2021 JGP France II: Women's Short Program

[CaroLiza_fan]

Side note, lest anyone get confused: Josephine Lee is coached by both Amy Evidente and Naomi Nari Nam.

Amy was the coach with Josephine in the Kiss and Cry.

(But no problem if CL_fan is a Naomi fan and just wanted to mention Naomi.)

Spot on - I was indeed mentioning Naomi specifically because I am a fan.

But, you are right, I could have worded it better. I should have mentioned both, and then singled out Naomi.

My bad.

CaroLiza_fan

 

[icybear]

That is one heck of a gorgeous dress from Isabeau Levito esp for an unknown newcomer. The USA ladies usually have very bland dresses even their top ladies like Tenell or Bell. Their sequins work are very cheap looking and not very intricate. Not surprising they look cheap considering they get no funding from their gov. But this dress look like something out of the designer who does the Eteri girls or the designer a lot the Japanese go to. It doesnt look cheap. She's probably has rich parents to splash the cash on getting a top skating designer

 

[Azikin]

Isabeau Levito was a bit like watching Anna Shcherbakova's JGP debut again.. quite a few similarities there.. and overall amazing..

 

[wakuwaku]

41 TES, wow just wow

She deserved every bit.

Is she? I have a mixed feeling about scores, tbh. On one hand she is wonderful skater with beautiful program that was performed with very good quality indeed. I suppose her Russian coaches plays a big part in similarities of her skating to Eteri school though (the same accents on spins and arms, the same focus on transitions, the same exits from jumps etc.) - you can't deny that her style is as far from American skaters as it can get.
On other hand judges intent to make her new star rival against Russians in JGP is evident - else they wouldn't ignore her 3Lze+3T< or, atleast, 3Lz!+3Tq combo. Which makes it quite unfair to Ruiter, for example - which suffered from similar edge/Urs which were marked properly. I remember the same style of judging - when multiple URs were ignored - was done for Alysa Liu at her first JGP events two years ago. When she was in the similar - raising American junior star - position. It's the same pattern. The only Lv4 step sequence among whole roster of skaters is very telling as well.
I am very curious what Levito's next event will be and against which top Russian skaters she will compete there? That, and competition between top USA skaters is interesting too. Who will be better junior skater this season - Levito, Thorngren or Kalin?

 

[chuckm]

Isabeau doesn't engage in extraneous leg lifts and hands over the head the way the Eteri skaters do.

 

[Seven Sisters]

That is one heck of a gorgeous dress from Isabeau Levito esp for an unknown newcomer. The USA ladies usually have very bland dresses even their top ladies like Tenell or Bell. Their sequins work are very cheap looking

Must respectfully disagree. Some of the US ladies are quite beautifully dressed and styled. Starr Andrews, for example, always looks wonderful, to my eye. I can name others, including pairs and dance ladies.

 

[el henry]

Is she? I have a mixed feeling about scores, tbh. On one hand she is wonderful skater with beautiful program that was performed with very good quality indeed. I suppose her Russian coaches plays a big part in similarities of her skating to Eteri school though (the same accents on spins and arms, the same focus on transitions, the same exits from jumps etc.) - you can't deny that her style is as far from American skaters as it can get.
On other hand judges intent to make her new star rival against Russians in JGP is evident - else they wouldn't ignore her 3Lze+3T< or, atleast, 3Lz!+3Tq combo. Which makes it quite unfair to Ruiter, for example - which suffered from similar edge/Urs which were marked properly. I remember the same style of judging - when multiple URs were ignored - was done for Alysa Liu at her first JGP events two years ago. When she was in the similar - raising American junior star - position. It's the same pattern. The only Lv4 step sequence among whole roster of skaters is very telling as well.
I am very curious what Levito's next event will be and against which top Russian skaters she will compete there? That, and competition between top USA skaters is interesting too. Who will be better junior skater this season - Levito, Thorngren or Kalin?

Actually, Isabeau has been most often compared to American Sasha Cohen. So much so that Ted gently reminded folks she was her own skater.

Having heard so much, I actually watched her skate. She beautifully channels the American tradition in the style of Sasha. The emphasis on spins, the long extensions held perfectly, the Ina Bauer allowed to “breathe”.

this is extraordinarily high praise for a Junior woman: I may watch her again.

 

[Hyena]

Is she? I have a mixed feeling about scores, tbh. On one hand she is wonderful skater with beautiful program that was performed with very good quality indeed. I suppose her Russian coaches plays a big part in similarities of her skating to Eteri school though (the same accents on spins and arms, the same focus on transitions, the same exits from jumps etc.) - you can't deny that her style is as far from American skaters as it can get.
On other hand judges intent to make her new star rival against Russians in JGP is evident - else they wouldn't ignore her 3Lze+3T< or, atleast, 3Lz!+3Tq combo. Which makes it quite unfair to Ruiter, for example - which suffered from similar edge/Urs which were marked properly. I remember the same style of judging - when multiple URs were ignored - was done for Alysa Liu at her first JGP events two years ago. When she was in the similar - raising American junior star - position. It's the same pattern. The only Lv4 step sequence among whole roster of skaters is very telling as well.
I am very curious what Levito's next event will be and against which top Russian skaters she will compete there? That, and competition between top USA skaters is interesting too. Who will be better junior skater this season - Levito, Thorngren or Kalin?

