The Dance Hall 9: Bring the Bling or No Beijing 2021-2022

[Belsornia]

There will be something missing without the Spanish teams next season. Sara has such a presence on the ice, and her strong ideas for what she wanted to do creatively.

I think another season for H/K was always a long shot, even before they left Moscow - and I’m happy that Kirill and his family are able to make this new start in Madrid. But it feels a bit sad that their career ended on the down point of not qualifying for the Olympics.

 

[Sylvia]

Machine translated excerpt (accurate?) from this article about Hurtado's retirement:

Sara Hurtado decide colgar los patines

Sara Hurtado ha tomado la decisión de dejar el patinaje artístico, al menos de manera profesional, después de toda una vida dedicada al hielo. La madrileña, de 29 años, cuelga los

www.marca.com

"... the lack of aid and resources made it unfeasible to continue competing at the highest level. The idea, still to mature, is to start a school together with her last artistic partner, Kirill Jalyavin , so that boys and girls have the opportunity to start in this art. Jalyavin has also decided to end his sports career."

 

[Dobre]

I'm sorry to hear that Hurtado & Khaliavin are retiring (I did hope they would consider continuing); but we had every reason to expect that both teams would be done this season & this is one of the reasons that I just tried to appreciate the skates at Spanish Nationals this year without worrying too much about the results. This partnership was a second chance for both Sara and Kirill, and I'm glad that they took it.

I will miss the Spanish battle between those two teams. Is there any hope for teams to follow in their path ?

It's possible that Olivia and/or Sofia Val may repartner. (Odds are also pretty decent that any new partner might be from another federation & need to sit out a season). It sounds like some of the retiring athletes have hopes of coaching in Spain so fingers crossed that in the long run, there will be a new generation of ice dancers from Spain. That said, kudos to Sara and Adrian. I think we can all appreciate the ground they broke and the unique path they traveled.

 

[Ena Grins]

I love the idea of Sara, Kirill, Adrian, and Madison all coaching (jointly or separately) and guiding in a new and even brighter era of Spanish ice dance.

 

[MsZem]

kudos to Sara and Adrian. I think we can all appreciate the ground they broke and the unique path they traveled.

This is a good time for this classic from Sara and Adrian's first senior season:

Exotic Spanish ice dancers Hurtado and Diaz progress quickly

Spain certainly isn’t a country that you would associate immediately with figure skating, but it has made itself known in the scene. By now, not only single skater Javier Fernandez […]

www.goldenskate.com

Which includes these gems:

• “I said to my coach, ‘I don’t want to jump anymore, I’m just not good enough’, Diaz recalled. “He said, ‘try ice dance’.
• "We begged the Federation for two years, please, please, we want to do ice dance,” Hurtado said.
• “I skated 12 years alone. Now I have to do crossovers and the first thing is – ‘where is she going?'”

 

[Sylvia]

Olivia Smart's photo retrospective: https://www.instagram.com/p/CeOtAeGoHcp/

There are a lot of pictures we collect over the years in a skating career, and there still are so many I would like to share, but these are some extra special ones with the biggest part of our family at @iceacademyofmontreal
Forever grateful for the growth we made as a team along side and because of these amazing people!
See you all back in Montreal soon!

 

[litenkyckling]

I don't know how to link an instagram story here but Madison Hubbell has just shared a post that hints at her starting her coaching career with IAM very soon...

 

[Sylvia]

Madi Hubbell actually mentioned "London, Ontario" and Madi Chock replied "what a coaching vibe" in Stars on Ice's 5/27 Instagram Live from Spokane, WA (after 2-minute mark): https://www.instagram.com/tv/CeFUbxxp6cG/

 

[Debbie S]

I don't know how to link an instagram story here but Madison Hubbell has just shared a post that hints at her starting her coaching career with IAM very soon...

Yes, in the IG Live that she and Madi C did for SOI on Friday night (posted on SOI IG), it was mentioned that Madi H would be moving to London, Ontario and coaching, so we can probably assume she and Adrian will be working alongside Scott.

 

[litenkyckling]

Yes, in the IG Live that she and Madi C did for SOI on Friday night (posted on SOI IG), it was mentioned that Madi H would be moving to London, Ontario and coaching, so we can probably assume she and Adrian will be working alongside Scott.

I think that's an excellent move - I think her life experience and the way she's been so successful, despite Russian coaches trying to push her down and change her, will mean she has a lot to bring for the women athletes there. Can't wait to see the results!

