I enjoyed listening to a bit of Tanith Belbin's ice dance commentary for NBC in Prague. Tanith offers such good insights in a very professional way. Regarding Lajoie/ Lagha, Tanith pointed out how gorgeous Marjorie's carriage is, exemplified by her beautifully arched back. Then, in a nice way, Tanith said she finds Zach's carriage and skating a bit messy and rough around the edges. I hadn't really noticed any of this, but when such observations are pointed out by someone knowledgeable, they can become apparent.
Possibly, Lajoie/ Lagha should lean into this noted difference and find material that can provide them with role-playing and a story to tell. For example, the new Wuthering Hts., or Beauty and the Beast, or something else completely off the beaten track. At the same time, Zach could take ballet classes to improve his carriage. This does not mean he doesn't have good skating skills. It's about posture, stretch, and how moves are extended and finished, e.g., pointing toes and using arms gracefully.
I don't think this noted difference between L&L's on-ice carriage has much to do with the way L&L are being scored recently. The greater challenge for L&L, IMO, and as has been mentioned, is that they need better material and packaging. A few years ago, they were considered to be the team who would move up to take the baton over the next quad. But, they lost a bit of momentum while recovering from injury. When they returned to competition, they did not choose material that enhanced who they are as a team. White Crow, while lovely music, has been used too much recently. Not to mention that L&L have used it before, which makes it a retread. Even their last season's FD music (Sound of Silence) has been used by many other skaters in all disciplines. While it was also beautifully skated by L&L, it was not exciting nor revelatory. It did not do anything to tell a story nor to inform audiences about L&L's personalities and partnership.
OTOH, the colorful FD L&L had a few seasons ago did tell us something about their personalities. It truly suited them and impressed fans, which is a big reason why they were so highly praised back then. Bottom line: Choosing the right music and choreo has become even more important these days to getting noticed and building success.
It's one of my favourites.
Justice for Foster !
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