Joubert & Abbott to Try Flamenco

[shine]

Which justifies that the change of program was the right thing to do.
I like this version of Malaguena. I'm a bit sorry if this is the one Brian chose because I'm afraid I will compare him to Stéphane then...

Out of all his SP's, Malaguena is probably my least favourite. I was so glad he changed it to Dralion, because it was the first time that I thought, wow, Stehpane can be voidy! IMO that was the year that he was becoming artistically mature, too.

[caseyedwards]

Um, Takahashi, Brezina, Abbott, Oda, and Kozuka train and are all capable of doing quads. Even without attempting a quad or having a reliable, consistent 3Axel, Patrick Chan with sloppy jumps has been outplacing Joubert in the judges' scorecards due to his PCS and high level 4s on non-jump elements. It's not like Joubert is in any kind of position to be considered the untouchable favorite among the current men, particularly given the very disappointing past couple of seasons he's had.

Takahashi hasn't done a quad since 2008. Brezina never done won in competition, Abbott did two successful ones last season, Oda dropped his last season, Kozuka almost always underrotates. Schultheiss is no where near winning a competition at this point. Joubert will be the only skater in the world with a consistent quad who can also win a competition. That is just what I think.

[Ziggy]

Does it matter who choreographs for Joubert? In the past few years he has really shopped around, buying programs from Yagudin, Platov, several retired ice dancers and working with Lucinda Ruh and some other prominent skaters that I cannot remember. What did we get in the end? The Matrix and Matrix-look-alike.

I try not to judge programs on paper. History does not predict the future. Nevertheless.

That. I am not exactly having high hopes.

With the exit of Lambiel and Plushenko and I don't know what is going to go on with Verner Joubert will be virtually the only skater who can do quads and possibly win competitions! So that is something! I hope his choreography works out well for him and good for him for trying new things every season (even if it may wind up criticized as being easy)!

Takahashi, Reynolds, Van Der Perren, Brezina, Abbott, Schultheiss, Kozuka, Oda, Fernandez, Voronov, Amodio are all capable of performing quadruple jumps with varying degrees of consistency.

Joubert will be the only skater in the world with a consistent quad who can also win a competition. That is just what I think.

That's what your crystal ball told you?

This prediction is based on what? Already forgotten how Joubert skated and placed at Olympics?

[caseyedwards]

Based on what happened at Worlds this year when no one with a quad did as good as Joubert. So I think that makes him the best person with a quad and closest to winning major compeitions. I don't know what will happen next season and if a skater like Chan and Takahashi will add a quad with Joubert level success. I didn't want to get this away from the choreographic angle too much as my original thought was that it is admirable that he was so eager experiment choreographically while also having the best quad in the business at this juncture.

[briancoogaert]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ax4yLTkaK4g

The actual cut of the music that will be used for Jeremy's SP.

Are you sure ? That would be great, that is a beautiful music !

[sk9tingfan]

Are you sure ? That would be great, that is a beautiful music !

Sarah Brannen and Drew Meekins included the link in their tweet this week. I would think that they would have gotten it directly out the "horses mouth". It also shows Najarros dancers performing so I would think that he would have used this cut for choreography

[julieann]

Already forgotten how Joubert skated and placed at Olympics?

One must also remember The Olympics is only one competition out of many that a skater has in their career and for someone like Joubert it didn't go as planned.

Since 2005 he has medaled at every competition except four, TEB in 09 & 08 where he was 4th and the two Olympics where he was 6th and 16th. 16th place at this Olympics was a fluke and no one though going into it that the reigning world bronze medalist would have that place.

[mia joy]

Takahashi, Reynolds, Van Der Perren, Brezina, Abbott, Schultheiss, Kozuka, Oda, Fernandez, Voronov, Amodio are all capable of performing quadruple jumps with varying degrees of consistency.

I think at this point Takahashi is the favourite with quads, not Joubert, even if Brian's quads are the most consistent of all and even if, unlike anyone, he always - I mean ALWAYS - performs a quad in the SP, which hardly anyone besides him does. He's an amazing jumper, but he's not a favourite anymore, with all his coach and choreography problems, considering we now live in the times when it's better to have a strong choreography with no quads than the other way around.
Anyways, I think what caseyedwards means is that Joubert is the only one with whom you can be 100% sure he'll do some quads and about 80% sure those quads will be more or less clean. VDP has awsesome jumps, but will never reach top, talking about Brezina's and Abbott's quads is a bit funny to me, coz I've never seen Brezina perform any in competitions and Abbott perphaps suceeded only on several. Shultheiss is just too rebelled and extravagant (let's say just too cool ) for the judges to ever be placed high, Kozuka and Oda are very inconsistent, although may be a dangerous threat on their best day, Voronov is actually someone I even forgot existed. I think it's not about who can do a quad, it's more about that Joubert is the one whose quads are something you can be sure to see.

