O, i remeber this Shae-Lynn dress
This is my favorite OD from them 
As for Nicol dress. "Live" color, fabric look bad
This team deserve more and there last season FD suite them much more.
All Things Ice Dance: Canadian
- Thread starter colleen o'neill
- Start date
O, i remeber this Shae-Lynn dress
This is my favorite OD from them As for Nicol dress. "Live" color, fabric look bad
This team deserve more and there last season FD suite them much more.
- Joined
- Jul 26, 2003
It is amazing how some colors look really, really different live vs on TV, even these days. At Skate America, people in our row started to look forward to checking the amount of color change for the next skaters. A dress that was clearly purple might end up looking blue, for example. And some colors didn't appear to change at all.
By the way, that Canadian dance blogger at www.ice-dance.com (whose article was posted above) posts nearly every week about what Canadian skaters from juveniles to elite are doing, so it is really must reading, I think, for Canadian dance fans.
From the front page, pick the Features drop down menu, and pick Northern Lights from it. The most recent issue is #24
http://www.ice-dance.com/main/features/northern-lights.
Don't miss the More button to the far right if you're reading on a phone or something. You have to hit it to see the rest of any blog entry.
By the way, that Canadian dance blogger at www.ice-dance.com (whose article was posted above) posts nearly every week about what Canadian skaters from juveniles to elite are doing, so it is really must reading, I think, for Canadian dance fans.
From the front page, pick the Features drop down menu, and pick Northern Lights from it. The most recent issue is #24
http://www.ice-dance.com/main/features/northern-lights.
Don't miss the More button to the far right if you're reading on a phone or something. You have to hit it to see the rest of any blog entry.
Last edited:
- Joined
- Jun 27, 2003
Its because of the lighting. Same thing happens to me in my photo studio. So frustrating.
- Joined
- Aug 23, 2003
The blue is a much better colour on Nicole but the green is too yellow for her skin tones. Looking at her other costumes, the girl needs a new dressmaker. Whoever said she is a beautiful girl with a gorgeous figure. It should be a piece of cake to dress her. Instead she gets a mother of the bride dress in blue chiffon, a blue satin dress that looks like it came out of that "No dress over $19.99!" store on Yonge Street, and whatever that is she's wearing in the SD this season. These certainly aren't the worst costumes I've ever seen (every time I remember some of those outfits worn by A&P over the years, I'm tempted to poke out my mind's eye with a sharp stick), but she's a beautiful girl with lovely lines who could do a lot better.
And you could say something very similar about Kharis Ralph too, although her tango dress was quite nice. Kharis is curvy. I know they were going for the look of the recent Disney musical production of Cinderella, but her dress for the waltz SD made her look matronly, and this season's dress is too pale. One would think that some knowledge of which colours work best with what skin tones would be a basic requirement in a dressmaker.
And you could say something very similar about Kharis Ralph too, although her tango dress was quite nice. Kharis is curvy. I know they were going for the look of the recent Disney musical production of Cinderella, but her dress for the waltz SD made her look matronly, and this season's dress is too pale. One would think that some knowledge of which colours work best with what skin tones would be a basic requirement in a dressmaker.
- Joined
- Jan 15, 2010
Ok.. So I'm back from the sidelines and the world of lurkers to the land of the connected with real keyboards! (Never quite mastered typing on a mobile device or tablet.) What a crazy Fall! Where do we begin? Certainly ice dance is very much alive and well in Canada. So much depth!
First the Seniors:
V/M: There are simply no words to describe this incredible, once in a life-time team. Wherever they end up this year, they have pushed the sport further technically and artistically. It is such a joy to watch them! I really hope I can find my way to Mississauga for Canadians, and maybe even London for Worlds just to see them. I'm sure both events will be magical, since there is nothing like seeing this team skate live.
W/P: I'm so happy they are looking at their programs and adding more substance in the middle of the FD. I personally feel they should have made the GPF, in place of I/K. (That FD is so awful, I cannot begin to understand why they are receiving the marks they have been receiving. And when compared to V/M and even C/L, the program looks even poorer....bad quality pretending instead of genuine emotional connection. I/K could have done so much more with the same movie. It could have been hot and passionate and emotional with quality skating. They could pull that off. But instead we have a completely garbage program that does not deserve it's current rank. Badly conceived, badly designed, and badly executed.)
I get lost with who might finish in 3rd spot. I think the battle for 3rd is between G/P and P/I. With P/I looking more like their old selves and training in Detroit with so many other teams to push them, and G/P still having a ways to go in developing their skating skills together and the quality of what they are executing, if both teams skate to their current potential, it's quite possible P/I will get the nod this year for that 3rd spot to Worlds. I would love to see P/I get a chance at 4CC and Worlds in a fully healthy state, physically and competitively. What they showed us at the beginning of the season was very promising.
