Free Dance Cup of China

[Mrs. P]

http://www.goldenskate.com/forum/sh...na-Predictions&p=588797&viewfull=1#post588797



I told you so.

Fair enough!

The Shibs are definitely having problems hitting their levels and it costly them greatly, both in the Short and Free. We'll see if they get that resolve. And I agree with other posters that maybe some new cuts for the FD (I don't think they need a completely new one, especially since they have work to do the SD) may be beneficial.

 

[fairly4]

good job to bobrova /soliview--for coming in 1st you sold it.
shibutanis good job for coming in 2nd
carron/jones for coming in 3rd
good job to all

 

[KKonas]

Now the Shibs go to NHK to meet Weaver/Poje and Ilinykh/Katsalapov. They won't have time to make any program changes, but hopefully will get better Levels.

 

[Tex]

I LOVE this FD!!!! My God you can tell it was Chris Dean that choreographed it ~ the beautiful shapes they make on the ice ~ saw a couple of T&D moves, as well as Todd&Jane and Emily&Evan.

Can just imagine this routine skated to its full potential, hopefully at Nationals, with better audio, sound, and speed.

But what I've seen thus far is a keeper, now this routine I can watch again & again & again on IN and youtube.

I totally agree!!! Their FD is up on Universal Sports and I have been watching it. I love, love her gold dress. It's her best skating dress to date. Does the area around the abs on that dress, almost looks like a stairway (it's the squares on the front)?

 

[wallylutz]

I think the Shibs need to avoid type casting themselves. Given the limitations of being siblings, there are however other range of emotions they can explore beyond "happy go lucky". A strategy used by Michelle Kwan when she was their age is to appear more mature, hence her use of heavy make up in 1996 and 1997 for two seasons. Not to say the Shibs should copy Kwan but the point is they need to think outside the box here. What's a more suitable music choice that would still meet the current trend set by the Ice Dance technical committee? I think it's not an easy question given the demand for a more danceable and uplifting choice of music in this cycle but I am convinced if there is will, there will be a way.

 

[missysays]

My comments on the Shibs FD:

They skated it well technically but there was something missing from the presentation side of the house. It was a little too proper and one note in energy. If they're going to give this FD a chance, they really need to feel it and let the music wash over them and through them- the swoony, dippy feeling of the Moonlight Serenade (this is a gorgeous romantic piece that they don't need to direct towards each other but if they could inject the energy of the music into their movement and direct it out the mood could be conveyed really well), the irreverent, goofy get off your bum and dance In the Mood piece and the Chattanooga Choo Choo (there was a part where Alex was kind of getting into it and the way he cocks his head gives it a bit of sense of humor and irreverence but Maia was only doing this smile-as-hard-as-I can and really buttoned up rendition of it). They really need to let this rip and lose some of that formality that they have like they're striving hard to be straight A students (which I'm sure they are ;-)). They have the technical foundation- now really lay into the number. This piece is more about the jazz finger snaps rather than the proper ballet port de bras. That is what will get those scores up.

Having said that for this FD, I do agree with the other posters that they miscalculated with this particular style of program. It only accentuates their youth- it feels almost a step down from last year's FD. Last year's FD was fresh but Nat King Cole has a level of sophistication and formality to it that suits their style- this year's FD really needs a slightly down and dirtier, casual approach that's not quite who they are- at least not who Maia is. (She's such a mature young lady- definitely old soul.) I'm not sure it's in their best interest to switch their FD now though - this is where they are now. They should just work through it- this FD still has potential. I think that this will give them a lesson learned and really help them come up with better program ideas for subsequent seasons and also grow as artists if they can really learn to embody the character of this music a bit more.

As for B/S, they have these beautiful long-limbed bodies that really take up that ice surface but the choreography left them looking like a mess of tangled legs and arms. There's no magic or chemistry in their pairing. I feel like they're one of those "hold the Russian place" ice dance couples. The political clout of Russia is being used to hold Russia's place in the ice dance roster until they can find a truly championship couple to push toward the gold medal position.

