Tatiana Volosozhar & Maxim Trankov | Page 261 | Golden Skate

Tatiana Volosozhar & Maxim Trankov

Thanks for posting the videos to their new programs. I'm excited for the new season. The programs aren't perfect, but they have tons of time to work on the finishing touches. I really love the LP. The SP is probably my least favourite of all their short programs, but it has all the elements they need to do well. I don't expect them to win everything all the time after having a year off, but I'm sure they will still medal in everything they compete in!
 
Surprisingly, I liked their SP more than the long. I found the LP to be pretty heavy and tedious with no clear storyline or climax. I know it's still very early and they've only skated the full program twice, but I can't help but notice how much speed and flow they lack now. I might be a pessimist, and I SO hope I'm wrong, but I don't think this is the program which will guarantee them a place on the podium at Worlds. Also their Dracula/Mina costumes lack a bit of a spark, especially Max's. I mean, all he was wearing was that red vest which made him look like a baseball player rather than a real, scary Dracula. Tanya's costume was ok, but the fabric made the illusion that the skirt was heavy and that made everything else look slow as well.
 
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yep they lack speed but it will improve with time
& Max was clearly tired
They have time tho & I'm optiistic

I love the SP much better than LP too
 
I love their Dracula LP, it looks magnificent already! :love: As for the SP, it hasn't grown on me yet, to be honest, but it's lovely, anyway. Now looking forward to Nebelhorn...
 
what I like a lot that the rythm is quite clappable (yeah I saw people complain about this particular song being chosen & I disagree, it's a midtempo one which makes it easier to skate tho Id welcome some change to another one in the middle for example )
I expect some standing O's when they get in shape!:cheer:
 
I don't understand why people so care about speed at this time. It's obvious that VT are not in shape enought to skate full LP on the speed they used to, but it's also looks like it's a question of getting shape, not a general problem of lucking speed. Get them some more time. I'm sure if everything will be all right with health, even by GP events it will be completely other situation.
 
I was actually pretty pleasantly surprised they're in such a good shape already!
 
Im actually quite relieved at the costumes they chose! I thought of it more as a medieval gothic fantasy like theme, I was terrified Max was going to end up wearing some terrible huge-collared black vampire outfit :laugh: While they could have gone a bit more gothic with them, I genuinely really adore the red outfits they just look so good on them! (Plus they match the music strangely well, even if I didnt like the way it was cut very much with all its shifting atmospheres and themes aha)
 
Here’s another view (I think) of their Free or Long Program:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAoCw3xBY44

It’s weird -- this vampire program looks much more powerful, intense and successful in this video than the other two versions I’ve seen so far. What a difference.

I did not mention the costumes before but I think Tanya’s costume in the LP is just lovely – very very simple (it is a courageous designer who comprehends understatement), and the luscious ,dark-blood red color was chosen for obvious reasons. Max’s vest is fine though he does remind me of a waiter in overpriced Romanian restaurant. The vest is a little bit too peasant-like. Dracula was a prince, was he not? Though those castles are chilly and I guess a prince needs to keep warm.

And one other thing: we are all giving them a break on the program, saying it needs more development, etc. and they need more time. But I watched half** of this program in June of 2014, so while it’s new for the public, it’s been in their hands for quite some time (although they lost a lot of practice time with Max’s operation last year.)

**When I watched V+T practice in New Jersey, they only did the second half of the program – starting when Tanya rings the bell. And they only skated it twice in the entire practice session. AND they did no lifts, and no jumps – only “marked” their positioning on the ice at those points.
Anyway, now I’m getting to like the program a bit more – when the camera is up close, and I can see their faces easily.
 
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Im actually quite relieved at the costumes they chose! I thought of it more as a medieval gothic fantasy like theme, I was terrified Max was going to end up wearing some terrible huge-collared black vampire outfit :laugh: While they could have gone a bit more gothic with them, I genuinely really adore the red outfits they just look so good on them! (Plus they match the music strangely well, even if I didnt like the way it was cut very much with all its shifting atmospheres and themes aha)

Lol, my thoughts EXACTLY!!! When I first heard they were going to skate a Dracula/Van Helsing theme I thought to myself, "Please don't look like The Count from Sesame Street!"

I liked their costumes as well, I'm sure they'll evolve a bit as well, just like Max's yellow pants and Tanya's dress.
 
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Anyway, now I’m getting to like the program a bit more – when the camera is up close, and I can see their faces easily.
this

The way its filmed (+sound & video quality obviously) makes a lot of difference because they express so much with their faces, have some little gestures that won't be visible from fancams. Im posotive that both programms will shine in a new light at comps when they will be filmed professionally
 
Here’s another view (I think) of their Free or Long Program:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAoCw3xBY44

It’s weird -- this vampire program looks much more powerful, intense and successful in this video than the other two versions I’ve seen so far. What a difference.

I did not mention the costumes before but I think Tanya’s costume in the LP is just lovely – very very simple (it is a courageous designer who comprehends understatement), and the luscious ,dark-blood red color was chosen for obvious reasons. Max’s vest is fine though he does remind me of a waiter in overpriced Romanian restaurant. The vest is a little bit too peasant-like. Dracula was a prince, was he not? Though those castles are chilly and I guess a prince needs to keep warm.

And one other thing: we are all giving them a break on the program, saying it needs more development, etc. and they need more time. But I watched half** of this program in June of 2014, so while it’s new for the public, it’s been in their hands for quite some time (although they lost a lot of practice time with Max’s operation last year.)