So that takes care of the top 4 spots.....and only 1 spot left for the National team. I think it will be a tight battle between R/H, O/W, and P/O. R/H have just horrible programs this year. It is so disappointing, and I'm surprised no one at Skate Canada has said something to them and their coaches about better choices. Is there no monitoring? The SD wasn't too bad, but the FD is just awful. After such a good year last year, this is particularly disappointing. I think they are in real danger of losing their spot. That being said, I haven't been too impressed with O/W this season either. They have had pretty mediocre scores internationally. There are likely a number of juniors in Canada who will score higher points than they did. 49ish and 51ish points is not a ringing endorsement in the SD. I don't like the FD that terribly much. It's not awful. It's just not lovely or memorable. Someone up-thread mentioned that she's dressed in a "look at me" so the eyes stay on her. I'm thinking that's probably on purpose. There was a time when as long as the girl was lovely, the team was good. In COP, both members of the team must be good. W has made some improvements, but he just doesn't know how to finish his lines, interpret music, hold his posture. It really looks like he is executing planned choreography instead of feeling the nuances of the music and the program, or truly interacting with her. P/O have made some very good progress this year. They are really very lovely. They have chemistry and musicality in spades, and some nice programs. They both really dance. I don't think they are good enough yet for 3rd or 4th, but they can certainly sneak to that 5th spot depending on how things transpire in competition. O/W and R/H both have more speed, but P/O have them both beat on skating skills, gorgeous lines, posture, connection, etc.
As for the rest of the Senior crew, I hope we see V/S again at Nationals. Are they injured? I've heard almost nothing about them, and ice-dance.com indicates they won't be at Challenge. They were making solid improvements last year. It will be interesting to see the debut of P/S, who have had to prepare both Junior and Senior programs.
And about the Juniors:
Wow! There are now 22 teams or so at Challenge, and only 15 going to Nationals. By my assessment, there are between 10 and 12 strong teams that could finish in a variety of different orders. I can't call this event. It's not possible. There is some tremendous talent in Junior. I very much disagree with ice-dance.com's assessment that the teams that went to the JGP are automatically better than some of these other teams. The reality is that there is way too much depth and not nearly enough spots to really figure out internationally how the Canadian juniors really rank. My sincere and absolute hope (I know I'm probably dreaming in an alternate universe on this but....) is that the technical specialists do a fantastic job of consistently and accurately calling elements, and the judges are able to set aside reputation, bias, age, who the coach is, etc and just judge what they see in a consistent way. And then let the results fall where they should. No low-balling PCS because it's a new team, old team that didn't do well last year, or didn't go to the JGP. Follow the rule-book/COP guidelines. There is more in there than just skating fast! (Hint....line, edge quality, unison, musicality, stability, etc.) This is not only in the best interests of all the competitors, but also for Skate Canada. And it's makes for a great audience event. I'm going to have to splurge on a SkateBuzz fee (really annoyed by this....they should be finding sponsors to cover their costs!! part of my overall gripe with Skate Canada for having no vision or leadership in building funding and sponsors). I'm really looking forward to watching this event most of all at Challenge. (Except for maybe seeing Eman back in competition. Will he really show up? Perhaps he is older, wiser, and more mentally right for competition?)
First the Seniors:
V/M: There are simply no words to describe this incredible, once in a life-time team. Wherever they end up this year, they have pushed the sport further technically and artistically. It is such a joy to watch them! I really hope I can find my way to Mississauga for Canadians, and maybe even London for Worlds just to see them. I'm sure both events will be magical, since there is nothing like seeing this team skate live.
W/P: I'm so happy they are looking at their programs and adding more substance in the middle of the FD. I personally feel they should have made the GPF, in place of I/K. (That FD is so awful, I cannot begin to understand why they are receiving the marks they have been receiving. And when compared to V/M and even C/L, the program looks even poorer....bad quality pretending instead of genuine emotional connection. I/K could have done so much more with the same movie. It could have been hot and passionate and emotional with quality skating. They could pull that off. But instead we have a completely garbage program that does not deserve it's current rank. Badly conceived, badly designed, and badly executed.)
I get lost with who might finish in 3rd spot. I think the battle for 3rd is between G/P and P/I. With P/I looking more like their old selves and training in Detroit with so many other teams to push them, and G/P still having a ways to go in developing their skating skills together and the quality of what they are executing, if both teams skate to their current potential, it's quite possible P/I will get the nod this year for that 3rd spot to Worlds. I would love to see P/I get a chance at 4CC and Worlds in a fully healthy state, physically and competitively. What they showed us at the beginning of the season was very promising.
