Championship of Russia 2010

[oxade21]

Well, D/S training their FD. I am hating the costumes and the overall look. They are clearly not in shape right now. But it is a very dramatic program and I see some potential.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZDnEW8y_oc

You can see the closeup of the costumes here. Disaster!!!
http://radikal.ru/F/s43.radikal.ru/i101/0912/67/e2e0a68858ca.jpg.html

 

[dorispulaski]

D/W od is probably the least authentic among the top teams.

200,000 Indians do not think so:

From the Associated Press (who does not generally cover ice dance)

Davis-White's Bollywood-style OD a hit in India
By NANCY ARMOUR (AP) – 3 days ago

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5j5BFOyajZLML4wq9D2Dpe-ZTIDbAD9COHTB00

Meryl Davis and Charlie White's unique, Indian-themed original dance is a hit all over the globe, with people from Michigan to Mumbai — many of whom don't know the first thing about ice dancing — raving about the program and forwarding videos of it to family and friends. One video alone on YouTube has racked up over 210,000 views, astronomical numbers for a figure skating program.

...
Videos of programs are posted all the time, but they're usually only of interest to skating fans. Somehow, though, Davis and White's OD began circulating among people in India or with ties to South Asia.

Check the statistics on the OD videos that have been posted on YouTube, and most of the views are by people in India. The program is mentioned on several Web sites celebrating Indian culture. Some of Rajendra's [their Indian dance trainer who helped with the choreo] own friends even got e-mails from people in India, telling them they had to check out these American ice dancers.

Like most winter sports, skating isn't very big in India. But people there were impressed — and proud — that American skaters were showcasing their culture.

"This is the new world......of globalization! I am so proud of my heritage! way to go!!," one person who watched the video on YouTube wrote.

"It makes me feel good that something Indian is being shown," said Dr. Shekar Pushpala, a doctor in Indianapolis who was sent the video by a friend in India.

By the end of October, eight or nine people had sent Usman Ahmed links to the video, urging him to post it on his "My Life is Desi" Web site, which is devoted to South Asian culture.

"It's just the fact that the South Asian culture is now blending in," Ahmed said of the enthusiastic reaction. "When people who are not South Asian are doing something related to that, it becomes a big deal.

"They had to go do a lot of research," he added. "It was really nice, seeing that."

It's certainly more authentic than:
P&B skating in cowboy outfits to a pop song written by John Denver which is about Appalachia, not about the West/cowboys, and which does not include any authentic moves.

 

[life684]

200,000 Indians do not think so:

From the Associated Press (who does not generally cover ice dance)

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5j5BFOyajZLML4wq9D2Dpe-ZTIDbAD9COHTB00

pls don't tell them it is kathak, then they would remain a fan of teh dance. and as you can see from article they believe it is some kind of tribute to Bollywood, rather than Kathak. till now i am yet to see any big (or small)TV news channel cover this news, but may get some coverage towards the olympics.

Most indians wouldn't even know such a sports exist (true for most winter sports), and tv coverage is very minimal. but for last one or two years ESPN have been showing the US nationals like 1 or two months after the events, mostly in the middle of the night..etc(i am told they have shown 2009 us nationals couple of times). And indians do get very excited when they see anything remotely indian shown by outsiders....


i too like the dance, but feel they are doing justice to the dance they claim to be doing on multiple levels.

 

[katha]

Thank you for posting all the DomShabs videos! I think the OD is interesting and has potential, but they need to hit every beat for it to work, and it's clear that they aren't in shape yet. And they must BURN those costumes. I know it's difficult to have costumes that are in character for this kind of dance that don't look too outlandish, but they need to tone it down IMO. Because otherwise many will not even notice what they do on the ice and just focus on their outfit. Costumes should enhance a performance, not be a distraction.

What you can see of the FD is cool IMO. Costumes could be better, with cleaner lines, but they're not the disaster that the OD ones are. Relieved that Requiem for a Dream is really just a small part of the music, feared they would skate to basically the same cuts either C/L or P/B use.

 

[Hsuhs]

disregard the horrible costumes - the dance is still really awful. sloppy footwork, slow choreography, failed lift.

Looked like a disaster to me, too. And that is what I don't get: isn't 1/2 year enough to learn a dance, how much time is really needed then? Or they coudn't train most of that time b/c of the problems with Maxim's knee? They strategically avoided competitions all season long untill now, and now they finally show up and present this.

 

[oxade21]

Looked like a disaster to me, too. And that is what I don't get: isn't 1/2 year enough to learn a dance, how much time is really needed then? Or they coudn't train most of that time b/c of the problems with Maxim's knee? They strategically avoided competitions all season long untill now, and now they finally show up and present this.

They haven't been training at all, pretty much. His leg is still in bondage. He pretty much does not have one at this stage. The rumor has it that it would be miracle if they can get to Vancouver, it's that bad.

 

[Hsuhs]

His leg is still in bondage.