 

[clairecloutier]

Elizaveta Khudaibedieva offered her thoughts on the elimination of the pattern in rhythm dance:

When you found out that the pattern was removed from the rhythm dance, what was your first thought?

Elizaveta Khudaiberdieva: First I exhaled, because rumba is a rather complicated dance, very edgy. We taught it for about three weeks. We were preparing because there were already rumors that there would be a rumba. The first reaction is to exhale, because that would be the keypoint anyway. But then – you don’t understand. How then does rhythm dance differ from free dance? The fact that I don’t touch my partner in twizzles?

Ice dancing is already a super-subjective sport. A pattern part in a rhythm dance is what makes it possible to distinguish a good pair from one that is slightly worse. Because there is a scheme of how it should look, the depth of the edges, the accuracy of the edges, the exact execution and timimg. The difficulty of performing compulsory dances is that all people are different, everyone has a different working leg, but everyone has the same steps. And you must show the skill, show this dance exactly as it is drawn or told at the ISU seminar.

The pattern has criteria for bonuses: speed, musicality, edge, silence. And the choreo element is, in fact, a matter of taste: someone likes it if I stand and do only the choreography with my hands, but someone doesn’t like it. Someone will like that I am making a cart wheel, and someone will say that it is too acrobatic.

Previously, in the partial step sequence, five steps had to be completed clean for each partner to reach the fourth level. A total of 10 steps. And now you need to make a clean four, that is, two for each partner. More than cut in half. Plus, you can choose any step for yourself that is convenient for you.

Elizaveta Khudaiberdieva: “Sport is not for health at all – forget about this. I ate like a normal person and gained six kilos. After that I realized: I’ll eat in the next life. Then I will also take care of my health.”

Interview with ice dancer Elizaveta Khudaiberdieva. About headlines and hate, feminism and eating disorders in the figure skating, innovations in ice dance rules, as well as where to get motivation when there are no international competitions for athletes from Russia.

fs-gossips.com

 

[VGThuy]

Elizaveta Khudaibedieva offered her thoughts on the elimination of the pattern in rhythm dance:

Elizaveta Khudaiberdieva: “Sport is not for health at all – forget about this. I ate like a normal person and gained six kilos. After that I realized: I’ll eat in the next life. Then I will also take care of my health.”

Interview with ice dancer Elizaveta Khudaiberdieva. About headlines and hate, feminism and eating disorders in the figure skating, innovations in ice dance rules, as well as where to get motivation when there are no international competitions for athletes from Russia.

fs-gossips.com

She nailed it.

 

[cocotaffy]

And me who wanted CD back because this is indeed the best way to distinguish between the bests. Don't understand this choice at all by the FSU.

 

[Bigbird]

And me who wanted CD back because this is indeed the best way to distinguish between the bests. Don't understand this choice at all by the FSU.

Ice dance is losing it's credibility has been doing so since they began watering down the compulsory section. It will continue to lose its popularity and will be seen as the shallow trough chosen by those who could not pursue singles or pairs unless you possess the qualities of a P/C or V/M. What is the real problem? Do they need more competent judges? It just doesn't spell sense.

 

[sap5]

And me who wanted CD back because this is indeed the best way to distinguish between the bests. Don't understand this choice at all by the FSU.

Theoretically it’s the best way, but it was never really judged this way? Politics in the CD portion were the absolute worst.

 

[Andrea82]

Kazakova/Reviya are planning to move to Italy (Matteo Zanni) for next season

“Due to the international situation, for our career it will be safer to train in Europe.” Interview with Georgian ice dance duo Maria Kazakova and Georgy Reviya

Interview with Georgian ice dance duo Maria Kazakova and Georgy Reviya. About 2021/22 season, preparation for World Championships and decision to temporary move to train to Italy.

fs-gossips.com

 

[Dobre]

Crossposting here so that I can find this when I update the Summer Dance Drama list:
(Good news is that my new computer is now functioning).

Kirll Aleshin has begun working as a coach in Mishin''s group:

Мишин: ищем формы реализации таланта Алешина в совместной работе

Заслуженный тренер России по фигурному катанию Алексей Мишин, комментируя начавшееся сотрудничество с экс-чемпионом мира среди юниоров в танцах на льду Кириллом РИА Новости Спорт, 03.06.2022

rsport.ria.ru

Anastasia Skoptsova (Skoptcova) "has not yet decided whether she ends her career this off-season, her coach Svetlana Alekseeva told RIA Novosti."

