Free Dance

[lmarie086]

I've got to say, I was afraid to come check the scores when I woke up. But I am soooo proud of D/W for being able to put yesterday behind them. I'm going to watch right now!

But K/N's FD was better than at CoC? That's good to hear because even though they're not my favorite team at all, I can still recognize the positive attributes in their skating. And well...I'm glad they both beat D/S. Yep, I am.

What happened with C/L?

 

[jcoates]

The FD was too early for me to watch live. I just watched the final group. I'm so impressed with D/W's resilience. They were just great, much more controlled and a clear improvement over SC. It will be interesting to see what scores they can pull with three very clean dances. Hopefully they can pull it all together in future competitions.

C/L looked bitterly disappointed in kiss n' cry. They did not skate badly. I actually like their program better than last year, but it still lacks some of the difficulty of the top team. They also need to improve their power over the ice.. Still I was surprised they came 4th give the margin they had after the OD. Gaps like that are not made up every day in ice dance.

 

[Kinga]

What happened with C/L?

Their program was ok, but it still lacks 'wow' factor and what a bit 'pale', especially after great skating of D/W. Also, she tripped in one of step sequences.
But I understand their disappointment. I guess that it was difficult to accept that they lost to a couple that had such a disastrous OD. But it is COP, and everything is possible. And personally, I am so happy for D/W, because their FD is one of my favourites for this season.

 

[fiercemao]

I only care about Kerrs in ice dancing. Have they punched a ticket to the final? It's a shame that they've still been treated unfairly by the judges. To me, they're the #1 team.

 

[dorispulaski]

Kerrs are wonderful this year, but with 2 third places, net 22 points, there is absolutely no way that they can make the GPF. Really, I think they should have 8 teams, as they do in the JGPF...and I wish the Kerrs were one of them.

The way the GPF stacks up now:

Delschoes - 30 points
Domnina Shabalin 28 points
Khoklova & Novitski, 26 points, higher total score for two events
Davis & White 26, highest finish 1st place
Belbin & Agosto 26 (two second places) In a bizarre twist, B&A have the highest total score for 2 events of all the teams but because they won no events, they are currently 5th qualifier

At NHK are 3 teams that could pick up the 6th spot. If S&B win (24 pts) , and F&S finish 2nd (26 pts), F&S go. If S&B win (24) and P&B finish 2nd (24), S&B go (highest finish). If F&S win (28), they go (and are 3rd qualifier) and the other 2 teams do not. If P&B win (26), they go, and the other two teams do not.

 

[Tonichelle]

sfgirl, I can't really explain it. You know how sometimes a skater just doesn't work for you, even when others are really impressed? That's the case here.

You're not the only one. They're lovely people (inside and out) and they have some really beautiful moments, but I don't get as involved with them as I do other teams :yes: I just felt like piping up so you weren't alone

Glad to hear they pulled out all the stops for the FD, though. That takes a lot of something to come back after the OD they just had :yes:

 

[dutchherder]

The Dance event at the Grand Prix Final is going to be the best event!!! Can't wait!!!

 

[pista04]

I officially love D/W and have not passed Belbin/Agosto as my favorite dance team. I love their FD, and hope they can give B/A a run for their money at nationals. =]]

 

[lmarie086]

The Dance event at the Grand Prix Final is going to be the best event!!! Can't wait!!!

IMO, dance is currently the best discipline out of all 4. It is just so competitive; the teams are improving all the time.

I can't wait till the GPF (and the JGPF, simultaneously), it's going to be so exciting!

 

[dancefan77]

Dance has been my favorite discipline since the '95-'96 season. I've felt for years that it is the best out of all the disciplines since then because no other event could match the innovation, choreography, lifts, footwork, and drama that the dance teams could produce---especially when lyrics were allowed in the programs. It just gives the dance teams way more options to interpret music that the other disciplines don't have.

My favorite OD's that I've seen so far are D/W, Samuelson/Bates, the Kerrs, B/A, Summersett/Gilles, and the Italians C/L. When I watch these teams dance, I feel like they all capture the essence of the dances in those eras.

My favorites FD's are B/A, D/W, the Kerrs, S/B, F/S, S/G, C/L, Weaver/Poje----all lovely and charming dances. I like the potential of Navarro/Bommentre and Wester/Barantsev as well. The couples did not give their best performances for various reasons but I really like the dances. I can't wait to watch US Nationals because there are just so many Senior and Junior teams that are so talented and enjoyable to watch.

