Belbin-Agosto: A New Free Dance

[visaliakid]

Sportswriter Jo-Ann Barnas has the following one line blurb in her latest "Local Update" @ http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070117/SPORTS17/701170383/1048/BUSINESS05 (Scroll down to page bottom for the Local Update section)

"Olympic Silver Medalists Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto will debut a free dance at next week's U.S. Figure Skating Championships."

What a tease... Hope she'll have more later this week!

To the news... :yes:

 

[Petlover]

I hope this is true! I really love Belbin and Agosto, and their Free Dance this year does not show off their best skills.

 

[flying camel]

I had a feeling they would change that free dance. I can't wait to see it.

 

[EWalker]

I hope that goldenskate.com is okay with posting a scoop here... I am covering Nationals along with Paula, and B&A's new music is to the soundtrack from Amelie. They are very excited about it, and call it very lyrical. Tanith says that there are NO elements in this program that they have puulled from other programs adding that even every lift is bran new for them. They plan to compete it at Nationals, 4CCs if selected, and Worlds if selected.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

They have to get back with over-the-top vivacious soul stirring dancing - a dance of unrequited love, torment, jealousy, anger, with lots of grimaces. They must never again show dance as enjoyable.

I wonder if they will show this in Spokane?

Joe

 

[La Rhumba]

I hope that goldenskate.com is okay with posting a scoop here... I am covering Nationals along with Paula, and B&A's new music is to the soundtrack from Amelie. They are very excited about it, and call it very lyrical. Tanith says that there are NO elements in this program that they have puulled from other programs adding that even every lift is bran new for them. They plan to compete it at Nationals, 4CCs if selected, and Worlds if selected.

Thanks for the update, but I'm agog at all new elements in such a short space of time! It takes ages to perfect new lifts, so well done to them for achieving this. Normally when a Dance couple changes an FD mid season, there are usually some elements and steps they retain, so if they haven't, it'll be a first AFAIK.

Amelie was a very quirky film, so wondering what they'll come up with?

 

[EWalker]

B&A will show this program in Spokane, and also will compete it at 4CCs in February.

 

[ae9177]

So glad to know that B&A decided to debut a new FD, hopefully this one works better for them. Has the US team for 4CC been announced already?

 

[SailorGalaxia518]

Here is the article:
http://www.usfsa.org/event_story.asp?id=37206

 

[dancindiva03]

Wow, what a surprise. They were suddenly "too injured" to compete in GPF and then alll of a sudden they have a new FD.

 

[Tesla]

Wow, what a surprise. They were suddenly "too injured" to compete in GPF and then alll of a sudden they have a new FD.

Ben had a back injury, which kept them off the ice for a week. Better they not go to the GPF and further injure his back to the point where he could possibly end his career. I'd rather he take care of his back than go to a stupid final that's really just about money.

I actually liked their "That's Entertainment" free dance. I thought it was fun and light-hearted. I liked the difference from the angst and flailing of the other free dances.

 

[Spun Silver]

They have to get back with over-the-top vivacious soul stirring dancing - a dance of unrequited love, torment, jealousy, anger, with lots of grimaces. They must never again show dance as enjoyable.

Amelie is not a dark film, IIRC. I'll be surprised if this music gives them much opportunity for agonizing. Great that they've made the switch though.

Can I ask a rules q: could they have pulled out of their last comp w/o an injury just because they did not wish to compete? Or do the rules require an injury?

 

[Mathman]

I think the rules require an injury. That is, if you qualify for the Grand Prix final, then according to the ISU rules you are expected to do it.

However, I don't know what the penalty might be for blowing off that rule and just saying, I don't want to skate. I think it would be up to Cinquanta to decide whether he would want to write a nasty letter to the skater's national federation about it or not.

Amelie was a great movie, but I don't remember anything about the music.

 

[Dyan]

They have to get back with over-the-top vivacious soul stirring dancing - a dance of unrequited love, torment, jealousy, anger, with lots of grimaces. They must never again show dance as enjoyable.

I wonder if they will show this in Spokane?

Joe

Joe, I understand and respect that you prefer more traditional dancy dances and I'm sorry that you haven't found more to enjoy within the sport of icedancing.

Just because a piece of music isn't light and dancy doesn't mean that a program done to that type of music has no merit. Also it is possible to be more serious but still traditional and dancy (think Virtue & Moir's beautiful "Valse Triste FD.)

Denkova & Stavisky's dance is to a more serious, avante garde theme but if you look at their faces there is no torment and grimaces. In fact even though everyone may not appreciate some of the teams (especially the European and Russian teams) I don't think that any of them could be described as angst ridden or making grimaces with their facial expressions.

