- Joined
- Nov 7, 2007
I have to say that I love Meryl & Charlie's program! Tanith and Ben will definitely have to be on the look out come Nationals!
Free Dance
- Thread starter lmarie086
- Start date
- Joined
- Jan 23, 2008
Loved D/W'S FD; best of their career
I'm biased so this may be why, but I thought the score was too low.
-music transition a little weird, but I might just need more time to get used to it
-perfect unison on twizzles, and I'm not just saying that
-a few missteps here and there, still need some time to get used to the program
-lovely lifts, but the transition into that last one looked really difficult...as they get more used to it it will flow better.
As they gain more polish with it this will be...fierce (haha, channeling Christian from PR).
I'm disappointed overall with this field though, not as strong as I would've hoped.
I'm biased so this may be why, but I thought the score was too low.
-music transition a little weird, but I might just need more time to get used to it
-perfect unison on twizzles, and I'm not just saying that
-a few missteps here and there, still need some time to get used to the program
-lovely lifts, but the transition into that last one looked really difficult...as they get more used to it it will flow better.
As they gain more polish with it this will be...fierce (haha, channeling Christian from PR).
I'm disappointed overall with this field though, not as strong as I would've hoped.
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- Joined
- Jun 3, 2007
Hard to believe that this is only D/W's second GP medal. And it's gold 
Well, Samuelson & Bates placed 4th at SA with much better programs and performance than the Crone & Poirier and Pechalat & Bourzat who were 2nd & 3rd here. (in my humble opinion) I thought this was a really weak field overall and aside from Davis & White, none of the performances were outstanding.
That said, the scores here have been low across the board.
I think in this case, the judges at Skate Canada in general were being stingy with the marks.
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2003
Biggest Surprise for me was:
CRONE AND POIRIER
CRONE AND POIRIER
The dance was lovely and loveable, and quite technically difficult. Stunning!
I also enjoyed Davis/White. He didn't overpower her and I finally got to notice her. Good work all around.
I think Pechalat and Borzat have now realized that clowns just don't work. That was an ambitious program with such a variety of moves and lifts and not appreciated in the scores.
Kimberly and Brent have got to stop with this monatone music and get back to dancing. Good team but .....
I agree. C/P were good but won't medal if they competed at SA.
Compare their OD and FD with the other two teams at SA, it's pretty obvious that the third spot at US Nationals won't be N/B. The question will be how low they would go. Also, W/B will have hard time to hold on 5th at the Nationals.
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- Joined
- Jan 23, 2008
I thought the judges were stingy as well. Of course it wasn't the strongest field (D/W really ran away with the gold here), but I still thought there were a few instances that scores could've been higher.
This is a great FD for D/W and their OD is as well. With more time I expect them to become even more polished and sure of themselves in them.
P/B, especially Pechalat, looked so annoyed with the scores. I felt bad for them because they definitely had the judges favor last season (and they deserved it), but it has to be odd for them to be receiving such low marks even when they aren't completely clean.
This is a great FD for D/W and their OD is as well. With more time I expect them to become even more polished and sure of themselves in them.
P/B, especially Pechalat, looked so annoyed with the scores. I felt bad for them because they definitely had the judges favor last season (and they deserved it), but it has to be odd for them to be receiving such low marks even when they aren't completely clean.
When I saw SA I actually wondered about the FD scores being so low across the board, but then remembered that I think they eliminated an element in the FD this year (correct me if I'm wrong) and that would account for the lower marks field-wide.
I agree Skate Canada was a weak field, particularly without Virtue/Moir. But P/B were not expected to be as weak as they were, and D/W were good — and generally in the GP stops there are many times fairly weak fields as the top dancers are deliberately separated until the big finale. Originally there were three teams here, V/M, D/W and P/B who would have been considered decent teams to hold down medallist positions.
I agree Skate Canada was a weak field, particularly without Virtue/Moir. But P/B were not expected to be as weak as they were, and D/W were good — and generally in the GP stops there are many times fairly weak fields as the top dancers are deliberately separated until the big finale. Originally there were three teams here, V/M, D/W and P/B who would have been considered decent teams to hold down medallist positions.
- Joined
- Jan 23, 2008
Wester apparently has pnuemonia (according to her blog on ice-dance.com) but even so it wouldn't surprise me to see them bumped by both the Hubbells and S/G.
