Who do you think excelled at certain moves/elements of skating (spins, spirals, etc)?

[ankka]

I will just add some random thoughts of mine...

Best steps: Carolina Kostner Riders on the storm SP
Best Layback/Biellman spin: Mirai Nagasu
Best Spiral sequence: Jenni Vähämaa http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4fFeKHeJFg&feature=related (in the end of the program)

 

[Olympia]

Definately give Johnny best ooze... Kurt had great footwork as a pro. And I TOTALLY agree with EMan getting best make-up... he's also high up there for best "I'm not a serial killer, I just play on ice" starting position stare...very intense...

Much as I love Yagudin, I can't give anyone else best footwork as long as Kurt's around! I don't know what to give Curry, but he also belongs on such a list. Maybe spins in both directions? That's something that no one even does anymore. Also, doesn't Kulik have great jumps? He has to appear on the list. I guess just pick a jump and put him in there....

 

[SerpentineSteps]

BEST FACE: Me.

 

[Justafan]

Best Bielman spin: Denise Bielman

 

[luckykid]

I like Mao's nutcracker when she was.. 12 or something? Or 15. Well she was quite young at that time. So cute haha.

 

[gio]

What about ice dance couples that did the best in the various dances of the Original Dance segment: best Waltz, Quickstep, Foxtrot, Tango, Samba, Cha Cha, Mambo, Rumba, Jive, Rock'n Roll, Salsa, Merengue, Polka, Paso Doble, Flamenco etc

I think for exemple that Belbin Agosto's Salsa was pretty good.

Any Ice Dance expert here?

 

[ankka]

As I am a ballroom dancer I must say that the ice dancing couple with them best OD quickstep, or at least closest to the actual dance, would be Susanna Rahkamo and Petri Kokko at 1995 Worlds http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ieH0uk-cks. This is, of course, just from the ballroom daincing point of view

 

[DesertRoad]

I would add a Best Arm Movements Category and give that to Johnny.

Best right arm, maybe. Johnny has a habit of letting his left arm hang limp like he just had a stroke.

 

[janetfan]

Best tano jump - Brian Boitano

 

[dorispulaski]

What about ice dance couples that did the best in the various dances of the Original Dance segment: best Waltz, Quickstep, Foxtrot, Tango, Samba, Cha Cha, Mambo, Rumba, Jive, Rock'n Roll, Salsa, Merengue, Polka, Paso Doble, Flamenco etc

I think for exemple that Belbin Agosto's Salsa was pretty good.

Any Ice Dance expert here?

I'll take a stab at this. And I'm going with which teams' programs actually translated ballroom to ice, not necessarily who were the better skaters at the time. In some cases, the teams' I'm going with were rather far down the list.

Without doubt, best Paso Doble was Torvill & Dean's 1984 OSP

I'd also go with Rahkamo and Kokko's Quickstep too, which is why the Finnstep was created from it (TPTB also think it was a great Quickstep). However, I have to say that Fusar Poli/Margaglio had a good Quickstep 2001, and so did Grishuk and Platov 1995, who actually won the segment when R&K's great quickstep was performed.

Waltz is harder (there have been many good ones), but I'd give it to Klimova and Ponomarenko's 1987 Waltz OD that turned into the Golden Waltz. Unfortunately, the only copy I've found is not that clear, but I was there in person and it was very, very special.

The ChaCha was an OSP in 1981, and T&D won the segment, but frankly I didn't like any of the ChaChas that were done. The back and forward motion of the chacha does not transfer all that well to the ice.

Rock n Roll was only once an OSP, and that was won by T&D. They did a 50's style rock n roll to a rock beat version of Variations on a Theme by Paganini. It all worked, and the dance did have a good feel of a 1950's bop dance. AFAIR, that was 1983.

!982 was blues and they won to Summertime, which is one of the great blues dances in skating, and worth your while to look up. Usova and Zhulin did a good blues, too. 1991.

The polka was an OSP in 1992. They all were quite bad, although R&K's Finnish polka was the class of the bunch for me. Actually Averbukh and Anissina, who skated together at JR Worlds, probably had the best one that year. Now that I think of it, the best polka award goes to Sladky & Schwomeyer who created the Yankee Polka along with Ron Ludington, their coach. Best job skating it goes to Grishuk and Platov, 1997, IMO.

