Davis and White #14 - Better Late Than Sinatra

[~tapdancer~]

?
I thought it suited the mood, since it celebrates the the part of the Dans mon Esmeralda song where the words are:





Charlie is still looking pained, but Meryl is looking transformed, off to heaven.

Works for me.

works for me, too.

[circuscandy]

Works for me, too (too)! They did mention that they were careful to really understand and use the lyrics, so that seems like a lovely example of it. I do enjoy that lift, though, as a signature lift. And if the judges liked it, too, well. Win-win!

[missysays]

Hahahahaha...

Have you guys seen this?

https://twitter.com/Meryl_Davis/stat...238784/photo/1

[Jiazumi]

Hahahahaha...

Have you guys seen this?

https://twitter.com/Meryl_Davis/stat...238784/photo/1

Are they skaters, as well?
OTOH I know Meryl weighs close to nothing, but everything I see that lift, I cringe at the thought of her blade against Charlie's leg. And the new lift in ND, where Meryl slides down Charlie's leg an lies down on his boot, I always think she might go too fast and slide onto the ice and get cut by his boot. Weird, I know (only I think of stuff like this).

[DORISPULASKI]

Someone's uploaded a good copy of the NBC coverage (Tracy Wilson & no Tanith)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGgH-AvxExw

[DORISPULASKI]

Golden Skate did an interview with Meryl and Charlie in 2004

http://www.goldenskate.com/2004/07/d...m-partnership/

The title was "Davis & White In Long Term Partnership"

I guess so!

[mollymgr]

Golden Skate did an interview with Meryl and Charlie in 2004

http://www.goldenskate.com/2004/07/d...m-partnership/

The title was "Davis & White In Long Term Partnership"

I guess so!

Thanks for uncovering that hidden gem. It is so much fun to read this article in 2012. Glad to see that they were just as driven back then as they are now

[mia joy]

Charlie is still looking pained, but Meryl is looking transformed, off to heaven.

Works for me.

I love the idea of one outstanding lift following another as a climax of the dance (not sure how I feel about one of them being the DF signature lift yet, though), but I do wish the fact Esmaralda is dead would be a little more visible. Maybe I've watched Anissina and Peizerat too many times, but in their ex you could definitely tell Esmeralda was dead and Quasimodo was suffering. In Meryl and Charlie's version, not so much. I mean, maybe they just had a different vision of the song, but for me, well, I'd just like to see someone die in the storyline of the dance, I guess

However, I do love it when the "Danse mon Esmeralda" lyrics come up for the first time and they begin their step sequence and Charlie grabs her hand and kind of leads her into it. For me it's a perfect interpretation of the words "dance my Esmeralda". I know it's a tiny thing and perhaps it wasn't even planned to be understood as I understand it, but I still love it.

And seriously, I hope it's the last time they compete in the first and the last GP event. It's been a torture since SA, waiting to see them again. Thank goodness NHK is next week already.

[sap5]

I love the idea of one outstanding lift following another as a climax of the dance (not sure how I feel about one of them being the DF signature lift yet, though), but I do wish the fact Esmaralda is dead would be a little more visible.

Whoa! Until I read your post, I hadn't realized that Esmeralda is supposed to be dead for that entire song! Just from watching their program, I thought she was alive for all of it, and they both die together at the end of the program! Yikes. Yeah, I hope that at NHK, her death is more clear...unless they are doing some different interpretation where she doesn't die, or dies later?

[~tapdancer~]

I had the feeling she was dying in the last section or maybe not at all. I like the suggestion that she was going to heaven and Charlie showing his angst over her dying. That's the interpretation I get the feeling of.

[literaryfreak]

I love the idea of one outstanding lift following another as a climax of the dance (not sure how I feel about one of them being the DF signature lift yet, though), but I do wish the fact Esmaralda is dead would be a little more visible. Maybe I've watched Anissina and Peizerat too many times, but in their ex you could definitely tell Esmeralda was dead and Quasimodo was suffering. In Meryl and Charlie's version, not so much. I mean, maybe they just had a different vision of the song, but for me, well, I'd just like to see someone die in the storyline of the dance, I guess

However, I do love it when the "Danse mon Esmeralda" lyrics come up for the first time and they begin their step sequence and Charlie grabs her hand and kind of leads her into it. For me it's a perfect interpretation of the words "dance my Esmeralda". I know it's a tiny thing and perhaps it wasn't even planned to be understood as I understand it, but I still love it.

