2021-22 US Ice Dance

[Dogo]

C/B were definitely enjoying the moment and the crowd was with them! Smart choice to select Billie Eilish and, more especifically, the hit song that everyone knows (including my grandma haha) will go well with a younger and (maybe even older!) audience. This adds a new style edge to Maddie and I think it works great as an edgy and captivating SP. C/B's music builds up momentum to the middle and final portions. So I think there is a solid musical foundation to keep polishing this program, add difficulty, and put some extra pizzazz at the beginning. This is going to be a fresh and contemporary change from the many oldies songs we will listen during the SP.

 

[dancelion21]

In an interview with sports.ru, Madi said that they don't plan on retiring after this season.

I'm pretty surprised by this since they've both been competing for a long time and they've dealt with a lot of injuries. I also wouldn't be shocked if they change their mind about this after the Olympics, especially if they win a medal.

Мэдисон Чок: «Не хотим завершать карьеру после Олимпиады. Мы столько еще можем показать»

Американские фигуристы Мэдисон Чок и Эван Бейтс не планируют завершать карьеру после олимпийского сезона, передает корреспондент Sports.ru Майя Багрянцева. «Мы продолжаем.

www.sports.ru

 

[Lutzedge]

In an interview with sports.ru, Madi said that they don't plan on retiring after this season.

I'm pretty surprised by this since they've both been competing for a long time and they've dealt with a lot of injuries. I also wouldn't be shocked if they change their mind about this after the Olympics, especially if they win a medal.

Мэдисон Чок: «Не хотим завершать карьеру после Олимпиады. Мы столько еще можем показать»

Американские фигуристы Мэдисон Чок и Эван Бейтс не планируют завершать карьеру после олимпийского сезона, передает корреспондент Sports.ru Майя Багрянцева. «Мы продолжаем.

www.sports.ru

It seems like they feel they haven't slowed down, and that they have more to give. They might retire when they feel like they have slowed down, or if there is a bad injury or something that happens.

 

[litenkyckling]

It just sucks because they're in a country where there are so many young talented teams behind them - I imagine Evan will be the last US dancer in a while to get to 4 Olympic games with the potential of a 5th - meanwhile other teams might be lucky to make it to 1 in this case

 

[Weathergal]

Loved Madi and Evan's costumes for their RD - Madi's in particular was stunning!

 

[Dogo]

Did you mean Chock & Bates?

Yes.. I was probably thinking too much about Maddie that I wrote M(adison)/C(hock)

 

[labgoat]

After rewatching RD's ...I find myself wondering why H & B didn't skate to the Black Eyed Peas...

 

[moonvine]

After rewatching RD's ...I find myself wondering why H & B didn't skate to the Black Eyed Peas...

They are the best!

 

[labgoat]

Let's also remember how strong Madi & Zack can skate the Midnight Blues

 

[dancelion21]

Chock/Bates performed their free dance this morning and scored 124.59 with a one point extended lift deduction, winning second place overall behind Papadakis/Cizeron.

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Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

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The program is certainly unique, but there are definitely areas that can be improved upon. The first half is much more engaging than the second half, with an exquisite straight line lift to open (quite similar to the opening lift in American in Paris, but much improved with more difficult and cleaner transitions). I also found the character step sequence entertaining. The second half dragged on a bit, as the music is slower and there aren't the big moments that the first half has.

I think the costumes could also be improved. Evan's is definitely worse (which has always been true for them), but Madi's is dull in comparison to some of her old costumes. Adding some color accents to it could help it stand out more.

In the grand scheme of the race for the bronze medal and the battle between H/D and C/B for the US title this year, the judges are very undecided. In their first competitions of the season, G/P scored 208.97, C/B scored 208.31, and H/D scored 207.30. Both C/B and H/D had extended lift deductions, which will certainly be gone by the time the Grand Prixs start, which only makes the scores even closer together. Of course, scores can't really be fairly compared across competitions (I think the Finlandia caller was harsher while the Autumn Classic caller was pretty generous. G/P got level 3 on their diagonal step and got a level 4 on the one foot step sequence while nobody got higher than a level 2 on the step sequences or a level 3 on the one foots at Finlandia), so the only real conclusion that can be drawn is that the judges don't have a favorite for bronze at the start of the season, which of course only makes things more exciting as the season progresses, who will come out on top?