Probably the most compelling tango I've seen was 1988 the Duchesnay's take on the Argentine OSP. However, I also liked D&W's tango OD at 4CC's a lot. Both teams were at similar stages of their careers, just beginning, but these OSp/OD were when I first perked up and noticed both teams. Watching tangos, they all tend to blend together for me. Tango lovers, what was your favorite?

Jive I'd give to Krylova & Ovsiannaokov 1998

Rhumba, T&D 1994

Samba was 1990, and I can't say I liked any of them that much. It was part of the Latin Rhythms OD for 2006, and B&A were my favorites with their Let's Get Loud OD, which also had Rhumba and Salsa.

Flamenco, without doubt, Anissina/Peizerat 2006!! Pechalat/Bourzat had a very good one in 2008. I'm not crazy about any of this year's flamencos that much.

When you get into these compositive rhythms they have been doing, stuff doesn't stand out that much. Mambo was an allowed rhythm, but I don't remember any of them. I don't remember anyone doing a Merengue.

Navka & Kostamarov had a spiffing OD to Ain't No Sunshine (blues) 2004

Charleston was 1989 and Wynne and Druar did a great one. I also liked D&W's Charleston last year, as choreo, but they were never quite able to perform all that difficulty, even so, check out the Skate Canada version.

Here's the reference for what dances were performed in what year.

http://www.ice-dance.com/reference/cdodhistory.html

 

[ImaginaryPogue]

doris, do you mean A/P's flamenco from 2002, or was there another one in 2006 that I wasn't aware of. If it's the latter, can you post a link?

 

[dorispulaski]

Yes, the flamenco by A&P that I was referring to was their 2001/2002 season one.

 

[gio]

I'll take a stab at this. And I'm going with which teams' programs actually translated ballroom to ice, not necessarily who were the better skaters at the time.

Oh doris, thanks, you did a great job. :agree: I'll try to find the programs that you said. I remember the A/P flamenco and I agree it was superb. Torvill and Dean still are in a class of themselves IMO. They were simply amazing. Unfortunately I've never seen Rakhamo/Kokko. I'll watch the video that ankka posted.

I wonder with all the tangos in the singles categories who in your opinion captured the most the essence of that dance?

 

[dorispulaski]

gio, I have to blush, because as I said, I am not a great connoisseur of tangos. And I believe, as in the old song, "It takes 2 to tango." So someone else would probably give you amore definitive answer. Perhaps Lambiel, if you press me to answer.

 

[Sophia KP]

TO ME

SPINS:
Best Spinner ----- Alissa
Best Forward Camel ----- Michelle
Best Back Camel ----- YUNA
Best Donut ----- Yukari
Best Back Sit ----- Tara
Best Forward Sit ----- Alissa
Best Classic Layback ----- Caroline
Best Catch-Foot Layback ----- Mirai
Best Bielman ----- Mirai
Best “I” Position ----- Molly
Best "Y" Position ----- Alissa

SPIRALS:
Best Spiraler ----- Sasha
Best Classic Spiral ----- Michelle
Best Bielman Spiral ----- Mao
Best Charlotte ----- Sasha
Best “Y” Position ----- Yuna

MOVES IN THE FIELD – (other than spirals):
Best Ina Bauer ----- Shizuka Arikawa
Best Spread Eagle -----Michelle

LEAPS:
Best Falling Split Leap ----- Michelle
Best Russian Split Leap ----- Sasha
Best Hydroblading ----- Michelle

JUMPS:
Best Jumper ----- Yuna
Best Height ----- Midori
Best Double Axel ----- Yuna
Best Triple Axel ----- midori
Best Triple Loop ----- Akiko
Best Triple Salchow ----- Miki
Best Triple Flip ----- Yuna
Best Triple Lutz ----- Yuna
Best Triple Toe Loop ----- Laura

OTHER ELEMENTS:
Best Toe Point ----- Sasha
Best Turn Out ----- Michelle
Best Positions in General ----- Sasha

ARTISTRY:
Best Emotional Interpretation ----- Michelle
Best Music/Repertoire ----- Yuna
Best Grace of Movement ----- Chen Lu
Best Gentleness ----- Mao
Best Lyrical Quality ----- YUkina
Best Oozing Quality ----- Michelle
Best Tension ----- Sasha
Best Intesity ----- Katarina
Best Exuberance ----- Tara
Best Flow ----- Yuna
Best Arm Movement ----- Yuna
Best Balletic Movement ----- Oksanal
Best Speed ----- Yuna