Тренер заявила, что Скопцова еще не определилась с завершением карьеры

Чемпионка мира среди юниоров в танцах на льду Анастасия Скопцова еще не определилась, завершает ли в нынешнее межсезонье карьеру, сообщила РИА Новости ее тренер РИА Новости Спорт, 03.06.2022

rsport.ria.ru

(CC: @Dobre)

 

[Sylvia]

New team (presumably for France) - Masha Alieva & Mathieu Couyras (unlisted video of their Muse FD performance that was filmed by Jordan Cowan on May 7 at an ice show in Delaware): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZcT7JFSILU
The final piece is from Muse's "Collateral Damage" (an altered version of Frédéric Chopin's Nocturne in E-flat Major Op. 9 No. 2 according to https://www.songfacts.com/facts/muse/collateral-damage).

Alieva's photos - 2nd one is with the WISA group last month: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cdg-TOKLMbU/
"Mathieu and I are so grateful for having an opportunity to work with Sylwia Nowak-Trębacka It was such a fun week of training! Thank you @wisa_us for providing us with this opportunity "

ETA that Alieva/Couyras are listed as one of WISA's Senior teams for France: https://wisa.us/academy-skaters/

(On March 13 Cesanek/Yehorov announced they were relocating to MIDA on March 13 so that must have been before WISA's website was last updated.)

 

[Sylvia]

Lucy Hancock, 19, has announced her new partnership with Ilias Fourati, 23, for Hungary: https://www.instagram.com/p/CeaHdzrLO2_/
She previously skated for GBR with Billy Wilson-French: http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00107356.htm
(Wilson-French is now skating with Katarina DelCamp for GBR.)

Emily Monaghan had announced the end of her partnership with Fourati back on October 26, 2021 on her Instagram (currently set to private): https://www.instagram.com/p/CVgOj6MFHbcbJelGH6o9JLjYzyq9kxY8B4Indc0/

After four seasons of a lot of hardwork, good memories, and wonderful accomplishments I now unfortunately, announce the end of Ilias’ and my partnership. We have come a long way together and I am so proud of everything that we have achieved. We have always supported each other and will continue to do in the next steps of our skating careers. I look forward to the future for what is to come.

Monaghan/Fourati's ISU bio: http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00106183.htm

 

[Dobre]

Wilson-French is now skating with Katarina DelCamp for GBR.

Oh, I had missed that. Competing as juniors, I assume.

 

[PRlady]

Oh, I had missed that. Competing as juniors, I assume.

Was she Somerville’s former partner?

 

[Dobre]

Was she Somerville’s former partner?

Yes. She was with Gart after Avonley Nguyen and then with Somerville after Eliana Gropman.

 

[clairecloutier]

Sinitsina/Katsapalov are engaged to be married:

https://twitter.com/figureskatingRu/status/1533727491436826624/photo/1

 

[escaflowne9282]

Sinitsina/Katsapalov are engaged to be married:

https://twitter.com/figureskatingRu/status/1533727491436826624/photo/1

Nice ring.

 

[Bouffantrex]

Ice dance is losing it's credibility has been doing so since they began watering down the compulsory section. It will continue to lose its popularity and will be seen as the shallow trough chosen by those who could not pursue singles or pairs unless you possess the qualities of a P/C or V/M. What is the real problem? Do they need more competent judges? It just doesn't spell sense.

Agreed. With the elimination of the RD pattern, I wager we will see theatrical teams that can't properly skate (ie the Brits, Diana Davis) rocket up the standings. A sad day for fans of pure and organic ice dance.

 

[Karen-W]

Cross-posting this here...

TSL is reporting that Diana Davis will be representing the US... no information about Gleb Smolkin's status.

https://twitter.com/SkatingLesson/status/1533925225745657856?t=T4xQwS-iKYEjFwbT4Ri2pg&s=19

 

[Bouffantrex]

TSL is reporting that Diana Davis will be representing the US... no information about Gleb Smolkin's status.

https://twitter.com/SkatingLesson/status/1533925225745657856?t=T4xQwS-iKYEjFwbT4Ri2pg&s=19

 

[Gris]

Instagram

www.instagram.com

Joti Polizoakis has made a comeback and plans to compete in the next season - Partner and coach are yet to be revealed.

 

[Belsornia]

Joti Polizoakis has made a comeback and plans to compete in the next season - Partner and coach are yet to be revealed.

The senior dance partner market has been extra unbalanced lately, so this is good news!

 

[litenkyckling]

The senior dance partner market has been extra unbalanced lately, so this is good news!

Good news for a certain Spanish ice dancer…