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
, 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.
That was my point.
