2022 U.S. Nationals: Senior Free Dance | Page 24 | Golden Skate

2022 U.S. Nationals: Senior Free Dance

ramurphy2005

Unabashed Mainer
On the Ice
Joined
Feb 12, 2014
Country
United-States
I replied "Breathtaking" to one of Jackie Wong's tweets about how stunning Hawayek and Baker were tonight and Jean-Luc LIKED my reply. I may or may not be completely geeking out.
Awhile ago, Jackie had a thread asking about the last skating program you watched. At the time, it had been Nathan's Caravan, and I totally geeked out because Evan Bates liked that completely innocous tweet.
 

IceDancingQueen

Final Flight
Joined
Dec 7, 2017
Score box nitpick: For the other competitions, I think they've shown the base value for the element and then what was earned with GOE. Here they show the MAX (I assume if the element got all +5 GOE). I find it confusing and don't know why it would be different for dance.
Yeah the random change is weird but I quite like being able to see how much the couples scored out of the max score for each element. They need to make this the norm but also have the Base Value and the GOE boxes, like they normally do. I think that it would help viewers understand the scoring better.
 

Hyena

Tous les whiskys
Medalist
Joined
Jan 9, 2014
That is a beautiful post, @ice coverage, and I thank you for it!

I saw Green & Parsons’ programs live at the Lake Placid comp (temporarily at the Skating Club of Boston) this summer, with no advance warning of what I was about to see, and I was just stunned. I happened to see Michael on the concourse later and of course, told him what I thought.

He was, in fact, lovely and gracious, and nothing you have said here surprises me in the least.
I have to remind myself Michael is 26 years old - a year older than Kaitlin, actually. He's also waited a long time to represent the US on a big stage and is one of the best male ice dancers out there right now along with Jean-Luc. He has a strong partnership with Caroline and he definitely knew what was possible and what was on the line this weekend.

I wasn't sure of Green/Parsons when they paired up but I've come to really, really like them. I'm thrilled for Hawayek/Baker who have been my faves for so long, and I'm also hoping we can see Michael and Caroline rise in the next quad.
 

IceDancingQueen

Final Flight
Joined
Dec 7, 2017
C/P are selling the program better, and the techno dance break is fun, but it's still too jarring to work for me.

I'm just going to treat this year as their experimental year and look forward to seeing what they do next season, after they've been with their coaches longer.
Yeah they’re still settling in with their new coaching team and they’ll be having the inevitable growing pains. I think their RD has improved a lot and Christina has improved a lot in such a short amount of time - she seems like a more confident performer and this is the first competition where I’ve seen her really finish movements properly and with conviction (particularly in the arms). Anthony surprisingly seemed the more shaky performer here but they must under so much pressure with newer/younger couples challenging/overtaking them for 4th place.
 

Skater Boy

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 24, 2012
Chock and Bates and or Hubbell and Donahoe are going to be on the podium (maybe both if SK have to pull out due to injury) come olympics. I appreciate the US tends to be more generous in socring than Canada but Gilles and Porier nat score is considerably lower than the Americans so I am guessing USA has a better chance come oly's
 

lauravvv

Medalist
Joined
Jun 19, 2012
Country
Latvia
I honestly can't say who should have been first but thing look good that either or both teams could win an olympic medal especially with the Russians injured and the Canadians not looking great at Nats.
You mean to say Gilles/Poirier were not looking great at Nationals? They had a few level 3 step sequences and lower scores than the top teams here, but that might be just the technical panel being more generous at US Nats. Other than that, G/P were foot perfect.

Edit: - Actually I remembered that wrong, and in the FD they didn't have any level 3s, so the lower marks were on the judges. But to say that they were not looking great - that's still pretty absurd.
 
Last edited:

cisum88note

Rinkside
Joined
Apr 23, 2021
When the score came up THAT low compared to the other teams, I thought they must have lost an element but I don't think they did. Looking at the protocols, they were really hurt by the GOE on their twizzles, and there's a > by their stationary lift - I assume that was the extended lift they got a deduction for? They were also really held down on PCS compared to the top 4 teams.
I can't help wondering if their current coaching situation isn't great for drilling the technical aspects. We know Moir is a champion but VM and CP benefitted from the Russian drilling of the technical basics in Michigan. VM had strong technicals when transferring to work with MF and Patch. Right now at the London school, Moir doesn't have any legitimate technical coaches. I believe his assistant coaches are family members - an aunt or cousin who work on kids and synch? That's not going to cut it for olympic hopefuls. Or even national medal hopefuls.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

cisum88note

Rinkside
Joined
Apr 23, 2021
Chock and Bates and or Hubbell and Donahoe are going to be on the podium (maybe both if SK have to pull out due to injury) come olympics. I appreciate the US tends to be more generous in socring than Canada but Gilles and Porier nat score is considerably lower than the Americans so I am guessing USA has a better chance come oly's
H/D would have been on the podium in PYC in 2018 but for that unfortunate fall.
 

ladyjane

Medalist
Joined
Jun 26, 2012
Country
Netherlands
Dear all, I have watched the last group of the US Free Dance (as well as watching Molly and Yehor who happen to be a team I like to watch regardless of results) and what a moving bit of event it was.

Seeing Kaitlin and Jean-Luc doing such a wonderful Free Dance choked me up a little bit, a pity that Christine and Anthony got some wobbles which was heartbreaking (but they'll be back!), I got all emotional watching Madison and Zach, and once again watching Madison and Evan (the battle of the Madison's was oh so close) and then Caroline and Michael with their innovative interpretation of Ice Dance in itself.
 