So that takes care of the top 4 spots.....and only 1 spot left for the National team. I think it will be a tight battle between R/H, O/W, and P/O. R/H have just horrible programs this year. It is so disappointing, and I'm surprised no one at Skate Canada has said something to them and their coaches about better choices. Is there no monitoring? The SD wasn't too bad, but the FD is just awful. After such a good year last year, this is particularly disappointing. I think they are in real danger of losing their spot. That being said, I haven't been too impressed with O/W this season either. They have had pretty mediocre scores internationally. There are likely a number of juniors in Canada who will score higher points than they did. 49ish and 51ish points is not a ringing endorsement in the SD. I don't like the FD that terribly much. It's not awful. It's just not lovely or memorable. Someone up-thread mentioned that she's dressed in a "look at me" so the eyes stay on her. I'm thinking that's probably on purpose. There was a time when as long as the girl was lovely, the team was good. In COP, both members of the team must be good. W has made some improvements, but he just doesn't know how to finish his lines, interpret music, hold his posture. It really looks like he is executing planned choreography instead of feeling the nuances of the music and the program, or truly interacting with her. P/O have made some very good progress this year. They are really very lovely. They have chemistry and musicality in spades, and some nice programs. They both really dance. I don't think they are good enough yet for 3rd or 4th, but they can certainly sneak to that 5th spot depending on how things transpire in competition. O/W and R/H both have more speed, but P/O have them both beat on skating skills, gorgeous lines, posture, connection, etc.
As for the rest of the Senior crew, I hope we see V/S again at Nationals. Are they injured? I've heard almost nothing about them, and ice-dance.com indicates they won't be at Challenge. They were making solid improvements last year. It will be interesting to see the debut of P/S, who have had to prepare both Junior and Senior programs.
And about the Juniors:
Wow! There are now 22 teams or so at Challenge, and only 15 going to Nationals. By my assessment, there are between 10 and 12 strong teams that could finish in a variety of different orders. I can't call this event. It's not possible. There is some tremendous talent in Junior. I very much disagree with ice-dance.com's assessment that the teams that went to the JGP are automatically better than some of these other teams. The reality is that there is way too much depth and not nearly enough spots to really figure out internationally how the Canadian juniors really rank. My sincere and absolute hope (I know I'm probably dreaming in an alternate universe on this but....) is that the technical specialists do a fantastic job of consistently and accurately calling elements, and the judges are able to set aside reputation, bias, age, who the coach is, etc and just judge what they see in a consistent way. And then let the results fall where they should. No low-balling PCS because it's a new team, old team that didn't do well last year, or didn't go to the JGP. Follow the rule-book/COP guidelines. There is more in there than just skating fast! (Hint....line, edge quality, unison, musicality, stability, etc.) This is not only in the best interests of all the competitors, but also for Skate Canada. And it's makes for a great audience event. I'm going to have to splurge on a SkateBuzz fee (really annoyed by this....they should be finding sponsors to cover their costs!! part of my overall gripe with Skate Canada for having no vision or leadership in building funding and sponsors). I'm really looking forward to watching this event most of all at Challenge. (Except for maybe seeing Eman back in competition. Will he really show up? Perhaps he is older, wiser, and more mentally right for competition?)
amen!
- Joined
- Nov 3, 2006
...and Amen from the choir on that quote , too ...
But Boo ! Hiss ! to skatebuzz .. if I'd known this was coming ,I might have been able to plan ahead .. as it is , I'll have to put my ongoing vet expenses and other necessary things first..I guess I'll be calling them Harsh Buzz from now on. ( and dying for reports from those of you who're able to watch ).
But Boo ! Hiss ! to skatebuzz .. if I'd known this was coming ,I might have been able to plan ahead .. as it is , I'll have to put my ongoing vet expenses and other necessary things first..I guess I'll be calling them Harsh Buzz from now on. ( and dying for reports from those of you who're able to watch ).
- Joined
- Jul 26, 2003
Doesn't skatebuzz archive AFAIR? (So if it fit into the budget later, they you could watch later)
Also, what's the price?
Also, what's the price?
- Joined
- Feb 27, 2012
The Skatebuzz Live Streaming FAQs are here:
http://skatecanada.ca/tabid/21856/language/en-CA/Default.aspx
The price of the Skatebuzz Season Ticket (good through Aug 31, 2013) is $19.95. [Skate Canada's emphasis on the "low price" this season implies that the price could be higher next season.]
To my eyes, also strongly implied is that a subscription is necessary to see archived video of the live streaming.
"Most events will be archived within an hour following completion of the event unless otherwise noted. On-demand archives will be available for a minimum one (1) month after the event is completed."
BTW, not surprisingly, Skate Canada forbids posting of the video on YouTube and other sites, and says that the video will be removed from YT immediately.
http://skatecanada.ca/tabid/21856/language/en-CA/Default.aspx
The price of the Skatebuzz Season Ticket (good through Aug 31, 2013) is $19.95. [Skate Canada's emphasis on the "low price" this season implies that the price could be higher next season.]
