2018 Olympic Season: Ice Dance | Page 2 | Golden Skate

2018 Olympic Season: Ice Dance

alain06fr

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 4, 2015
Gabby does sell that program really well. I'm not sold on the program as a whole yet (of course it's so early and last year their programs grew on me a lot).

You're right, it's early in the season but one can see how well Gabriella and Guillaume prepared the SD together with Chris Dean as choreographer. At this point (let's see Maia & Alex, Madi & Evans, Anna & Luca SD programs), I think the best top3 short dances (no order) are Gabriella & Guillaume, Tessa & Scott and ... Piper & Paul!

You mentioning of Guillaume's dancing off ice reminds me of that awesome video of him and Tessa dancing hip hop together ("When Tessa put her swag on", as he said). Probably the two best dancers in ice dance (not that their partners aren't great too). When it gets all tense with the fans of the two teams, I like to go back and watch some of the cute moments between them, like that video. There's Scott and Gabby goofing off before the GPF SD warm-up, Tessa cuddling with Guillaume at one of the Gala practices, and Tessa and Scott checking on Guillaume when he showed up to the Worlds SD after cutting his hand.

I was not surprised to see Tessa and Guillaume having so much fun dancing together... I did not ask Guillaume but I would bet they did it several times. BTW, thanks for all these great videos links :agree:

Whatever competition results are, there's no point to bash the ice dancers. It doesn't make sense at all. It's actually completely stupid. Tessa, Scott, Gaby, Guillaume, and all the other skaters work like hell to prepare their programs and be at their best levels. The rest is not up to them, they are not the ones awarding levels or GOEs!

What I can say about Gabby and Guillaume is that they are certainly not the kind of people to create tensions with the others. Both are so easy going persons.
Obviously, I know less Tessa & Scott. Now, I met them by coincidence while they were walking next to the harbour in Marseille (GPF). I had a very good time talking to them about the competition, their come back and their expectations. Both were really nice.

Anyways, my dream podium would be Tessa and Scott for gold, then Gabby and Guillaume, then Madi and Zach (or Kaitlyn and Andrew). H/D and W/P are my favourites of the teams in the mix for bronze. I'm really liking what I've seen from Madi and Zach so far this year in terms of programs. I felt like Weapo's were more unfinished at their CS event, so I don't have a full impression yet.

I'm also really liking that the top teams (excluding the Shibs, C/L, and C/B since we haven't seen them yet) seem to have pretty different FD's so far.

Also my biggest request for this ice dance season is for Charlie White to interview people again. His Worlds interview with Tessa and Scott was so great: https://youtu.be/BIuZopENeDE

On my side, it's too early to come up with a podium. I need to watch the programs of Maia & Alex (in a week, at Rostelekom GP), Madison & Evans, and Anna & Luca. In addition, some known programs are promising though still under construction (Weapo FD for example).
As for Charlie White interviewing people again, yes! Definitely yes!
 

yuna13

On the Ice
Joined
Dec 13, 2014
After the 4th place of D/S in 2006 and P/B 4th place in 2014 = "la place du ..." according to p.candeloro. it's a dream come true to have a french team chasing the gold.
if they win well it will be huge for skating in france, the competition will be live on french tv so plenty of media coverage and perhaps skating will have a better image in france.

personally i would give a medal to W/P,H/D,The shibs, V/M and P/C (i can't choose for the bronze medal) . perhaps this could be the last group it will be amazing.:)
 

Mattieu

Medalist
Joined
Dec 22, 2010
@alain06fr - You seem to have so much insider knowledge, are you somehow related to Gabriella or Guillaume?
Not that I'm complaining, I am a very big fan of Gabriella and Guillaume :love:
 

Snow63

Pray one day we'll open our eyes.
Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 26, 2014
I want Bobrova/Soloviev, Chock/Bates and Gilles/Poirier on the podium in any order. Ahhh... dreams, dreams... :biggrin:

In all seriousness, I believe that Virtue/Moir deserve to win over the French. They're more skillful team than Papadakis/Cizeron, and despite some recycling in the FD I find it a notch more and better. However, I really disappointed in both teams SDs and I find their FDs unrisky and kinda recycled. Even safe, especially Moonlight sonata one. Olympic year, what can you do...

