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- Aug 12, 2014
That's a good question. It established them as the "top" US pairs team at this moment in time, but they were already nearly unanimously considered to be that.
2021-22 U.S. Pairs Figure Skating
- Thread starter skylark
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- Jan 28, 2013
@skylark Regarding your informative and enlightening post above:
I had no idea the Kerrs had choreographed for K/O. It makes sense now that I got an intricate ice-dance vibe watching them... and I mean that in a good way. Their first lift stood out for me, the one with the flip-over. Also, I liked the death spiral that had the transitional dance lift entry. Beautiful.
For sure real connections can be provided outside of a true romantic relationship. After all, Brandon and Alexa are coached by Alexa's husband.
I had no idea the Kerrs had choreographed for K/O. It makes sense now that I got an intricate ice-dance vibe watching them... and I mean that in a good way. Their first lift stood out for me, the one with the flip-over. Also, I liked the death spiral that had the transitional dance lift entry. Beautiful.
For sure real connections can be provided outside of a true romantic relationship. After all, Brandon and Alexa are coached by Alexa's husband.
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- Aug 12, 2014
So many of their lifts and other moves seem to me to be completely original. I'm adding Sinead and John to my list of brilliant choreographers (Charlie White is one) who make it a point to observe the skaters, see what's unique about them, and then use that to create new looks and moves. Chelsea and Danny move so much in synchronicity that I think it's a combination of fortuitous pairing and a natural chemistry. I also think they both care about putting that vision and unison in their skating.
LOL, yeah. I was meaning to talk about the romantic vibe or intention on the ice during the programs, even when it's clear that it isn't a romantic relationship off the ice. In my ineffably meandering way.
I've always loved Meryl and Charlie, and they often created a romantic vibe. In fact, I recall a Detroit Free Press article around 2014 that talked about the fact that Charlie's 5-year relationship with Tanith Belbin was kept under the radar, because some of the team or extended team worried that knowing about it would hurt the audience's suspension of disbelief.
I'm all for suspension of disbelief.
Oh! and I also recall an interview of Meagan Duhamel while she and Eric were still competing, so sometime before 2018. She mentioned that she and Eric didn't have available to them the option of creating a romantic vibe. But both pairs and dance have evolved so that the illusion doesn't have to extend to their off-ice relationship; witness Papadakis/Cizeron, who I think create a very romantic vibe on the ice. And then there are Hubbell/Donohue and Smart/Diaz, who are open about their real-life romantic connections being switcherooed.
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^^ LOL! Strap yourself in, and hold on tight @Jammers. Skate America is about to take off! Full speed ahead... Go U.S. pairs!
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It was mentioned earlier in this thread, when L/O first debuted their fp. Also, the new programs thread, I believe, was updated with the choreographer details.
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- Jan 28, 2013
I don't recall seeing it, but I don't doubt you are correct.It was mentioned earlier in this thread, when L/O first debuted their fp. Also, the new programs thread, I believe, was updated with the choreographer details.
I'm hit or miss on keeping up, especially with skaters who haven't intrigued me before. Now, I'm intrigued.
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I'm the same way.
A detail has to be linked to something in my mind, even if it's a bit tangential.
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I really hope they skate to their potential today. I wasn’t nervous but now I’m feeling sick.
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- Jan 28, 2013
I'm rooting for them. Their ceiling is a lot higher than I had thought it was. The elements look very solid - just have to deliver them. I wish that show-biz flip-over lift in the long was included in the short - I loved it. Of course, that may have something to do with which group is required... and lift groups are beyond my grasp.
My interest in this team has skyrocketed in the past 24 hours, just from watching practice.
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Well, Liu/O'Shea are a new team. Maybe you mean that you weren't intrigued before by Liu and O'Shea with their former partnerships?
Anyway, there was immediate buzz when it was announced that Chelsea & Danny had paired, and that their sp was choreographed by Adam Rippon!
OIP's clip was magnetic and set off greater buzz, especially seeing as how the U.S. fed was impressed enough to assign L/O to Skate America:- YouTube
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Then, of course, we saw L/O and some of their teammates' full programs for the first time at this summer's LA Open and at Glacier Falls, then later in August at the Cranberry Cup event, in Norwood, MA.
L/O's L.A. Open fp:
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This. This is the main reason. Although perhaps it was hearing that Adam Rippon choreographed their short, because I've not been a particular fan of his work, and learning that he choreographed a program would not immediately send me to try to find it.