CHARACTERS:
Best as Carmen ----- Katarina
Best as Roxie from Chicago ----- Jennifer
Best as Scheherazade ----- Yuna
Best as Ballerina from Swan Lake ----- Oksanal
Best as Ballerina from Nutcracker ----- Mao
Best as Giselle ----- Yukari
Best as Showgirl/Broadway Dancer ---- Katarina
Best as Firebird ----- Joannie


DRESS/HAIR/MAKEUP:
Best Dressed ----- Yu-na
Best Hair ----- Ashley
Best Makeup ----- Laura

 

[Bennett]

Best Spinner ----- Mirai
Best Donut ----- Yukari Nakano
Best “I” Position ----- Mao

SPIRALS:
Best Spiraler ----- Alissa, Mao
Best Classic Spiral ----- Alissa
Best Charlotte ----- Sasha Cohen

MOVES IN THE FIELD – (other than spirals):
Best Ina Bauer ----- Shizuka Arikawa
Best Spread Eagle ----- Mao

JUMPS:
Best Jumper ----- Midori
Best Height ----- Midori
Best Double Axel ----- Mao
Best Triple Axel ----- Midori
Best Triple Loop ----- Mao
Best Triple Salchow ----- Yuka Sato
Best Triple Flip ----- Yuna
Best Triple Lutz ----- Miki
Best Triple Toe Loop ----- Katarina Witt

ARTISTRY:
Best Emotional Interpretation ----- Yuna
Best Music/Repertoire ----- Lu chen
Best Grace of Movement ----- Yukina Ota
Best Tension ----- Sasha Cohen
Best Flow ----- Mao
Best Arm Movement ----- Yukina Ota
Best Balletic Movement ----- Oksana Baiul

DRESS/HAIR/MAKEUP:
Best Dressed ----- Sarah Meier, Sasha, Caro, Laura, Mao in 2006-8 seasons, Ashley
Best Hair ----- Ashley
Best Make Up --- Sarah, Laura, Sasha, Ashley [/QUOTE]

 

[gio]

gio, I have to blush, because as I said, I am not a great connoisseur of tangos. And I believe, as in the old song, "It takes 2 to tango." So someone else would probably give you amore definitive answer. Perhaps Lambiel, if you press me to answer.

No problem doris! You've already done a great job listing all those programs.

Tango I don't know, but about flamenco I have my favourites. I remember Lambiel's flamenco which was great IMO, but the best one in the single category is Kurt Browning's Nyah. Obviously Kurt was more free since he did it in a exhibition, so he could drop jumps and spins and do just steps. Lambiel did a good job too considering he had to include all the elements of a LP.

What about Tip Tap? Any Ice Dance couple that did it? I guess it's too difficult to do on ice.

 

[Bennett]

Now that you mention it, those two dresses are pretty similar, but IMO, it looks much better on Fleming.

Korpi

Fleming

I guess it's because lime green and Kiira's hair color don't go well. I also think that that neon color would look nicer as ski wears than for FS costumes.

 

[Justlooking]

What about Tip Tap? Any Ice Dance couple that did it? I guess it's too difficult to do on ice.

Is tip tap the sme as Tap dance? If it is Torvill and dean did one http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85DQB0C_eZY. Doesn t seem difficult for them, they re so fast!

Ans another one ! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3T05...899F3DF30&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=4

 

[dorispulaski]

No problem doris! You've already done a great job listing all those programs.

Tango I don't know, but about flamenco I have my favourites. I remember Lambiel's flamenco which was great IMO, but the best one in the single category is Kurt Browning's Nyah. Obviously Kurt was more free since he did it in a exhibition, so he could drop jumps and spins and do just steps. Lambiel did a good job too considering he had to include all the elements of a LP.

What about Tip Tap? Any Ice Dance couple that did it? I guess it's too difficult to do on ice.

Actually, there is a couple that did a great tap dance. It was Susie Wynne (yes the commentator) and Joe Druar to Hit the Road, Jack & Singing in the Rain! The first and last thirds of the program are tap dance! Hope you like it, gio.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cln6bTkbQE