**When I watched V+T practice in New Jersey, they only did the second half of the program – starting when Tanya rings the bell. And they only skated it twice in the entire practice session. AND they did no lifts, and no jumps – only “marked” their positioning on the ice at those points.
Anyway, now I’m getting to like the program a bit more – when the camera is up close, and I can see their faces easily.

Forgive me, but you obviously have not read any of the recent interviews of V/T where they say that Max started from the absolute zero after the operation to develop his muscles again. They could not string two elements together when he started to train again. Not only his right arm and right shoulder muscles, but also the ones along his spine on the right side were atrophied during the recuperation time after his surgery. He was not allowed to lift with his arm for 6.5 months. Currently his right arm has limitations compared to the left, due to having two titan inserts or whatever they are called permanently in the shoulder. What "giving them a break" argument can possibly have a place here? This is a fan thread. I think we should be loudly applauding them instead, for being the best prepared team on the Russian test skates despite the long break they had, despite the surgery drawback, because if anyone says that they were slow or lacked speed, either
A) that person has not seen an HD quality videos,
or
B) the rest of the pairs were skating backwards.
FYI Max said that this is only the second time they skated the LP fully from start to end with all elements included.

Food for thought: K/S had skated their LP competitively for a year already. S/K had withdrawn early to start learning new elements.
If the Russian test skates were a competition, who do you think would have won it?

On the costumes:
Tania's costumes are both absolutely lovely, the SP entirely in theme, the LP screams "quality" and "rich". Max doesn't look like a baseball player, at least I have never seen one looking that way. The vest is very richly ornamented, in keeping with the time period, velvet was not a material a peasant could have afforded back then, gold trimmings or silk even less.
 
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Thanks for your note. Indeed, I haven’t read many interviews as most of them are in Russian which I’m sorry to say I do not understand. One can try to use a translation but most of the translations are lousy and sometimes even misleading.

I did not really find fault with V &T’s skating – it’s still top-drawer – to my mind, and no one has more beautiful positions than they do. But I hoped for more interesting choreography, a stronger “narrative” (which was recently noted in this thread) -- that’s where my concern lies.

Oh, yes. Good point about the quality of the vest -- thanks!
 
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Forgive me, but you obviously have not read any of the recent interviews of V/T where they say that Max started from the absolute zero after the operation to develop his muscles again. They could not string two elements together when he started to train again. Not only his right arm and right shoulder muscles, but also the ones along his spine on the right side were atrophied during the recuperation time after his surgery. He was not allowed to lift with his arm for 6.5 months. Currently his right arm has limitations compared to the left, due to having two titan inserts or whatever they are called permanently in the shoulder. What "giving them a break" argument can possibly have a place here? This is a fan thread. I think we should be loudly applauding them instead, for being the best prepared team on the Russian test skates despite the long break they had, despite the surgery drawback, because if anyone says that they were slow or lacked speed, either
A) that person has not seen an HD quality videos,
or
B) the rest of the pairs were skating backwards.
FYI Max said that this is only the second time they skated the LP fully from start to end with all elements included.

Food for thought: K/S had skated their LP competitively for a year already. S/K had withdrawn early to start learning new elements.
If the Russian test skates were a competition, who do you think would have won it?

On the costumes:
Tania's costumes are both absolutely lovely, the SP entirely in theme, the LP screams "quality" and "rich". Max doesn't look like a baseball player, at least I have never seen one looking that way. The vest is very richly ornamented, in keeping with the time period, velvet was not a material a peasant could have afforded back then, gold trimmings or silk even less.

Are you the fan police? Good lord. People are allowed to have an opinion. Just because you are a fan of someone doesn't mean you need to worship the ground they walk on.
 
Are you the fan police? Good lord. People are allowed to have an opinion. Just because you are a fan of someone doesn't mean you need to worship the ground they walk on.

You have got that quite backwards. V/T get enough undeserved crap on other threads on this and other sites. This here is their fan thread. One would assume that here is the place the people could become the best informed about them in a positive light. The whole purpose of a fan thread is to pay tribute to the skaters, not add to the general misinformation or worse, trashing (not saying that someone here was doing the latter), hence my post, correcting some misinformation, which I stated politely. Is it too much to ask that we keep it more positive here? There are enough other places where there are unsubstantiated claims and dubious speculations about them. I always keep in mind that this is a public forum, it is not so impossible, rather very plausible, that the skaters themselves might read it. What would you like them to see here, in their own fan thread? If we profess to be really their fans, should we not act in their best interest, be encouraging and positive? All that is, of course, if one is in truth their fan.
 
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You have got that quite backwards. V/T get enough undeserved crap on other threads on this and other sites. This here is their fan thread. One would assume that here is the place the people could become the best informed about them in a positive light. The whole purpose of a fan thread is to pay tribute to the skaters, not add to the general misinformation or worse, trashing (not saying that someone here was doing the latter), hence my post, correcting some misinformation, which I stated politely. Is it too much to ask that we keep it more positive here? There are enough other places where there are unsubstantiated claims and dubious speculations about them. I always keep in mind that this is a public forum, it is not so impossible, rather very plausible, that the skaters themselves might read it. What would you like them to see here, in their own fan thread? If we profess to be really their fans, should we not act in their best interest, be encouraging and positive? All that is, of course, if one is in truth their fan.
Totally agree with you!!! Thank you for your post!
 
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