2018-2019 US Ice Dance

[Matt K]

Does no one want to challenge P/C? They could sleep for four years and still win gold in 2022. So unfortunate that every team is resigned to battling for Olympic silver.

I still can't believe Dubreuil accepted Chock/Bates into her school, and that C/B decided to go to Montreal. It will be interesting to see what the new C/B look like and if their skating skills are capable of making a 360.

 

[chuckm]

Maddie has to recover from her ankle surgery first. C/B were held back all of last year by her injury.

 

[Ice Dance]

Does no one want to challenge P/C? They could sleep for four years and still win gold in 2022. So unfortunate that every team is resigned to battling for Olympic silver.

Troll elsewhere. Looks to me like the young U.S. teams are working their _____ off. Summer events, two GPs, up to three Challenger events for them all. Almost all new elements for McNamara & Carpenter this season. Carreira & Ponomarenko doing 4 sets of twizzles. Level four pattern sections for both teams. Level four footwork at Nepela for M&C. The Parsons with the highest levels in their senior career at Nebelhorn. Hawayek & Baker coming off a concussion with a GP win. Four different teams with GP medals and two events still to go. That's work.

 

[Princessroja]

The Greens posted a healthy score today at sectionals. Very pleased to see them clearly back in the game. I sure have missed watching them this season thus far!

 

[Vinyame]

Emma Gunter has just announced the end of her skating career: https://www.instagram.com/p/BqNSLKeFt_f/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=1ghazbod4gfx4

 

[Princessroja]

What a shame to hear that, but thanks for posting it, Vinyame.

Another great score from the Greens today. I'm very positive about the rest of their season now.

 

[oly2018]

Now that the GP series is over, where does everyone think the US dance teams stand heading into Nationals? I think H/D are the clear US #1 (for now), but 2-4 are a big question mark.

 

[theharleyquinn]

Does no one want to challenge P/C? They could sleep for four years and still win gold in 2022. So unfortunate that every team is resigned to battling for Olympic silver.

I still can't believe Dubreuil accepted Chock/Bates into her school, and that C/B decided to go to Montreal. It will be interesting to see what the new C/B look like and if their skating skills are capable of making a 360.

It's as much the judges as anyone else. The gap between the teams, especially with the way this season is panning out, isn't as large as it's being set up to be.

I didn't mind the idea of them going there in isolation, but Gadbois is too crowded this season to the detriment of everyone.

Now that the GP series is over, where does everyone think the US dance teams stand heading into Nationals? I think H/D are the clear US #1 (for now), but 2-4 are a big question mark.

McNamara/Carpenter are really great, and I think they're going to surprise everyone at Nationals. They have a lot of polish.

 

[oly2018]

It's as much the judges as anyone else. The gap between the teams, especially with the way this season is panning out, isn't as large as it's being set up to be.

I didn't mind the idea of them going there in isolation, but Gadbois is too crowded this season to the detriment of everyone.



McNamara/Carpenter are really great, and I think they're going to surprise everyone at Nationals. They have a lot of polish.

I am curious to see what Madison and Evan look like because they are already an established team. I do think it will be hard for them to jump over H/D again just because the political tides have changed.

I agree with you about M/C. I think they may be able to overtake H/B at Nationals. I prefer C/P, but they are still settling into being senior.

 

[ice coverage]

From medals to medicine: Former ice dancers Lynn Kriengkrairut and Adam Munday share how they're taking lessons from skating into the next chapter of their lives: https://usfigu.re/2POb6WG

8:51 AM - 18 Dec 2018
https://twitter.com/USFigureSkating/status/1075071157831905281​

I enjoyed the whole article. Excerpts:

... Kriengkrairut is currently in her third year of studies at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences. Munday is a first year student at George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. ...

"Skating has taught me the importance of resilience, being in the moment and loving what I do," Kriengkrairut said. "Skating has taught me when things get difficult, giving up is not an option."

Munday often finds himself, on a daily basis, reciting some of his coaches' favorite mantras.

"It's not a novel belief. Most coaches are not just skating coaches. They are life coaches. Without every single coach that ever taught me, I would not be the person I am today. Together, they have made me a determined, hard working, sensible athlete, student and, one day, doctor," Munday said. ...​

Good luck to Lynn and to Adam.

---

Oona and Gage Brown performed their RD a few days ago at the holiday show at Chelsea Piers.

https://twitter.com/LynnRutherford/status/1073780942324621313 (Dec 14)

https://www.instagram.com/p/Brcqf0ABvju/ (video excerpts from Upnights)​

Exciting to see them skate. (And Oona's new dress looks great.)

ETA (on Jan 23):

Sorry, never mind about the new dress. For Nats RD, Oona is wearing the same red dress as seen previously this season.​

 

[oly2018]

---

Oona and Gage Brown performed their RD a few days ago at the holiday show at Chelsea Piers.

https://twitter.com/LynnRutherford/status/1073780942324621313 (Dec 14)

https://www.instagram.com/p/Brcqf0ABvju/ (video excerpts from Upnights)​

Exciting to see them skate. (And Oona's new dress looks great.) [/QUOTE]

I became a fan of the Browns over the JGP season. I can't wait to see them at nationals. The junior competition should be just as interesting as the seniors.

