Belbin and Agosto Withdraw from GPF!

[Joesitz (RIP)]

There's nothing intrinsicly American about Ballroom Dancing, it is danced and competed all over the world, and most of the dances originated outside of America.

As with the Scout movement, which was founded by Lord Baden-Powell in the UK, Americans always have to apropriate everything.

Getting back on topic, I'm sad to hear that B&A have withdrawn, and even if their FD is not as bad as people are saying [and I don't believe it is] in Dance if it is *perceived* to be a bad programme, I'm afraid it's difficult to shake off, and be seen with a fresh eye.

That Russian team won an olympics over T&D doing a jitterbug. It's a dance right out of Harlem. Another year they tried a Presley impersonation and rocked into a silver medal. I've never seen a Hustle on the ice. Happy about that.

Still no one explains what a 'bad' program is and whose fault is it??

Why is it bad? Are Dance programs only good if they tell an opera story?

Who is to blame for a 'bad' program? The choreographer, the Coach or the skaters?

I would prefer someone to say there is nothing wrong with the program but they are not convincing in that style of dance. BTW, that hollywood music is a medley and runs the gamut of many many dances. Not easy on ice.

Joe

 

[nymkfan51]

I'm sorry they had to withdraw. I have been very surprised at all the negativity directed at their FD on all the different boards. Personally, I liked it, but just thought they needed to keep working on it ... they got a late start to training (I know, their choice). My only complaint was with this specific recording of the music. It didn't seem like you could hear it very well ... it needed some punch or something.
It probably doesn't matter now anyway .. they have already been knocked down in the standings, and unless the others screw up, I doubt Tanith & Ben will see the podium again.

 

[JonnyCoop]

That was 98-99, when they dropped from 3rd in the world to 8th! But that doesn't beat Laetitia Hubert's theme the same year--prostitute on acid. [I'm not making that one up, either]

Ah, those French......

 

[Dibs]

That Russian team won an olympics over T&D doing a jitterbug. It's a dance right out of Harlem. Another year they tried a Presley impersonation and rocked into a silver medal. I've never seen a Hustle on the ice. Happy about that.

Still no one explains what a 'bad' program is and whose fault is it??

Why is it bad? Are Dance programs only good if they tell an opera story?

Who is to blame for a 'bad' program? The choreographer, the Coach or the skaters?

I would prefer someone to say there is nothing wrong with the program but they are not convincing in that style of dance. BTW, that hollywood music is a medley and runs the gamut of many many dances. Not easy on ice.

Joe

I think if a team has a "bad" program there is blame for all. Blame to the choreographer for not providing a program suited to the skaters, blame to the coach for not pushing skaters to their absolute best, and blame to the skaters for not making the most of the program. It's like a bad movie. There is blame to be shared but even "bad" movies can be made better by truly great directors and actors.

I can't precisely say where the blame is to be given with B/A's program, but I know it is not their usual style of skating. Maybe that is the problem and the music itself I think is intrinsically difficult to interpret adequately.

Plus, I don't think it helps that this season is full of dramatic, dark, operatic dances by most world class teams. I truly believe that B/A are in the top tier of teams in the world, and when compared to DenStav's dark program, G/P program of rejection from Eden, DomShab's odd nomadic theme, DelScho's dark Bonnie and Clyde story, etc., their program sticks out like a sore thumb. It's completely different from all the other top teams, excluding D/L's "At Last", and its easy to peg it as not meaningful because there isn't a dark theme and truthfully it is lacking innovation.

I wish the dances weren't all so dark and intense but I guess if that's what pulls in the big scores that is what the skaters will keep dishing out. Ice daning needs a little more variation than operatic and intense themes. I would love to see more programs that utilize a wide range of dance styles and music such as swing, more balletic delicate programs, Celtic dancing, African dance, folk dancing, rock, and would absolutely love to see a team pull off some soulful Bluegrass dance and music (but I might as well wish for the moon).

 

[Piel]

As with the Scout movement, which was founded by Lord Baden-Powell in the UK, Americans always have to apropriate everything.

Hmmmmm...........sorry to get OT...........but WHERE did this come??? Lord Baden-Powell is given full credit for founding the Scout movement. Juliette Gordon Low started GS's in the U.S. after being turned on to it by Baden-Powell. Boy Scouts in the U.S. celebrate his birthday on February 22 as Founder's Day. Girl Scouts in the U.S. also celebrate the day as World Thinking Day. We do however proudly take full credit for our delicious cookies, which BTW this year are free of transfats .

 

[Mathman]

:chorus: :chorus: Oh oh, LaRumba, you've done it now! Girl Scouts rule, the world over!

BTW, don't forget to submit your questions to Tanith and Ben for their Golden Skate Q&A.

http://www.goldenskate.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14928

 

[Mathman]

THIN MINTS = gold :agree:
SHORTBREAD = silver :agree:
PEANUTBUTTER = bronze :agree:

 

[La Rhumba]

I would love to see more programs that utilize a wide range of dance styles and music such as swing, more balletic delicate programs, Celtic dancing, African dance, folk dancing, rock, and would absolutely love to see a team pull off some soulful Bluegrass dance and music (but I might as well wish for the moon).

So would I, but it doesn't always go down well with the Judges. :disapp:

Talking of Marika Humphreys [the TS at the GPF] she did a Celtic theme for her 1997 FD at Worlds after the Judges gave poor marks to Humphreys/Askew's original FD that season to the classical piece Danse Macabre. Quite a few British couples have used Celtic [in particular Irish] music for FDs over the years at Nationals, and ofcourse the Kerrs had a Scottish Dance last season. But I'm afraid they didn't get alot of credit for it, as the Judges couldn't understand the bagpipes, and even John Zimmerman gave it a terrible write up on Yahoo at Torino.

Marika [and Vitaliy Baranov] also did a Swing Dance FD in 2002, which I know went down extremely well with the audience in SLC, but did you know that the accusation of them as a couple was that they were "old fashioned" or even "boring".....I ask you???! :scratch:

I don't quite know how a blue grass dance would look, but I'm open to all styles of dance. Perhaps they could expand the rhythms in the OD - that would be a good start.

Finally re the Scouts! I actually saw an American made for TV movie about the Scouts, and the *MOM* who was the woman from the comedy series Soap, the ginger one, declared:
"There's nothing more American than the Boy Scouts".

So that's why I protested! Obviously the scriptwriter was a numpty! :yes:

My fave cookies have to be chocolate chip, though I'm fond of oat and sultana.

Mathman, did you list Shortbread? That's Scottish!!