"Ice Age"-The Battle of Stars on Ice

[lauravvv]

All of the skaters I mentioned, except Averbukh, have done reality shows within the past 5 years. Berezhnaya was on Battle of the Blades 2011 and is an excellent shape. Krylova skated in shows in 2010 with Goncharov. Anissina and Grushina have had babies, but then again so has Domnina even more recently.

I think you'd be pleasantly surprised seeing the skaters get themselves back in shape for these shows. Anna Semenovich skates well (for exhibition level, not competition level) after years of being a pop singer.I know about Berezhnaya - I didn't mean her specifically. And I also know that Krylova has been skating recently and is in good shape - but she is too busy now for such a long show. Anna Semenovich has still been skating regularly in 'Ice Age' and 'Ice and Fire' shows, so she is okay. But I am not sure about the other skaters, because I don't know how much practice they have had in the recent years.

[vivika1982]

I know about Berezhnaya - I didn't mean her specifically. And I also know that Krylova has been skating recently and is in good shape - but she is too busy now for such a long show. Anna Semenovich has still been skating regularly in 'Ice Age' and 'Ice and Fire' shows, so she is okay. But I am not sure about the other skaters, because I don't know how much practice they have had in the recent years.

Being a new mom never was a problem for figure skaters so Anissina,Grebenkina or Grushina may take a part in the next show/ hopefuly this won't be the last and only show of this kind/. Being active coach to a competitive skaters with 2014 OG around the corner is another thing and it will be difficult for Krylova and Platov for example to participate but not impossible because for few months their students can train in Russia. I also wish to see Yagudin,Grishchuk, Gordeeva and Kulik in the show .
As for the "original pairs" I didn't mean it per se .It was how they appeared in their first performance and since Averbukh and Zhulin are the coaches and Grushina and Novitsky unfortunately didn't take a part Lobacheva and Khkhlova's partners for the first episode become Goncharov and Vitaly Novikov instead.Later everybody will change partners. :)

[sykr]

I think for exemple Anissina would like to take part in this or similar show, but Averbukh may isn't excited to invite her and in addition, her husband has some problems with the 1st channel. Grushina is married to one of the main stars of Rossia channel which may is a problem as well. Grebenkina skated also only in the show of Rossia, if I remember correctly. I have no idea about the other skaters and I don't know if I'm right, I'm just guessing.
But I agree it would be great to see another skaters to take part...I have no problem with N/K, D/V,... but it's true their're doing the show for many years now and it starts to be boring...not because of the format, but because we watch the same faces all the time. I'd love to see Grishuk, Anissina,...

[OrioleBeagle]

Do the skaters skate with their original partners or do they skate with someone else's parter?

[Kasey]

I think the concept is in the first show, they skate with their original partners (with the exception of Lobacheva/Goncharev and Khoklova/Novikov, since the full teams of these pairings are not in the show), then weekly or with some frequency rotate partners. (i.e., Staviski may eventually end up with Khoklova, Marinin with Navka, etc)

[OrioleBeagle]

I think the concept is in the first show, they skate with their original partners (with the exception of Lobacheva/Goncharev and Khoklova/Novikov, since the full teams of these pairings are not in the show), then weekly or with some frequency rotate partners. (i.e., Staviski may eventually end up with Khoklova, Marinin with Navka, etc)

Thanks!

[lauravvv]

I think the concept is in the first show, they skate with their original partners (with the exception of Lobacheva/Goncharev and Khoklova/Novikov, since the full teams of these pairings are not in the show), then weekly or with some frequency rotate partners. (i.e., Staviski may eventually end up with Khoklova, Marinin with Navka, etc)I don't think that they will rotate partners all the time. Most likely, they will swap partners just once, and that's how they're going to stay until the end. Otherwise, there's no use giving them marks, as it would mean that judges would be judging a different pair each time (or even each dance, if they swap partners weekly), and a winning pair wouldn't be possible. I think the idea in such a show is for skaters of the newly formed pair to get used to each other gradually and to show some kind of growth accordingly (artistically and even technically as they get more comfortable with each other). Besides, it's very likely that the first shooting was just an opening show, and pairs didn't get any marks for those performances - that's how it's always been in Averbukh's shows (except 'Bolero', which was made as short as possible for several reasons). Maybe I am wrong, but that's my guess.

[vivika1982]

I don't think that they will rotate partners all the time. Most likely, they will swap partners just once, and that's how they're going to stay until the end. Otherwise, there's no use giving them marks, as it would mean that judges would be judging a different pair each time (or even each dance, if they swap partners weekly), and a winning pair wouldn't be possible. I think the idea in such a show is for skaters of the newly formed pair to get used to each other gradually and to show some kind of growth accordingly (artistically and even technically as they get more comfortable with each other). Besides, it's very likely that the first shooting was just an opening show, and pairs didn't get any marks for those performances - that's how it's always been in Averbukh's shows (except 'Bolero', which was made as short as possible for several reasons). Maybe I am wrong, but that's my guess.