For bronze, I believe that the Shibs have an edge, while Cappellini/Lanotte, Weaver/Poje, Chock/Bates, Bobrova/Soloviev and maybe Hubbel/Donohue have all about equal chances. Literally any of these teams can medal :reye: It will be so interesting to watch the battle of characters.
 

NoNameFace

GS given name - Beatrice
Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2012
The Road to PyeongChang 2018

Which teams are you rooting for this season and why?

Enjoy our Ice Dancing Olympic season preview trailer!

First of all - many, many thanks for this amazing video:thank:, it really for me captures the excitement, the electric atmosphere of Olympic season already started in my most beloved FS discipline.

It will be my 4th 'conscious' Ice Dance Olympic season and I think that this will be for me a season of probably the fullest enoyment of the Ice Dance in general - a season of celebration the diversity of styles, approaches taken towards rules, a season of appreciating equally innovation, originality and experiments and vividness and authenticity presented by those playing on their strenghts presentation and interpretation-wise. I think that the current state of the discipline and where I am at this point as FS fan, what is my take/perspective of the discipline helps me now more understand those teams that just judge them through my personal filters and convictions, as I've done so many times in the past.

I think that all teams deserve a chance and they should get one, if we are only willing to get them credit for their respective work and not to credit them only for what they are not doing or what they should do according to our wishes and expectations. Of course, I am not blameless about that, but with more years of watching I find it much more easier - and interesting - to see teams as they come and adapt my sensibility, perspective, view to what they are presenting that the other way around.

Another 'special' thing this season is SD from my personal perspective - it's because of my ballroom past and I'm just plain excited and curious to see those programs performed, with more of less 'Latin flare', chlice or not, modern or traditional. For me, it's more of how those teams adapting the rhythm, the movement associated with it in 'floor-ballroom' way onto the ice; how they work with music, how they utilize figures, poses, body actions from various Latin dance styles. I think that this kind of 'movement study' often gives me an interesting spin on dances I watch, it helps me find references, but it also 'keeps me grounded' in terms of not getting this too much of literal comparison. I am aware that these are two different dimensions and I want to see a team in the dance foremost, the sync between them, the easiness and committment shown.

Before I go to the part dedicated to 'top teams', my Polish heart wishes the best season for Poles Natalia and Maksim, who amazed the world last season with their 'Dirty Dancing' FD. Some could say that it was too literal translation of the story, that technically it was mediocre etc., but I think that even the most literal translation of the story/theme deserve a praise and recognition if it is performed convincingly, with engagement and authenticity; for me, they brought the music, the story, the memories so close to the people, their enthusiasm was so infectious, they proved themselves as great performers by this FD. I wish them nothing but the very best in their road to Olympics: health, fluid development of their material, good, encouraging feedback and support:)

The biggest regret of all regarding Olympcs is already Danes' situation...Laurence and Nikolai are for me one of the most stylish, sophisticated teams in Ice Dance now AND the team with one of best materials this season, yet they won't be able to be at Olympics, it is just painful to see for the person who appreciate the beauty of Ice Dnce in various forms and different nationalities. It will be definitely a bittersweet February for me, the Ice Dance events will miss two amazingly talented people.

Moving to the 'top teams' point, while I see that judges are spacing Tessa/Scott and Gabriella/Guillaume from the rest of the pack points-wise, I do believe that ice is still slippery and depending on the performance, execution of it, lots of things could happen. Saying that, I do think that both teams are both front-runners in equal measure - what is probably the most important and valuable for me is that their content is very 'them', very 'personally customized'. I think that both teams have taken some risks and have their respective challenges towards their programs, FDs in particular, it sure will be interesting to see directions they will went with material. For me, both teams have very strong SDs - each in their own perspective and aesthetic, actually being quite in contradiction in vibe I sense from them: while Tessa/Scott SD is playing more on boldness, sensual connection, something more dark and hypnotic, Gabriella/Guillaume's dance is more light, flirty and playful with more of a play on rhythm and how to adapt it byt thir way of movement. FDs for me seem very personal in terms of sensibility, 'attachment' to the music, theme - from opinions I read, it could seem that Virtue/Moir at s disadvantage by choosing 'Moulin Rouge' and that French's Beethoven is more universal and adaptive for wider audience, for me actually the risk accents are on both sides, especially looking at the co-relation between musical and choreographical composition of programs and the balance between emotional customizing and universal, coherent response to it.