Doesn't really matter, they have my attention now.
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- Sep 1, 2020
LOL. Danny has had my attention since forever! He's a great and very talented pairs guy. He was such a loyal partner to Tarah. Although, Tarah had some skating skills drawbacks (which kept their speed and power down), I totally recognize and respect what a fighter she was. It was Tarah's fierce desire, grit, and dramatic intensity that had a lot to do with all that she and Danny accomplished, including a U.S. National championship, and a 4CCs championship. Their Swan Lake program (by Shae Lynn Bourne & Shae Zukiwsky) remains a memorable milestone of their partnership. They were always very gritty and competitive.
Chelsea with Danny is a completely different dynamic, which everyone who was watching this summer recognized immediately. They have wonderful potential. Chelsea's personality is different, but probably no less intense than Tarah's, underneath the surface. Chelsea has signature long, slim legs, which the Kerrs brilliantly utilized to gorgeous effect in L/O's fp. I wonder if it was mainly the Kerrs, or Adam, or a combo who came up with that leg wrap carry lift, which other teams are copying (I noticed Sui/Han did a variation of it, and another Chinese team are also copying that leg wrap move). The flip lift in the fp that L/O perform, has been done by Boikova/ Koslovskii for a couple of seasons, so it's probably a move that's been around for awhile, likely inspired by an adagio lift maneuver.
Adam Rippon has done well with some of his own choreography, and he's worked well with Mariah. I just think that after the experimentation with Work B*tch, he needed to move Mariah into a different direction, not so contrary to her specific personality.
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- Aug 12, 2014
I saw the leg wrap lift in a US junior ice dance team's RD. I've recently 'discovered' Isabella Flores and Dmitry Tsarevski. They do that lift at 2:22 in this RD. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5E5ajLtStM. I assumed the lift had been around a while and immediately thought of L/O.
Here's their FD, which is even better. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kO7VQfE1eXc. I don't usually post links to ice dances in the pairs thread!! but these kids (both 18) are really beautiful skaters and so charming. Worth a look. They only teamed up in May 2020.
Here's their fanzone bio: https://usfigureskatingfanzone.com/...bsp-isabella-flores-and-dimitry-tsarevski/560. She was born in Germany while her father was in the military. He was born in Denver. His father, a (Russian or Ukrainian?) athlete who loved mountain climbing, came to America to do some. He met Dmitry's mother and stayed; they now have 7 children.
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I noticed that in the Asian Open video. I also noticed S/H did a group 3 (or 4?) lift with a vertical variation. It seemed to be inspired by Mishina/Galliamov's. I guess they feel that will help them compete. It seemed a shame to me, though, because S/H have done the same lifts in their FS for 3 years now. They kept the Reverse lift and the axel lift, but they replaced my favorite lift of theirs, the last one. It always got great GOEs, too.
I was wondering about that too. The two Sr Bs K/F competed at had 11 pairs each and featured Tarasova/Morozov, Pepeleva/Pleshkov, and the whole US pairs field, so they felt like adequate preparation. K/F did really well at both. I believe those two Sr Bs are part of the selection criteria for the US Olympic team, so it made sense to go. Normally, there would be a pair event at the US Intl Classic, but instead they didn't have one and all the pairs went to NYC instead for the John Nicks Sr B.
There are only 5 Challenger events for pairs, and one of them conflicts with the GP series. And with Nebelhorn being an Olympic qualifying event this season, that wiped out that event too. Autumn Classic became a Challenger event for pairs at the last minute, so most of the pairs entered were just those who trained in Canada. Asian Open Trophy was the week before SA, so little chance K/F would go there, but that competition ended up being very small anyway with few overseas competitors because of Covid.
That left Finlandia Trophy as the only possible Challenger event K/F could have went to before SA. I'm assuming they turned it down so that they could train for SA instead of flying to Finland 2 weeks before, which makes sense. But given their lack of competitive experience together, any competitive outing will definitely benefit them. I would think they would go to Golden Spin after the GP series.
They did very well at Skate America, just a couple points behind Boikova/Kozlovskii. But they are definitely capable of more as they gain more experience. Brandon skated much better in the free skate when his nerves were calmer. It's really just a matter of time before everything clicks for them because they have the goods.
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