Russian Test Skates 2014

[Isabel_O'Reilly]

Duh...that does change things just a wee bit. I knew Yulia's mom had a lot of input on her dresses (as did Yulia, right?) but didn't think she was the actual designer. Major kudos to Mama L for her taste, though!

Yulia and her mother have designed all the dresses she's worn together.

I echo those saying they want a video. I want to see her programs now!! Will try to wait patiently, though.

 

[Krunchii]

I was silently wondering how long it would take for the performance to end. IMO, the song is terrible! Now I'm listening to the original one and it is SO MUCH better, very delicate and with the right amount of drama. Pogo's program felt like an Opera to me, and as much as I like operas, that is a bad one.

Maybe she will change it to the one without vocals for competition?

I hope the officials there told her to scrap the vocals, she would shine more with something that's more subdued.

 

[Alba]

Yes I think the vocals in that song act like a powerful instrument that makes it more dramatic.

Right! Because Albinoni's adagio lacked drama. Poor Albinoni, didn't know any better.

 

[hanca]

Yulia and her mother have designed all the dresses she's worn together.

I echo those saying they want a video. I want to see her programs now!! Will try to wait patiently, though.

Maybe instead of waiting patiently you could send an email to Russian Federation or to Julia's mother asking whether they would be willing to post it!

 

[Alba]

Oh lord not again, how many times is Julia going to use that face? That pose looks almost identical to the one near the start of "You Don't Give Up On Love".

It's not like she has to change the face. I've seen a lot of top skaters doing the same face when expressing more or less the same expression, and rightly so, and also doing the same expression in all their programs.
Case in point Yuna Kim, which for me had the same face expression in almost all her programs.

I suppose she is looking at the sky here as she was in "You Don't Give Up On Love".

 

[o-aunt]

Youtube: mihsersh has videos of test skates!

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

I hoped Sotnikova would emerge with such confidence this season that she would start being consistent. If course there could be many other reasons why she did absolutely no jumps, but it looks like she's playing it save because her jumps aren't reliable. You know she carries a lot of pressure as the Olympic champ. ..but even more as a doubted Olympic champ.

I think Sotnikova is a skater who takes a little more time being able to get the timing of her jumps right in a new program, so given that it is early in the season I'm sure she is having challenges balancing having a lot of transitions with doing the jumps and having enough energy to finish the program strong. I would suspect she is also having issues reworking her technique on the lutz so that she takes off from the correct edge, as that will be penalized harshly this season. It also seemed that she has been working on the landings more so that she isn't leaning forward as much, which I think is why she had a lot of falls and saved landings in her summer programs.

 

[Alba]

Youtube: mihsersh has videos of test skates!

Is this the right link? https://www.youtube.com/user/mihsersh/videos?sort=dd&view=0&shelf_id=0

 

[o-aunt]

Is this the right link? https://www.youtube.com/user/mihsersh/videos?sort=dd&view=0&shelf_id=0

yes, thank you

 

[kwanatic]

I think Sotnikova is a skater who takes a little more time being able to get the timing of her jumps right in a new program, so given that it is early in the season I'm sure she is having challenges balancing having a lot of transitions with doing the jumps and having enough energy to finish the program strong. I would suspect she is also having issues reworking her technique on the lutz so that she takes off from the correct edge, as that will be penalized harshly this season. It also seemed that she has been working on the landings more so that she isn't leaning forward as much, which I think is why she had a lot of falls and saved landings in her summer programs.

Agreed. As much as I want to see her nailing jumps, she's still months away from needing to be in peak form. As long as she is able to hit the jumps when it counts (her GP events), I'll be happy.

 

[ordinary person]

Well, we all know that politeness goes a long way. Kudos again to Mama L; she's dressing her daughter beautifully and teaching good manners as well -- just like my mom! (Although in my case, not sure if the manners lessons ever really sunk in... )

Dressing her daughter beautifully and teaching good manners?
You have got to be joking me

 

[YLFan]

Those are videos from todays St. Petersberg cup competiton. Gubanova in first place after the short program as usual

 

[DianaSelene]

Everybody,watch Gubanova. She's amazing!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mcgd2mH3H2Y&list=UUjaUiznBS9O3SeqwqlIc4UQ

 

[kwanatic]

Everybody,watch Gubanova. She's amazing!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mcgd2mH3H2Y&list=UUjaUiznBS9O3SeqwqlIc4UQ

Her technique is a wee bit whippy, but overall she was absolutely beautiful to watch. Lovely presentation and finish to her movements. How old is she?

 

[Alba]

Everybody,watch Gubanova. She's amazing!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mcgd2mH3H2Y&list=UUjaUiznBS9O3SeqwqlIc4UQ

I agree. She's beautiful to watch.

 

[Sam-Skwantch]

Her technique is a wee bit whippy, but overall she was absolutely beautiful to watch. Lovely presentation and finish to her movements. How old is she?

I think 11yrs old. Too young for JGP.

 

[zamboni step]

She has to look up like that to acknowledge the last row of fans giving her a Standing Ovation. It's called being polite.

In all seriousness I kind of expected her SP to be a bit of the same feel as last years programs. Hoping for her to expand some on her FS though with some fresh and refined movements. Look at how well Evgenia improved. Baby steps make giant strides visable to the keenest of eyes.

Don't you go using me being wrong about Medvedeva on me. It's good to see Julia practice good manners although I do question the manners of the fans giving her a standing ovation at what is probably the beginning of the program.

I admit other skaters do reuse faces too but something about the "Stare off into the distance with a wistful expression" annoys me a lot. Maybe because it's lazy as it fits any form of melancholic or even dubiously toned music and most skaters who use it milk it to the bone. It just strikes me as a little trite. (Im being very harsh I rrealise.)

 

[Alba]

I do question the manners of the fans giving her a standing ovation at what is probably the beginning of the program.

Right. The samy applies to the critics.

I admit other skaters do reuse faces too but something about the "Stare off into the distance with a wistful expression" annoys me a lot. Maybe because it's lazy as it fits any form of melancholic or even dubiously toned music and most skaters who use it milk it to the bone. It just strikes me as a little trite. (Im being very harsh I rrealise.)

I agree. It annoys me as well, as much as the languid expression which it's used a lot.

 

[zamboni step]

Right. The samy applies to the critics.

Oof that stung. I admit Im being judgmental but I will wait and give the program a fair chance, I love the music and if I can enjoy Ksenia Makarova skating to it I can enjoy anyone skating to it. I hear one splash of rain next year though and Im staging a weather sound effect intervention.

 

[Alba]

Oof that stung. I admit Im being judgmental but I will wait and give the program a fair chance, I love the music and if I can enjoy Ksenia Makarova skating to it I can enjoy anyone skating to it. I hear one splash of rain next year though and Im staging a weather sound effect intervention.

Nothing wrong with being hard to please.
Seriously though. I think the expression and interpretation thing goes with the choreo, with the story you're telling.
So, if there is something similar in 2 programs you would use the same expression for that particular mood, or gesture.
All the skaters use more or less the same facial expression in many programs.
It's just that we tend to note some more than other, I think.
It's like with a skater that smiles almost always. Smile is good, it's nice, especially in this sport, so we tend to not give to much attention to that.
Unless you're like me, who "hates" people that smiles all the time.

It's just a theory but that's what I've noticed.