To my eyes, also strongly implied is that a subscription is necessary to see archived video of the live streaming.
"Your Skatebuzz Season Ticket allows you to view streamed events during the 2012-13 season as well as event archives, behind-the-scene videos and content."
"Most events will be archived within an hour following completion of the event unless otherwise noted. On-demand archives will be available for a minimum one (1) month after the event is completed."
BTW, not surprisingly, Skate Canada forbids posting of the video on YouTube and other sites, and says that the video will be removed from YT immediately.
Last edited:
SC should be trying to encourage a greater participation and interest, even if virtual. Slapping on a fee is not a positive. I am interested in a couple of categories in particular but would have watched most of the competition and become familiar with the younger skaters and a (fan of) in the process.
- Joined
- Jul 26, 2003
This is the same thing that USFS did with icenetwork, and I feell that they though they are entitled to have all those youtubes & youtube accounts deleted, the result is that there will be less interest in Canadian skaters after a year or two; I don't think IN did the cause of skating in the US any favors, really, in the long run.
- Joined
- Nov 3, 2006
doris , I agree completely..and AFAIR, back in the beginning ,SC touted their open , free accessability to livestreaming as a way to promote the sport. Maybe as 'Dancers suggests , they'd need a sponsor ... I know when I got hooked on the sport ,I wasn't seeking it out..I just happened to be channel surfing on a Saturday afternoon..this has led to me faithfully tuning in on my TV for years , attending live events, reading and watching videos to educate myself, etc.etc...and I've heard similar stories from any number of other fans .
As for Challenge ,while dealing with my bills this A.M. , I discovered, quite by accident, that my rich Uncle Visa was willing to extend me $20 ( and here I thought he wasn't ready to speak to me again ,yet ) What a mensch !
So , I can watch .. now I just have to hope there won't be any camera or sound glitches.
As for Challenge ,while dealing with my bills this A.M. , I discovered, quite by accident, that my rich Uncle Visa was willing to extend me $20 ( and here I thought he wasn't ready to speak to me again ,yet ) What a mensch !
So , I can watch .. now I just have to hope there won't be any camera or sound glitches.
Last edited:
- Joined
- Jul 26, 2003
Well, if there are sound glitches, you can always view in the archives...
- Joined
- Feb 27, 2012
Poirier's new blog entry with reflections on his first GP season with Gilles:
http://www.skatetoday.com/gilles-poirier/2012/12/05/on-the-grand-prix/
His preface:
http://www.skatetoday.com/gilles-poirier/2012/12/05/on-the-grand-prix/
His preface:
I thought, now that I feel sufficiently removed and enough time has passed, that I could retrospectively analyze the Grand Prix season.
His discussion of the phenomenon of "overskating" was one of the interesting parts for me:Most people wouldn’t hesitate to classify me as a Type A personality, and while this has its benefits, it also is responsible for a behaviour Carol has conveniently coined ‘overskating.’ Now you may be curious as to what overskating is, but the term is quite self-explanatory: it is very easy in a competition setting to tell oneself “This is an important skate so I’m going to try my absolute hardest and make EVERYTHING faster and stronger and deeper than usual.” Not only is this quite inconveniencing to a partner, who has no idea what you’re going to do, but it also directly competes with your muscle memory, who is essentially (and conveniently) trying to do the job for you.
My goal for this Grand Prix season was essentially not to participate in any overskating activities, to trust my training and allow my body to do its job (which it does much better without my intervention).
My goal for this Grand Prix season was essentially not to participate in any overskating activities, to trust my training and allow my body to do its job (which it does much better without my intervention).
- Joined
- Jul 26, 2003
From Paul's interesting blog entry:
This may be true of other skaters as well...
This may be true of other skaters as well...
- Joined
- Jan 15, 2010
Not sure whether to put this in the Challenge thread or the ice dance thread... Since both these posts are about ice dance, here it goes:
For the Seniors, I don’t think the results are a surprise. Of course Paul/Islam were the class of the field by a mile. I really do think they can land in that 3rd spot at Canadians if they keep doing what they are doing, and keep improving like they are. Paradis/Ouellette had quite a few errors tonight, and seemed to be trying so hard they were out of sync and flow a little. But my goodness he can really move! I really enjoy watching this team, just wasn’t their best tonight for sure. For Poulin/Servant, I always feel bad for teams that are trying to skate Junior internationally, but have to skate Senior domestically. The program was a little rough, and she struggled again with twizzles. But like the Junior SD, I do think the program at a conceptual level is interesting. The choreography isn’t that complex, but it is interesting. I kept thinking it would make a good show number. Also interesting that they withdrew from the FD. For coming all that way from Quebec to Saskatchewan, one would think they might as well skate twice. I’m not sure this team should be sent to Junior Worlds. I think some of the Juniors are much better. For my money, if the top 2 remain the top 2 at Junior, I’d be more inclined to send Edwards/Pang and Bent/MacKeen. I think they can be counted on to bring in stronger results, and with the depth at Junior, Canada needs to maximize spots as much as possible. Dumas/Perry have made improvements, but I don’t think they are at the level of the rest at this point. And the Polka is a tough dance.
