2018 Olympic Figure Skating Free Dance

[Fool]

*exhales* phew, that was a RIDE. Congrats to the top 3!!! They were all worthy, clean, beautiful performances. P/C kids please keep your heads up, you did yourselves so proud.

It's wild WILD to me that we've now had repeat gold medalists (in individual) at just one Olympics. This hasn't happened in my lifetime, and now it's happened twice in 3 days. I have a slight annoyance with commentators referring to Team medals in the same vein as single though, people like Yuna and Javi couldn't even enter these events, and it doesn't sit right with me that skaters who came from non-skating nations will now automatically be excluded from GOAT discussions because they don't have 3+ medals etc. This is just MY problem though and not a criticism of any of these successful athletes

I must say I'm especially happy for Maia and Alex, they've had an up and down season, including some bumps at the Olympics, and for them to put it all together here and climb up to the podium brings a little tear to my eye.

I'm also so sad for Madison and Evan That fall was heartbreaking (and shocking!). Also gutted for H/D, as I watched them I realized they wouldn't medal and while I think it was the right outcome, I was still so sad for them, it sucks to be 4th, especially when you drop down a place. I wish them the best moving forward, maybe already at world's

 

[viennaskater]

What's GOAT?

 

[sowcow]

What's GOAT?

"Greatest of all time"

 

[viennaskater]

"Greatest of all time"

Thanks - well, that accolade goes to Torvill & Dean.

 

[schizoanalyst]

Upfront, I think V/M should’ve won, primarily because I thought P/C were over-scored in the SD because that was a messy and uninspired skate (whether or not it was because of the costume is irrelevant, it happened), though I never much liked their SD anyway. And, as a sport, I’m ultimately fine with either of them at the top of the podium since both of their skills are impeccable. I’m also thrilled that many of V/Ms fans got to witness such a marvelous performance as a parting gift.

But as a matter of aesthetic pleasure for me, I don’t think V/Ms FD even come close to rivaling P/C. Dance, as it’s best, doesn’t just respond to musical or instrumental cues. It should complicate and change or heighten our understanding, emotional or otherwise, of a piece. I’ve belabored the point before - but V/Ms choreography, while dramatic and exciting, doesn’t achieve that. It acts out the music in a literal fashion. It’s over-determined and narratively simplistic, adding absolutely nothing to just listening to the soundtrack. To give an obvious example. The bellicose accented Rox (High)-Anne(Low) is literally illustrated with just a slamming of the arms from high to low. Trivial. That is type of choreography we get in the program. Whereas the frequent trills of the violin are completely ignored and unremarked upon (funnily enough one of the few interesting things the film Moulin Rouge does is use the violins trills with cropped editing to dissect the body and exhibit the violence of the piece).

P/C choreography, however, heightens and complicates our understanding of the piece. To give an example, a feature of Moonlight Sonata is an ostinato triplet and it’s first movement is a dark, heavy, burdened piece of music. Many have described this pattern as a swaying feeling (which is why sometimes people imagine a boat on a lake swaying over moonlight). But P/C do something different with it. They imagine instead we are moving forward propulsively, not swaying, as they enter the curve lift during the first movement and gazing longingly upward as the pitch heightens. It’s a bold interpretation. It’s foreshadowing the possibility of the third movement - a motion propelling us to the resolution of burden to one of excitement and possibility. It’s a completely different way of viewing the first movement than we are accustomed to.

Again, all of this says nothing about V/M as *athletes* because ultimately they are not aesthetic dancers or choreographers, they are *athletes*. I was merely giving my perspective on why P/C speak to me more as a viewer.

 

[IlVoloFan]

Victory ceremony will take place in 20-25 minutes for those who wanna see can watch it from Eurosport Player

WAITING FOR TESSA & SCOTT

 

[viennaskater]

But as a matter of aesthetic pleasure for me, I don’t think V/Ms FD even come close to rivaling P/C. Dance, as it’s best, doesn’t just respond to musical or instrumental cues. It should complicate and change or heighten our understanding, emotional or otherwise, of a piece. I’ve belabored the point before - but V/Ms choreography, while dramatic and exciting, doesn’t achieve that. It acts out the music in a literal fashion. It’s over-determined and narratively simplistic, adding absolutely nothing to just listening to the soundtrack. To give an obvious example. The bellicose accented Rox (High)-Anne(Low) is literally illustrated with just a slamming of the arms from high to low. Trivial. That is type of choreography we get in the program. Whereas the frequent trills of the violin are completely ignored and unremarked upon (funnily enough one of the few interesting things the film Moulin Rouge does is use the violins trills with cropped editing to dissect the body and exhibit the violence of the piece).

P/C choreography, however, heightens and complicates our understanding of the piece. To give an example, a feature of Moonlight Sonata is an ostinato triplet and it’s first movement is a dark, heavy, burdened piece of music. Many have described this pattern as a swaying feeling (which is why sometimes people imagine a boat on lake swaying over moonlight). But P/C do something different with it. They imagine instead we are moving forward propulsively, not swaying, as they enter the curve lift during the first movement and gazing longingly upward as the pitch heightens. It’s a bold interpretation. It’s foreshadowing the possibility of the third movement - a motion propelling us to the resolution of burden to one of excitement and possibility. It’s a completely different way of viewing the first movement than we are accustomed to.