Going by what happened on the ice today, I would say Isabeau getting the only Level 4 step sequence absolutely makes sense.

I don't think we know what her next event is yet, but I agree, I'll be looking forward to seeing how she stacks up directly against some more top skaters. As for the US skaters, she beat Thorngren and Kalin (and everyone else we'll see on the JGP) at Skate Milwaukee about a month and a half ago. I hope they'll get more chances to compete against each other and push each other forward.

 

[PaulE]

I watched all the junior ladies this afternoon after the competition was over. Since I got a bunch of laughs from the closed captions that I had inadvertently turned on for the ladies in 2021 JGP France I that I watched last week I deliberately turned CC on this time. It is interesting to see what the automatic speech to text program has to say. As a side note, Ted Barton's announcing is almost perfect for CC. He is silent during the whole program so that there are no captions blotting out any of the action. He only starts commenting during the slo-mo rerun.

This time I got a laugh out of seeing that a portion of a spin was referred to as "here at Qatar" (haircutter in case you can't make the connection). The other interesting translation was for the skater named "is a bowl." I watched the free skate of "is a bowl" twice and thought she was wonderful. I look forward to seeing her again.

 

[Rere]

Watched the short program last night, enjoyed all the ladies skating, and listening to all three Danse Macabres, too, I love this piece!))))
Such a joy to watch Kaiya skate and perform, she's so radiant, confident and strong, and she's getting better and better!

 

[katymay]

Is she? I have a mixed feeling about scores, tbh. On one hand she is wonderful skater with beautiful program that was performed with very good quality indeed. I suppose her Russian coaches plays a big part in similarities of her skating to Eteri school though (the same accents on spins and arms, the same focus on transitions, the same exits from jumps etc.) - you can't deny that her style is as far from American skaters as it can get.
On other hand judges intent to make her new star rival against Russians in JGP is evident - else they wouldn't ignore her 3Lze+3T< or, atleast, 3Lz!+3Tq combo. Which makes it quite unfair to Ruiter, for example - which suffered from similar edge/Urs which were marked properly. I remember the same style of judging - when multiple URs were ignored - was done for Alysa Liu at her first JGP events two years ago. When she was in the similar - raising American junior star - position. It's the same pattern. The only Lv4 step sequence among whole roster of skaters is very telling as well.
I am very curious what Levito's next event will be and against which top Russian skaters she will compete there? That, and competition between top USA skaters is interesting too. Who will be better junior skater this season - Levito, Thorngren or Kalin?

Her jumps were overscored IMO. Seoyeon's jumps were underscored (GOE), and I can't see for the life of me the edge call on the flip.

 

[katymay]

Watched the short program last night, enjoyed all the ladies skating, and listening to all three Danse Macabres, too, I love this piece!))))
Such a joy to watch Kaiya skate and perform, she's so radiant, confident and strong, and she's getting better and better!

Most improved skater for sure!

 

[wakuwaku]

Actually, Isabeau has been most often compared to American Sasha Cohen. So much so that Ted gently reminded folks she was her own skater.

Having heard so much, I actually watched her skate. She beautifully channels the American tradition in the style of Sasha.

I am sorry to say - but they are absolutely different skaters. Cohen is more close to Ting Cui two seasons ago with her signature spirals instead of transitions and long empty spaces between jumps - whereas Isabeu programs are packed with transitions/music accents which makes her programs dramatically different from American style. And reason is obvious as well - just see who her coaches are. It would be strange if her skating was the same as American coaches are usually teaching.

 

[el henry]

I am sorry to say - but they are absolutely different skaters. Cohen is more close to Ting Cui two seasons ago with her signature spirals instead of transitions and long empty spaces between jumps - whereas Isabeu programs are packed with transitions/music accents which makes her programs dramatically different from American style.

Sorry, I am afraid that I do not agree that "packed with transitions" is any particular country's style. I also find, just for me, making eight moves where one would do to be rather boring and I am pleased to say that on my view, Isabeau does not do that. ETA: and I realize that some fans may like it and that's cool. I admit "boring" is a subjective term.

She holds the spiral, she holds the Ina Bauer, her footwork is masterful and not choppy. Not any one "school", just what she does.
But of course how I would love to see her with a Rohene program, the master of transitions in choreo talk about spirals, transitions and footwork. Sigh, a girl can dream.