For the Seniors, I don’t think the results are a surprise. Of course Paul/Islam were the class of the field by a mile. I really do think they can land in that 3rd spot at Canadians if they keep doing what they are doing, and keep improving like they are. Paradis/Ouellette had quite a few errors tonight, and seemed to be trying so hard they were out of sync and flow a little. But my goodness he can really move! I really enjoy watching this team, just wasn’t their best tonight for sure. For Poulin/Servant, I always feel bad for teams that are trying to skate Junior internationally, but have to skate Senior domestically. The program was a little rough, and she struggled again with twizzles. But like the Junior SD, I do think the program at a conceptual level is interesting. The choreography isn’t that complex, but it is interesting. I kept thinking it would make a good show number. Also interesting that they withdrew from the FD. For coming all that way from Quebec to Saskatchewan, one would think they might as well skate twice. I’m not sure this team should be sent to Junior Worlds. I think some of the Juniors are much better. For my money, if the top 2 remain the top 2 at Junior, I’d be more inclined to send Edwards/Pang and Bent/MacKeen. I think they can be counted on to bring in stronger results, and with the depth at Junior, Canada needs to maximize spots as much as possible. Dumas/Perry have made improvements, but I don’t think they are at the level of the rest at this point. And the Polka is a tough dance.
- Joined
- Jan 15, 2010
And now for the Juniors, in order of where they placed. There were 2 withdrawals, so that means 6 teams will not continue on to Nationals this year after tomorrow. Does anyone know what is up with Bruser/Lum? Are they injured? I hope they will be ok?
1 Madeline Edwards / Zhao Kai Pang BC/YT 60.56
Absolutely LOVED this. They skated this so well. They were smooth, clean, fast, and so close together, and the choreography had some complexity. They are extremely well packaged. They were the class of the field tonight for sure. This team is continuing to improve and improve, and that is very heart-warming for me. They looked so comfortable out there. They have such beautiful positions. She has a dancer’s movement and a real sense of music. He looks much stronger and more mature. If I had to pick a team from the BC ranks that has the ability to go the distance, I would pick this one. Physically, emotionally, developmentally, they are improving together very well. And they are still so young!!
2 Mackenzie Bent / Garrett MacKeen EO 58.69
This was a pretty good skate. Fast and smooth, but they were pretty lucky to get away with the odd stumble and issue here and there. In looking at the lineup, I think 2nd is the right spot right now, though. The quality of the skating skills and the general PCS are better than the rest.
3 Caelen Dalmer / Shane Firus BC/YT 53.26
This was a solid performance, and deserving of 3rd spot. But it wasn’t that amazing, and I felt it was a little over-scored. I’m feeling sorry for this team, since they really are very mis-matched. She is just too tall for him. And keeping in mind the size of his brother Liam, I’m not so sure this height issue will resolve itself over time. Perhaps coaches and Skate Canada can find these talented kids new partners in the off season.
4 Victoria Hasegawa / Connor Hasegawa QC 52.45
This team gets the award tonight for the most over-scored. I used to be a huge fan of this team. I have not seen the improvement I would hope with a team that’s been together for so long. They are lovely kids. But their skating has really not been right all season. Their lines don’t match, their edges aren’t deep enough and don’t match, they are often out of sync, they got credited with a fall which I think was supposed to be a choreographic highlight. It was a little off all the way through tonight. What made this difficult to understand was that they skated right after Marrow/Mulder, who I think did a better job of interpreting the music, being sync’d, etc. Look at the free legs in the blues and compare. They actually have the same beginning music so the comparison is very direct.
5 Melinda Meng / Andrew Meng QC 50.92
I almost didn’t recognize these 2. They’ve grown up so much over the last year! Physically and in maturity. I only caught the end of their program, which seemed to have a lot of personality. I just went back to the archives and that video is not complete. I’ll have to go back and look later.
6 Mariève Cyr / Benjamin Brisebois Gaudreau QC 50.15
I really like this team. They have beautiful positions, and great sense of music. They are a very elegant team, and I’m so glad to see their improvement year over year. I think they have what it takes to transition to senior next season, and continue growing and improving there.
