Russian test skates 2017-2018
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- Mar 23, 2014
She's NOT a ballerina. Ballet and Figure Skating, whilst can help each other, are totally different worlds in terms of technique. Hers is an interpretation of a ballet character in the world of figure skating. Her skate was mature, senior-like and confident. She had so much speed. People are nitpicking when they complaining about things like sloppy. Sloppy in what way?
As Med has said this program is about a soul flight.
My interpretation is this: her soul leave her body and fly freely until a voice calls "come back". Last scene is when her soul reunites with her body and she returns to life starting breathing again.
- Joined
- Jan 18, 2014
Well, that was a day of surprises. Some of the highlights for me:
Medvedeva: I love, love, love her SP. It was a pleasant surprise for me cause I wasn't her fan before. No mimicking (thank you!) but the breathing has to go (it distracts from the wonderful atmosphere that she creates).
Zabijako/Enbert: Wow, there's finally some chemistry between them and that really changes everything. I hope they came up with an equally good LP.
Astakhova/Rogonov: I didn't expect anything from them but their SP was amazing. So many little moments where both of them shine.
Kolyada: Love the skating, love the choreo, music cut is tiny weird, but that program can be brilliant if executed without mistakes.
Programs that will grow on me once they get more polish:
Tarasova/Morozov: Lost some steam after the fall, they need more sass to make it shine
Aliev: Nice program, I hope he can make it to the Olympics
Liza: Great job! I feel she needs more transitions to be competitive but I can see old Liza getting back in her winning mindset!
Zagitova: She really needs to be less rushed and be more present in the music. But overall that's a pretty exciting program and she has the spirit and moves to pull it off.
Special mention: Ilinyh/Shibnev -I'm pleasantly surprised of how they look after 3 months of being together. I wasn't a fan of her partnership with Zhiganshin and I hope that this new partnership will be long and fruitful.
The rest - kind of blah.
Medvedeva: I love, love, love her SP. It was a pleasant surprise for me cause I wasn't her fan before. No mimicking (thank you!) but the breathing has to go (it distracts from the wonderful atmosphere that she creates).
Zabijako/Enbert: Wow, there's finally some chemistry between them and that really changes everything. I hope they came up with an equally good LP.
Astakhova/Rogonov: I didn't expect anything from them but their SP was amazing. So many little moments where both of them shine.
Kolyada: Love the skating, love the choreo, music cut is tiny weird, but that program can be brilliant if executed without mistakes.
Programs that will grow on me once they get more polish:
Tarasova/Morozov: Lost some steam after the fall, they need more sass to make it shine
Aliev: Nice program, I hope he can make it to the Olympics
Liza: Great job! I feel she needs more transitions to be competitive but I can see old Liza getting back in her winning mindset!
Zagitova: She really needs to be less rushed and be more present in the music. But overall that's a pretty exciting program and she has the spirit and moves to pull it off.
Special mention: Ilinyh/Shibnev -I'm pleasantly surprised of how they look after 3 months of being together. I wasn't a fan of her partnership with Zhiganshin and I hope that this new partnership will be long and fruitful.
The rest - kind of blah.
Oksana Baiul was 15 when she first skated to Swan Lake in 1993, right before the Olympics. I completely realize it was a different system then, and there was more freedom for balletic posing and not as many required transitions or difficult jumps. But for me, Baiul is still THE definitive swan, after all these years. I think it is more difficult nowadays for skaters to appear balletic on ice with all the complicated jumps and transitions needed. However, IIRC Gubanova also did a lovely Swan interpretation last year, though it was to Saint Saens and not to Swan Lake.
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- Jul 26, 2003
I'm responding to a post that obviously is putting her in a standard of being a "true" swan meaning others who fail to meet that standard are not. I got the gist of what was meant by "true swan" because I remember all the stuff being said about other skaters hat did not meet that standard, which I do agree with somewhat. I also don't think Zagitova meets that standard based on what was said and what that original post I was responding to implied.
I've been watching skating for a long time I know ballet and skating have different standards. I know what skating standards used to be when someone would say someone was a "true swan" and Zagitova did not meet it in that. Now if we just get rid of all these preconceived notions and accept that all skaters put their spin on music and all of their chosen movement and interpretation can be valid and just argue about how compelling or interesting it is to watch their version, then that would be different.
You can think she's as brilliant as you want as it's obvious you are a die-hard fan, but try not to cry and rant when not everyone agrees with you that what she did out on the ice was beautiful and not sloppy. Zagitova is a great jumper, and there are much sloppier skaters and she does what she needs to do under IJS and will probably be a huge medal threat in Pyeongchang.
Also interesting adjectives..."mature, senior-like and confident". I can agree with two of those. I'd agree with all 3 if you added the "-like" to one more of those.
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- Sep 14, 2008
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Medvedeva looks good and as expected is going to make Mirai Nagasu's SP look worse now. There is a weakness to Medvedeva's program though (aside from the usual unbalanced jump layout) - the choreography between the last two spins is bad for the music, it doesn't add anything at all. This is a good enough vehicle though and her jump combo is actually looking less swingy on the toeloop entrance.
Astakhova/Rogonov did not disappoint me, I really hope they make the Olympic team and have a good season, they been such a consistently interesting and underrated team.
None of the dance teams look competitive for an Olympic medal, but Stepanova/Bukin are again the most pleasing Russian team for me in this Short Dance.
What can be said about the Men, except that I feel bad for boys who have to be closeted in Russia.
Astakhova/Rogonov did not disappoint me, I really hope they make the Olympic team and have a good season, they been such a consistently interesting and underrated team.
None of the dance teams look competitive for an Olympic medal, but Stepanova/Bukin are again the most pleasing Russian team for me in this Short Dance.
What can be said about the Men, except that I feel bad for boys who have to be closeted in Russia.
- Joined
- Sep 21, 2016
I just watched Evgenia's 2014 Jr Worlds SP, and her dress was the same as Alina's last season. Is it true that Alina used her dress last season?
- Joined
- Sep 8, 2016
Yes. Eteri's girls sometimes use the same dresses. I don't know why.
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- Dec 29, 2013
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Dresses are expensive!!! This is not something specific to Eteri though. I can't remember off the top of my head specifically who but there are lots of examples of elite skaters handing down a dress. I know its a bit of a smaller scale but Polina Edmonds is always giving her dresses from junior and Novice to the young girls she skates with.
I think another poster mentioned that the figure skating costumes can be quite expensive, so it is quite cost effective to recycle costumes, if they can fit the skater and the music they are skating to. I find it rather economical myself and the costume is beautiful, so I don't mind it. I wonder if Alina will use the same dress this season though, or if she has grown and needs a new dress?
ETA: Oops, Sam already answered. Didn't see that
- Joined
- Mar 12, 2016
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Skaters who are a lot closer to ballerinas than Zagitova
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lS3kBxPAjv8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNOqrQeYs18
Skaters who are a lot closer to ballerinas than Zagitova
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lS3kBxPAjv8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNOqrQeYs18
- Joined
- Mar 26, 2014
I had very similar impressions being there. Welcome and post more and often, as they say.
I know that for example Anna Cappellini lends her dresses to other skaters too. Federica Testa worn Anna's Carmen dress in 2014/15. Ryazanova also used one of her dresses for a show, and many junior skater competed in her dresses.
- Joined
- Mar 26, 2014
To me her swan is much better than Osmond's and that's what matters this particular season.
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- Dec 29, 2013
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I know that for example Anna Cappellini lends her dresses to other skaters too. Federica Testa worn Anna's Carmen dress in 2014/15. Ryazanova also used one of her dresses for a show, and many junior skater competed in her dresses.
I'm going to make a thread on this topic!!
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- Sep 14, 2008
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Zagitova's program is supposed to have a costume change within it, so that will add more of a dynamic quality when it gets introduced. I like the idea of using Moonlight during the step sequence portion of the program, it has a classical sense to it that doesn't feel out of place, although the step sequence itself doesn't do much with the music.
I think she should change her final spin of the program, it takes up too much time and doesn't leave her with any room for ending choreography. I don't know why everyone is obsessed with using the back camel feature these days, it usually just creates a slower spin combo with a less interesting first half. I'd like to see Zagitova do forward camel, then jump down into the forward pike sit, then change foot into the illusion spin, and then end with the upright catch leg position.
I think she should change her final spin of the program, it takes up too much time and doesn't leave her with any room for ending choreography. I don't know why everyone is obsessed with using the back camel feature these days, it usually just creates a slower spin combo with a less interesting first half. I'd like to see Zagitova do forward camel, then jump down into the forward pike sit, then change foot into the illusion spin, and then end with the upright catch leg position.
