Trends of the season

[icewhite]

What are the trends of the season?
I think there are some serious trends of things that someone found cool and someone else also found it cool and someelse also thought that would be cool and someone...
Well. This is what I recognized:

- posing/standing/dancing in front of the judges/ interacting with the judges, physically crossing the board to the judges with arms etc.
- standstill moments in the middle of the program - Richaud loves them, but he's not the only one
- dancing/posing on the ice while not skating
- least amount of fabric for women/very transparent short skirts
- deep v necks for men, with or without nude mesh, with or without ripping your costume open...
- running on the ice
- Batman programs
- French music

and continuing: slide moves and aerials

 

[Bluediamonds09]

Knee sliding in singles like it's a requirement.

 

[ChiGal]

Hate the posing in front of the judges table. Breaks the flow of the program and to me, indicates lazy skating and choreography. Would not be surprised if the ISU makes a new rule against this silliness.

 

[DancingCactus]

The posing is a bit annoying. Like, why would you pose for a bunch of grouchy people who are judging you? Pose in the middle of the ice, for the audience!
Also, hand movement without skating is...not really showing off your skating skills. Ok, I admit it, I just hate Loena's LP....

 

[noskates]

Skating to music that doesn't lend itself to skating music!!!

 

[rain]

What are the trends of the season?
I think there are some serious trends of things that someone found cool and someone else also found it cool and someelse also thought that would be cool and someone...
Well. This is what I recognized:

- posing/standing/dancing in front of the judges/ interacting with the judges, physically crossing the board to the judges with arms etc.
- standstill moments in the middle of the program - Richaud loves them, but he's not the only one
- dancing/posing on the ice while not skating
- least amount of fabric for women/very transparent short skirts
- deep v necks for men, with or without nude mesh, with or without ripping your costume open...
- running on the ice
- Batman programs
- French music

and continuing: slide moves and aerials

I'm not a fan of all the posing going on in the middle of the ice and particularly draped all over the boards by the judges. Awful.

Also, so much Bolero. Ugh. Never has been a piece of music I liked much and this year it's complete overload.

 

[DancingCactus]

Gotta say what Kevin does at the boards at the very end of Bolero, works. But it's short and on point.

 

[Diana Delafield]

Knee sliding in singles like it's a requirement.

So glad it wasn't allowed in my era, because I've done it a few times accidentally in a semi-fall. A) It hurts, especially if you're the last in the group and the ice is roughed up. B) Unless it's the final move, the women have to keep skating, but now with wet tights. This is not comfortable. It is cold!

 

[TallyT]

Knee sliding in singles like it's a requirement.

Seriously? I mean it's not new, but few people can do it at all gracefully or even interestingly. I'm beginning to be glad I missed SkAm (atm, I think I prefer the juniors anyway.)

 

[sadya]

All the posing moments are almost like 90s skating back, these were moments to catch a breath. I don't dislike all of these programs though.

 

[viennaskater]

Also, so much Bolero. Ugh. Never has been a piece of music I liked much and this year it's complete overload.

Not as much as "Exogenesis" by Muse. Double ugh.

 

[RobinA]

Posing while not skating, but I'm blaming that on it being early in the season.

Approaching the judges - never a good idea and certainly doesn't add to the program.

Horrible music. This has been building for awhile, but this year it seems to have taken over.

 

[el henry]

I'm not sure we can smoosh everything into a "trend".

Kévin's approach to the judges is GREAT. In keeping with the program, in keeping with the music, very much of a piece with the choreo. I was one who never. ever. ever. thought I would like another program to Ravel's traditional Bolero, after T&D, but then I saw Kévin's program and here we are.

But as a "Trend" without taking those factors into account that Kévin has, I would probably not be a fan.

 

[Lamente Ariane]

Pointing and posing in ice dance, though singles also has too many “stop and stare out into the audience just long enough to suggest you may have forgotten your program” moments. I legitimately though Torgashev was about to give up after that spin in the free skate.

 

[el henry]

Pointing and posing in ice dance, though singles also has too many “stop and stare out into the audience just long enough to suggest you may have forgotten your program” moments. I legitimately though Torgashev was about to give up after that spin in the free skate.

I don't think with Andrew it's part of a trend, since his choreo is the definition of unusual, but as one of his devoted fans, I agree he needs to fix that "pause". I thought for half a second he was injured.

 

[Diana Delafield]

I do wish singles skaters, and it's usually the women, would ditch that popular closing spin position where they grab a boot with both hands and haul that leg up in front of their faces as if they're trying to clunk themselves on the forehead with it. I know they're trying to demonstrate flexibility, but there are more attractive ways to do that -- a Charlotte spiral, for example. Most of them have to hunch their shoulders and poke their faces forward a bit to get...that....leg....up...straight. You can practically hear "unnnhh, oof!" over the music. It's an awkward, ungainly, and ugly position.

 

[kolyadafan2002]

Gotta say what Kevin does at the boards at the very end of Bolero, works. But it's short and on point.

It works for me. I don't think Kevin likes Bolero as music, I think his entire program is choreographed as satire. It works well, in the sense that I feel its taking the piss of Bolero as music (with Bolero being very boring music).

And in this sense, I'm able to like it whilst still hating the music.

EDIT: El henry corrected that this is not what he was going for (according to interviews with Kevin), I just can't personally take it seriously. I love Kevin as a skater, and have been a huge fan of his other programs unironically as well as his SP, but everything just feels funny to me within the program - from the arm movements to the poses chosen for pieces of music. It also feels like more crossovers than he did in previous programs. I don't know, but I find myself laughing when I watch it (particularly from a fan cam).

 

[el henry]

It works for me. I don't think Kevin likes Bolero as music, I think his entire program is choreographed as satire. It works well, in the sense that I feel its taking the piss of Bolero as music (with Bolero being very boring music).

And in this sense, I'm able to like it whilst still hating the music.

You would be incorrect with any theory about Kévin's program being choreographed as a satire. He has given numerous interviews explaining the source, including one posted right here on GS.

It is straight up homage to Bejart and the ballet. Personally, I love it where I never thought I would. Unironically and purely. Maybe that makes me unsophisticated and boring. So be it.

I just don't want anyone to think that "Satire" or "taking the piss out of the music" was actually Kévin's intent.

 

[viennaskater]

I don't think with Andrew it's part of a trend, since his choreo is the definition of unusual, but as one of his devoted fans, I agree he needs to fix that "pause". I thought for half a second he was injured.

Pointing and posing in ice dance, though singles also has too many “stop and stare out into the audience just long enough to suggest you may have forgotten your program” moments. I legitimately though Torgashev was about to give up after that spin in the free skate.

Funny - I thought too that he was about to give up, but put it down to just a bad transition.

 

[skatingfan4ever]

Pointing and posing in ice dance, though singles also has too many “stop and stare out into the audience just long enough to suggest you may have forgotten your program” moments. I legitimately thought Torgashev was about to give up after that spin in the free skate.

I don't think with Andrew it's part of a trend, since his choreo is the definition of unusual, but as one of his devoted fans, I agree he needs to fix that "pause". I thought for half a second he was injured.

Funny - I thought too that he was about to give up, but put it down to just a bad transition.

It looked to me like maybe he forgot his choreography for a moment? (Although, he's usually so "on" with his choreography.) Or maybe he was early in his music? It is so unlike him to fully pause like that. No one knows why except for him. But hey, it got us talking about him.