Ice Dance - short dance

[Macassar88]

My opinions on V/M vs D/W
I think that Tech and PCS should have been more in favor of V/M
In terms of Tech, you have five moves. D/W had better twizzles and a better lift, but V/M had much better rhumba sections and a better circular footwork sequence. In terms of PCS, V/M have much more latin feel to their dance.
I actually thought that Weaver and Poje should have been in second with P/B in third and D/W in fourth, but we all know that would never happen.

 

[clairecloutier]

I can't really speak to levels and such, so these are just my impressions as a viewer:

Virtue/Moir
Great performance. The program looked much stronger than at 4CC. Wow, what chemistry. That section in the middle where they're skating forehead to forehead, gazing into each other's eyes while still moving with total speed and power over the ice? Wow. I like Tessa's dress, she looks fantastic IMO, however I do agree it doesn't really show off her hip action.

Davis/White
Ouch. Their scores seemed so low. I guess I'm in a minority, but I just really, really like this short dance. Yeah, it's not traditional Latin. But I find it fun, exciting, different. To me it's like a modern, updated, club take on Latin. It feels like how average 20-somethings today might really dance Latin (IF they had the skills), as opposed to how people danced Latin 40 years ago. I just really like it. And I love how Meryl & Charlie keep up the energy throughout and really keep the dance moving. I personally thought they were really good. I'm sad for them.

Pechalat/Bourzat
I have so much admiration for Nathalie--competing this week despite a broken nose! What courage. I like this program. Absolutely love the music, love the costumes. Good choreography. I felt their execution was a little sloppy here and there, for example on the twizzles. And they looked a little slow at times. With such upbeat, sunny music, I'd like them to skate just a little bit faster, a little bit more crisply. Their marks seemed inflated. I do not feel they're in the same league as V/M or D/W. But I do admire them, and it was a good skate.

Weaver/Poje
I thought they skated good, but not great. I know I'm in the minority here, but I don't love this program, or their interpretation of Latin. To me, it feels just a little bit forced, a little contrived. They kept up the energy, but I could really feel the effort it took, the work going into it. To me, it wasn't as free-flowing, as natural as Meryl & Charlie. Again, just my opinion.

Ilinykh/Katsalapov
Ehh. I didn't love their Latin interpretation. Seemed too formal and stiff, and overreliant on portraying Elena as a femme fatale type or something. I thought Katsalapov skated well. I find him much the stronger partner in this team.

Capellini/Lanotte
Good hip action on her part, and good look to the dance. But I'm not as impressed with it as others seem to be. There is a softness and gentleness to this team that, for me, doesn't really jibe well with Latin.

Shibutanis
Hmm. Not their night. Skating between D/W/V/M and P/B did them no favors. They just looked really young and juniorish in comparison. (And Maia's dress didn't help; it just was very plain & boring compared to the other ladies' costumes, and also too short). I was surprised at the technical mistakes they made, but maybe they were trying too hard. Tanith commented on Universal Sports about how hard Maia & Alex work and train. Made me wonder if they're almost sort of overworking things. I'm sure next season will be better for them, and probably this is just a sophomore slump.

Hubbell & Donohue
I like this team, I find them powerful & rather exciting to watch. What a great showing for them! 5th in TES, 8th overall, not to mention topping the much-better-known Russian teams. Wow! Great night for the Krylova/Camerlengo group; they're definitely becoming a powerhouse to rival Zoueva/Shpilband! Well deserved. (And just a side note, doesn't Anjelika Krylova look as lovely and striking as ever on the sideline?)

 

[museksk8r]

(And just a side note, doesn't Anjelika Krylova look as lovely and striking as ever on the sideline?)

Yes, she is so incredibly and stunningly beautiful! A fine wine only improving with age. I've always really liked Anjelika!

 

[Scrufflet]

Just loved V/M! I could watch these two forever. As for D/W, I really enjoyed this version more than any I've seen this season. I thought that Meryl really upped her presentation. Can't we just make it a tie with these two superb teams? I would make a lousy judge.
W/P were so hot, so on that I'm surprised they are 4th. I would have put them 3rd but then, once again, I'm not a judge!
It was an exciting event! Just read the Hersh comments. Yuck! I'm all for critical analysis of what actually happened on the ice but his approach just stirs up a lot of anger. Argue logically! Rosie DiManno did a piece today in the Toronto Star about Canadian women. I don't often like what she writes about skating but she did a piece here that was hard for me to read but fair. Good writing! Hersh should study it.

 

[diane044]

Your view, b/c that's how you see it. My view is that both D/W and V/M are very equal in all abilities. It comes down to their performances, to the subjectivity, and to the politics. Also, it's my view that the music, choreo and costumes for D/W's free dance are great and they have been steadily improving this masterpiece all season long. V/M's fd OTOH is fun and okay, and they fixed some of the drawbacks with it to try and make it stronger. However, I think it is kind of a cheesy program and I don't like their costumes. I don't think the program really suits their strengths that well (it doesn't conjure Astaire and Audrey at all for me, nor does their interpretation overcome the failed association with Astaire and Audrey in the film).

I agree with you about the lack of Astaire-Hepburn feeling. I wonder if the coaches just let Scott get this desire to do this theme out of the way before it gets too close to the Olympics in 2014. Here in Canada, the commentators mentioned that Scott had been wanting to do this "theme" for quite a long time.

 

[emdee]

Not Scott.... Tessa

 

[Art&Sport]

Interesting that Tessa wanted to do this fp theme for awhile. Again it doesn't really suit them, IMHO, especially not for Scott. I particularly don't like his white shirt and red floppy tie, and the way his hair is styled. Doesn't much matter that their coaches got this program out of the way for them this year, esp. since the judges bought it lock stock and barrel anyway -- they won with it. Crying shame.

 

[Tonichelle]

My dad preferred V/M - and he hasn't been interested, intently, with skating in at least a year... said this is what ice dance should be. I kinda disagree because it isn't entirely ballroom like he raved on about, but I do like the classic holds more than the interpretive dance... that being said...

 

[Wattle]

I can't really speak to levels and such, so these are just my impressions as a viewer:
Wow! Great night for the Krylova/Camerlengo group; they're definitely becoming a powerhouse to rival Zoueva/Shpilband! Well deserved. (And just a side note, doesn't Anjelika Krylova look as lovely and striking as ever on the sideline?)

Krylova/Camerlengo have surpassed Zoueva/Shiplband!- 5 couples from 5 countries all in top 20. The choreography was not all theirs for all these couples but the programs they did choreograph were varied and suited the couple it was created for. They was no choreographer "brand". Most amazing they have taken on couples who weren't "in the race" last year and shown the world that kids from Australia, who have given up so much in the last few years can hit top 25 and even when the fates are right, they hit top 20!