 

[mrrice]

Chock/Bates performed their free dance this morning and scored 124.59 with a one point extended lift deduction, winning second place overall behind Papadakis/Cizeron.

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

www.youtube.com

The program is certainly unique, but there are definitely areas that can be improved upon. The first half is much more engaging than the second half, with an exquisite straight line lift to open (quite similar to the opening lift in American in Paris, but much improved with more difficult and cleaner transitions). I also found the character step sequence entertaining. The second half dragged on a bit, as the music is slower and there aren't the big moments that the first half has.

I think the costumes could also be improved. Evan's is definitely worse (which has always been true for them), but Madi's is dull in comparison to some of her old costumes. Adding some color accents to it could help it stand out more.

In the grand scheme of the race for the bronze medal and the battle between H/D and C/B for the US title this year, the judges are very undecided. In their first competitions of the season, G/P scored 208.97, C/B scored 208.31, and H/D scored 207.30. Both C/B and H/D had extended lift deductions, which will certainly be gone by the time the Grand Prixs start, which only makes the scores even closer together. Of course, scores can't really be fairly compared across competitions (I think the Finlandia caller was harsher while the Autumn Classic caller was pretty generous. G/P got level 3 on their diagonal step and got a level 4 on the one foot step sequence while nobody got higher than a level 2 on the step sequences or a level 3 on the one foots at Finlandia), so the only real conclusion that can be drawn is that the judges don't have a favorite for bronze at the start of the season, which of course only makes things more exciting as the season progresses, who will come out on top?

This was a nice outing for Chock and Bates. A really nice score.

 

[GoneWithTheWind]

Hubbell/Donohue plan on keeping their "risky" lift in the FD, according to quotes from AnythingGOE. Zach says they're "very confident" of being able to perform it and "navigate the rules" successfully.
Quotes here: https://twitter.com/AnythingGOE/status/1447722207107506180

I thought the lift was very impressive and hope that Zach is right in his assessment of their abilities. I also really, really hope that this doesn't cause them a problem later in the season, because I'd hate for them to perform it within the rules/not get called on it all season and then have it go awry at the Olympics either because they hold the overhead moment slightly too long or because the judges suddenly decide to call it.

 

[dancelion21]

I admire their gutsiness, but I think this will be a decision that comes back to bite them, whether at Skate America, the Grand Prix Final, or heaven forbid the Olympics. It's an impressive lift, but at least the way they performed it at US Classic, Zach's arms are very very borderline between bent and stretched. If they keep doing it like this all season, it likely will get called at some point. For the team that went through Stationary Lift Base, I'm surprised they're going to go for such a risky lift.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/191Ok5KJIQB4CVTwu9b6wJyhcXJddk5o4/view

 

[Lutzedge]

It is nice to see them going for a risky and hard element, but in the last Olympics, Zach's fall cost them a potential medal. Zach moved on the stationary lift, and they went from possibly winning to finishing off the podium. Both of them are excellent skaters, and it would be a shame for them to lose points and competitions, especially at the Olympics.

 

[moonvine]

It is nice to see them going for a risky and hard element, but in the last Olympics, Zach's fall cost them a potential medal. Zach moved on the stationary lift, and they went from possibly winning to finishing off the podium. Both of them are excellent skaters, and it would be a shame for them to lose points and competitions, especially at the Olympics.

My mother has been talking about that for the past 4 years.

 

[Sai Bon]

I admire their gutsiness, but I think this will be a decision that comes back to bite them, whether at Skate America, the Grand Prix Final, or heaven forbid the Olympics. It's an impressive lift, but at least the way they performed it at US Classic, Zach's arms are very very borderline between bent and stretched. If they keep doing it like this all season, it likely will get called at some point. For the team that went through Stationary Lift Base, I'm surprised they're going to go for such a risky lift.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/191Ok5KJIQB4CVTwu9b6wJyhcXJddk5o4/view

I don't know much about the technical aspects of ice dance, but I thought one of the rules was that you don't lift above your head? That looks like a pairs lift. Can someone explain why it's allowed?

