Cup of Russia Ladies Outrage (possible spoilers)

[*Sniper*]

don't worry, you are not blind. i don't see it at all either. maybe ppl here are seeing yuna's "soft" skating as hunched over. but i don't think so at all.

i much prefer her soft leans to the music etc to the overly stiff mao (no matter what type of music she is skating to, mao always seems stiff.) now, if this means "balletic poise and good skating posture" give me hunched over yuna anyday. in my opinion, yuna has one of the most beautiful postures while skating of today's ladies.

(although, i don't like her ending pose of miss saigon very much. wish they would change that, david wilson!! )

I definitely think that Yuna DID have a habit of hunching in her junior days.
I wouldn't necessarily notice it during her programs, but AFTER them, she would kind of hunch over and bow real quickly as if she couldn't wait to get off the rink sooner.

Nowadays, not so much.
I think confidence might have something to do with it as well as good coaching.

As for Mao, she has a beautiful posture, but she does look stuck in it.
There is no variation whatever music she is skating to, and to me that comes off as lack of musical interpretation.

 

[mizu_iro]

As for Mao, she has a beautiful posture, but she does look stuck in it.
There is no variation whatever music she is skating to, and to me that comes off as lack of musical interpretation.

I've sort of noticed that too. Mao's basic posture is superb, but she doesn't seem to express the music through her entire body in the manner that Yu-Na does. Good posture does not have to mean stiffness - look at Takahashi, who has wonderful posture but uses every part of his body expressively.

 

[Bennett]

Sorry for being off the thread topic. But Mao seems to have enhanced the use of the whole body (e.g., upper back, upper arms, head, neck) compared to the last season. She has also increased choreos that require ups and downs of the upper body in her straightline steps. These are major changes that I see from the last season, whereas she has always had the good posture and graceful arms since her junior career. I think that these changes are most visible in her gala performance this season. Although I like the stability, calmness, and simplicity in her movements in the last season's Chopin Nocturne SP, the increased whole-body movements seem to have given her more lively connection with the music. I suppose these are among the things that she has been working on through training in modern and classical ballet.

 

[champs]

Nakano's skating skills, transitions and choreography is far behind Kim AND Rochette.

What do you mean by Nakano's choreo being "far behind" Rochette's?
I'd like to know what's so advanced about Rochette's choreo.

And are you talking only about this season, their last few seasons, or their entire amateur careers?

I prefer Rochette's flow on the ice to Nakano's, but I don't find Rochette's presentation or choreography any more pleasant than Nakano's, this season or last season. Maybe I'm blind.