Gabriella Papadakis & Guillaume Cizeron | Page 283 | Golden Skate

Gabriella Papadakis & Guillaume Cizeron

OK, I am speechless. Unable to express in simple words my feelings on these two magnificent performances. Gabriella and Guillaume are really magicians; they take me into ice dance when I was not interested before, they make me love music that would never have questioned me, they make me love dance. I feel that their technique is exceptional, but I am unable to measure it precisely. But as perfect neophyte, it is quite obvious that such fluidity and apparent ease is the result of great talent and exceptional technical qualities. This is often the case in sport; the greatest athletes are regularly those who are also the most graceful and the most fluid to watch.

And as if that was not enough, their way of delivering their performance is unique; the natural way they live their dance, their emotions are incredibly simple and spontaneous; that's why they win us because it's not a game, it's not acting qualities; just them, bluntly, and consciously or unconsciously, we are touched because they take us away and involve us. In fact we can only dance with them, they do not leave us the choice. With them it's not a show, it's an invitation to travel, to get involved with them (even if it's in a comfortable chair); we are not the privileged spectators, we are actors.

There is a moment in the second part of the FD where I had the impression that they completely forgot the competition, its requirements, its control points, and they let themselves be carried away by the dance. I probably shouted aloud "Hey, stop Guillaume, did you see where you are? Come back to the competition! "

Incapable also to describe the serenity brought by this curve lift. Just watch, and watch again. Put slow motion in slow motion. And again, and again. I don’t know if technically it's the same kind as the beginning of their FD in the world 2016, but it's obviously the same genes, the same essence. Everything is there.

Another thought: the famous twizzle! For all the couples of ice dancing, it’s a difficult and feared technical moment ... and it shows! Twizzle successful? Stop time skaters, small - or big - gestures of contentment: arms outstretched, triumphant pointing finger, winner stopping time to take up the feat, smile ... I always found it ridiculous enough. And Gabriella and Guillaume? We don’t see the twizzles. They are included, cast, melted into the choreography, they emphasize and accompany the music, and are never pointed as climax of the technical difficulty.
 
Escarbille said:
OK, I am speechless. Unable to express in simple words my feelings on these two magnificent performances. Gabriella and Guillaume are really magicians; they take me into ice dance when I was not interested before, they make me love music that would never have questioned me, they make me love dance. I feel that their technique is exceptional, but I am unable to measure it precisely. But as perfect neophyte, it is quite obvious that such fluidity and apparent ease is the result of great talent and exceptional technical qualities. This is often the case in sport; the greatest athletes are regularly those who are also the most graceful and the most fluid to watch.

And as if that was not enough, their way of delivering their performance is unique; the natural way they live their dance, their emotions are incredibly simple and spontaneous; that's why they win us because it's not a game, it's not acting qualities; just them, bluntly, and consciously or unconsciously, we are touched because they take us away and involve us. In fact we can only dance with them, they do not leave us the choice. With them it's not a show, it's an invitation to travel, to get involved with them (even if it's in a comfortable chair); we are not the privileged spectators, we are actors.

There is a moment in the second part of the FD where I had the impression that they completely forgot the competition, its requirements, its control points, and they let themselves be carried away by the dance. I probably shouted aloud "Hey, stop Guillaume, did you see where you are? Come back to the competition! "

Incapable also to describe the serenity brought by this curve lift. Just watch, and watch again. Put slow motion in slow motion. And again, and again. I don’t know if technically it's the same kind as the beginning of their FD in the world 2016, but it's obviously the same genes, the same essence. Everything is there.

Another thought: the famous twizzle! For all the couples of ice dancing, it’s a difficult and feared technical moment ... and it shows! Twizzle successful? Stop time skaters, small - or big - gestures of contentment: arms outstretched, triumphant pointing finger, winner stopping time to take up the feat, smile ... I always found it ridiculous enough. And Gabriella and Guillaume? We don’t see the twizzles. They are included, cast, melted into the choreography, they emphasize and accompany the music, and are never pointed as climax of the technical difficulty.
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So well said. You expressed exactly what I feel/think about P/C .

It is the first comment I make on those wonderful dances of theirs this season. I couldn't find the words. I just kept watching and rewatching their programs again and again. Totally ensnared, mesmerized, ... I can't believe how they keep taking me by surprise with their music choices, their choregraphies, their costumes and their absolutely incredible talent. I love all the new moves, spins, lifts, ... I just love everything.

For me their tango is the best with W/P and S/D eventhough I like quite a few Rds this season, the others just don't compare. As for their FD, although it can grow it is already a master piece for me. They keep improving and I don't know how high and far they are going to reach.