7 Nicole Kuzmich / Jordan Hockley CO 47.00
I have to confess I’ve never been a fan of this program. It’s just awful. They cannot do hip hop, and so should have chosen something they can do well. It looked messy tonight, and I don’t think it was worthy of 7th place. I also still really hate the costumes. He does not look “gangsta”, despite the silly necklace and the crazy pants. And her outfit continues to be an eyesore as well.
8 Christina Penkov / Simon Proulx-Sénécal QC 45.24
This team has come a long way since I first saw them at Minto. She is very pretty, but she doesn’t quite move like a dancer yet. She looks a little unstable on her feet. In thinking about this, perhaps some deeper knee bends on her part would help – skating through the knees and the feet. They don’t yet have great lines, but they have potential. Definitely over scored on the PCS side.
9 Lauren Collins / Danny Seymour CO 45.03
Holy smokes that poor boy is growing!! Half a foot since the Summer, maybe? They put in a solid effort, but I think it will take them a little time to get back their unison and lines. He needs to get used to his new body, I think….how to use those knees again. There are only a handful of men in this field at the most who are true dancers, who understand music, and he’s always been one of them. I’m sure he’ll get there.
10 Carolane Soucisse / Simon Tanguay QC 42.14
This team seemed to get a little lost in the mix. I’m not sure they are a great match. They are a new team, so perhaps they just need some more time. It was a little messy tonight. She is definitely better than he is, and perhaps he just needs some more time to catch up.
11 Jade Marrow / Benjamin Mulder WO 40.72
This team wins the award for the most under-scored team of the night. I loved the way they skated. The blues just oozed out of them. So smooth and sultry with their whole bodies. They have beautiful unison, really deep edges, incredible extensions made all the more impressive with those matching long legs. The swing side was also very well done. It had good speed and energy, and they just interpreted the flavour of this dance so well. They are a fantastic match for each other – size and skills. So when the scores came up I had to scratch my head. Based on what was skated, I thought they would be 10 points higher or so. They seemed to have been hit really hard by the judges on levels. I guess they have until Nationals to get those points back, assuming a top 15 finish tomorrow. They were definitely under scored by a lot on PCS. They should have been in the top 5 in PCS tonight.
12 Samantha Glavine / Jeff Hough EO 40.56
This team skated a reasonably solid program. It was missing a lot of detail, the things that should have been reflected in the 2nd mark. Perhaps the judges were losing focus by the time they got to flight #5.
13 Katie Desveaux / Dmitre Razgulajevs CO 40.07
There was something off with this poor team tonight. They made some uncharacteristic mistakes. I think she might be ill. She was looking not well in the K&C – like she was maybe having the chills and ready to vomit or pass out - and her coaches were tending to her. I hope she is ok for tomorrow.
14 Marina Barova / Allan Stoll WO 39.71
This is the first time I’ve seen this team this season. I think they have had some injury issues, and it showed. They are a new team, but began already last fall, so they would have had some good time together to get their programs and skills more in line. It was a decent showing, but not solid by any means, and missing the stuff that should make for higher PCS – lines, unison, quality edges, flow, etc.
15 Courtney Baay / Nicholas Toth AB/NT/NU 38.42
This might be a personal best for them, and they are sitting right on the bubble to go to Nationals. Again, a new team that might just need some more time to develop.
16 Haili Moyer / Aaron Chapplain CO 37.79
It’s gotta be tough to be the last team out of 21. Were the judges paying attention? Everyone still focused? It was a bit of a rough skate, though, so this was reflected in the marks.
17 Bianka Gadosy / Benjamin Smyth QC 33.09
I wanted to send a hug to Gadosy after this skate. She looked so upset. It was rough. She fell, and then missed the opening section of the twizzles which resulted in 0 points for that element. I don’t think this is a very well matched team. She is too tall for him.
18 Courtney Royer / Steven Paslawsky AB/NT/NU 33.09
Everything was a little on the edge here… He stumbled in the blues pattern, and actually fell in the final pose. It was fun and had some energy, but the choreography was missing a lot of complexity. I’m not a fan of a lot of tricky or 2 foot skating. They looked like 2 individuals skating a program together, not a team.
19 Nevada Evelyn Smith / Addison Voldeng SK 31.67
It must have been really difficult to step on the ice after Edwards/Pang put in such a stellar performance. It highlighted all the differences, and it didn’t help them with their scores. It just wasn’t at the level of all the rest. I don’t recognize this team from previous years. Perhaps they are new and just need some more time.
20 Jayde Stewart / Dayton Stewart AB/NT/NU 31.36
This team had the privilege of opening the 5th flight of the night. It was pretty close in quality to Smith/Voldeng and the placing is about right. I think the same comments also apply.