The team so far that is the most pleasant, exciting surprise for me is Hubbell/Donohue - I won't lie, they were a very mediocre, 'so-so' team before moving to Gadbois, with little identity developed behind obvious talent. Their blossoming, maturing into conscious, fully-rounded competitors and performers is just a great thing to observe, how they refined their skills with development of their style, expression. They have one of the best material this season on their hands - strongly resonating, playing on their strenghts, skills, musical, mature, sophisticated. While SD oozes fluidity, languid sensuality, rhythmical accentuation, with amazing spin at the end, playing so well onto Latin aesthetic of movement and vibe, FD is sharper, sassier, punctuated with emotions and seductive vibe, like a dialogue between two of them. I just love how commited they are while performing, how flowy their performances became. The only thing they need is the cool head, focus and finding that balance in execution, to not get too consumed by emotions, feelings of performance: to give them out instead of being consumed by them.

We're yet to see two other top US teams' programs, but I have no doubt that they will be strong and find their audience as always. From Maia and Alex's latest vlog, I already know that the mixing of their SD music will be SICK - I can only applaud the level of personal engagement, thoughtfulness of creative process presented by them, leading to the wholesome presented on ice, this final effect. Again, I see that their SD will be a play of 'traditional Latin', but spiced with modernity; they truly have this ability to take something from different worlds, aesthetics and make it work as their own. I also think that this is a great approach to have towards SD segment: to follow the rules of rhythms, elements, polish them, but to 'customize' the vehicle to your own way of movement, expression by musical arrangement, costuming, body action movement. With their FD set to Coldplay, I think that the choice alone is very 'personal', individual and taken from their convictions, sensibilities, things they commit to and react to - it makes a grat base for what we're going to see.

We're also yet to se Anna and Luca's programs, but I'm counting on great perfromances as usual from them - their strenght is how they are performing and selling the material, how they connect with each other and the audience. I'm excited especially for SD - they were excellent back in 2011/12 season with Latin rhythms and I expect nothing else now, they truly know how to make the best of rhythm and make it work on their benefit performance-wise.

I am really happy for Ekaterina and Dmitri, because they have strong material and are committed to it from what I saw so far. Regardless if this is someone's aesthetic or not, there is no point of denying that their are top class performers with skill and experience, and all of that really shows off now. This is the material to build the momentum I feel - as for SD, I very much apreciate the 'understated', controlled and low-key feel of it, it has flow and substance to play on, as for FD - I am glad that their great storytelling abilities are used in a more 'abstract' way, the connection between them feels more natural, raw and authentic, it's more like creating the own moment that re-creating someone else's.

Despite my reservation about WePo after ACI performances, I am excited to see them grow those programs, like last year - there is great substance and they are great performers, hard working athletes, I have no doubts that they will give their best shot. Both dances, aside of general technical polish and flow, need to have more of them, this sensual connection, spark between them we're used to see, instead just a motion designed, even in the most beautiful way. Time to work out both programs is just needed, as I have no worries about committment and dedication from them.