Last edited:

litenkyckling

Final Flight
Joined
Jun 6, 2018
I didn't watch this live as I chose sleep and less stress instead!

Some thoughts:
- I'd have H/D in first place. When they are on, I just love them. They should be battling for the Olympic title and not just the bronze. They actually made me really emotional! So powerful, so in tune with eachother. I don't love the music, but I can see past it because they sell it to me. I can't help but feel that they have wasted this quad with bad material and made us forget how special they are. I really hope they split the TE for dance, because they deserve a medal.
- C/B are a team that have marmite seasons for me - this FD doesn't work for me I'm afraid. My favourite this quad for them was Elvis and the tango RD so I guess this isn't my taste. They have incredible elements, no doubt, but Madi and Zach have the skating skills and power that mean I can't look away.
- Gr/P were excellent, obviously, but H/B deserve the bronze here and the Olympic spot I think. This is the best FD they've had since Liebstraume and they skated it so well. I feel like you could sense she had been injured during the RD but not here. Blown away, just so gutted they didn't get a full and healthy season this year.
- Intrigued to see where Gr/P go next - like I'm sure they have plenty of ideas in mind but what is the next step after this FD? Do they keep exploring this style that clearly suits and inspires them? Do they do something totally different again? Who knows. But I'm not too sad they missed on the bronze, but in a sentimental way because H/B have fought to hard to get to where they are and I'd have been upset if they had missed out on the Olympic spot.
- C/P. Gahhh. I'm a big fan - I know barely anyone else is. USFS don't like them just now, the audience didn't seem to like them, online not many people like them. But I do and I'm gutted for them. (I think it's in part because she seems so nice and hardworking, and I tend to root for people like that haha). I'm still hoping that this is teething issues for them - but to be behind a junior team that (in my opinion) don't have anything particularly special beyond being coached by Igor? I watched their practice and it was much better - they never seemed to settle into the programme here. I do think that she has improved a lot over the years and she has clearly worked incredibly hard to so, but I get the impression that he needs to start working harder to improve - natural talent is only worth it if you nurture it. Their coaching staff has let them down by giving them sub-par material too, and while it was great to see that they have adapted the FD throughout the season, why did they never change the stationary lift that has cost them countless points all season? Changing that lift would have been enough to keep their placement here. I also think that they could have benefitted from a more generic RD and then perhaps a Batdance style FD. This was always going to look like a meh FD in the same competition as H/B and surely the coaches knew that? I wonder if they will move to Montreal full time next season, with Scott as a consultant now that some spots will open up there with the likes of H/D retiring.
- B/S - Unfortunate initials when put together? Jurys still out for me on these two - very good skills but are they a match? Maybe I can't see past him and the way he has treated past partners, so I struggle to root for him specifically. Clearly MIDA will be producing high quality teams, and no doubt USFS would rather have a podium full of American MIDA than Canadian IAM.
 

moonvine

All Hail Queen Gracie
Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 14, 2007
Country
United-States
I have to remind myself Michael is 26 years old - a year older than Kaitlin, actually. He's also waited a long time to represent the US on a big stage and is one of the best male ice dancers out there right now along with Jean-Luc. He has a strong partnership with Caroline and he definitely knew what was possible and what was on the line this weekend.

I wasn't sure of Green/Parsons when they paired up but I've come to really, really like them. I'm thrilled for Hawayek/Baker who have been my faves for so long, and I'm also hoping we can see Michael and Caroline rise in the next quad.
I think if they all remain uninjured and stay together they will have an awesome rivalry along the lines of H/D and C/B and it will be very exciting to see!
 

moonvine

All Hail Queen Gracie
Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 14, 2007
Country
United-States
I have to remind myself Michael is 26 years old - a year older than Kaitlin, actually. He's also waited a long time to represent the US on a big stage and is one of the best male ice dancers out there right now along with Jean-Luc. He has a strong partnership with Caroline and he definitely knew what was possible and what was on the line this weekend.

I wasn't sure of Green/Parsons when they paired up but I've come to really, really like them. I'm thrilled for Hawayek/Baker who have been my faves for so long, and I'm also hoping we can see Michael and Caroline rise in the next quad.
Jean-Luc has been fortunate enough to have one partner the entire time. Michael has not. Its not fair but it is what it is.
 

dorispulaski

Wicked Yankee Girl
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Country
United-States


2022 World Championships
Madison Chock and Evan Bates
Kaitlin Hawayek and Jean-Luc Baker
Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue

Alternate 1 – Caroline Green and Michael Parsons
Alternate 2 – Emily Bratti and Ian Somerville
Alternate 3 – Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko

2022 Four Continents Championships
Emily Bratti and Ian Somerville
Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko
Caroline Green and Michael Parsons

Alternate 1 – Eva Pate and Logan Bye
Alternate 2 – Lorraine McNamara and Anton Spiridonov
Alternate 3 – Molly Cesanek and Yehor Yehorov

2022 World Junior Championships
Oona Brown and Gage Brown
Angela Ling and Caleb Wein
Katarina Wolfkostin and Jeffrey Chen

Alternate 1 – Leah Neset and Artem Markelov
Alternate 2 – Helena Carhart and Volodymyr Horovyi
 

ivanja

On the Ice
Joined
Mar 29, 2017
Country
Croatia
Surprised how divisive H/D and C/B free programs are here. :jaw:

I for one enjoyed them both very much. I rarely get attached to ice dance programs, but found these exceptional.

Added the Ahh-ah-ahh-Ah song to Spotify.
 
Top