2022 Worlds: Pairs' FS - Thoughts?

[Sabine]

Are you suggesting that next year‘s Grand Prix might be more like the Challenger Series, where some events include a Pairs competition and others do not? That’s an interesting idea!

I would suggest to do the GP series as usual, but without GP Russia and GP China. You'll have less athletes anyway, so less GP's would be the logical consequence for me.

 

[lariko]

I would suggest to do the GP series as usual, but without GP Russia and GP China. You'll have less athletes anyway, so less GP's would be the logical consequence for me.

I think lots of skaters would like to be able to take the spots that are vacated by Russians, even if they are lower in the rankings. Imo, making Challenger series smaller would be better instead, as well as prioritizing locations in Asia, America or Australia for that year.

Pairs are challenging, but JGP doesn’t have pair event in every GP, and it’s fine. Also, you can add junior pairs to some events, and senior pairs to others. Or even merge JGP and GP for that year completely as well, conducting both senior and junior competitions at the same locations.

 

[moonvine]

There probably won't be a Rostelecom, and maybe not even a CoC. But perhaps we could have an Estonian event or an Italian or Korean one.

Or Finland again. My skating doctor!

 

[moonvine]

I just watched the pairs free for literally I don’t know, the 30th time? (I start right before Alexa and Brandon, so I don’t have to keep seeing the dreadful accident.

Also I’m not a fan of using iconic music but when you win the World Championship I guess you get to do it.

In other words, don’t skate to the Shibs music unless you can make people think “oh, that’s Alexa and Brandon’s music” instead.

 

[NYscorp6]

I just watched the pairs free for literally I don’t know, the 30th time? (I start right before Alexa and Chris, so I don’t have to keep seeing the dreadful accident.

Also I’m not a fan of using iconic music but when you win the World Championship I guess you get to do it.

I believe you meant Alexa & Brandon.

 

[moonvine]

I believe you meant Alexa & Brandon.

Yes indeed I did. I shall fix it now.

 

[BlissfulSynergy]

I just watched the pairs free for literally I don’t know, the 30th time? (I start right before Alexa and Brandon, so I don’t have to keep seeing the dreadful accident.

Also I’m not a fan of using iconic music but when you win the World Championship I guess you get to do it.

In other words, don’t skate to the Shibs music unless you can make people think “oh, that’s Alexa and Brandon’s music” instead.

I must be missing something. Do you mean that you only watch Alexa/Brandon, or that you skip over Ashley's accident when the video gets to that point?

A lot of skaters have used Fix You, so I don't get the critique re Alexa/Brandon using it, unless you just didn't enjoy their performance to it. There are examples of skaters picking specific music (used a lot before or not; associated with famous performances or not). Sometimes music selections work, and sometimes they don't. Or, it's in-between. This music combined with a cover version apparently resonated with Alexa/Brandon, and it was okay in overall execution and results for the season. Their performance to Fix You at Montpelier Worlds is perhaps their season's best, so that's a good thing. The fp music itself may not be considered by fans as good a choice as their sp selection (which ironically the sp music led to broader issues off-the-ice beyond K/F's control, unfortunately). Still, overall both selections worked for K/F this season. There's surely an art (or maybe luck and magic) to picking the right music. It's not easy.

I agree that major enjoyment can be derived from music used often in figure skating, when skaters bring something new to the interpretation. But I don't think that unique interpretations happen a lot. It's mostly about the personalities and careers of the different skaters, the choreography, the event, the moment. For e.g., Say Something was used by Duhamel/Radford in an exhibition. It had a very special resonance because of that moment in their career (I think it was soon after their first or second World championship win). When James/Cipres used Say Something for their fp in 2017-2018 (tho' they switched back to Disturbed's Sound of Silence later that season), it was a completely different feeling with different meaning and resonance. J/C's costumes for Say Something were widely emulated, and the choreography was wonderful, which helped popularize the song even more. J/C memorably skated to it at 2017 TDF, and it was one of the best performances of their career. That they didn't win when they should have won, in their home country too, will always be historic. I believe that was a turning point in Tarasova/Morosov's downturn in confidence (because they shouldn't have won, and they knew it).