I think there is a place for all types of music and themes; for me it's what makes icedance so interesting.

Anyway, to Belbin & Agosto for realizing that their "That's Entertainment" was going nowhere and doing something about it.

Some people including Susie Wynne and Joe (I just got that impression, I apologize if I'm wrong) have the impression that the dance did not go over so well because the dancy "Fred and Ginger" style is no longer desired. IMHO that is not true; the problem with B&A's 1st FD was not the style they chose but that they did not have the time needed to put together a decent FD plus I think that particular recording of their music wasn't very good.

Anyway, B&A themselves didn't start out doing the upbeat, smiling, happy dances that some people prefer. Look at their first three FD's together: "Four Seasons", "Alexandros" and "Sarajevo." It was only in their fourth season together that B&A began to sell themselves as a happy perky styled team.

I did listen to music samples from the Amelie soundtrack and I quite liked what I heard. I can't wait to see the new FD next week.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

Really enjoyed reading your post, Dyan. admittedly I was once a figure skater and watched compulsory dancing which I understood. I don't really get at Ice Dance as it is today. I just know dance from movies and b'way shows which often are perfomed with moods, and not just stories. Ginger and Fred didn't always do the Continental. They had extremely intense latino dances, but not like one which came out of a silent movie. Do you get the drift of what I am saying?

As to technique in Ice Dancing, I admit, I am not expert. Pairs for me is much easier to judge in figure skating.

Cheers - Joe

 

[LuckyBear]

B&A needed to do something....

I agree with Dyan. I really enjoy B&A, but their "That's Entertainment" freedance was going nowhere. Thank heavens they are doing something different. It might make a nice exhibition.

Stacey

 

[La Rhumba]

ITA with Dyan's post, and think that, as usual, Joe is giving a false impression of what Ice Dance is all about these days. We've disagreed before on your interpretation of things, and you seemed to get very offended by my response, but it simply isn't true that "angst ridden" FDs reign today.

Here's a list of just a few of this season's upbeat FDs:

Cappellini/Lanotte - Hollywood Musical theme in the vein of B/A's original choice.
Faiella/Scali - Upbeat Disco
Hajkova/Vincour - Elvis Rock & Roll
Carron/Jost - Edith Piaf, happy singalong, with him wearing a fair isle sleeveless sweater - very charming and romantic.
Kolbe/Radebe - Rock&Roll [in the vein of G&P from 94]

That's just off the top of my head, of the performances I've seen this season, and we won't get any TV coverage till Euros next week. Don't forget that Navka/Kostomarov won Gold with an upbeat, light hearted FD to Austin Powers film music only a few seasons ago, so it simply isn't the case that only one type of theme can win titles nowadays.

 

[Dyan]

La Rhumba, thanks for listing those upbeat programs. Earlier today I watched Carron & Jost's FD on youtube and I was trying to remember who the other team was who had skated to the same type of dance as B&A's "That's Entertainment" as I wanted to see that dance as well.

I'm glad that I was able to get my point across without offending anyone.

Joe I think you would enjoy Carron & Jost's FD; of course the dance wasn't quite as intricate as those of the top teams but it was very enjoyable. It would be nice if the networks could show us more of the lower ranked teams but it's hard enough to get them to air the dances of the top teams so I won't hold my breath.

I also will admit that I wasn't aware that Fred and Ginger did Latin routines as well as the smooth quickstep or foxtrot like ones.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

Dyan. I don't see Caron/Jost names on the Nats lists. I'll try them on youtube.

Fred and Ginger must have done a rhumba which was THE latin dance in the 30s. But, you are probably right on their avoiding lating dances. Not that there were that many. Conga, Samba. Mambo, Merengue, Cha Cha come much later when they split.

I saw the potential in B&A's That'sEntertainment. The mood I got was glamour 30s of the Screen. I think Belbin got it but it wasn't for Ben. Again I don't see the modern skate dancing. For the life of me, the tricks and particularly the variations on Shoot The Duck just don't do it for me.

Joe

 

[julietvalcouer]

I'm siding with Joe on this for the most part. I was not impressed with the speed or cleanliness of "That's Entertainment", but that was the fault of the training, not the program. But ice dance descends from ballroom, and while in ballroom there is drama (tango and rhumba spring to mind), how about light and fun? Such as quickstep and jive. Even fox trot is fast, if more flowing.

I really do wish dance would get away from Cirque du Soleil-inspired avant gardism. If I wanted to see a comment on man's social identity crisis in the latter half of the twentieth century I'd go and watch a modern dance company. And stop wearing stupid costumes with too many drapy bits and stupid tacked-on decor. It's hard enough to get other skaters, let alone viewers, to give ice dance any respect.