But even if that happens, this could be an interesting trend.
side note: I read a Google translation of an interview of Sergei Voronov this week where he talked about his work with T/M. He said he did a lot of research on pairs, to deepen his understanding of what makes pairs work. He said Sergei Grinkov took the Moscow style, which emphasized unison, to the highest level with Katia, to the point where they made the most ordinary moves seem like magic. I love that! We can all aspire to take something ordinary about ourselves and make it magic!
You can tell ... I think Anastasia and Alexandr are quite special, and a lot of their excellence was there before they began with Tamara, though she brought out the magic ... and I'm really excited about watching and re-watching them in the future!
I'm really interested in hearing what other people think of the traditions and styles of pairs. I'm obsessed
People have made remarks about yesterday's FS that they need better skating skills, better connection. The classic things you might say about a team that's this young and this new-looking. When people say that (and I think Mark Handretty may have), do they mean they want a pair to look into each others' eyes during the skate and show a romantic connection? That's been a standard for a long time, I think, and it's one reason brother-sister pairs have to work so hard to develop a different aura. Don't want to be icky.
I showed my husband Anastasia and Alexandr's FS today. When they were about 3/4 through it, he said, "He skates like he's her, and she skates like she's him." Bingo! They're so perfectly attuned with each other that it's like they're astrally connected or something. I feel that this is related to what everyone sees in the GOATs Gordeeva and Grinkov. They skated as one. But M/G are often doing different moves from each other, not the same ones, but complementary. The choreographic complexity is fantastic. An aspect of this that I've been admiring for a while is that Nastya presents Sasha beautifully in the places where he's highlighted, just as he presents her beautifully in the places where she's highlighted. This is counterintuitive with the old compliment that a pairs man presents his partner, calls attention to her without overshadowing her. And it goes against the old "she's the flower, he's the stem" formula.
This is why I've been so fascinated with the choreographic touches that have Sasha doing something cool -- and he's such a diva! and I mean that in the very best way! And Nastya's so generous with her attention. They're both stars, and the pair is a sparkling constellation.
To bring this down a few places, to the US pairs. Jessica and Brian have a beautiful connection of the classical kind. Alexa and Chris had it and played up the romantic connection and were proud that it was real, not acting. Alexa and Brandon, so far, have chosen some romantic style music and look to be possibly leaning toward playing the romantic connection. All this is just fine, and very pleasing to many (including me, but I'm demanding: Like Goldilocks: not too much, not too little. Just right).
Sui and Han said last year that their connection is in their mutual dedication to interpreting the music well. Ashley and Tim have always said they're not going to do the flower/stem thing and their vision is of two equal partners. Their connection comes from their passion for music and movement as well.
I also had a random thought yesterday during the final flight of the pairs' free skates. And maybe it's crazy that I hadn't thought it before, and maybe plenty of other people have entertained this thought. But it just lit up in my mind that this particular competition with those four particular pairs seemed like a sort of dividing line between the younger generation of pairs (M/G and B/K are 19 and 21) and the older pairs. This year, this World's. Now of course all this could switch around next year, domestically, internationally and at Olympics and Worlds and it's entirely possible for the late-twenties pairs to re-establish their dominance. But even if that happens, this could be an interesting trend.
side note: I read a Google translation of an interview of Sergei Voronov this week where he talked about his work with T/M. He said he did a lot of research on pairs, to deepen his understanding of what makes pairs work. He said Sergei Grinkov took the Moscow style, which emphasized unison, to the highest level with Katia, to the point where they made the most ordinary moves seem like magic. I love that! We can all aspire to take something ordinary about ourselves and make it magic!
You can tell ... I think Anastasia and Alexandr are quite special, and a lot of their excellence was there before they began with Tamara, though she brought out the magic ... and I'm really excited about watching and re-watching them in the future!
I'm really interested in hearing what other people think of the traditions and styles of pairs. I'm obsessed
Last edited: