Hmmm...
This evening I rewatched my tape of the aforementioned competition.......wanted to see if my initial impressions had changed (btw, no, not really).......and also wanted to add to my initial post. Btw, this time around I didn't feel as cranky(lol
); probably due to the fact that I didn't have to watch the men since I didn't tape them. (;^)
A-P MCDONOUGH - still love the costume b/c it reminds me of Adam Cooper's, whom was the Principal Dancer for the Royal Ballet, but is perhaps best known for his role as The Swan in the all-male cast of
Swan Lake and also played the adult Billy Elliott in the movie
Billy Elliott. And if I'm not mistaken, A-P used the same music as in the movie also. The combo. of the two together was a winner for me personally. However, after viewing A-P's program a second time around, I realize that she definitely needs to do away with the pseudo swan flapping - it looks pretentious & affectated IMHO (btw so does Sasha Cohen's, but not quite as much as A-P's). ***Note: my rule of thumb for the swan flapping is if you can't do it as well as Oksana Baiul, then don't even bother***. But other than that, I enjoyed the choreography & program as a whole and am looking forward to seeing it performed at its finest come Nationals.
JENNIFER KIRK - nothing much to add......aesthetically gorgeous skater whom appears even moreso on the ice due to her elegant long limbs & dancer's body......but, as I've said since the beginning, needs something to distinguish herself from the pact (not just good looks). As it stands now, she's a pleasant all-around skater but doesn't possess that extra something - aka powerful jumps, flexible body, eye-popping spins, to-die-for charisma, something! Which is why I would like for her to skate pairs w/Fedor Andreev - both aesthetically gorgeous, similar builds, able to land the easier jumps consistently, etc. - whoa, can just imagine this pairing on the ice!
MICHELLE KWAN - ah, what can one really say about someone that has dominated her sport for so long......nothing really......she knows what she has to do and more often than not ends up doing so. However, as regards her new program, I have to admit that both times I have seen it reminds me of some of her old programs. But I'm sure that if any of the others had been around as long as Michelle, theirs would also. In fact, time notwithstanding, this happens to a majority of skaters - i.e. programs start to look similar to what they have done in the past - it's not just Michelle. But I certainly don't mind that much, especially when one skates like Michelle, which is rare. That said, Michelle being the perfectionist that she is, I expect to see her make Tosca her own at Nationals (along w/a more dramatic costume to go with the music). JMHO.
SASHA COHEN - must say that I was a little disappointed when I finally saw this program, but that was
my fault due to listening to all the hype beforehand. B/c of that, I was expecting something so spectacular that it would leave me breathless, chills running up & down my spine, et al. That didn't happen. However, I can still appreciate all of Sasha's extraordinary qualities - i.e. best toepoint ever, beautiful back & shoulders & carriage, great spring in her jumps, fabulous spins, bravura attitude, et al. And those exceptional qualities made her program quite pleasing to me (btw she definitely deserved the win; no ifs/whats/buts about it). That said, the only parts of the choreography that I didn't particularly enjoy was the extraneous pseudo swan flapping (please see above comments as regards A-P; ditto here) and the part in her footwork where she runs/turns around in a little circle to simulate a swan? But other than that, I would say this is another winning program for Sasha. And I honestly cannot wait to see it performed to its fullest at Nationals. ***Note: btw I see nothing wrong with her costume; reminds me of a beautiful abstract baby duckling, though I would suggest putting her hair in a bun or chignon.***
By the way, I think I'm a little more harsh on Sasha b/c this is the first time I have seen a female singles skater that is blessed with
both superb presentational skills as well as technical. And knowing that she is capable of landing 3/3s (even possibly a quad), but is not doing so leaves me with the feeling that she is not living up to her potential, which is frustrating to see b/c she is so gifted. But I don't blame her for this, I blame the new COP judging system which
seems to me to be holding back the natural progression of advancing the sport technically; regressing, not progressing. We shall see...
One last note, when it comes to Swan Lake, my personal preference is to see long, flowing
lyrical lines as opposed to short, straight linear lines. But maybe that's b/c dancers are built this way and therein lies my bias, especially as two of my all-time favorites are built this way (aka Oksana Baiul & Sarah Hughes). However, that doesn't prevent me from enjoying both A-P & Sasha's interpretations.
Peace & Love, Nadine