The teams did get scores in the first show and they,ve changed partners more than once during the training session but you are right about everything else and until there is an official announcement about the rules of the show nothing is certain.

[lauravvv]

The teams did get scores in the first show and they,ve changed partners more than once during the training session but you are right about everything else and until there is an official announcement about the rules of the show nothing is certain.Thank you for the information/correction. As for changing partners during the trainings before the show - it's nothing unusual in itself. Before all the previous projects some skaters and stars (or ballerinas) also changed patners during the trainings, until they found the ones whom they were most comfortable with. Probably this time it was done in a more organized way in order to form the best possible pairings, and that doesn't mean that they will do the same during the show. I can't say that I understand the judging system if the skaters first received marks with their original partners and later will receive them with other partners, but we'll just have to wait and see.

[Kasey]

How much would they really have changed partners, by this point? You have 10 pairs, and all but two of them are partnerships that have been together 10, 15 years. I doubt that there was much changing of partnerships in the pre-show setup at this point.

[vivika1982]

How much would they really have changed partners, by this point?


Constantly as far as i understood. As for the first show most of the numbers were already skated in "Disco City" and "City Lights" or earlier with little additions and editing.
Few examples:
Drobiazko/Vanagas
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBTFCK8oVUQ
Leonova/Khvalko
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuosvN2eBkU
Denkova/Staviski
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZ_j_QlSIRw
Totmyanina/Marinin
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDULoPMEDos

[sunhillow]

I can't say that I understand the judging system if the skaters first received marks with their original partners and later will receive them with other partners - lauravvv



Hmmmm. Well, if for example, Drobiazko and Vanagas scored 12.00 this could be halved and they could be given 6.00 points each. If, for example Leonova and Khvalko scored 11.90 this could be halved and they could be given 5.95 points each. That way the skaters could change partners every week and each skater could build up their own personal score as the weeks went by. A total guess on my part but it's fun to conjecture about these things. :D Does anyone have any other theory?

[lauravvv]

Hmmmm. Well, if for example, Drobiazko and Vanagas scored 12.00 this could be halved and they could be given 6.00 points each. If, for example Leonova and Khvalko scored 11.90 this could be halved and they could be given 5.95 points each. That way the skaters could change partners every week and each skater could build up their own personal score as the weeks went by. A total guess on my part but it's fun to conjecture about these things.Actually, I thought about it too, but it seemed quite unlikely to me. But if there are at least two of us who got this idea, then probably it's not so unlikely at all :).

I also thought a bit more about the original pairs getting marks for their old programs, and I have to say that I find it a bit strange. Acknowledged and experienced professionals suddenly being judged for their technique in a TV show? Programs that have already been well received by thousands of viewers suddenly judged for artistry? It's not quite the same as newly formed and, therefore, probably imperfect pairs and especially made programs being judged for technique and artistry - which is what should happen in such a TV show, imho. No, actually I can even imagine it - Navka gets praised for her "amazing speed", even though she and Kostomarov (as a pair) haven't done any difficult lifts in their programs for years (it must be about Navka, since Kostomarov has been doing plenty of difficult lifts with his unprofessional show partners), and it suddenly turns out that Denkova and Staviski, two times world champions, are good for nothing (Navka being the absolute favourite and Staviski one of the constant whipping-boys) :eek: :lol: , and so on. I really hope not - after all, there were Tchaikovskaya and Bestemyanova and Bobrin in the jury besides the usual Tarasova and Sikharulidze.

[vivika1982]

There are some answers from Iya Averbukh to your guessing about the scoring and etc. in Ice Symphony's Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/#!/icesymphony.ru/posts/292610384119302

I translated only the part that clears some of the rules :


20 participants of the show ''Ice Age. Cup of the professionals " will form 10 pairs. However, the pairings will change , and each participant will look forward to collect as many points for his own benefit . Performances are evaluated by judges on a 6-point scale, separately for technique and artistry. The overall total score obtained for a pair’s presentation, becomes an asset of each member of the pair. In this way, after all performances the best male and female partners will be determined and would become the winners of the show. Participants will compete also for audience’s vote. As a result of the audience voting,the best female and male partners will be announced and they will receive the Audience Award.

[lauravvv]

There are some answers from Iya Averbukh to your guessing about the scoring and etc. in Ice Symphony's Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/#!/icesymphony.ru/posts/292610384119302

I translated only the part that clears some of the rules :Thank you for the link and for the translation (in the name of those who don't understand Russian - fortunately, I am not one of them :)). So, sunhillow was right about the scoring system, except, marks won't be divided in halves between two partners, but will be shared. I must say that I would have liked constant pairs better - I am used to falling in love/symphatizing with particular pairs and feeling for them. But this will be something new and interesting, and probably better than I am imagining right now.