Fusar-Poli Margaglio set to compete in Torino | Page 2 | Golden Skate

Fusar-Poli Margaglio set to compete in Torino

Eeyora

Final Flight
Joined
Aug 4, 2003
They weren't my favorites. But i'll be happy to see them back. None of the current ice dance teams wow me.
 

Ladskater

~ Figure Skating Is My Passion ~
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
She is a better ice dancer than he is. He would benefit from some ballroom dance instruction.
 

JonnyCoop

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Joined
Dec 28, 2003
What I always found rather odd about the disparity of their individual dance abilities is this: Barbara does not strike me as being the type of woman who tolerates any kind of BS. ANY kind. Seems to me that at some point she would have FORCED Maurizio to pick up his skills to match hers. But, given the fact that I've always suspected that their elevation to the top of the podium was an extremely political maneuver, maybe she figured it didn't really matter.
 

RealtorGal

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Jul 27, 2003
I don't think you should all be so hard on Maurizio. The poor guy is trying his best to skate, but his feet and skates keep getting in the way! :biggrin:
 

Ptichka

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Jul 28, 2003
JonnyCoop said:
What I always found rather odd about the disparity of their individual dance abilities is this: Barbara does not strike me as being the type of woman who tolerates any kind of BS. ANY kind. Seems to me that at some point she would have FORCED Maurizio to pick up his skills to match hers. But, given the fact that I've always suspected that their elevation to the top of the podium was an extremely political maneuver, maybe she figured it didn't really matter.
I'm not sure it's as simple as this. FP&M always had a good speed. Perhaps had she compromised and gone for slower skating style, he would have been able to exhibit better technique. As it was, I don't think there was much he could do.
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
Ptichka said:
I'm not sure it's as simple as this. FP&M always had a good speed. Perhaps had she compromised and gone for slower skating style, he would have been able to exhibit better technique. As it was, I don't think there was much he could do.
Regardless of todays' sexism, I am most comfortable watching a couple where the male partner has the lead. I can not imagine anyone taking the lead away from Barbara. Too bad, because she ruined her dance, made him look like a wimp, and made every man watching to know that this is someone they would never marry.

Something can be said for an excellent 'follow'.

Joe
 

hockeyfan228

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Joined
Jul 26, 2003
I know several men who would have married her in an instant precisely because she takes the lead, and they'd be laughing all the way home at anyone's criticism that they were wimps.
 
S

SkateFan4Life

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JonnyCoop said:
All well and good (and not especially surprising), but all I gotta say is, their free dance better be a heck of a lot better than that cheesy disco thing they had the nerve to show up and present at SLC. Having them around, though, is going to make the Dance competition even MORE interesting.... :)

I agree with you - that was a horrible long program! This team will have the home ice advantage, and hopefully, the judges won't be swayed by the many Italian fans who will be cheering like mad for their countrymen. If they skate great programs and win a medal - terrific! If they skate "cheesy" programs and/or sloppy programs and win a medal - give me a break. :scratch:
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
hockeyfan228 said:
I know several men who would have married her in an instant precisely because she takes the lead, and they'd be laughing all the way home at anyone's criticism that they were wimps.
So would the men who don't like domination but do enjoy sharing.

Joe
 

JonnyCoop

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Dec 28, 2003
I don't think this is an issue of "Barbara taking the lead" or of "sharing"; Barbara is a considerably better SKATER than Maurizio. Period.
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
JonnyCoop said:
I don't think this is an issue of "Barbara taking the lead" or of "sharing"; Barbara is a considerably better SKATER than Maurizio. Period.
The topic is chit chat because they're back!
 

Ptichka

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Jul 28, 2003
Joesitz said:
Regardless of todays' sexism, I am most comfortable watching a couple where the male partner has the lead.
Interesting. Traditional ice dance is one where the male partner is basically there to present his partner; audience is actually supposed to watch her more. Personally, I've always prefered the style championed by Bestemianova & Bukin, where partners are far more equal.
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
Ptichka said:
Interesting. Traditional ice dance is one where the male partner is basically there to present his partner; audience is actually supposed to watch her more. Personally, I've always prefered the style championed by Bestemianova & Bukin, where partners are far more equal.
That's exactly what I am saying - he takes the lead in showing her off!! In classical ballet he is called a Danseur Noble.

It's just that in the team we are talking about I didn't see him showing her off. She was too busy showing herself off, and yes when you get a good lead partner together with a good follow partner, you have the equality needed to make beautiful music. (I think it is more than JMO.)

Joe
 
S

SkateFan4Life

Guest
Joesitz said:
That's exactly what I am saying - he takes the lead in showing her off!! In classical ballet he is called a Danseur Noble.

It's just that in the team we are talking about I didn't see him showing her off. She was too busy showing herself off, and yes when you get a good lead partner together with a good follow partner, you have the equality needed to make beautiful music. (I think it is more than JMO.)

Joe

Exactly. Barbara spends most of her time showing herself off to the judges and the audiences so that her partner has little opportunity to do his traditional job of showing her off! I just don't like the way she performs - just a personal choice, of course. IMHO, she is overly aggressive, emotes far, far too much, and just acts as if the whole thing is HER show. :scratch:
 

soogar

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Joined
Dec 18, 2003
SkateFan4Life said:
Exactly. Barbara spends most of her time showing herself off to the judges and the audiences so that her partner has little opportunity to do his traditional job of showing her off! I just don't like the way she performs - just a personal choice, of course. IMHO, she is overly aggressive, emotes far, far too much, and just acts as if the whole thing is HER show. :scratch:

Well it is *HER* show
:party2: (you need a queen icon).

How is DIvaBabs any different from DivaNavka? When Navka is on the ice, the only time I ever notice Roman is when he trips on something.
 

JonnyCoop

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Joined
Dec 28, 2003
Well, yeah, but if you put Kostamorov up against Margaglio in a skate-off, I think Kostamorov would win easily.

So this could bring up another debate -- does Barbara emote so much and steal the show to compensate for Maurizio's shortcomings, or does she prefer having a partner who isn't able to skate as well as she so she can be the star of the show.

Ptchika -- From a pure choreographic standpoint, I agree with you regarding Bestemianova & Bukin. However, IMO, Natalia was one of the All Time Ice Dance Drama Queens (and I mean this as a compliment, as they're one of all my all-time favorite dance couples) and it was really hard NOT to focus all your attention on to her, skilled as Andrei was. Personally, I think the most "equal" partnerships seen would have to be Torvill & Dean, Bourne & Kraatz, and Rahkamo & Kokko.
 
S

SkateFan4Life

Guest
B & B were an outstanding ice dance team, and even though Natalia was very dramatic and played everything to the hilt, Andrei was also good at emoting and bringing characters to life. Remember their free dance at the 1988 Olympics?

As for Barbara - perhaps she just wants to be the star, plain and simple, and she's happy to skate with a partner who lets her shine on the ice. To each his or her own taste.
 

chuckm

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Joined
Aug 31, 2003
Country
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Elena Grushina is the star of the Grushgons, too. She is the more skilled skater and sometimes it shows.

Sergei Sakhnovsky is the better skater of the ChaSaks, though.
 
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