They simply are exceptional.
 
Ok, so I've taken some time to filter through my thoughts, read through a lot of threads and all the nice and not so nice stuff. First thing first, I love both programs. The RD is everything a tango should be, filtered through G&Gs unique style.
The FD though, was a complete surprise. While I'm not head over heels for the music (I think they could've gotten a very similar vibe with a song with more impact, something in the vein of "Lover, You should've come over" by Jeff Buckley), the moody, understated vibe only highlights the freedom with which they skate. I really like to make music/skating parallels (probably because, with my husband being a musician, we discuss what makes great music great ad nauseum), and what "other" people don't seem to get about G&Gs style, what makes them truly stand out, is 1) the complete freedom and honesty they bring to their skating and composition and 2) the fact that they have they own voice/style/aesthetic, which, although they might skate completely different programs, will always make you recognize them. I would equate this to the following two situations in music:1)the difference between being a genuine performer vs. a very good karaoke singer; and 2)having a recognizable voice and tone and mood, no matter what song you sing; Point #2 especially is what makes people complain (unfairly so) that they're skating the same thing over and over.

Even having someone in the next years with similar skating skills (and I mean, edges, turns, extensions), I don't see how any team could match the honesty they bring to their interpretation and the complete freedom of their movement. At times, during the free, I felt like a peeping tom watching a professional dancer exploring a piece of music for the first time, with no choreography to guide them, just a first exploration of movement and emotion. I think this might become my favorite free of theirs.
 
Very nice fancam of their FD practice. We can get a better sense of the speed during the midline step sequence. But then someone is yelling and we can see Piper and Paul rushing out of the way of the French. Did that person say out of the way ? I couldn't make it out.
 
cocotaffy said:
Very nice fancam of their FD practice. We can get a better sense of the speed during the midline step sequence. But then someone is yelling and we can see Piper and Paul rushing out of the way of the French. Did that person say out of the way ? I couldn't make it out.
Click to expand...

Really interesting video, thanks. As you say, the DiSt looks much better here - they did it very cleanly in the actual competition, but it was more on the music here. Looking forward to seeing it grow like last year's midline step sequence that kept getting faster and faster. A couple of the awkward moments were not choreographed that way which also makes me happy; for example, the transition out of the slide. In the event, she ended up a bit farther away from him and had to scramble to get to him. No such thing here, it flows much more beautifully.
 
Regarding Yamagata: during their press conference (on FFSG Facebook page, btw) Gabi said that they had had those pieces on their playlist for a couple of years but decided against using them earlier.
 
draka said:
At first I thought this would be a short response to the quotes below but then I got sucked into watching it again... and again... so here is my analysis of the dance in relation to the music, lyrics etc. I wanted to save this for later (it will be a long couple of months till Europeans...) but oh well here goes. Also, just because I always get distracted by it in the beginning of the FD - Gabi's lipstick colour is soo pretty :love:

THIS! Those pauses between the positions. And even the movement BETWEEN the positions in the first lift exudes stillness somehow. It's like they don't use their muscles to do it, Guillaume doesn't just throw Gabi around but she moves freely in response to him but without aide or strain. Now that I think of it, it's got the same essence to it like contact improv dance. Which is hard on it's own on ground and requires great awareness of oneself and one's partner and being absolutely present in the moment to pick up cues and gel together. And here we have that same essence on a choreographed lift with knife boots and that is both masterfully created and executed.

That really is one thing that sets them apart, their attitude towards the twizzles. For many a team the twizzles are either a hurdle to get through or this grand culmination of the program. Which can be done well but it does section them out of the program. It was mentioned before I think, how sometimes you can feel when lift, or this year the Choreo sequence, is coming before it starts and it stands a bit separate from the program. And in GG's dances it all blends so well, it's not just a number of elements. (Not saying they're the only ones to ever do so but it IS a conscious choice and part of their vision and pursuit.)


Moving on, the whole first part of the program, Duet. This is NOT a simple happy, idealistic, ingénue type relationship (to me that is Mozart, their only other FD I consider romantic, very Romeo and Juliet-y without actually being that. Also go see them then and now, the difference in maturity. I also get a sense of how good they were then but also how young so I'm thankful we've gotten to see them grow). So anyway Duet is very definitely romantic, but a very different type. A couple that have known each other very long, maybe gone separate through the years but when they come back it's so easy, they enter a universe only known to them but one that is crafted and created through experience and not a rose-tinted one of new puppy love. That is reflected in the ease and spaciousness and glide of the one foot step, like they are about to fly and it's a bit flirty and joyful but also at ease. See above what I said about the stationary lift, being in tune with each other. And the curve lift, that sense of laying down their arms (figurative), a promise to forgive what has been and just enjoy this for a moment, being together and the easiness of once again being a duet, however brief...