21 Audrey Croteau-Villeneuve / Dominic Barthe QC 28.27 28.27
I really wanted to send a hug to this team. They were just off the entire time. I’m sure they would love a “do over”, since I’m sure they are better than last. They probably normally belong in the top 15. But they just could not stay on their feet, right from the time they ran into the boards together and fell on the blues pattern, to the flukey falls elsewhere. I actually lost count of them. Maybe they will come back with a great skate tomorrow and you never know what can happen. 10 points is a lot, but one never knows.
1 Madeline Edwards / Zhao Kai Pang BC/YT 60.56
Absolutely LOVED this. They skated this so well. They were smooth, clean, fast, and so close together, and the choreography had some complexity. They are extremely well packaged. They were the class of the field tonight for sure. This team is continuing to improve and improve, and that is very heart-warming for me. They looked so comfortable out there. They have such beautiful positions. She has a dancer’s movement and a real sense of music. He looks much stronger and more mature. If I had to pick a team from the BC ranks that has the ability to go the distance, I would pick this one. Physically, emotionally, developmentally, they are improving together very well. And they are still so young!!
2 Mackenzie Bent / Garrett MacKeen EO 58.69
This was a pretty good skate. Fast and smooth, but they were pretty lucky to get away with the odd stumble and issue here and there. In looking at the lineup, I think 2nd is the right spot right now, though. The quality of the skating skills and the general PCS are better than the rest.
3 Caelen Dalmer / Shane Firus BC/YT 53.26
This was a solid performance, and deserving of 3rd spot. But it wasn’t that amazing, and I felt it was a little over-scored. I’m feeling sorry for this team, since they really are very mis-matched. She is just too tall for him. And keeping in mind the size of his brother Liam, I’m not so sure this height issue will resolve itself over time. Perhaps coaches and Skate Canada can find these talented kids new partners in the off season.
4 Victoria Hasegawa / Connor Hasegawa QC 52.45
This team gets the award tonight for the most over-scored. I used to be a huge fan of this team. I have not seen the improvement I would hope with a team that’s been together for so long. They are lovely kids. But their skating has really not been right all season. Their lines don’t match, their edges aren’t deep enough and don’t match, they are often out of sync, they got credited with a fall which I think was supposed to be a choreographic highlight. It was a little off all the way through tonight. What made this difficult to understand was that they skated right after Marrow/Mulder, who I think did a better job of interpreting the music, being sync’d, etc. Look at the free legs in the blues and compare. They actually have the same beginning music so the comparison is very direct.
5 Melinda Meng / Andrew Meng QC 50.92
I almost didn’t recognize these 2. They’ve grown up so much over the last year! Physically and in maturity. I only caught the end of their program, which seemed to have a lot of personality. I just went back to the archives and that video is not complete. I’ll have to go back and look later.
6 Mariève Cyr / Benjamin Brisebois Gaudreau QC 50.15
I really like this team. They have beautiful positions, and great sense of music. They are a very elegant team, and I’m so glad to see their improvement year over year. I think they have what it takes to transition to senior next season, and continue growing and improving there.
7 Nicole Kuzmich / Jordan Hockley CO 47.00
I have to confess I’ve never been a fan of this program. It’s just awful. They cannot do hip hop, and so should have chosen something they can do well. It looked messy tonight, and I don’t think it was worthy of 7th place. I also still really hate the costumes. He does not look “gangsta”, despite the silly necklace and the crazy pants. And her outfit continues to be an eyesore as well.
8 Christina Penkov / Simon Proulx-Sénécal QC 45.24
This team has come a long way since I first saw them at Minto. She is very pretty, but she doesn’t quite move like a dancer yet. She looks a little unstable on her feet. In thinking about this, perhaps some deeper knee bends on her part would help – skating through the knees and the feet. They don’t yet have great lines, but they have potential. Definitely over scored on the PCS side.
9 Lauren Collins / Danny Seymour CO 45.03
Holy smokes that poor boy is growing!! Half a foot since the Summer, maybe? They put in a solid effort, but I think it will take them a little time to get back their unison and lines. He needs to get used to his new body, I think….how to use those knees again. There are only a handful of men in this field at the most who are true dancers, who understand music, and he’s always been one of them. I’m sure he’ll get there.
10 Carolane Soucisse / Simon Tanguay QC 42.14
This team seemed to get a little lost in the mix. I’m not sure they are a great match. They are a new team, so perhaps they just need some more time. It was a little messy tonight. She is definitely better than he is, and perhaps he just needs some more time to catch up.
11 Jade Marrow / Benjamin Mulder WO 40.72
This team wins the award for the most under-scored team of the night. I loved the way they skated. The blues just oozed out of them. So smooth and sultry with their whole bodies. They have beautiful unison, really deep edges, incredible extensions made all the more impressive with those matching long legs. The swing side was also very well done. It had good speed and energy, and they just interpreted the flavour of this dance so well. They are a fantastic match for each other – size and skills. So when the scores came up I had to scratch my head. Based on what was skated, I thought they would be 10 points higher or so. They seemed to have been hit really hard by the judges on levels. I guess they have until Nationals to get those points back, assuming a top 15 finish tomorrow. They were definitely under scored by a lot on PCS. They should have been in the top 5 in PCS tonight.