ETA: I saw Matthews/Gislason(sp?) at Eastern Sectionals on IceNetwork and I am very much impressed with their skating as well.

I am so excited for Dance and how unpredictable the season has been. I love that dances, for the most part, are being judged and deductions are made for those that make mistakes in that competition. Even if some of my favorite teams make a mistake, but fair is fair.

 

[dorispulaski]

Jonathon Guerreiro's review of the free dance for ice-dance.com was very interesting, because it is done by an elite level competitor who competes under COP.

Jonathon competes for Russia with his partner, Ekaterina Riazanova, in junior dance and has qualified for the JGPF. He grew up in Australia, which explains his excellent English.

http://www.ice-dance.com/events-results/reports/cupofrussia08/blog/

 

[mycelticblessing]

^^ Thanks for the link. It's an interesting read. It's very helpful understanding the point of view of a trained eye.

 

[DWfan]

does anyone have a link to watch the free dance? I haven't been able to find any!!

 

[lmarie086]

You know, I'm still in shock that D/W came back to medal. Not that I mind-I'm very happy for them!- but I didn't think that kind of gap could be made up. IMO, that's amazing.

 

[casken]

Jonathon Guerreiro's review of the free dance for ice-dance.com was very interesting, because it is done by an elite level competitor who competes under COP.

Jonathon competes for Russia with his partner, Ekaterina Riazanova, in junior dance and has qualified for the JGPF. He grew up in Australia, which explains his excellent English.

http://www.ice-dance.com/events-results/reports/cupofrussia08/blog/

Thanks for that. The most interesting part is that he explains that D&S were the only team that were performing a specific step correctly in the CD and that's why they got big TES.

 

[samba]

does anyone have a link to watch the free dance? I haven't been able to find any!!

Icenetwork, video on demand. You have to subscribe to get access.

 

[ManyCairns]

Jonathon Guerreiro's review of the free dance for ice-dance.com was very interesting, because it is done by an elite level competitor who competes under COP.

Jonathon competes for Russia with his partner, Ekaterina Riazanova, in junior dance and has qualified for the JGPF. He grew up in Australia, which explains his excellent English.

http://www.ice-dance.com/events-results/reports/cupofrussia08/blog/

Thanks for linking this insightful blog!!

I may have to add a link to it under some of the CoR ladies threads due to the comment, "The ladies event was a bit boring with the exception of Alissa Czisny, Rachael Flatt, and Alena Leonova." So many find Flatt boring (though not me!) and I like it that someone so clearly knowledgeable enjoys a couple of our US ladies.

 

[Kinga]

I agree that the ice dance field is the most exciting one. COP did not destroy this competition, was even beneficial. What is more, the diversity of dances is immense, and none is similar to the other.
I cannot wait for GPF!

I enjoyed K/N, although I needed some time for this program to grow on me. It is not like with their last year FD, which wowed me right away. However, I am still not sure whether it is entirely in their style. But I have the feeling that they are the couple which will push the ice dance competition even more forward. They have this modern, fresh style, but at the same time they do not walk away from traditional school of dance - they keep the dance holds, steps, their technique is developing.

I am not sure how I feel about D/S. Definitely their new costumes worked with the music much better. There are few dramatic moments in their dance, but the parts in between are not that exciting. Maybe it has not been polished yet. Some elements looked scratchy (not mentioning the mistake in the spin). Someone mentioned in the OD thread, that she does not move very gracefully, and I agree with that. But one has to really pay attention in order to spot it, because her speed and very nice body lines make up for the lack of grace or something that I cannot exactly define.

D/W - definitely one of my favourite FDs this season! And Meryl is so 'magnetic', her face is so interesting!

 

[mycelticblessing]

^^

I like D/S costumes much more than the previous ones. They look really good with the new one.

D/W's FD here was just super! It was even better than at Skate Canada. I didn't expect ''Samson and Delilah'' to suit them, but they're absolutely beautiful skating to it. This is definitely their best FD ever.

Ice Dance is definitely one genre that has benefited from the CoP. While the other disciplines are awful at times, Ice Dance is always great.:agree:

 

[lcd]

Charlie and Meryl.... That's a competitor(s) for you. Dick Button used to always say, that every top skater needs to go through some sort of disaster performance, because simply - it happens to everyone at one point or another. The KEY is come back the next day, and show your stuff. Good for Charlie to pulling it off, and good for Meryl for being there right by his side whether it was happy we skated so well "kiss" or I really want to "cry"