 

[colleen o'neill]

doris, re ; B/S' costumes...I don't know how every opera company / ballet company does it , but as famously done by the Bolshoi and other Russian companies , it's not " We're evil demons and goblins ' It's "We're amoral pagan nymphs and satyrs, etc...Let's party "..the Ballerina's role is a " Bacchante "

http://www.google.ca/imgres?q=Walpu...moscow.com/classical_ballet/rus_state_ballet_

And the Bacchante stands up between dalliances...

 

[blue_idealist]

I'm not a fan of Bobrova/Soloviev's FD, but they skated it well. I don't think they should have been as far ahead of the Shibs as they were, but then again, I'm not that well versed on the technical side of ice dancing. I loved the FDs from Carron/Jones (so happy to see them get a GP medal - they've been a favourite of mine for a couple of years), Coomes/Buckland (it's too bad about the fall, didn't they fall at Euros last year too?), Samuelson/Gilles (fix those extended lifts ) and Lichtman/Copely. It's interesting to see how US ice dance is going to play out. I think that Samuelson/Gilles are out of the running for that third spot, unless they have rapid improvements by January. It'll probably be between Chock/Bates and Kriengkrairut/Giulietti-Schmitt, with the bronze probably going to Chock/Bates. I almost forgot about Hubbell/Donahue for a minute.. they may be legit challengers for the third spot to worlds too but I'm still gonna go with Chock/Bates, unfortunately since they're not personal favourites of mine. It's also going to be interesting how Bobrova/Soloviev, after this rather massive score (for THEM) here, are going to fare against Pechalat/Bourzat when they meet later on in the season (not sure when that is).

 

[Mrs. P]

I'm not a fan of Bobrova/Soloviev's FD, but they skated it well. I don't think they should have been as far ahead of the Shibs as they were, but then again, I'm not that well versed on the technical side of ice dancing. I loved the FDs from Carron/Jones (so happy to see them get a GP medal - they've been a favourite of mine for a couple of years), Coomes/Buckland (it's too bad about the fall, didn't they fall at Euros last year too?), Samuelson/Gilles (fix those extended lifts ) and Lichtman/Copely. It's interesting to see how US ice dance is going to play out. I think that Samuelson/Gilles are out of the running for that third spot, unless they have rapid improvements by January. It'll probably be between Chock/Bates and Kriengkrairut/Giulietti-Schmitt, with the bronze probably going to Chock/Bates. I almost forgot about Hubbell/Donahue for a minute.. they may be legit challengers for the third spot to worlds too but I'm still gonna go with Chock/Bates, unfortunately since they're not personal favourites of mine. It's also going to be interesting how Bobrova/Soloviev, after this rather massive score (for THEM) here, are going to fare against Pechalat/Bourzat when they meet later on in the season (not sure when that is).

The Shibs gave them some points by losing some levels. I do feel B/S' were overscored in PCS -- while they held up in this program pretty well I still felt it was sloppy.

K/G-S just won the Ice Challenge, so that will fare well for them and their confidence. So I definitely agree that they can battle it out with C/B. I think Samuelson/Gilles is too new of a team, but they have potential and I see them more of a contender in 2014.

 

[dorispulaski]

doris, re ; B/S' costumes...I don't know how every opera company / ballet company does it , but as famously done by the Bolshoi and other Russian companies , it's not " We're evil demons and goblins ' It's "We're amoral pagan nymphs and satyrs, etc...Let's party "..the Ballerina's role is a " Bacchante "

http://www.google.ca/imgres?q=Walpu...moscow.com/classical_ballet/rus_state_ballet_

And the Bacchante stands up between dalliances...

My memory, from taking a course in Euripides in college is these Bacchantes:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bacchae

Pentheus wanted to climb up an evergreen tree to get a better view of the Bacchants. The blond stranger used his divine power to bend the tall tree and place the king at its highest branches. However, once he was safely at the top, Dionysus called out to his followers and showed the man sitting atop the tree. This, of course, drove the Bacchants wild, and they tore the trapped Pentheus down and ripped his body apart piece by piece

In which case, Soloviev had better watch out

A big part of being a bacchante/maenad was getting drunk and tearing apart animals with your bare hands; it wasn't all just about satyrs.

 

[colleen o'neill]

Good points..OTOH ,I think Soloviev would be kinda cute in a pair of goat leggings.