 

[ice coverage]

Wait, what? Collin Brubaker :luv17: and Karolina Calhoun demonstrating ice dance in/on "Hell's Kitchen" tonight?

Yes, please: https://youtu.be/aK7XX-rM70A (1:22, Jan 11)

I think the clip probably missed the best part of the demo.

(And I did not see it either. Happened to tune in just as the ice dance stuff was ending.)

 

[elbkup]

Madison Chock/Evan Bates took first place in both RD and FD at Torun Cup ... clips can be seen in their FF. Great performnces; the move proved to be a good decision!!

 

[Shani]

That's good news. Ice Dance will be very interesting this year. I just watched on you tube and they skated well. Amazing considering they missed the season for injury. Definitely they will be trying to win at Nationals.

 

[Ice Dance]

the move proved to be a good decision!!

Of course it did. Because it's not like Igor could have given them a lounge singer Elvis/Fever program in which Madison had all the attention.

But whatever. I'm glad to see them healthy & back on the ice.

 

[oly2018]

Of course it did. Because it's not like Igor could have given them a lounge singer Elvis/Fever program in which Madison had all the attention.

But whatever. I'm glad to see them healthy & back on the ice.

I am with you. I think people are really quick to say they improved because it's Marie France and all that, but none of this is new for them. None of it. I find the second half of the program pretty cringey and exactly like what they used to do.

 

[Bcash]

I think it's hard to say either way with just one skate. A team at their level and age shouldn't be expected to "improve" much. It's more about bringing a slightly new dynamics out.

 

[Matt K]

Troll elsewhere. Looks to me like the young U.S. teams are working their _____ off. Summer events, two GPs, up to three Challenger events for them all. Almost all new elements for McNamara & Carpenter this season. Carreira & Ponomarenko doing 4 sets of twizzles. Level four pattern sections for both teams. Level four footwork at Nepela for M&C. The Parsons with the highest levels in their senior career at Nebelhorn. Hawayek & Baker coming off a concussion with a GP win. Four different teams with GP medals and two events still to go. That's work.

You keep proving you know nothing of which you talk about. They can "work" all they want, but the judges have shown again this season that P/C will be unbeatable yet again barring some unforeseen disaster. They can put in how many hours of "work" but the reality is that it will not likely translate into gold medals.

On the other hand, I just watched the Parsons's To Build a Home[/I] program. Who decided this was a good idea? Whoever did, should be fired. P/C's To Build a Home is maybe one of the greatest FD performances, at least one of the most memorable ones, of recent times, and it is not even that long ago! It would be like if Chait/Sakhnovski skated to T/D's Bolero or something. Or if Chait teamed up with Maurizio Margaglio to skate G/P's Memorial FD. Horrible, horrible decision. Who would want that comparison?

 

[Matt K]

I like Chock/Bates new FD and how they are skating to it, but the problem is that in both dances, they have no speed. None. And I do not recall in recent memory World medalists that landed on the podium with no speed, other than the Shibutanis in 2011 but that was a special case. Both Russian teams at this point have so much speed that the judges seem to like so much. It will be interesting to see what happens by March.

 

[Ice Dance]

On the other hand, I just watched the Parsons's To Build a Home[/I] program. Who decided this was a good idea? Whoever did, should be fired. P/C's To Build a Home is maybe one of the greatest FD performances, at least one of the most memorable ones, of recent times, and it is not even that long ago! It would be like if Chait/Sakhnovski skated to T/D's Bolero or something. Or if Chait teamed up with Maurizio Margaglio to skate G/P's Memorial FD. Horrible, horrible decision. Who would want that comparison?

It was Navka & Kostomarov who skated to Bolero their first season together. They did very very well with their career. As was true for N&K, the Parsons aren't in a battle with P&C. Their coaches probably figured that it didn't matter. The music was a style that worked well for the Parsons in the past, and it does. It's a nice step up from their program last season, and they've had a successful season.

They went from finishing last at Skate America last season to winning their first GP medal and defeating Hurtado & Khaliavin, Wang & Liu, Smart & Diaz, and Popova & Mozgov head-to-head in competition. The Parsons have had better levels on the pattern all season than Hawayek & Baker. And they defeated Carreira & Ponomarenko head-to-head despite loads of hype for C&P heading into Nebelhorn. The Parsons have the 10th highest SB and are 14th on the World Standings list. Those are going to hold up. They will be top 24 at the end of the season and have their guaranteed GP spot and very likely be high enough to earn a second spot. Not so stupid.

They are younger than every team ranked above them on the World Standing list except their teammates, who of course, have the same coaches. And McNamara & Carpenter have earned some of the highest levels in the RD and the FD of any of the dance teams this season. I sure wouldn't jump at switching coaches. I might try to expand my own musical horizons, which all dance teams should do.


Postscript: Meanwhile Papadakis & Cizeron are skating to Bobrova & Soloviev's FD music from last season.