Quick Report on COI Meadowlands

[debdelilah]

Looks like we did go to the same COI, Spun Silver.

Here's my little review (that was also posted in some other forums a few days ago):

I thought it was a fantastic show this year! Except the dramatic music in the end was really loud and skaters were everywhere, so it was hard to focus on anyone particular in the final group performance. I think I've earned a headache for myself from that. Though otherwise, I couldn't have enjoyed it more! Luckily, we had first row seats, it was great (cost like $160 or something, but it was certainly worth the price) .

Basically there was everyone (except Irina, Shizuka, Michelle, and Kimmie), including Alissa Csizny, Evan Lysacek, Pang & Tong (she is a stick figure! ), and Ryan Bradley.

Sasha fell on her triple salchow (I think it was a salchow, I don't really remember) though landed a double axel beautifully. This was the second time I've seen her skate live, and I thought her skating was even more gorgeous than on TV. Sasha always had a smile on her face. I've never watched "Hurt" before, and I think it's a great program for Sasha to do in COI. I didn't take a lot of pictures of her since I wanted to enjoy the performance, but here are some:

I-Spin
Spiral
Charlotte
Sasha got lots of applause

I was slightly surprised that not much people cheered for Johnny (or maybe, just not as much as I had expected). He was wonderful, and skated to "All Love is Fair" as his solo piece, and the beautiful "Fallen Angels" with Gregory and Petkuhov. I got some pics though they're not very good. 1 2 3

Evgeny Plushenko was fantastic. He did a new program that I've never seen before, and landed, I believe, two triple axels and several double axels, along with many triples (mostly toes). Victor Petrenko skated with his 9-year-old daughter to a tango number, and it was adorable. I also found it cute how Tanith was watching Evan while he was performing his solo piece. Evan's program was entertaining, but I enjoyed Plushenko's more than anyone's.

I also thought Alissa skated great, I've never paid much attention to her before BUT I now know that she has beautiful lines and is a wonderful spinner. She skated to Anytime, Anywhere.

There were also lots of funny, and even scary performances such as that of the two acrobats, Besedin and Polishchuck (sp?). Seriously, the lift things they did were pretty insane. Tanith Belbin and Ben had a very interesting number (not gonna' explain any further!).

I really enjoyed this show, and I definitely recommend COI to everyone who hadn't been there before. I liked it better than the one I went to last year, even (great costumes and lots of modern tunes!).

It's funny, not knowing the area very well, I actually thought Spun Silver was talking about the Long Island show when she said Meadowlands--because to get to the Nassau Coliseum you take Meadowbrook Parkway.

But there were definitely some jump differences between the shows. Sasha's only successful jump in Long Island was a Russian split. She fell on the triple salcow, and had a problem going up on another jump so that it ended messily without rotations, even though she didn't fall. It took the steam out of the program--I can see how it might have been much better in NJ.

Alissa fell once, landed messily once, and popped once in Long Island--so, a different show, and a different performance. Even one clean triple or double axel probably would have made it better.

Evgeny must have had one of his off nights in Long Island. He made mistakes with jumps a couple of times, his footwork was slower than last year's, etc. The main problem I had with him and Evan is that they weren't really using the music at all--they were skating at pretty high energy with the music as a backdrop. In terms of energy, Evan was having an on night more than Evgeny.

 

[Tonichelle]

so skaters normally hit a triple axel during exhibitions? I would think with show lighting it would be dangerous (Kurt did in SOI but they bumped up the lights so he could! - he also hit a quad during that tour/program lol)

 

[debdelilah]

so skaters normally hit a triple axel during exhibitions? I would think with show lighting it would be dangerous (Kurt did in SOI but they bumped up the lights so he could! - he also hit a quad during that tour/program lol)

No--Evgeni's mistakes at LI were not on triple axels--he didn't attempt any there. If he had, I would have been impressed even if the landing wasn't clean, because you're right, they're so hard under exhibition lighting that no one else was attempting them.

 

[feraina]

I went back to Pang & Tong's blog, The last diary they updated was right after their Boston stop. I didn't see stuff like 'home-sick or felt underappreciated.', on the contrary, they seemed to be in high spirits and chatted some tidbits during the tour.

I just had a look at their latest blog, and they do seem to be quite cheerful and enjoying the experience more (BTW, they had high compliments for Belbin & Sasha's make-up skills, especially around the eyes!). On April 18's Philadelphia entry, they said "Walking on the streets, we were reminded of performing together with Shen/Zhao on the Japan tour . Haha, (the four of us) had such fun walking around, eating out, playing games, chatting. We really hope there will be more opportunities like this in the future, where the skaters from every discipline (in China) could be invited to the show -- that would be so much fun. After all, good things taste better when you can share them."

On April 16's Philadelphia entry, they said "Just found out today that there will be Chinese audience members in the Phily show, we are so happy! We hope we can meet them after the performance, and that they'll like today's performance."

To me, it sounded like it was their cheerful/polite way of saying that they're homesick and miss their teammates, and that they don't feel connected to their American audience the same way that they do with the Chinese -- all of which understandable, since there's all that cultural/language barrier, and they're so far from family and friends. They have always sounded like they get along well with the other skaters on COI, but "getting along" isn't the same as being good friends, is it? Nevertheless, they definitely sound happier in their more recent blogs. And I'm sure they'll appreciate warm receptions at the their performances.

 

[dancindiva03]

A similar style also suits G/P, although their magician number needs some more time to gell.

That is actually an old number for G&P. I think the problem with it is that, in the time since it was choreographed, their skating has improved SOOOOOO MUCH, but the program wasn't changed to reflect that. Personally, I like the number but I do think that they've outgrown it.

 

[Lucy25]

That is actually an old number for G&P. I think the problem with it is that, in the time since it was choreographed, their skating has improved SOOOOOO MUCH, but the program wasn't changed to reflect that. Personally, I like the number but I do think that they've outgrown it.

I have to say that this number was not very well received at the Detroit show. From comments I heard around me, people (including myself) just didn't "get" it. Many people started talking among themselves during the program, which is never a good sign. However, the program with them and Johnny received much more applause. They are good enough skaters, but that first program, IMO, does not really show it off.

 

[dancindiva03]

They are good enough skaters, but that first program, IMO, does not really show it off.

That's what I was saying. This program is a few years old, and does not reflect the improvements in their skating. They have changed a lot since the choreography was done, but the program has stayed pretty much the same. I'm assuming that they only brought it back because the exhibition they've used all year long, "Impossible Dream," is the one that they first used last year for COI, and they didn't have time to do a brand new program. Or they weren't expecting to do COI and didn't bother getting a new program.