On a different note, I've been rewatching the SD from Saransk, and there is one tiny thing I want to change. After the lift, I want them to come to a complete halt, cut out the head flip & high five, and just take that moment of extra time to get completely in synch for the rest of the march. Then keep the overhead claps, and all the dancing on the spot & kicks that's there already. In Saransk they are slightly off at the start, and although they get back in line with each other fairly quickly, I think it would help the impact of the whole march part if everything was completely sharp and in time with each other.
Elena Ilinykh & Ruslan Zhiganshin
- Thread starter OrdinaryDreamer
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- Feb 17, 2010
TBH there is nothing, absolutely nothing, I like in that waltz. Less so the execution and performance, if we don't count the "smiles". Boring as hell and predictable in every step, starting with the "white costume" which I predicted since when I heard about their choice.In comparison TT waltz looks a masterpiece.
That's just my opinion though and a matter of personal gusto, so who cares in the end. My main point is that as far as I'm concerned Ruslena's main rivals are outside Russia and that's where my focus is, as a fan. I can give a damn about Russian soap operas. I was never interested in that during the 90s, imagine how much I care about it now. I'm 100% convinced that in the end the ice will do the talking. Everything else is Amstel.
Well, it`s the typical Zueva style. Could you really imagine them doing what I/Z are doing this season? My main focus is also rather C/B and W/P, I think I/Z have the programs to challenge them. After seeing that 70 score for C/B, I think anything is possible for I/Z.
Edit: Regarding overscoring in Saransk, Agafonova/Ucar, who were also in Saransk, posted a new SB at the Challenger in Bulgaria with much better PCS than what the received in Russia.
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- Dec 21, 2011
Sinitsina/Katsalapov are where they should have been last season. Katsalapov is just now learning the subtle art of skating with his partner. There are moments when he does his diva thing rather than presenting Victoria, but all in all given the investment of resources in these two, this was expected.
Let's get objective, the dance is lovely. The opening is slightly reminiscent of I/K's FD, the middle from D/W Giselle and then they stripped Step/Buk of their split lift. All in all it had to go well right? I'm hoping the FD will have more original material.
I think this will only be good for all of Russian ID and especially for I/Z. Trust me their game is already lifted
Sorry though that Y/M debut didn't go as planned.
I also agree with this. Yes, they look very good, and yes, they have made a LOT of improvements. Who cares at the end of the day? They are still miles behind Ruslena in my book.
- Joined
- Feb 26, 2014
Well, I liked Giselle a lot for example and some other works she has done in the same style.
I agree and I think that's where these two are focused too. Their objective is the international stage, as it should be. The rest comes automatically. Their first GP is gonna be important and they will be facing two strong competitors like C&B and C&L.
TBH there is nothing, absolutely nothing, I like in that waltz. Less so the execution and performance, if we don't count the "smiles". Boring as hell and predictable in every step, starting with the "white costume" which I predicted since when I heard about their choice.
That's just my opinion though and a matter of personal gusto, so who cares in the end. My main point is that as far as I'm concerned Ruslena's main rivals are outside Russia and that's where my focus is, as a fan. I can give a damn about Russian soap operas. I was never interested in that during the 90s, imagine how much I care about it now. I'm 100% convinced that in the end the ice will do the talking. Everything else is Amstel.
Alba, we call it the camp factor
- Joined
- Feb 26, 2014
Alba, we call it the camp factor
What is the camp factor?
I also feel the need to comment on S/K's short program. I think it's actually nice, beside the fact that his outfit is worse than Ruslan's POTO outfit (why do I say worse? I rather liked it, it did fit the music). Why does Nikita always have such a large cleavage? Victoria looks great though and she shines, I think this is the type of program she can do particularly well.
Are they a threat to I/Z? I don't think so.
Are they a threat to I/Z? I don't think so.
Their emoting comes off as farcical or shallow, not really believable. They are beautiful to look at but they don't cling/connect.
- Joined
- Dec 21, 2011
Yes especially with her I always get the feeling like she is not really there- she is gorgeous, but there is never any deeper emotion in her eyes or on her face- she is just a blank slate, a muse of sorts. At least with him I get sometimes a flash of emotion, however fake it is.
- Joined
- Feb 26, 2014
I wonder does Gennady spend as much time with the other Russian Ice Dancers? Just wondering if anyone else finds that a bit odd.
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- Feb 26, 2014
However, that is the difference between the two teams. S/K are the big picture movie stars that the Russian Fed wants to roll out as the face of Russian ID. You see that Gennedy is primarily with them at SA etc. While I/Z are those organic, character actors that you can't get out of your head. I don't even see this as a problem it only adds more fuel to the fire
Well, I see nothing wrong with Gennady being there. He's in charge in Russia for ID and these two were coming from a bad season. He is doing his job. Gennady was full of praise of IZ programs. Who told you the Russian Fed wants to roll out S&K as the face of Russian dance? Let's not be paranoid here. I think we can be better than FSO.
Vaitch said when she did her interview with I/Z that he was at the rink when she visited (he said something like, see, didn't I tell you that it would take a year and then they could compete with the best in the world) & Ruslan talked about how fed officials had been giving them feedback all year. But it wasn't spending a week at a time with them like it seems was done with S/K, but then again, I/Z didn't need a desperate tech intervention.
- Joined
- Feb 26, 2014
Exactly. He was there to help with the levels. Apparently Marina needed that. IZ are already in Moscow and he checked on them more than once. I don't see where is the problem really. The 62 points for S&K in SD? Why, do we think IZ will get less or similar?
Is that how much we appreciate them?
If anything we should be worried about CB getting +70 for a program which is old a month only. Who the hell cares about 62 points, in the "hello Marina" country mind you?
S&K weren't that happy with those scores either.
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- May 4, 2015
What, in your opinion, it should have been, for technique and component scores? (I really liked it, especially in comparison with their "Dark Eyes," but I can mostly appreciate only the aesthetic aspect of ID.)After SA I really hope we will not hear complains about "overscoring" Ruslena anymore, since it is possible that skaters within a month can get a new program and get +70 score. Not in a B competition but in a GP series.
Totally agree about the PCs, but personally I want Elena and Ruslan to do very well, so that nobody in their right mind would even think of pressuring Elena and Nikita to get back together
.Exactly! I happened to come across some old pics print-outs from the last Olympics today, and I was taken with the contrast of Nikita's expressions and his whole look and body posture when he skated with Elena (and obviously already planning the split!) and the way he looks now with Vika. But Elena with Ruslan are really something extraordinary. The way she acts when she's free to create and feels comfortable and secure in her team, the way he looks at her, and the way they both seem to "burst with joy," as he put it, from skating together, which is very obvious, separates them from everybody else in the presentation department IMO, let alone SK.
I'm excited about this winter photoshoot too - they look great and would be happy to read another interview, of course (and that just goes to show who the public is most excited about, lol), but I'm worried that these kind of things might be taking up too much of their time at the wrong time. I'm also worried a bit that both Kustarova and Alekseeva are aparently with Yanovskaya and Mozgov in Milwaukee, and I wonder who IZ have been training with for most of this week? After all, they have just one week left till COC really.
I'm not worried, honestly. I don't think a photoshoot, with or without an interview could have taken that much time, and I believe they have one day off a week anyway so they could have done it then. They're probably drilling with Ryabinina, who's a tech specialist at the National level. They were in a good place a couple weeks ago, they'll be in a better place at CoC.