 

[Hyena]

I admire their gutsiness, but I think this will be a decision that comes back to bite them, whether at Skate America, the Grand Prix Final, or heaven forbid the Olympics. It's an impressive lift, but at least the way they performed it at US Classic, Zach's arms are very very borderline between bent and stretched. If they keep doing it like this all season, it likely will get called at some point. For the team that went through Stationary Lift Base, I'm surprised they're going to go for such a risky lift.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/191Ok5KJIQB4CVTwu9b6wJyhcXJddk5o4/view

Ahhh. I didn't watch the US Classic and hadn't seen the lift but that is very borderline, and seems like it's a matter of time before something will go wrong and it gets called. I'm not sure it's really accomplishing what they hope around showing off more "acrobatic" lifts either.

 

[Lutzedge]

I don't know much about the technical aspects of ice dance, but I thought one of the rules was that you don't lift above your head? That looks like a pairs lift. Can someone explain why it's allowed?

I am not too knowledgeable about Ice Dance rules either, but that just does not look like it should be allowed, to my knowledge. They might do Technical Controller's discretion on things like that. Vasilisa and Valeriy in the JGP were deducted on doing a slide move during a Character sequence, so H/D might eventually get called for something wrong on their lift. And to be feared, possibly at the Olympics.

 

[dancelion21]

I don't know much about the technical aspects of ice dance, but I thought one of the rules was that you don't lift above your head? That looks like a pairs lift. Can someone explain why it's allowed?

It would be allowed if Zach doesn't straighten his arms for a "sustained" period of time. Essentially, in a dance lift, you can hold your partner above your head for a sustained period of time if your arms aren't fully straightened (so Chock/Bates' character lift at the end of their free program this season is perfectly fine). And fully straightened arms are given the ok if it isn't "sustained".

f) point of contact of the lifting hand(s)/arm(s) of the lifting partner with any part of the body of the lifted partner is sustained with the fully extended arm(s) higher than the lifting partner’s head (the supporting arm may be sustained and fully extended above the head);

Now, how long is sustained? Wonderful question that will have to be answered by every technical caller who needs to decide if H/D's lift is illegal at every competition they perform it at. Maybe at this competition, Zach keeps his arm more bent than at a previous competition, so the technical caller decides it's legal. Maybe at the next competition, Zach accidentally straightens his arms too much and the tech caller decides it's illegal. Maybe he keeps Madi in that position for a shorter period of time. But this is a risk they've decided to take, so they're at the mercy of the tech caller at every competition they use the lift for.

 

[Amei]

It would be allowed if Zach doesn't straighten his arms for a "sustained" period of time. Essentially, in a dance lift, you can hold your partner above your head for a sustained period of time if your arms aren't fully straightened (so Chock/Bates' character lift at the end of their free program this season is perfectly fine). And fully straightened arms are given the ok if it isn't "sustained".

f) point of contact of the lifting hand(s)/arm(s) of the lifting partner with any part of the body of the lifted partner is sustained with the fully extended arm(s) higher than the lifting partner’s head (the supporting arm may be sustained and fully extended above the head);

Now, how long is sustained? Wonderful question that will have to be answered by every technical caller who needs to decide if H/D's lift is illegal at every competition they perform it at. Maybe at this competition, Zach keeps his arm more bent than at a previous competition, so the technical caller decides it's legal. Maybe at the next competition, Zach accidentally straightens his arms too much and the tech caller decides it's legal. Maybe he keeps Madi in that position for a shorter period of time. But this is a risk they've decided to take, so they're at the mercy of the tech caller at every competition they use the lift for.

That's a baloney definition - there should be no sustained but a definitive you can hold her a max x amount of time over your head any more than that and the move is illegal. Not this you are at the mercy of the tech caller at the competition.

Saying someone interprets music well is a subjective and there's no real way to quantify a rule saying what is interpretation; this rule does not have to be subjective.