- Joined
- Jan 10, 2007
Wester, like Melissa Gregory, has something wrong with her at every competition. Either it's an excuse, nerves or maybe she just needs a good doctor!:sheesh:
Watching this FD makes me really appreciate that article that Scott Russell wrote on the CBC website about skaters being really vulnerable out there- what you see is what you get good and bad all at once....
Impressions from streaming video:
Chong/Gfeller: Slow adagio program to Autumn Leaves. I liked their twizzles with legs in attitude position. They skated well for their level and performance ability.
Wester/Barantsev: They looked tired by the end of their FD and I wonder if it's like lmarie said in the pbp- they are normally such inviting skaters and this dark, heavy music really pulls them down and is hard to skate to. It sort of kept you at a distance.
Brobova/Soloviev: Romeo and Juliet movie soundtrack from the Dicaprio/Danes version. Kind of jarring musical cuts and their costumes made them look like they were doing a classical R & J number so when the music started it looked kind of disjointed. Program music selection is really the name of the game and this one didn't show their strengths.
Crone and Poirier: This music invited me into their performance- light, easy and romantic like a slow walk outside. They don't yet have the stretch and polish of more senior skaters but they have a solid technical ability that even when they make mistakes they are able to take it in their stride and not let it pull down the rest of their performance.
Gorshkova/Butikov: They must really like music from the west because this Godfather number along with their Total Eclipse of the Heart number from last year are very American in flavor but their choreography didn't seem to have a lot of imagination in it. I felt like they were ticking off elements throughout their program- lift leg now, flail arm to left, dramatic throw back of head next. And the ending where they "die" kind of made me giggle.
Navarro/Bommentre: His boot strap came undone during the program and I kept wondering if the referee would notice it and stop the program. Parts of the music work and other parts don't-- also as others said they don't seem on top of their choreography. Or even their choreography doesn't seem fully formed yet in some places. Also, if they want to do this piece justice, they're really going to need to open their body positions up and skate it out and really perform it. But that's what training a whole season will do- I hope because I just find them so warm and inviting as personalities on the ice.
Pechalat/Bourzat: I felt that the wind got taken out of their sails yesterday and they couldn't quite recover in time. I really liked the slow whimsical parts of this program they really portrayed those parts well but the other frantic areas were just awful and didn't show off their strengths. I actually quite like her costume- she just looks beautiful and interesting with this real European flair no matter what. She looked like this beautiful Beaux-Art trapeze artiste. But again this program as a whole is a bit of a miscue. During the medal ceremony she looked like she just wanted to go back to her hotel room for a good cry.
Davis/White: My favorites last. By the time they came on the ice, I was kind of feeling anxious because the majority of skaters were having these depressing moments but part of the way through their program I felt myself relaxing because this program has those moments when music and skating melt into each other and soar. Granted it didn't happen all the way through because they're still working out the kinks but if they perform it to its full potential this is the program is going to send them up and on their way.
It's like a fine wine with incredible structure and nuance that all it needs is a season's worth of aging to make it into the masterpiece it's waiting to become. The ballad style interpretation of the aria surprised me and gave it a really nice modern feeling- the transition to the traditional Bachanale was a bit of a blip but I think it's ok- not horrible. That ending lift really caps off the program in a magnificent way. I can't wait to see this again in 2 weeks at Cup of Russia, in 2 months at US Nationals.... and if the fates are willing at the GPF Final and Worlds.
I was doubtful about this musical selection because I thought that it would be derivative of their Polotsvian Dances but I'm happy to eat my words completely. The shapes that they made in this program were so beautiful - really intoxicating moments.
Impressions from streaming video:
Chong/Gfeller: Slow adagio program to Autumn Leaves. I liked their twizzles with legs in attitude position. They skated well for their level and performance ability.
Wester/Barantsev: They looked tired by the end of their FD and I wonder if it's like lmarie said in the pbp- they are normally such inviting skaters and this dark, heavy music really pulls them down and is hard to skate to. It sort of kept you at a distance.
Brobova/Soloviev: Romeo and Juliet movie soundtrack from the Dicaprio/Danes version. Kind of jarring musical cuts and their costumes made them look like they were doing a classical R & J number so when the music started it looked kind of disjointed. Program music selection is really the name of the game and this one didn't show their strengths.
Crone and Poirier: This music invited me into their performance- light, easy and romantic like a slow walk outside. They don't yet have the stretch and polish of more senior skaters but they have a solid technical ability that even when they make mistakes they are able to take it in their stride and not let it pull down the rest of their performance.
