Elements that you want to make a 'comeback'?

[gkelly]

Yes! They have been extinct ever since CoP came around. We rarely see any great back scratch spins even, since it's not worth a level and people already get overly generous GOE's for easier features.

That's true, but solo scratch spins were already pretty rare at elite levels well before IJS. You won't find a lot in the 1990s and early 2000s.

You did, and sometimes still do, more often see good back scratch spins as the upright position at the end of combination spins.

 

[Anyasnake]

Weirdly enough, I'd like to take off one Mandatory lift in Dance and replace it with a choreographic lift - the latter being much more interesting and fitting to one's program and can last up to 10 seconds I think (and not 7). Sometimes lift look out of place because you have to hit level 4. Sounds easy but choreographically it can be a mess due to requirements.

 

[charlotte14]

Weirdly enough, I'd like to take off one Mandatory lift in Dance and replace it with a choreographic lift - the latter being much more interesting and fitting to one's program and can last up to 10 seconds I think (and not 7). Sometimes lift look out of place because you have to hit level 4. Sounds easy but choreographically it can be a mess due to requirements.

Yeap the lifts in ice dance are getting ridiculously... uncomfortable and ugly.

 

[Anyasnake]

Yeap the lifts in ice dance are getting ridiculously... uncomfortable and ugly.

Well there are the requirements - changes of position, difficult entries, etc. Otherwise no level 4. But then, for some programs it's just unfitting, you can't always have the perfect choreographer I guess. At least in the choreo lift you get to do what you want and some of them are gorgeous and so well placed.

 

[charlotte14]

Well there are the requirements - changes of position, difficult entries, etc. Otherwise no level 4. But then, for some programs it's just unfitting, you can't always have the perfect choreographer I guess. At least in the choreo lift you get to do what you want and some of them are gorgeous and so well placed.

Same as the spins and step sequences, they fit the level but they're ugly.

 

[nolangoh]

Spiral, please, with or without change of edge. Karen Chen's is beautiful.

I could endure many ugly spirals for one grand and glorious spiral.

 

[anyanka]

The back flip, done as a major eff-you to the judges, a la Surya Bonaly in 1998.

 

[Metis]

I could endure many ugly spirals for one grand and glorious spiral.

I couldn’t. More to the point, I dislike forcing a spiral sequence because I feel like there’s not enough room for creativity in that narrow an element. What I wouldn’t mind is more flexibility within the choreo sequence so that spirals can be rewarded when they’re well done and fit the program, but forcing every skater to incorporate a spiral sequence leads to a lot of moments of “well, this doesn’t really perfectly fit the music but here comes the spiral sequence because there’s no other place...” and comparisons of beauty based on flexibility and not edges.

 

[chopinskate]

I think the ChSq is a great place for spirals, actually. You can do whatever you like there.

 

[jimini]

I think the ChSq is a great place for spirals, actually. You can do whatever you like there.

I would love to see the ChSq have a requirement to hold a sustained element for 3 seconds or more. That way skaters good at spirals can do spirals. But then the many skaters who aren't good at them have other options: Ina Bauers, spread eagles, hydroblade, hey you can even do a shoot the duck if you wanted!

 

[Tolstoj]

Speaking of spirals how about the Charlotte? As in Michelle Kwan's.

Watch juniors, they are already bringing it back as a transition into a 2a or a 3ltz.

 

[Skater Boy]

I would love to see delayed axels set to the music I do not want to encourage ugly and awkward spirals so maybe just one position allowed. Good Russian split and falling leaf.

 

[chopinskate]

I would love to see the ChSq have a requirement to hold a sustained element for 3 seconds or more. That way skaters good at spirals can do spirals. But then the many skaters who aren't good at them have other options: Ina Bauers, spread eagles, hydroblade, hey you can even do a shoot the duck if you wanted!

Technically, quality should determine GOE, but...

 

[gkelly]

Yes, most of the Choreographic Sequence positive bullet points relate to quality in one way or another.

Then there are also "creativity and originality," "reflecting concept/character of the program," and "element enhances the musical structure," which don't necessarily require good technical quality.

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

Actual attention to quality edges and movement and connections a la Patrick Chan. Soft knees and blade/edge control.

Just bring back figures.

 

[reneerose]

2nded on the figures and the ice dance tracing patterns.....

 

[Blades of Passion]

Watch juniors, they are already bringing it back as a transition into a 2a or a 3ltz.

A barely held charlotte as a transition doesn't have nearly the power of the way Kwan or Cohen did it.

 

[Imagine]

The Sasha Cohen spiral.

 

[BillNeal]

These are quite rare due to requiring great flexibility from both partners but I would like to see more SBS Biellmann spins like this.

 

[RobinA]

I couldn’t. More to the point, I dislike forcing a spiral sequence because I feel like there’s not enough room for creativity in that narrow an element. What I wouldn’t mind is more flexibility within the choreo sequence so that spirals can be rewarded when they’re well done and fit the program, but forcing every skater to incorporate a spiral sequence leads to a lot of moments of “well, this doesn’t really perfectly fit the music but here comes the spiral sequence because there’s no other place...” and comparisons of beauty based on flexibility and not edges.

I don't particularly like mandatory elements at all. It forces too many bad moves when the skater can't do the element well. If they have to tell skaters what do, I'd rather see a multiple choice. "You have to do at least one of the following three elements, at least two of these five, and one of these two, etc." One of the current problems with the choreo is that the programs look too much the same. Sure if you have the choreographer of the century, he or she can make any music sound good, disguise major weaknesses, and come up with a program that has the exact same elements as the 20 programs that went before it but looks completely different, but everybody does not have that choreographer. Fewer mandated moves, more well done moves.