2024-25 Senior Grand Prix Final Free Dance

[4everchan]

Well we know why you love Take Five

May I ask do you ever teach jazz, or do you stay with classical?

I can sort of fake playing jazz... because I have listened to so much of it and I love improvising. But no, I leave it to the pros and stick to what I do best, classical.

 

[sworddance21]

I love that Madi and Evan were secure enough to take on complicated and iconic jazz pieces such as Round Midnight and Take Five. (with of course its unusual signature meter).

The most daring program of the comp, IMO, (yes I said that ) and so well skated. Kudos to them!

I am generally not the biggest fan of Madi and Evan. I REALLY enjoyed that program! It is the first time in years for me - I just don't usually connect with their programs. I love this one. (I also loved Piper and Paul today. Not quite sure what's up with the open back suit, but what evs!).

 

[reader3]

Congrats to Chock and Bates and all the medalists.

 

[GGFan]

Only was able to watch the second group: wow Chock and Bates! So impressive to see this program develop. They look so polished: in this field it just makes them seem a step above even if their skating skills aren't better than some of the other teams.

I know people hate the G/F progam and I agree that it's not a program you really fall in love with. Still, I respect them for trying it. I don't like the middle portion but I really appreciate how they're stretching themselves in terms of the movement. I think their free next year will be that much better because of their work this year.

F/G still make me smile. Like many people I sort of want them to do something different but this works and they do it well. The lifts that Lewis is able to pull off at his height makes me love them more.

 

[noskates]

I thought Maddie and Evan did a good job but I loved Piper and Paul. So unique. But back to Maddie and Evan - so glad they reworked their rhythm dance and eliminated some of those bad cuts in their music.

 

[amanda b]

Who remembers THIS? The ultimate robot dance, I loved watching Kerrs.

When I go back and watch the videos of the Kerrs I think how underrated they were - they were truly ahead of their time, with some really interesting and innovative routines.

 

[amanda b]

i didn't know beyonce was so deep.. thanks for explaining that to us Mark

I heard one of David Lease's podcasts where they were saying how does Mark keep a straight face saying all this nonsense about the meaning - and even knowing what it is supposed to be about does not add anything.

 

[Flying Feijoa]

I am generally not the biggest fan of Madi and Evan. I REALLY enjoyed that program! It is the first time in years for me - I just don't usually connect with their programs. I love this one. (I also loved Piper and Paul today. Not quite sure what's up with the open back suit, but what evs!).

I also liked them, to my surprise. I think one reason might be that for once she's playing a human instead of some sort of exotic animal/anthropomorphised quantity. Their skating skills have improved enough to carry subtler programmes like this one.

I still feel like ice dance is going through a bit of a doldrums moment this season. I'm curious (and slightly apprehensive) about what Mark was hinting at in the commentary at the start of the event about the future of ice dance and associated strong opinions/ideas. The powers that be do read this forum, so I'm thinking it might be worth starting a thread to give them some feedback on this topic...

 

[museksk8r]

This ice dance event was such a letdown for me personally. By the time the first group of free dances ended, I was basically checked out of the competition because my 3 favorite teams out of these 6 had already competed in the first group. It’s personally sad when none of your favorite teams medal. My order of preference/personal favorites of these teams are: 1) Gilles/Poirier, 2) Lopareva/Brissaud, 3) Lajoie/Lagha, 4) Chock/Bates, 5) Fear/Gibson, 6) Guignard/Fabri. My top 3 simply have the best and most intriguing combination of programs in the world of ice dance this season. I really hope future outings of the season are more successful and fruitful for my favorites. Alas, congrats to the medalists here.

 

[sworddance21]

This ice dance event was such a letdown for me personally. By the time the first group of free dances ended, I was basically checked out of the competition because my 3 favorite teams out of these 6 had already competed in the first group. It’s personally sad when none of your favorite teams medal. My order of preference/personal favorites of these teams are: 1) Gilles/Poirier, 2) Lopareva/Brissaud, 3) Lajoie/Lagha, 4) Chock/Bates, 5) Fear/Gibson, 6) Guignard/Fabri. My top 3 simply have the best and most intriguing combination of programs in the world of ice dance this season. I really hope future outings of the season are more successful and fruitful for my favorites. Alas, congrats to the medalists here.

I know this isn't the forum for it, but I'm struggling with ice dance, in general, this season because I miss Hawayek and Baker.

 

[el henry]

I heard one of David Lease's podcasts where they were saying how does Mark keep a straight face saying all this nonsense about the meaning - and even knowing what it is supposed to be about does not add anything.

Dave is such a jealous mean girl when it comes to Mark. Like Dave's catty comments are real "criticism"? I don't think so.

I love Mark's commentary, but to each to their own.

 

[lesnar001]

Dave is such a jealous mean girl when it comes to Mark. Like Dave's catty comments are real "criticism"? I don't think so.

I love Mark's commentary, but to each to their own.

I think Mark's commentary is great. This is the first year I've watched the ISU on Peacock so it has been my introduction to him.