Gorshkova/Butikov: They must really like music from the west because this Godfather number along with their Total Eclipse of the Heart number from last year are very American in flavor but their choreography didn't seem to have a lot of imagination in it. I felt like they were ticking off elements throughout their program- lift leg now, flail arm to left, dramatic throw back of head next. And the ending where they "die" kind of made me giggle.
Navarro/Bommentre: His boot strap came undone during the program and I kept wondering if the referee would notice it and stop the program. Parts of the music work and other parts don't-- also as others said they don't seem on top of their choreography. Or even their choreography doesn't seem fully formed yet in some places. Also, if they want to do this piece justice, they're really going to need to open their body positions up and skate it out and really perform it. But that's what training a whole season will do- I hope because I just find them so warm and inviting as personalities on the ice.
Pechalat/Bourzat: I felt that the wind got taken out of their sails yesterday and they couldn't quite recover in time. I really liked the slow whimsical parts of this program they really portrayed those parts well but the other frantic areas were just awful and didn't show off their strengths. I actually quite like her costume- she just looks beautiful and interesting with this real European flair no matter what. She looked like this beautiful Beaux-Art trapeze artiste. But again this program as a whole is a bit of a miscue. During the medal ceremony she looked like she just wanted to go back to her hotel room for a good cry.
Davis/White: My favorites last. By the time they came on the ice, I was kind of feeling anxious because the majority of skaters were having these depressing moments but part of the way through their program I felt myself relaxing because this program has those moments when music and skating melt into each other and soar. Granted it didn't happen all the way through because they're still working out the kinks but if they perform it to its full potential this is the program is going to send them up and on their way.
It's like a fine wine with incredible structure and nuance that all it needs is a season's worth of aging to make it into the masterpiece it's waiting to become. The ballad style interpretation of the aria surprised me and gave it a really nice modern feeling- the transition to the traditional Bachanale was a bit of a blip but I think it's ok- not horrible. That ending lift really caps off the program in a magnificent way. I can't wait to see this again in 2 weeks at Cup of Russia, in 2 months at US Nationals.... and if the fates are willing at the GPF Final and Worlds.
I was doubtful about this musical selection because I thought that it would be derivative of their Polotsvian Dances but I'm happy to eat my words completely. The shapes that they made in this program were so beautiful - really intoxicating moments.
- Joined
- Mar 18, 2008
Great anaylsis! I wasn't doubtful about the music (I wanted them to skate to this way back last spring when we were picking selections!) but they exceeded even my expectations. And yes, like a fine wine, this will only get better. It was incredible...loved the aria and I'm such a fan of the Bacchanale, great way to end the program. I can't wait to see this again, either. I want them to get completely comfortable with it and blow the roof off! As it was, they got quite a response from the fans at SC. I was so pleased for them.missysays said:
D/W:
boring costumes
HATE the music. especially the transition to saint-saens
glorious spin - speed, posture, innovation
absolutely beautiful first combo lift - specifically the bouncing repeating rotational lifting of meryll.
fantastic detailing of choreography with nuance and fervor to music line
signature perfect speedy twizzles are just .....perfection
boring curve lift into transition
superb steps
i hate the choppy swing danc-y lift
other than that. great.
excited for the rest of the season - it will improve!
boring costumes
HATE the music. especially the transition to saint-saens
glorious spin - speed, posture, innovation
absolutely beautiful first combo lift - specifically the bouncing repeating rotational lifting of meryll.
fantastic detailing of choreography with nuance and fervor to music line
signature perfect speedy twizzles are just .....perfection
boring curve lift into transition
superb steps
i hate the choppy swing danc-y lift
other than that. great.
excited for the rest of the season - it will improve!
When I was watching their lifts I actually thought to myself "paint by numbers." They were not part of the program and did not flow in and out, and additionally the changes of position within the lifts were abrupt and like "here you go, count one, two, three, okay next, one, two, three.
- Joined
- Dec 28, 2006
just saw meryl are charlie on youtube. diepite the terrible quality of the video, i understand that they are improved over last year. Eachlift was diffrent than last year, but were really hard. Speed was amazing, no awkward moment that Tanith and Ben had. The program looks ready, they look comfortable. The music is great, the costumes are very tasteful. I think Tanith and Ben will have to step it up (esp. in the speed department) of they want another national title in 2009.
