Maia Shibutani & Alex Shibutani | Page 59 | Golden Skate

Maia Shibutani & Alex Shibutani

naz

On the Ice
Joined
Jan 23, 2016
So so happy for the Shibs, especially after what happened last year at the GPF!! Really excited for 2017 and 2018!

Now regarding the free dance music. There were talks that they created it themselves, and I think they might have actually done it.
At the FD press conference they talked a little bit about it. Alex said:

We knew we wanted to use the first piece ... but it was kind of a difficult thing to find the piece that would close the program. And so in lieu of not seeing anything or hearing anything that we felt would do our skating justice, we sort of took it upon ourselves to arrange the second half of the program. Not gonna go into specifics as far as how we did, maybe we'll talk about that later in the season, but it became a very personal process...

Maia then added that it was a "very intensive process". Man, these two really are VERY talented!! They might have gotten some help from their parents as well, but that's something that they should tell us themselves. I just wanted to say that I'm in love with both pieces of music they have for their programs this year. Plus the exhibition, as they introduced me to Jarryd James with this music choice.


P.S. Edited to switch the video for the press conference for a better quality one :)
 
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VIETgrlTerifa

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
So after the GPF, I saw noticeable improvement in their speed and the way Maia attacks the section from the twizzles to the last step sequence. I'm actually in love with the whole twizzles-to rotational lift-to diagonal step sequence as they are having more abandon there and Maia is really on point in that section.

That said, I think the problem I have with the current music edit is that the second part feels like it's just getting started and then it's forced to end as opposed to seeming like a natural end. I don't know if they should add in a middle piece of music to bridge "Spiegel im Spiegel" and the other piece to give it more variation or start the second piece earlier although I love the way the stationary lift is timed to the music as of right now. Like it or not, there are too many people who don't find this program accessible and I think they need to make it so the masses can connect with it better and get that "emotion" that they can't right now because they need histrionics and obvious displays of emotion.

I also think they need to work on that last lift and the last twizzle sequence. The last lift has an excellent concept, but it should end with a much more dramatic pose or something to paint a picture and the Shibs need to play with shapes and more interesting positions for their last twizzle sequence because right now it just looks like regular twizzles (though I do love how it transitions to the final pose, which I do love).

As for the SD, they need to be like their Ravensburger Waltz and skate with a lot more speed and ice coverage in their Blues section (both pattern and partial) and add more movement/choreography during the steps. There's still a self-conscious element to their blues section that they need to work on. If they don't, then people will continue to harp on it and it'll be something that will hold them back from P/C and V/M if all three teams skate well and hit their levels. They need to also work on making their movement a lot more organic and slinkier in this section. To me, if they work on that, it'll also help them with the Latin rhythm next season. They should also work with Hok and Aye more on the hip hop to make it even better and more hip hop and fun. They need their movements to be loud here and generate the same excitement from the audience that they themselves feel inside about their Frank/Jay-Z mash-up.

I'm glad they seemed disappointed in their score in the FD and were chatting away with Marina and Massimo about how to improve their programs. I think they are hungry to push to the top and unlike many so-called knowledgeable skating fans, they don't think they are and will always be behind V/M and P/C. Champions often are people who were overlooked by those so-called knowledgeable people because they lack the imagination to see how an athlete can improve. The Shibs' whole career is being underrated and undervalued and demanding that respect. That's not going to change any time soon for them, so they need to just keep working and continue to surprise people with their performances and consequently their rising results.
 
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naz

On the Ice
Joined
Jan 23, 2016
So so happy for the Shibs, especially after what happened last year at the GPF!! Really excited for 2017 and 2018!

Now regarding the free dance music. There were talks that they created it themselves, and I think they might have actually done it.
At the FD press conference they talked a little bit about it. Alex said:



Maia then added that it was a "very intensive process". Man, these two really are VERY talented!! They might have gotten some help from their parents as well, but that's something that they should tell us themselves. I just wanted to say that I'm in love with both pieces of music they have for their programs this year. Plus the exhibition, as they introduced me to Jarryd James with this music choice.


P.S. Edited to switch the video for the press conference for a better quality one :)

Okay, sorry for the confusion, apparently they didn't write it. There is a post on the GPF Free Dance thread by Mrs. P regarding this.
 

Celine

On the Ice
Joined
Jun 30, 2013
Maia and Alex went from Marseille to LA. Looks like they met up with one of their hip hop dance consultants, Aye Hasegawa.
Shibs are simply relentless in their efforts to be their best and do their best carrying the flag for figure skating into broader arenas beyond the rink.

Instagram Takeover of @LA2024 - the campaign to get the 2024 Summer Olympics in LA.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BONOC-OBlvq/?taken-by=la2024
https://www.instagram.com/p/BON1bY0B_GO/?taken-by=la2024
https://www.instagram.com/p/BOONjh9B53K/?taken-by=la2024

They did some cool shots with photographer Kevin Lu at the LA County Museum of Art
https://www.instagram.com/p/BOQfXIVjMqX/?taken-by=sweatengine
 

Tallorder

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 28, 2014
Their GPF vlog:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHJG9xG_j_A

Their vlogs are doing the best job in showcasing and promoting other skaters and they do so unintentionally.