 

[ImaginaryPogue]

Thought 1: gmyers must be so happy. Not only a demonstration that Russia still cares about ice dance, they beat his hated Shibutanis to boot. I have to admit that the gloom-and-doom predictions for the Shibs are making me giggle, as they peaked extraordinarily well last season, but a 15 point decimation by B/S (who really, while I actually like them, are not a mid-eight, near nine PCS team, sorry). Looks like the Russian political machine is gearing up.

Thought 2: If B/S make it within ten points of the Canton quartet by Worlds, they will be legitimate medal contenders by Sochi. That's all the younger teams can do this season, but

Thought 3: Bobrova's posture is HORRIBLE. Egads.

 

[chuckm]

How can a team who spends 90% of the FD parallel to the ice get 9s in PCS? They looked as if they were madly searching for the contact lens that slipped out of her eye onto the ice.

Not HORRIBLE posture----EXECRABLE posture!

 

[dorispulaski]

Re Thought 3; Sad to say, yes. And I am not a member of the ice dance posture police.

This used to be the Russian school of ice dances's major strong points - posture, carriage, & extension, resulting (so we were told) from extensive ballet training, etc.

I am not at all sure how they managed to produce Bobrova in Russia. Have they no ballet schools any more .

 

[ManyCairns]

colleen, If it is Walpurgis Night, shouldn't the costume effect be Halloween?

It's in the SD that her orange & black Halloween look so didn't work.

In fact, if you're going to do Halloween in Latin America, shouldn't it be Mexican Day of the Dead outfits?

This one seems er---appropriate:
http://www.parade.com/images/-v5/news/2010/1226/main-swell-on-wheels.jpg

or these

http://www.culture24.org.uk/asset_arena/6/74/80/308476/v0_master.jpg

??? Isn't Walpurgis Night April 30?

 

[dorispulaski]

The Halloween reference was from the SD, where Bobrova dressed (almost on Halloween) in traditional orange and black, and dribbled over into the witches of Walpurgis night.

Yes, Walpurgis night is celebrated April 30th

from Wikipedia

Czech Republic

30 April is pálení čarodějnic ("burning of the witches") or čarodějnice in the Czech Republic, the day that winter is ceremonially brought to an end by the burning of rag and straw witches or just broomsticks on bonfires around the country. The festival offers Czechs the chance to eat, drink and be merry around a roaring fire.

But they burn witches too, so I envision a Halloween look.

 

[skatingfan04]

The Shibs are good technicians, there's no question, but they really look juniorish to me. I know some of that has to do with their physical stature, but I think it's more to do with the fact that their performance quality is sort of one dimensional. These cutsey programs really aren't helping. I think they need something with more depth, but I'm really not sure if they have the goods to pull that off.

B/S were kind of blah. I was really hoping they would come alove this year, but it looks like the same old stuff from them. Some of the elements were nice, and they seem to have cleaned up their technique a bit.

Overall, the event really lacked the quality that SA and SC had.

 

[gmyers]

Thought 1: gmyers must be so happy. Not only a demonstration that Russia still cares about ice dance, they beat his hated Shibutanis to boot. I have to admit that the gloom-and-doom predictions for the Shibs are making me giggle, as they peaked extraordinarily well last season, but a 15 point decimation by B/S (who really, while I actually like them, are not a mid-eight, near nine PCS team, sorry). Looks like the Russian political machine is gearing up.

.

I did not think the "Shibs" would show up with level ones and twos on some elements! They were kind of off here. BUt they were 15 points behind B/S but 20 points ahead of the next nearest team so they are still up there.

 

[wallylutz]

BUt they were 15 points behind B/S but 20 points ahead of the next nearest team so they are still up there.

Except Carron/Jones are not the Shibs' competition by any definition. There are at least 10 other teams who could place ahead of Carron/Jones in this world so finishing ahead of France #2 is pretty meaningless at this point.

 

[Tonichelle]

I love Maia's dress... I don't think it's fair to hit them with the "they're too young" - yeah, they look younger, but that's not something they can control... unless they want to start doing something unhealthy to speed up the aging process, which I'm sure they don't want to do. I think they look mature for their age as they dance. They can't do the sexy route without a severe creeper alert, so they're doing amazingly well with what they can do choreographically. I thought their lifts were awesome.