Again, all of this says nothing about V/M as *athletes* because ultimately they are not aesthetic dancers or choreographers, they are *athletes*. I was merely giving my perspective on why P/C speak to me more as a viewer.

Very, very good. You have captured something here, which I was trying to put my finger on.

 

[snd]

Were Duchesnay siblings described by anyone as saccharine? I don't think so.

or the kerrs.

but let the people who want to remind everyone for the 98456976436th time that the shibutanis are SIBLINGS (and that means honestly nothing but w-e), lest we forget, do their thing. i'm sure they think their forum contributions are eye-opening to everybody.

 

[viennaskater]

Victory ceremony will take place in 20-25 minutes for those who wanna see can watch it from Eurosport Player

WAITING FOR TESSA & SCOTT

I don't think I'll bother - and not just because I am at work.

 

[viennaskater]

or the kerrs.

but let the people who want to remind everyone for the 98456976436th time that the shibutanis are SIBLINGS (and that means honestly nothing but w-e), lest we forget, do their thing. i'm sure they think their forum contributions are eye-opening to everybody.

What's 'w-e'?

 

[viennaskater]

Couples whom I think were underscored, and indeed have been all season:

Gilles/Poirier
Coomes/Buckland

When is originality going to be rewarded?

 

[viennaskater]

Assuming it's the NBC online stream, that'd be Belinda Noonan, former Aussie skater.

A pity she has a sense of humour bypass, and refuses to criticize in any way. Come back Chris and Nicky, all is forgiven!

 

[Caro]

My dog woke me up just in time to watch the last group! I"m really happy for this, their FD is great. C/P skated well I l love them and their program) but I felt lack of spark, I think what happend in the SD really got into their minds. I hope they can put this behind. They are young and can come back to another competition. Tessa and Scot are really good skaters and know how to capture the audience and deserved the gold, I just don't know what happens...I don't like them.
I'm so sad for C/B!!

 

[Mathman]

What's 'w-e'?

Whatever.

 

[NoNameFace]

Congrats to all the medalists. Not to demean any of the other competitors but has the gap between the top 2 and the remaining ever been larger?

honestly, I expected Shibutanis to smash their PB with what they have produced today, probably their most genuine and driven performance ever, except maybe 'Fix You' FD performed at Boston Worlds 2016 - but PCS was their undoing, again, which baffles me for -nth time. There are so many ways to express material, different kinds of energy and connection between partners, so many aesthetics and styles to divulge and ALL of them could be excellently presented and executed. I really, really do not get this 'hot'n'cold' approach judges towards Maia and Alex work as a whole, but in general - PCS became too instrumental and does not always reflect the actual stuff we are seeing on ice performed at the exact time of happening, so I stopped to care about it.

Yet, they still did it, despite everything.

 

[anonymoose_au]

Hey everyone the ice dance medal ceremony is happening right now if you're able to watch it!

Also, ROXAAAANNNNEEE! I'm so happy for V/M P/C and the Shibs!!! Great medalists every one of them!

But seriously after P/C's massive score I was on the edge of my seat for V/M, but from the very first note they were on fire! I almost jumped out of my seat several times. It was epiiiicccc.

LOL Dick Pound is presenting the medals

 

[Spirals for Miles]

honestly, I expected Shibutanis to smash their PB with what they have produced today, probably their most genuine and driven performance ever, except maybe 'Fix You' FD performed at Boston Worlds 2016 - but PCS was their undoing, again, which baffles me for -nth time. There are so many ways to express material, different kinds of energy and connection between partners, so many aesthetics and styles to divulge and ALL of them could be excellently presented and executed. I really, really do not get this 'hot'n'cold' approach judges towards Maia and Alex work as a whole, but in general - PCS became too instrumental and does not always reflect the actual stuff we are seeing on ice performed at the exact time of happening, so I stopped to care about it.

Yet, they still did it, despite everything.

Yeah, I know, it's really baffling. What have the other teams got in terms of PCS that they don't? same thing with GOE? I'm just happy they medaled, though...

 

[sunnystars]

I believe that the audience reaction to Virtue and Moir's program may have made the difference. The judges would have been deeply booed in the arena I think if they had gone with P/C overall.

(But of course, you know, that damn back clasp might have been the difference too.)

a superficial reason: it's what you get when you built a fanbase in the country where the Olympics is held.

Anyhow, congrats to all medalist! P/C shouldn't fret. They'll be laden with tons of gold in the Beijing quad.

 

[nickp91]

Moir and Virtue have been great for 3 Olympics

 

[taikwan]

Moulin Rouge

Fan of all 3 couples but V/M's interpretation of Roxanne and Moulin Rouge was magical and masterful. A program for the ages - also everything P/C do. I'm sitting here before 6 a.m. crying during the awards ceremony. And I can already feel the post Olympic depression coming on. These skaters make me believe in something spiritual which sounds ridiculous but they do make me feel life is good.