And it should not be underestimated how much talent, creativity and effort that it takes to consistently come up with these vlogs for as many years as they have.

The quality is really quite exceptional from the standpoint of images and in particular, coordination with music. Watch the "silent movie/foreign film" style one they did with Javi a few years back "I Wish You Were Real." Listen to the music and watch the video closely the changes and "action" all happen precisely with the music. The roll of tape even hits the stuffed animal in a way that 'goes' with the music.

They approach music and choreography now the same way. They create the music now, they give thought to their movements. The FD is quite a brilliant creation overall, more so than most people will ever appreciate I suspect.
 
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rosacotton

Final Flight
Joined
Mar 2, 2012
And it should not be underestimated how much talent, creativity and effort that it takes to consistently come up with these vlogs for as many years as they have.

The quality is really quite exceptional from the standpoint of images and in particular, coordination with music. Watch the "silent movie/foreign film" style one they did with Javi a few years back "I Wish You Were Real." Listen to the music and watch the video closely the changes and "action" all happen precisely with the music. The roll of tape even hits the stuffed animal in a way that 'goes' with the music.

They approach music and choreography now the same way. They create the music now, they give thought to their movements. The FD is quite a brilliant creation overall, more so than most people will ever appreciate I suspect.

Great post! Because of this, I'm going back and re-watching all the ShibSibs' vlogs. :biggrin:
 

VIETgrlTerifa

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
The Olympic YT channel did a piece on the shibs w/ commentaries from them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZEaxiDAtJY

Excellent piece on the Shibutanis! It's so nice to see the Olympic channel promoting ice dancers, and they come off so well and articulate here.

Not to turn this Fan Fest thread negative, but did anyone catch Mark Henretty's comments on the Shibs in the latest TSL interview (it's in around the 10 minute mark more or less). This is not the first time he's thrown some shade their way, and I think it's highly unprofessional of him to give a one-liner about hearing things about them during training that clouds his judgment on them (like he needed to hear that to have his judgment clouded) without divulging any further. He's essentially letting people's imaginations run wild when I bet what he actually heard wasn't that serious. It's as if he has a real chip on his shoulder about them and is bitter about their current success and afraid of future and further success (threat they are posing to his preferred team of P/C...see the way he grudgingly acknowledges V/M, and how they blocked Chock/Bates success as he named Madison Chock as one of his favorite female ice dancers).
 
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naz

On the Ice
Joined
Jan 23, 2016
Ahh, the piece is so nice! I think it definitely reflects every important aspect of their lives, and their unique relationship as siblings, business partners and best friends. And it was also great to see their parents give an interview, too! Plus it was so weird seeing a video of the Shibs that is not on the ShibSibs channel in my subscription box. I had to double check that it was, in fact, the Olympic channel! :laugh:


Not to turn this Fan Fest thread negative, but did anyone catch Mark Henretty's comments on the Shibs in the latest TSL interview (it's in around the 10 minute mark more or less).
Sorry, could you please link the interview? The latest one I can see is the Rostelecom recap, and at the 10 minute point they're discussing the ladies and Elena Radionova...?
 

Barb

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 13, 2009
Excellent piece on the Shibutanis! It's so nice to see the Olympic channel promoting ice dancers, and they come off so well and articulate here.

Not to turn this Fan Fest thread negative, but did anyone catch Mark Henretty's comments on the Shibs in the latest TSL interview (it's in around the 10 minute mark more or less). This is not the first time he's thrown some shade their way, and I think it's highly unprofessional of him to give a one-liner about hearing things about them during training that clouds his judgment on them (like he needed to hear that to have his judgment clouded) without divulging any further. He's essentially letting people's imaginations run wild when I bet what he actually heard wasn't that serious. It's as if he has a real chip on his shoulder about them and is bitter about their current success and afraid of future and further success (threat they are posing to his preferred team of P/C...see the way he grudgingly acknowledges V/M, and how they blocked Chock/Bates success as he named Madison Chock as one of his favorite female ice dancers).

My listening is not good and the audio doesn´t help, could you tell me what he said? please, or what was his point?

Is this Naz: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpoelrwIJao
 

naz

On the Ice
Joined
Jan 23, 2016
My listening is not good and the audio doesn´t help, could you tell me what he said? please, or what was his point?

Is this Naz: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpoelrwIJao

Thank you!!

He said something like "I think the Shibutanis are better than Bobrova and Soloviev ... and, again, this is where I become not a skating commentator, but a skating fan [blah blah blah here] ... but, you know, recently I heard stuff about what happens in the training rink with the Shibutanis and now I carry that on through to my opinions of them ... is perhaps not as wholesome as the perfect image that's presented". And then they go on to talk that the Shibs seem controlled both in interviews and stuff, and on the ice, too. Which, sadly, I have to agree with (the last point only!!) - I wish they would risk more, and do something completely new and unexpected, like entirely new lifts and such, whilst I also understand that they do what they know best and that they're sure will get them higher marks. They did the unexpected with hip-hop, when people thought they'd stay safe and do the swing instead. Ugh, that one line though - so unnecessary and bitter.
 
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