Better late than never, I hope? I enjoyed the Pairs SP at Nationals so much!
Tons of beautiful skating, and something that pleases me almost as much, such a variety of styles and talents ... all in the same event, the same discipline.
In no particular order, as they come to me. (I like to do crossword puzzles in a random way, too.
)
Kate Finster/Matej Silecky. I surprised myself. I mute "Carry You" now when MT-M do it. But Matej's facial expression in the opening pose grabbed me from the beginning (good camera work too), carried through and gave the whole program a new interpretation. Love and hopefulness, rather than angst. There's something about this pair that I really really like, maybe it's partly because Matej is creative in several fields, and something about that attitude toward artistry has filtered into Kate as well ... into her very bones! They'll be working on improving their elements, but they've come very far already.
Emily Chan/Spencer Akira Howe. Last year, these two advanced themselves in the eyes of audiences as far as technique is concerned. It was great, and very dramatic. This year, I feel like there's a new dedication to also show the character of the dances and engage audiences with their own personalities. Especially Spencer. Their flamingo SP is simply wonderful, and so entertaining. What is it about Spanish music that's so great for figure skating? Maybe is the drama combined with the sharp musical moments.
Jessica Calalang/Brian Johnson. This couple is really special. Something electric happens in the warm-up when my eyes catch them, even via camera. They seem faster than everyone else. Their energy just captures the eye and engages. It was really nice to see with my own eyes that the stress Jessica was under has now had a chance to dissipate and seemingly to disappear, through the process of working it through their bodies via daily training. And of course, they have a history of doing very well at Nationals.
Katie McBeath/Nathan Bartholomay. It wasn't their night, but there's still something rather ethereal and fragile about Katie and her skating, which has altered Nathan also in my opinion. He's something of a chameleon in that he absorbs and projects what each of his partners projected when they were together. It's a great trait to have when you're in a creative
and collaborative endeavour. And Katie has something magical in the way she expresses the joy of skating, and pairs skating -- to fly! Hoping for a better free skate for them.
Audrey Lu/Misha Mitrofanov. I've been in their corner for a couple of years now, and their jumps are wonderful. What US pairs fan, or any pairs fan, can't develop an admiration and even positively a taste for good jumps? LOL. I think that in my head I've been talking back to the commentators when they mention (as they always do!) how far L/M have to go in many other areas. But somehow, on Thursday night the comparison was so apparent. The only word I can think of is "quality." The sheer quality of everything could use a step or two up. I think my mind and eyes were still full of Jessica and Brian's fluidity, and everything with L/M paled. Especially because I knew who was coming next ....
Ashley Cain-Gribble/Timothy Leduc. All I could think of as I watched them were three words: harmony, quality and grace. These reflect much more than mere physical or technical elements. As
@ice_tulip said elsewhere, CG/L have superb sophistication, great programs, and beautiful lines. I'm going to remind myself of their incredible unison and synchronicity. It's as if two souls become one, in their passion for skating and the music, and in their great desire to bring something splendid to audiences.
My hope is that each of these couples, and
Cooke/Bearinger and
Plazas/Fernandez will skate their best tonight.
Compared to what these beautiful skaters have given us ... an experience ... arguments about who goes to olys seem just, well, less significant. IMHO. Competition is valuable because it brings out the best in everyone. But I feel like our pairs aren't competing
against each other. They're competing
with each other.
I hope they get well soon!