Yes, it looked like it in the pics, and it's scary. But, wouldn't it be wiser to stop then? For his health's sake? They had their Gift last season already, so it's not like they'd be leaving empty-handed.

 

[oxade21]

Yes, it looked like it in the pics, and it's scary. But, wouldn't it be wiser to stop then? For his health's sake? They had their Gift last season already, so it's not like they'd be leaving empty-handed.

Well, it's his choice. I can imagine how difficult that decision is when you are in a team and not single skater.
Said that, they looked just as rough at their first outing last season, by the end they looked miles better. Let's hope. I do think the FD has much potential.

 

[Big Deal]

It sounds weird to me that Europeans and Americans are discussing about how authentic this aboriginal and Indian dance could be.

Let's think about the difference of these 2 couples in technique, skating skills and choreography.
That is what matters. I still have a bad feeling the worse one could get higher.
In the present stage, I think also a bronze-medal at the Oly could be an unfair huge GIFT to D/S, which can endanger the sport ro remain in the Olympic program....Not even mentioning how to be on the same page of the history together with Pahomova/Gorshkov, Grischchuk/Platov, Torvill/Dean, Klimova/Ponomarenko, Anissina/Peizerat or Bestemianova/Bukin with THIS ability to perform honest emotions and good tecnique...

 

[oxade21]

The more I watch that OD, the more I am convinced that Lynichuk is genius!!! I think the program is brilliant. Once the initial shock wears off and you forget about poor quality of this particular skate, you notice so many choreographic details which executed well could make them stand out among everything we have this year.

 

[Anna]

Men SP Photos

 

[Big Deal]

Dear Oxade,
You are right about Linichuk.
The only problem is that not SHE is the one to compete, but Domnina/Shabalin-sadly.
Also a great Mountain can give birth to a little mice.

 

[oxade21]

Dear Oxade,
You are right about Linichuk.
The only problem is that not SHE is the one to compete, but Domnina/Shabalin-sadly.
Also a great Mountain can give births to a little mice.

Don't you worry about D/S, they are the current World Champions after all. Enough with hate already. It's getting obnoxious.

 

[Big Deal]

Don't you worry about D/S, they are the current World Champions after all. Enough with hate already. It's getting obnoxious.

I'm NOT hating, just disappointed.

 

[oxade21]

I'm NOT hating, just disappointed.

Well, nothing to be disappointed about a team without any training showing decent skating in their current condition. All will be good.

 

[Big Deal]

What happened with Kokhlova-Novitski, not to compete here?
I REALLY hope that they are busy creating new programs.

 

[life684]

It sounds weird to me that Europeans and Americans are discussing about how authentic this aboriginal and Indian dance could be.

Let's think about the difference of these 2 couples in technique, skating skills and choreography.
That is what matters. I still have a bad feeling the worse one could get higher.
In the present stage, I think also a bronze-medal at the Oly could be an unfair huge GIFT to D/S, which can endanger the sport ro remain in the Olympic program....Not even mentioning how to be on the same page of the history together with Pahomova/Gorshkov, Grischchuk/Platov, Torvill/Dean, Klimova/Ponomarenko, Anissina/Peizerat or Bestemianova/Bukin with THIS ability to perform honest emotions and good tecnique...

Sorry, i am not european, i am an indian, born and educated in India. though i have spent couple of years in europe. So, i think i can speak about authenticity from your definition.

 

[katha]

I think it's rather utopian to say that DomShabs should just retire because Maxim's knees are bad. Skating is the thing they've been doing for most of their lives and now that they are in a position to maybe win a medal at the Olympics they should give up? And, as another poster said, they are a team, every decision he makes has an effect on her career as well. And with the way K/N have been skating this season...you bet there's enourmous pressure from the Russian federation on D/S to be fit for Vancouver.

And, yeah, they are skating about as well as can be expected when he's basically without knees at this point and they haven't had time for extensive training. That said, I thought their CD was good, if slow and tentative. As for OD and FD, they still have some time to whip it into shape come Vancouver. Their best performances last season were at Worlds in LA, as well, so it's not all that doomy and gloomy IMO.

 

[life684]

I think it's rather utopian to say that DomShabs should just retire because Maxim's knees are bad. Skating is the thing they've been doing for most of their lives and now that they are in a position to maybe win a medal at the Olympics they should give up? And, as another poster said, they are a team, every decision he makes has an effect on her career as well. And with the way K/N have been skating this season...you bet there's enourmous pressure from the Russian federation on D/S to be fit for Vancouver.

And, yeah, they are skating about as well as can be expected when he's basically without knees at this point and they haven't had time for extensive training. That said, I thought their CD was good, if slow and tentative. As for OD and FD, they still have some time to whip it into shape come Vancouver. Their best performances last season were at Worlds in LA, as well, so it's not all that doomy and gloomy IMO.

thanks for your prespective Katha, i agree with you completely . And, can i ask, what ur username actually means

 

[sigrid]

Domnina and Shabalin got 46.75 + 56.31 = 103.06
final score: 214.77

I couldn't watch their whole program, but they had some problems with the twizzles