Piper and Paul have really special place in my heart and after seeing their material at ACI, I'm rooting for them twice harder than before, because I love them and they will probably need that the most of all. The level of committment shown to their quirk, innovation, originality is amazing to see; the fact that they try to make something so different from everything else, with so much thought, idea put into it AND still inside the rules is very brave and courageous for me. Both programs are just them, their vision of Ice Dance, how they want it to look like - and they somehow always make it stylish and interesting. There is of course lots of work to make these original concepts flow effortlessly, but I salute them for staying themselves and stick to their perspective no matter what, it is what makes them so special, regardless of results.
 

alain06fr

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 4, 2015
@alain06fr - You seem to have so much insider knowledge, are you somehow related to Gabriella or Guillaume?
Not that I'm complaining, I am a very big fan of Gabriella and Guillaume :love:

Yeah, I saw you're a big fan of them.
I meet G&G at different occasions, mostly during competitions and also in Montréal.
 

Weathergal

Medalist
Joined
May 25, 2014
whole post

NoNameFace, what an excellent post! I especially liked what you said about the Polish team and the Danish team. I really enjoyed watching the Polish team last year, and I loved their "Dirty Dancing" program. I thought they captured the feeling of the movie really well (I've always had a soft spot for that movie and, well Patrick Swayze :love: so I liked their version of it very much!). I also was thinking of the Danes as I wrote my earlier post. Because I AM excited for them this season, but unfortunately my cheering for them will be during GP, Euros, and Worlds but not the Olympics. I am so sad for them, but they are handling the situation in a very classy manner. Their programs (and costumes!) this year are VERY good, and I can't wait to see the FD as it continues to grow because it's already pretty successful, and I think it could really be amazing.
 

Rossig

On the Ice
Joined
Apr 15, 2014
In all seriousness, I believe that Virtue/Moir deserve to win over the French. They're more skillful team than Papadakis/Cizeron, and despite some recycling in the FD I find it a notch more and better. However, I really disappointed in both teams SDs and I find their FDs unrisky and kinda recycled. Even safe, especially Moonlight sonata one. Olympic year, what can you do...

Don't you think we should wait till the actual competition to see who deserves to win?
 

Scrufflet

Final Flight
Joined
Mar 1, 2010
What I'd like to see happen:
Virtue/Moir - gold, to cap off a wonderful career
Pap/Ciz - silver, so that they will stay hungry and stick around for years and thrill us
Bronze is a tussle for me. I'd like Wea/Po to finish off their careers with a medal but I also really want Hub/Don in there. Could we have a tie?
 

CAS

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 24, 2010
I favour Virtue and Moir because I think they can and have shown that they can master any style and rhythm that the sport demands so I feel they are the stronger team. But I also really enjoy and understand why the FDs of Papadakis and Cizeron captivate those watching. Unlike a lot of people I loved their debut of that Stillness FD last season. I also was really impressed with Virtue and Moirs FD last season. This season I am undecided on both of their FDs. It's the first time in four years I don't see a FD debut from the French and think It offers something new ( last season FD was of course the same movement of the previous two but I really saw and felt their emotional development). I also am unsure of The Moulin Rouge FD.

I think in both cases I had very different expectations of what I would see that was only enforced by that TEd Flett interview with Patrice Lauzon as he seemed very pleased with all the programs of their top teams so I think both need time to develop so we can maybe see what each of them have shown in practice. So with all that said I hope to see these two teams in gold and silver and that the spot they occupy corresponds to how I feel on the night as well. I of course think The Canadians have the edge in the SD (they really are the strongest combination of dancers/skaters out there). The FD I am still open to deciding which I prefer, they both do what they do so well. Virtue Moir skate as one, I don't see two separate skaters doing someone else's choreography but a melding of the two, it's just so seamless while Papadakis and Cizeron just create a beautiful picture and feeling with their long slow movements and limbs.

So my wish is that both skate their very best, get all their level calls so that they are happy with their skating knowing they have done their best and that the judges should hand out PCS according to how they feel and not what someone tells them to feel. In a situation like that as a fan of the sport either result is satisfactory.

For bronze there are so many to choose but I would be happy for any of the following to have the skates of their life and their Olympic moment so good luck to: Hubbell/Donahue, Weaver/Poje, Cappellini/Lanotte (depending on their programs ad course).
 

Snow63

Pray one day we'll open our eyes.
Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 26, 2014
Don't you think we should wait till the actual competition to see who deserves to win?