[caseyedwards]

I think at this point Takahashi is the favourite with quads, not Joubert, even if Brian's quads are the most consistent of all and even if, unlike anyone, he always - I mean ALWAYS - performs a quad in the SP, which hardly anyone besides him does. He's an amazing jumper, but he's not a favourite anymore, with all his coach and choreography problems, considering we now live in the times when it's better to have a strong choreography with no quads than the other way around.
Anyways, I think what caseyedwards means is that Joubert is the only one with whom you can be 100% sure he'll do some quads and about 80% sure those quads will be more or less clean. VDP has awsesome jumps, but will never reach top, talking about Brezina's and Abbott's quads is a bit funny to me, coz I've never seen Brezina perform any in competitions and Abbott perphaps suceeded only on several. Shultheiss is just too rebelled and extravagant (let's say just too cool ) for the judges to ever be placed high, Kozuka and Oda are very inconsistent, although may be a dangerous threat on their best day, Voronov is actually someone I even forgot existed. I think it's not about who can do a quad, it's more about that Joubert is the one whose quads are something you can be sure to see.

This is exactly right and what I was saying. Joubert may be the only one next season who could do quads very consistently AND win or medal at a competition! But it is true that better to have all triples and even flawed triples and lots of choreo than have a quad and limited choreo. But Joubert reaally tries to do choreo.

[shan]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ax4yLTkaK4g

The actual cut of the music that will be used for Jeremy's SP.

I'm looking forward to seeing this SP! I guess he'll perform it in the show next week?

[reut]

Abbott's SP, from today's "All That Skate":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIHPvKMkrNQ

Definitely Najarro's style could be seen. Movements still don't look natural "on" Jeremy, I think. Maybe because it's still very "fresh". So I will wait till the competitive version to decide if I like it.

[shan]

From Jeremy's twitter:

First outing over... went as well as it could for a 2nd runthrough! Happy to have a starting point! Only up from here!

http://twitter.com/jeremyabbottpcf/status/19337943255

[dinakt]

I am hardly objective as Jeremy's my favorite skater, but I find that SP very beautiful. What gorgeous, precise arms. I think it'll grow into Jeremy more, but even now it is mezmerizing. Of course I recognize characteristic Najarro movements- and it is not easy to repeat them after Stephane put his " stamp" on them. But Jeremy and Stephane have a different body language and expressivity ( though both are among the most expressive skaters the sport has ever seen), so the similar movements don't bother me.
I wish for a better camera angle during the steps... well, the season is young, there'll be more

[shine]

I really liked it! Fantastic choreography! But like he said this is only his third time skating the entire program and the choreography is very complex and takes time to grow into it. The only thing I think he may have a harder time with though is his upper body. I feel he needs more rigidity and a little less supple fluidity. He's known for his very smooth upper body movement so I think a program like this may be against his natural way of moving. I think taking some arm movement out may actually make the program look a bit better! But I'm not disappointed at all!

[millyskate]

I absolutely love Jeremy's music. It's a great program, it works for him

[key65man]

I also think Jeremy can use a bit more staccato strategically placed throughout the program. My apology to Jeremy for I didn't think he could quite pull it off. He already does it well. I may develop a man crush on him as he gets better.

[key65man]

Then, there is Joubert... Remains to be seen...

[centerpt1]

Maybe the arm movements at the beginning need a tweak? Loved it after the first jump. Great music that builds in intensity, as does the movement. Wish I could have seen the footwork more clearly. It will be interesting to watch this develop over the season.

And I think it looks like a mature Jeremy.

[~tapdancer~]

I love Jeremy's new SP. Very mature and the music is amazing. This will be a fantastic competitive SP for him, I hope he nails it every time. I saw him live at SOI and he is so lyrical and smooth which does make it difficult for the staccato movement of a flamenco but I thought it looked great on him and hopefully he will be able to perfect it as the season goes along.

[dots]

Abbott needs more force and attack on some of those turns and upper body movements. There's a lot of potential with that program