 

[Seven Sisters]

I also liked them, to my surprise. I think one reason might be that for once she's playing a human instead of some sort of exotic animal/anthropomorphised quantity. Their skating skills have improved enough to carry subtler programmes like this one.

I still feel like ice dance is going through a bit of a doldrums moment this season. I'm curious (and slightly apprehensive) about what Mark was hinting at in the commentary at the start of the event about the future of ice dance and associated strong opinions/ideas. The powers that be do read this forum, so I'm thinking it might be worth starting a thread to give them some feedback on this topic...

Just curious—why do you think the powers that be read this forum?

(And if that’s so—please bring back real patterns, enough of these ridiculous themes! I DARE you to require a waltz for next season. We will immediately see who can skate like an Olympian, and who cannot.)

 

[Flying Feijoa]

Just curious—why do you think the powers that be read this forum?

(And if that’s so—please bring back real patterns, enough of these ridiculous themes! I DARE you to require a waltz for next season. We will immediately see who can skate like an Olympian, and who cannot.)

Sorry, I should be more specific instead of using quasi-conspiracy-theory talk
I know some of the board members are judges, coaches, skaters etc. This forum is also read by users of other media platforms, and so I think general sentiment online tends to diffuse across to the ISU via its various communication channels.

Yes, personally I'd love a waltz pattern. In order to get one, it might help to hear people give possible reasons for why it's been avoided, and to see if some polite negotiating could be made to allay these concerns...

 

[TallyT]

The powers that be do read this forum...

Oh I doubt it, or if they do they then promptly ignore it and pretty much every major online forum. Otherwise they would have rethought at least 70% of the crappy decisions and actions taken in the last decade or more.

 

[Flying Feijoa]

Oh I doubt it, or of they do they then promptly ignore it and pretty much every major online forum. Otherwise they would have rethought at least 70% of the crappy decisions and actions taken in the last decade or more.

A good point. Well, no harm trying...

 

[Seven Sisters]

Yes, personally I'd love a waltz pattern. In order to get one, it might help to hear people give possible reasons for why it's been avoided, and to see if some polite negotiating could be made to allay these concerns...

I think there are two counter-arguments; first, that modern audiences find such things boring, and the emphasis should be on trendy things that will appeal to new, younger audiences, and second, that the current ranks of elite ice dancers haven’t mastered patterns and accordingly, are unlikely to excel in skating them.

And to that I would answer that first, these experiments with the trendy things have had a fair trial, but have not been successful in growing the sport, and second, fine, announce the waltz theme a season (or even two!) in advance, and give the teams more time to learn it/master it.

 

[TallyT]

I think there are two counter-arguments; first, that modern audiences find such things boring, and the emphasis should be on trendy things that will appeal to new, younger audiences, and second, that the current ranks of elite ice dancers haven’t mastered patterns and accordingly, are unlikely to excel in skating them.

And to that I would answer that first, these experiments with the trendy things have had a fair trial, but have not been successful in growing the sport, and second, fine, announce the waltz theme a season (or even two!) in advance, and give the teams more time to learn it/master it.

The 'trendy' and pop-related things could have been good (part of me wonders how trendy 50-year-old music should be seen as but I believe the 80s at least is in at the minute god help us - and retro can be enormous fun when done with heart) but I got the feeling there was little interest in it from the performers and teams: music choices were perfunctory and predictable, the cuts were godawful, even the costumes almost all showed a complete disconnect from, even distaste for, the times covered in the theme. Okay, that made lots of stuff for less than kind people like me to squawk and giggle but it's not exactly appealing to a general audience!

 

[dorispulaski]

You will notice that "Timing" is no longer a PCS component in ice dance.

You will also notice that there is only a loose connection between any rhythm and the Rhythm Dance any more.

And so you have commentators talking about "speed" and "glide" instead of talking about hitting and expressing every beat of the music.

We have some ice dancers who remind me of the line in Hallelujah, "You don't really care for music, do you?"

If I wanted to watch fast skaters, I would watch short track races.

I want dancers to dance. Some of the teams did indeed dance during the RD.

Madison and Evan, for example, actually danced in the RD - I am sure a number of the judges appreciated that, as did I.

 

[Flying Feijoa]

You will notice that "Timing" is no longer a PCS component in ice dance.

You will also notice that there is only a loose connection between any rhythm and the Rhythm Dance any more.

And so you have commentators talking about "speed" and "glide" instead of talking about hitting and expressing every beat of the music.

We have some ice dancers who remind me of the line in Hallelujah, "You don't really care for music, do you?"

If I wanted to watch fast skaters, I would watch short track races.

I want dancers to dance. Some of the teams did indeed dance during the RD.

Madison and Evan, for example, actually danced in the RD - I am sure a number of the judges appreciated that, as did I.

Yes, definitely. I think timing is one good example where you can see a generational divide between the teams who cut their teeth in/before the mid-2010s and the newer ones who haven't been held to the same standard on that front.

It obviously depends on the individual too, and some newer teams have good musicality, but if so I would like to see them rewarded appropriately.

I do really like many of these young speedy teams (e.g. the Czechs), but I also want them to be pushed to develop skills that make them better all-round ice dancers, even if it means temporary discomfort.