Wrong wording. I think they're stronger skaters and team overall and have stronger dances this season. :shrug: That was my point.
Of course you're right that we should see actual competition to know the results, don't you think I don't understand that?
 

ancientpeas

The Notorious SEW
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 11, 2014
I have yet to be truly impressed with any of the FDs I've seen. I'm waiting for something to grab me like P/B's Little Prince did last Olympics. I may end up solidly in P/C's camp if they make moonlight work because it is one of my very favourite pieces of music. I'm guessing that it's the SD that will tell the tale.

And in the end no one could have predicted what happened at worlds as far as both American teams falling so who knows (I know Evan didn't fall but the twizzle mess up really hurt them). Never forget the OD of 2006.

I would kind of like to see an upset for the bronze to be honest-not because I'm anti the shibs but just to keep things interesting.
 

alain06fr

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 4, 2015
What I'd like to see happen:
Virtue/Moir - gold, to cap off a wonderful career

What a dreadful perspective!
The title of Olympic Champion is for sure not and will never be a "long service award".
Some people (not you) are probably trying to promote this kind of idea.
That would be really terrible

Such title must be deserved in the Olympic rink on the D-Day.
 

yuna13

On the Ice
Joined
Dec 13, 2014
I have yet to be truly impressed with any of the FDs I've seen. I'm waiting for something to grab me like P/B's Little Prince did last Olympics.
i loved that fd too! at the i time everyone was rooting for I/K black swan. little story it's after seeing her at the olympics that jean dujardin wanted to meet her!:)
 

bramweld

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2012
i loved that fd too! at the i time everyone was rooting for I/K black swan. little story it's after seeing her at the olympics that jean dujardin wanted to meet her!:)

V/M - Gold, because I just really like them :love:
P/C - Silver - I respect their work
H/D, Shibs, Ch/Ba,Co/Bu, C/L, - this is where the real competition lies. Have a good one guys :)
The also rans - G/P, B/S, W/P etc. I know I'm leaving somebody out.....Italians #2, Russians #2, blah, blah, blah,cha, cha, cha,
 

Astrid56

Final Flight
Joined
Oct 24, 2014
When I first saw P/C's FD, I was genuinely ecstatic: so loved, loved the program that I watched it over and over again (was crazy!). Now, I don't know what to think_ beautiful 'but' (?!).... I watched all the other programs _ liked the Russian's FD but too somber. H/D's _ didn't particularly like the choreography. Loved C/B's (Penny and Nick) - very well constructed program but do they have the intensity and power that the program requires? ... Hmmm, remains to be seen (the program suits the American C/B better). V/M's program suits them to a T but there's something missing, i can't qualify what it is though the program is great even very competitive. V/M or P/C winning Gold is not set in stone yet despite their scores.

Not to denigrate P/C's Moonlight Sonata but when it comes to that music, the program that comes to mind is G&G's Moonlight Sonata in 1994. Despite Sergei's mistake, the program was beautiful. Zueva had choreographed a truly iconic program. I wonder what she could do with that music in an Ice Dance format. What I like about Zueva's work is her ability to blend the technical aspect with the artistic and keep it cohesive, compelling, coherent, and eloquent. I haven't seen Shibs' FD ... and C/B's so I'll refrain from making predictions. Christopher Dean choreographed their program and I had seen his show numbers for this music which although not tailored for an Olympic competition were beautiful. He knows what an Olympic program requires having competed twice in that arena in 1980 and 1994 (i couldn't believe they lost) so I am eagerly waiting what he has done for C/B's 'Imagine' FD.
 

mrrice

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 9, 2014
How have the US Teams looked so far? I love the Shibs but, I kind of have a "thing" for Chock and Bates. Is there a chance the US will Medal at the games?
 

ancientpeas

The Notorious SEW
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 11, 2014
i loved that fd too! at the i time everyone was rooting for I/K black swan. little story it's after seeing her at the olympics that jean dujardin wanted to meet her!:)
Aw..that's sweet. :) I'm a born romantic so I love that story.
 
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