Other pairs subsequently chose Say Something, not necessarily to greater effect, but still pleasant to watch. Fix You as 'iconic' music for figure skating? I don't see it that way. (Certainly, it is iconic for the Shibs' career due to their performances of it in connection to the trajectory of their career, but IMO, that doesn't yet make it iconic music for figure skating). For me, it's just that Fix You has been quite popular in recent years, perhaps largely because of the Shibs' successful performances. It's not really even a war horse yet, despite being used a lot recently. Carmen, is a warhorse. Phantom of the Opera, is a warhorse. Bolero, is by now a warhorse, and one that I am excruciatingly tired of seeing used. Whereas, I don't really get that tired of Carmen, nor of POTO, if the music cuts and choreo are handled well.

 

[moonvine]

I must be missing something. Do you mean that you only watch Alexa/Brandon, or that you skip over Ashley's accident when the video gets to that point?

A lot of skaters have used Fix You, so I don't get the critique re Alexa/Brandon using it, unless you just didn't enjoy their performance to it. There are examples of skaters picking specific music (used a lot before or not; associated with famous performances or not). Sometimes music selections work, and sometimes they don't. Or, it's in-between. This music combined with a cover version apparently resonated with Alexa/Brandon, and it was okay in overall execution and results for the season. Their performance to Fix You at Montpelier Worlds is perhaps their season's best, so that's a good thing. The fp music itself may not be considered by fans as good a choice as their sp selection (which ironically the sp music led to broader issues off-the-ice beyond K/F's control, unfortunately). Still, overall both selections worked for K/F this season. There's surely an art (or maybe luck and magic) to picking the right music. It's not easy.

I agree that major enjoyment can be derived from music used often in figure skating, when skaters bring something new to the interpretation. But I don't think that unique interpretations happen a lot. It's mostly about the personalities and careers of the different skaters, the choreography, the event, the moment. For e.g., Say Something was used by Duhamel/Radford in an exhibition. It had a very special resonance because of that moment in their career (I think it was soon after their first or second World championship win). When James/Cipres used Say Something for their fp in 2017-2018 (tho' they switched back to Disturbed's Sound of Silence later that season), it was a completely different feeling with different meaning and resonance. J/C's costumes for Say Something were widely emulated, and the choreography was wonderful, which helped popularize the song even more. J/C memorably skated to it at 2017 TDF, and it was one of the best performances of their career. That they didn't win when they should have won, in their home country too, will always be historic. I believe that was a turning point in Tarasova/Morosov's downturn in confidence (because they shouldn't have won, and they knew it).

Other pairs subsequently chose Say Something, not necessarily to greater effect, but still pleasant to watch. Fix You as 'iconic' music for figure skating? I don't see it that way. (Certainly, it is iconic for the Shibs' career due to their performances of it in connection to the trajectory of their career, but IMO, that doesn't yet make it iconic music for figure skating). For me, it's just that Fix You has been quite popular in recent years, perhaps largely because of the Shibs' successful performances. It's not really even a war horse yet, despite being used a lot recently. Carmen, is a warhorse. Phantom of the Opera, is a warhorse. Bolero, is by now a warhorse, and one that I am excruciatingly tired of seeing used. Whereas, I don't really get that tired of Carmen, nor of POTO, if the music cuts and choreo are handled well.

Yes, I mean I skip over Ashley's accident when the video gets to that point. Once was enough, I don't need to see it ever again

I associate "Fix You" with the Shibs.

 

[BlissfulSynergy]

^^ Yeah, that's cool.

Fix You will definitely bring to mind the Shibutanis. It was great music for them, and it was so exciting when they finally won U.S. Nationals. I was stoked for them. Lots of skaters pick music popularly used previously or strongly associated with other skaters. Whether or not they are able to do something unique is always a crapshoot. I think Alexa/Brandon went for slightly different cut combined with a different cover, which was okay, not spectacular. Their sp selection was better, and with choreo by Shae Lynn Bourne, it was a hit.