12 Samantha Glavine / Jeff Hough EO 40.56
This team skated a reasonably solid program. It was missing a lot of detail, the things that should have been reflected in the 2nd mark. Perhaps the judges were losing focus by the time they got to flight #5.
13 Katie Desveaux / Dmitre Razgulajevs CO 40.07
There was something off with this poor team tonight. They made some uncharacteristic mistakes. I think she might be ill. She was looking not well in the K&C – like she was maybe having the chills and ready to vomit or pass out - and her coaches were tending to her. I hope she is ok for tomorrow.
14 Marina Barova / Allan Stoll WO 39.71
This is the first time I’ve seen this team this season. I think they have had some injury issues, and it showed. They are a new team, but began already last fall, so they would have had some good time together to get their programs and skills more in line. It was a decent showing, but not solid by any means, and missing the stuff that should make for higher PCS – lines, unison, quality edges, flow, etc.
15 Courtney Baay / Nicholas Toth AB/NT/NU 38.42
This might be a personal best for them, and they are sitting right on the bubble to go to Nationals. Again, a new team that might just need some more time to develop.
16 Haili Moyer / Aaron Chapplain CO 37.79
It’s gotta be tough to be the last team out of 21. Were the judges paying attention? Everyone still focused? It was a bit of a rough skate, though, so this was reflected in the marks.
17 Bianka Gadosy / Benjamin Smyth QC 33.09
I wanted to send a hug to Gadosy after this skate. She looked so upset. It was rough. She fell, and then missed the opening section of the twizzles which resulted in 0 points for that element. I don’t think this is a very well matched team. She is too tall for him.
18 Courtney Royer / Steven Paslawsky AB/NT/NU 33.09
Everything was a little on the edge here… He stumbled in the blues pattern, and actually fell in the final pose. It was fun and had some energy, but the choreography was missing a lot of complexity. I’m not a fan of a lot of tricky or 2 foot skating. They looked like 2 individuals skating a program together, not a team.
19 Nevada Evelyn Smith / Addison Voldeng SK 31.67
It must have been really difficult to step on the ice after Edwards/Pang put in such a stellar performance. It highlighted all the differences, and it didn’t help them with their scores. It just wasn’t at the level of all the rest. I don’t recognize this team from previous years. Perhaps they are new and just need some more time.
20 Jayde Stewart / Dayton Stewart AB/NT/NU 31.36
This team had the privilege of opening the 5th flight of the night. It was pretty close in quality to Smith/Voldeng and the placing is about right. I think the same comments also apply.
21 Audrey Croteau-Villeneuve / Dominic Barthe QC 28.27 28.27
I really wanted to send a hug to this team. They were just off the entire time. I’m sure they would love a “do over”, since I’m sure they are better than last. They probably normally belong in the top 15. But they just could not stay on their feet, right from the time they ran into the boards together and fell on the blues pattern, to the flukey falls elsewhere. I actually lost count of them. Maybe they will come back with a great skate tomorrow and you never know what can happen. 10 points is a lot, but one never knows.
I wouldn't mind paying to watch the Challenge if it were possible to get a decent feed without being dropped intermittently. It seemed yesterday as if the more people were watching, the flakier the feed. If SkateBuzz can't handle a large number of online viewers, they have no business charging a fee.
- Joined
- Nov 3, 2006
I don't have time to post much , right now , but ...'Dancers , I so agree with much of what you've said.
I must ask though , since we streaming viewers were denied a chance to watch P/I , what you thought on an important specific.... I'm just fine with speed and power being rewarded, as long as finesse doesn't suffer , but I agree with you that often speed seems to be the Judges' top priority.
So I've been watching P/I's successive outings to try to see how they're rebounding in that department . Given all their other excellent qualities ( and their very excellent FD material , in particular), I feel they should be able to challenge for the third spot , but worry that no amount of finesse will help them if they don't have undeniable speed with it. How do you think they looked in that regard ?
I must ask though , since we streaming viewers were denied a chance to watch P/I , what you thought on an important specific.... I'm just fine with speed and power being rewarded, as long as finesse doesn't suffer , but I agree with you that often speed seems to be the Judges' top priority.
So I've been watching P/I's successive outings to try to see how they're rebounding in that department . Given all their other excellent qualities ( and their very excellent FD material , in particular), I feel they should be able to challenge for the third spot , but worry that no amount of finesse will help them if they don't have undeniable speed with it. How do you think they looked in that regard ?
Last edited:
