State of American Ladies: 2013-14 Season

[mskater93]

I agree she is FAST, but that is factored in to GOE (speed into and out of jumps, she is great here) and SS. To me, just being fast should not boost your PE mark because it is already rewarded elsewhere.

Yes, fast does factor into PE because fast translates into ice coverage (usually) which translates into projection. Also it's presentation and EXECUTION. If the skater is fast and is clean (or near clean) with a difficult program, then that mark typically goes up

 

[FlattFan]

Choreography / Composition

Purpose: (Idea, concept, vision, mood)
To reward the intentional and quality design of a program.

Sorry, but her programs intentionally devoid any quality design. It was elements after elements.

Proportion (equal weight of all parts)
Each part and section has equal weight in achieving the aesthetic pursuit of the composition.

Same here, generic moves glued together.

Unity – purposeful threading of all movements
A program achieves unity when: every step, movement, and element is motivated by the music. As well, all its parts, big or small, seem necessary to the whole, and there is an underlying vision or symbolic meaning that threads together the entire composition.

Marching steps!!!!

Utilization of Personal and Public Space
Movement phrases are distributed in such a way they communicate from every angle in a 360 degree skater-viewer relationship.

She is above average in this area.

Pattern and Ice Coverage
Movement phrases are designed using an interesting and meaningful variety of patterns and directions of travel.

Above average here, too.

Phrasing and Form (movement and parts are structured to match the phrasing of the music)
A phrase is a unit of movement marked by an impulse of energy that grows, builds, finds a conclusion, and then flows easily and naturally into the next movement phrase.

Since every moves are generic, she is average to below average here.

Form is the presentation of an idea, the development of the idea, and its conclusion presented in a specific number of parts and a specific order for design.

Urge, no.

Originality of Purpose, Movement, and Design
Originality involves an individual perspective of movement and design in pursuit of a creative composition as inspired by the music and the underlying vision.

No originality in any elements.

Her ch is actually one of the weakest component. I wouldn't give any higher than 6. Even that abomination from Adelina is more original.

 

[Icey]

Under the current judging system (points being given for choreography), the skater should have to do his or her own choreography. Like other things being judged, some will be better at it than others. See no reason that this element should be judged other than what the skater can provide. Yes, I know this has the chance of the proverbial snow ball in he****

QUESTION: Historically, when did hiring an outside choreographer become common place or has it always been that way?

 

[mskater93]

Not always an outside choreographer, but the coach does/did the choreo for the longest time. It probably became de riguer in the mid-late 80s

 

[Mathman]

Here is a video of Alissa practicing her LP (no jumps). Evidently she will be using the Gone with the Wind program that we saw a few minutes of last year.

This was posted by TSL (Jennifer and Dave), and linked this afternoon by Sylvia on FSU.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWiI2BgwTeg

 

[amc987]

Here is a video of Alissa practicing her LP (no jumps). Evidently she will be using the Gone with the Wind program that we saw a few minutes of last year.

This was posted by TSL (Jennifer and Dave), and linked this afternoon by Sylvia on FSU.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWiI2BgwTeg

Best thing I've seen all day. I hope Alissa's hip is okay-- maybe she left out the jumps and Biellmann spins because she's still in recovery. The program looks great. Does anyone know whether she's getting a new SP? It might be time to ditch La Vie En Rose, as lovely as it was.

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

I wish Alissa would, at least once, try a SP or LP outside the typical music she chooses. Something like Latin, Jazz, or an interesting character. I know we complain when skaters do a program that doesn't fit who they are, but her programs over the years have no variety whatsoever.

 

[R.D.]

I normally agree...but I think Czisny is a special case in this regard. I actually don't think she'll be able to pull off anything more substantial. I wouldn't mind her experimenting a bit though...perhaps in show pieces.

Anyway I saw several jumping passes in that run through...didn't keep precise count but seems like that's a 6 or 7-triple program in the works??

 

[jaylee]

I wish Alissa would, at least once, try a SP or LP outside the typical music she chooses. Something like Latin, Jazz, or an interesting character. I know we complain when skaters do a program that doesn't fit who they are, but her programs over the years have no variety whatsoever.

She did try Mask of Zorro (music by James Horner) as her SP in 2009-2010. It wasn't especially successful, IMO. It was Latin-themed but even her best performance of it at Skate Canada 2009 lacked the necessary fire/sultriness that the music expects. She also had West Side Story in 2007-2008.

Alissa has a very narrow range artistically--Swan Lake, Sabrina, to Gone with the Wind and La Vie En Rose--but she is very successful within that range, so it's no wonder that she doesn't venture outside of it. I have a soft spot for Sabrina since her performance of that at 2007 Nationals was the highlight of the ladies, but her best free program is probably Winter into Spring. Unique selection of music, wonderful interpretation.

 

[Icey]

Are all cuts of her music from Gone with the Wind? Until the program got to the obvious GWTW, I didn't recognize the first long section as GWTW.

 

[chuckm]

Alissa's music picks are all SLOW pieces. She can't do fast music because then it would only emphasize how slow her skating is.

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

She did try Mask of Zorro (music by James Horner) as her SP in 2009-2010. It wasn't especially successful, IMO. It was Latin-themed but even her best performance of it at Skate Canada 2009 lacked the necessary fire/sultriness that the music expects. She also had West Side Story in 2007-2008.

I just watched her Zorro at SC and stand corrected. You are absolutely right; she does not have the necessary fire for that type of program. In some ways Alissa's skating reminds me a bit of Kwan's, the smoothness of the stroking, the great body line, etc. and so I figured Alissa would be able to perform the same variety of programs as Michelle.

 

[clairecloutier]

I agree about Alissa's musical range . . . it's narrow. She used Dr. Zhivago for her long program for 2 years, and to me, she didn't at all capture the epic, sweeping quality of that music. So I can't imagine her doing something even more dramatic or fast-paced. Jazz might be a possibility, but I'm not sure she really has the musicality to carry that off. To my mind, only the best artistic single skaters are really successful with jazz, people like Abbott, Takahashi, Browning, and Sato.

 

[FSGMT]

Really, I don't find Alissa's program great at all, it looks like she doesn't really capture the essence of the theme of the music and the film, the drama, the passion, their "epic" dimension (if you put a waltz there, the program would still work as well as it does at the moment ), but maybe it's because that was only practice... Now, don't misunderstand me: I still think that Alissa's skating is great, she's not the fastest out there, but her grace, elegance and edges are among the best in the world, I just think that this program doesn't work really well for her...

 

[FSGMT]

Anyway I saw several jumping passes in that run through...didn't keep precise count but seems like that's a 6 or 7-triple program in the works??

6 triples as always, she just changed a bit the position of the 3Lz and 3Lo, I think it's because she doesn't want to begin her program with the lutz that has given her so much trouble in the past years...

 

[tulosai]

This made me happy to see Her spins look incredible as always.

 

[Skater Boy]

I agree about Alissa's musical range . . . it's narrow. She used Dr. Zhivago for her long program for 2 years, and to me, she didn't at all capture the epic, sweeping quality of that music. So I can't imagine her doing something even more dramatic or fast-paced. Jazz might be a possibility, but I'm not sure she really has the musicality to carry that off. To my mind, only the best artistic single skaters are really successful with jazz, people like Abbott, Takahashi, Browning, and Sato.

I agree except for Sato.

 

[Olympia]

One of the things about Sato is that she had such quick feet. She did the best footwork among ladies of her era and showed that off even more impressively during her pro career. I remember a commentator once compared her and Surya Bonaly by pointing out that Surya's skating was mostly in one direction, with a lot of two-footed work (and we won't talk about edging), whereas Sato's feet went this way and that way, every possible direction, shifting her weight effortlessly. I've watched quite a few programs where the camera just focused on her feet while she skated.

Sato was such a sunny personality that this was reflected in just about all of her programs. So I suppose this meant that her interpretive range was a bit narrow, but within it, she was beyond compare. I've noticed through the years that she's on many people's lists of top skaters (including mine), even though she has just one World championship and no other World or Olympic medals. There is just something extraordinary in the quality of her skating, and of course her pro career added to her impact.

 

[kwanatic]

^^Agreed. She reminds me of Akiko in that I love her on ice personality and that even though she's not always at the top of the podium, her performances usually are. I loved Yuka's footwork...definitely some of the best of her era.

As for Alissa, it's good to see her skating again. Her programs are very one note but like others have pointed out, she doesn't have the presence to pull off more forceful/fiery/energetic/powerful music...so that pretty much boxes her into the soft and pretty category.

My all-time favorite program from Alissa is and will always be La Vie en Rose. It helps that I adore the song but it really is a beautiful program. I love Alissa's smoothness and elegance and she pulls that kind of music off effortlessly. Is she sticking with La Vie for her SP next season? I remember that was supposed to be the plan for this past season.

I'm not sure where she is right now (lots of stroking around, no jumps, spins not all there) but I do hope she gets herself together for the season. She has an uphill battle for sure, but if she can put it together at nationals, I'd be happy for her to get that 3rd spot to the Olympics...as long as she does enough to earn it.

 

[ForeverFish]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlRDOL-CAiU&feature=youtu.be

A local news feature on Gracie Gold. It doesn't tell us much that we didn't already know, but it's great to see that Gracie is already hard at work training for the Olympic trials.