And then it gets cloudy and past tensions arise. I say the spin (which has grown on me) perfectly reflects the sudden storm, having to snap out of it but not fully being able to and still holding onto each other. From the worried expression in the entrance to the spin, the first position having them on different planes across one another, Gabi's position with leg and arm out like almost being stretched too thin; then coming close together, forehead to forehead, already regretful of the impending separation; then the last position for a last embrace before knowingly and readily pushing away, arms out in the exit of the spin...
Then the diagonal step is very push and pull, emotional, full of angst. Things they've already been through, once again being torn but also refusing to let go easy (Rotational lift). See the whole lyrics for Sunday Afternoon, both songs really, even with my limited musical knowledge IMO the vocals reflect the feeling of the text.

About the Choreo Step, I loved it from the start, my only bug with it is I need a little bit more emotional abandon. After the brief reconciliation moment in the RoLift, it should come as a wave of anger not seen until this moment, overwhelming and about to run down everything in its path, not thinking about consequences. That's why I love that they are parallel, not a back and forth dialogue like in the Diagonal Step but each of them screaming their own feelings out, ironically refusing to see they are essentially doing the same. Choreographically it's perfect, but there is a part where Gabriella's movements with the shoulders and arms feel more groovy than angry to me. I don't want a dancy feeling, I want it to look as if it's done in a frenzy with no apparent(!) control. It's only in that moment, they get the mad anger pretty well right after. And btw Guillaume can work on that too, it's just my eyes go to Gabi at that moment and her movements are a bit softer and like I said a bit too groovy, like she's angry but also wants to dance it out a bit :laugh: .

And then the slide is where they admit something each to oneself, come to terms with their feelings and only then they turn to face each other again for the ending.

tl;dr
I think this is only their SECOND truly romantic free dance after Mozart and so the people that don't see that every FD has represented a different set of relationships should read my post and all the other times we've spoken about "What did the author mean with the blue curtains" in this thread before. :biggrin:

Thanks for coming to my TED Talk at all....
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O Draka, yes, yes, yes, standing ovation for your TED talk! Brilliantly worded and analysed. Absolutely agree with your comment on the Choreo step. I'm impressed with their dancing, but it needs to transcend that. They need to show the anger, the frustration, the pain. It's the perfect place and it seems as if it was meant to. At the moment it looks like partying. Which is nice also, but it can be much more. And I do think they want it to be much more.

What had me hooked after my initial disappointment due to lack of spectacularity and dramaticness and abstractivado, is the fact that in fact, the skating, while being technically superb, HAS BEEN FULLY MOVED TO THE BACKGROUND. The elements all have a place in the story. They are used for the expression of the dance, of the story of emotions. It's not about skating anymore, it's about taking us and sucking us into a story - but in a non-anecdotal way. It's not a 'story', it's a sketch of emotions, a short movie with glimpses and scenes that are not linearly explained, but just like little blurs here and there, hints of real concrete events, give a collage that paints the picture that touches us so deeply. Because it is so perfectly genuine. There is no faking anything, there is not even a WANTING to please, there is only an invitation: Here's what we made. Come and have a look inside. Share some of our experiences. Feel a bit of what we lived. Even if it is not about our personal lives or experiences. It's like an art installation, or like a movie: it's a bit of both: our lives and imagined lives, or lives of others. Here are some emotions that people felt. Here's a tool so you can feel them too.

Here's the thing: the judging system has been adapted to encourage more 'GG'. It's a change to award the things that GG do. The judging system is in that regard FOLLOWING where GG have taken ice dancing.
And that's going to continue. In 4 years, we're going to look back at pre-2014 programs and not be able to really understand how such things were receiving standing ovations. So many elements that were absolutely have-to's will be outdated and looked upon as old-fashioned and rather silly or poor taste.
The judging will have to be adjusted again, because otherwise GG are going to max out every single time.

I do hope that they will compete for three quads. Just because what they will do with this sport is so immense, and so grandiose. They are the gods of ice dance, and they need to remain incarnated until their task is done.
 
Roast Toast said:
Really interesting video, thanks. As you say, the DiSt looks much better here - they did it very cleanly in the actual competition, but it was more on the music here. Looking forward to seeing it grow like last year's midline step sequence that kept getting faster and faster. A couple of the awkward moments were not choreographed that way which also makes me happy; for example, the transition out of the slide. In the event, she ended up a bit farther away from him and had to scramble to get to him. No such thing here, it flows much more beautifully.
Click to expand...
Hadn't noticed that difference, thanks. I thought the scramble was somehow intentional, but now I see it was not, and it was something that had caught my attention as a bit off.
 
So on that practice video, I think I spotted Lambiel watching them in the background with a fury hood and then I believe Tracy Wilson is joining him. I hope they found time to get some feedback with him. One week, which is the classic time an external choreographer spend with skaters, is so little. I always wonder what all those coaches think when they see P/C skate. I've watched a lot of those practices over the years and you can be sure coaches and sometimes even skaters are intently watching them. Good thing they look utterly unfazed by it.

As for the first lift, the way Guillaume bends under her weight at the beginning gives the impression that her body mimic a slo mo rebound, such an effective visual effect which give this impression of stillness. Then their position changes in lifts are always effortless yet swift but they always manage to stretch time and never rush anything. Again the space between the notes, well they found the space between the movements. Such a rare combination:speed and stillness. That is what makes them so special indeed.
 
IceDancingQueen said:
There was coverage last night (GMT). They enjoyed the free dance. They weren’t as effusive in their praise as they have been in the past but they still liked it and praised their quality. I do get a feeling though that even B Eurosport presenters want them to try a completely different style.
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I'm not sure if we saw the same version but the one uploaded on youtube clearly shows that their praise was without reservation. And again a commentator has pointed out how strong Gabby is as a skater.
 
Maybeyesmaybeno said:
CBC coverage

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=64ldOcvSB_o

I love most of the FD. A bit perplex about the entrance lift which is complex but sort of stops the flow of the dance. I find the step sequence between the spin and the rotational lift a bit long and boring and on this part, the music sounds the same. But I love everything else, the mood, the feeling of freedom in gesture toward the end, the delicate arm movement on the third part of the twizzles sequence, the large circle at the end of their first step sequence, the speed on any rotational movement ( spin and lifts), the curve lift, well everything. And I love the simplicity of the message, no pretention to send a message to the universe, just a simple love story dance on a modest love story song. No more but no less.
Click to expand...

I think the diagonal step sequence certainly can have more details added to it. In its current state, after the retrogression Guillaume is basically doing simple gliding. It reminded me a bit of the last change to their straight-line step sequence in the Moonlight Sonata program, where they turned something more complex and fitting to the music into some simple extensions and steps. The camera angles certainly didn't help.

And this led me to my one problem with the new requirements this season. The reduction of one full step sequence in holds really deprived us of seeing more of their fluid and curvy edges. (On the other hand, for the average team this might save the audience from seeing their not too successful attempts.)

The judges and commentators seem to love the stationary lift, as do many on this thread. I too noticed it seemed a little stop-and-go, which I didn't sense in the first practice vid. Maybe it's an execution thing. But I also agree with Gotlev about it having a certain rhythm, seemingly responding to the cadence of the opening line of the song.
 
Bcash said:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91_vXzwa8sc

German commentary. My German is not as good as before so native speakers please help us out. I think he used "Gesamtkunstwerk" to describe their performance!
Click to expand...

Yes he used the term gesamtkunstwerk, what means a peace of art in all aspects. he praised rachaels voice in the very beginning and after the free dance he pointed out, that he doesn´t think that they will change their style very much and he appreciated them being vivacious ( in another footage, he said that they turned a little rockn- roll -y at the end of that free ) he pointed out that they don´t have to change cause it is successful. he than listed their achievements ( 4 time european, 3 time world champion) and he mentioned the loss to virtue moir at olys. he mentioned that they skated in a different style to p/c. but he also mentioned, that v/m had not been as fluid and fast ( the german word he used is schwungvoll i don´t have a good translation for that: peppy perhaps) as they had been 2010 and 2014. at the end he said they have no contenders this season, that only stepanova bukin may challenge them a little bit in euros and worlds (but he doesn´t think they have a real chance when one sees the marks p/c got) he is glad that s/b are doing something different to p/c (in the other footage he and hendrik schamberger . former world`s medalist- said, they don´t understand other couples especially sinitsina katsalapov copying p/c cause the french are head and shoulder above them clearly seen when skating back to back as in grenoble) at the end he said, that both are technically brilliant " a better duo is hardly seen on that level" . he thinks that they don´t need to do the gpf, because he thinks it isn´t important for them.
i hope that that helps you a little bit.
 
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