I too love the entrance to the step sequence and Meryl's lovely spiral, it's a lovely drawn out movement. I hope they keep it.

But I too was confused that nothing indicated that Esmeralda's dead. Obviously Meryl's still got to skate , but I think the ending would be more powerful if they were at least together, rather than separate. To me, the end pose currently looks like Charlie is showing her off, like "ta daaa," with the pointing, which leaves me .

[mollymgr]

I too love the entrance to the step sequence and Meryl's lovely spiral, it's a lovely drawn out movement. I hope they keep it.

But I too was confused that nothing indicated that Esmeralda's dead. Obviously Meryl's still got to skate , but I think the ending would be more powerful if they were at least together, rather than separate. To me, the end pose currently looks like Charlie is showing her off, like "ta daaa," with the pointing, which leaves me .

I think Marina takes this uplifting rule too seriously which could be part of the issue as indicated by her refusal to let characters portray death in any way, shape or form. This is definitely not an exhibition program where Meryl could get by with pretending to be dead for most of it. I do agree that it would make more sense if they were together in the ending pose like the book/musical.

[~tapdancer~]

I like the ending pose the way they are doing it. I love how Charlie is reaching for her in longing and desire. Not sure if I'm completely sold on Meryl's pose but she does look beautiful doing it.

[circuscandy]

So speaking of the uplifting rule and death, there are quite a few deathly or life-altering dance programs this year. We've got zombies, Notre-Dame with Esmeralda's death, a Carmen who dies, a Carmen who destroys Don José, ...Ghost, the contagious insanity of B/S, the Pygmalion theme with W/P... What am I missing?

It's like they thought all of the polkas would be too happy!

[mollymgr]

So speaking of the uplifting rule and death, there are quite a few deathly or life-altering dance programs this year. We've got zombies, Notre-Dame with Esmeralda's death, a Carmen who dies, a Carmen who destroys Don José, ...Ghost, the contagious insanity of B/S, the Pygmalion theme with W/P... What am I missing?

It's like they thought all of the polkas would be too happy!

I don't know why some coaches(based on some interviews) are so worried because according to the rules, the deduction is for "music" not having an uplifting effect (end of Page 25). The uplifting rule does not apply to the short dance. I challenge a team to create a sorry and depressing polka just for fun.
http://www.usfsa.org/Content/ISUHand...sandJudges.pdf

[sap5]

I don't know why some coaches(based on some interviews) are so worried because according to the rules, the deduction is for "music" not having an uplifting effect (end of Page 25). The uplifting rule does not apply to the short dance. I challenge a team to create a sorry and depressing polka just for fun.
http://www.usfsa.org/Content/ISUHand...sandJudges.pdf

It seems to me that Marina is the only one worried about it.

[Sylvia]

Article about their 3-day collaboration with Alex Wong: http://web.icenetwork.com/news/artic...&vkey=ice_news

[sap5]

Article about their 3-day collaboration with Alex Wong: http://web.icenetwork.com/news/artic...&vkey=ice_news

Thanks for the link, Sylvia! I'm so excited! I really like D/W's SD, but there were a few little balletic details I felt they were missing. I'm glad they felt the same way and recruited assistance! Also excited to see what Alex has done with their FD.

[Jessiebanana]

I love the idea of one outstanding lift following another as a climax of the dance (not sure how I feel about one of them being the DF signature lift yet, though), but I do wish the fact Esmaralda is dead would be a little more visible. Maybe I've watched Anissina and Peizerat too many times, but in their ex you could definitely tell Esmeralda was dead and Quasimodo was suffering. In Meryl and Charlie's version, not so much. I mean, maybe they just had a different vision of the song, but for me, well, I'd just like to see someone die in the storyline of the dance, I guess

However, I do love it when the "Danse mon Esmeralda" lyrics come up for the first time and they begin their step sequence and Charlie grabs her hand and kind of leads her into it. For me it's a perfect interpretation of the words "dance my Esmeralda". I know it's a tiny thing and perhaps it wasn't even planned to be understood as I understand it, but I still love it.

And seriously, I hope it's the last time they compete in the first and the last GP event. It's been a torture since SA, waiting to see them again. Thank goodness NHK is next week already.

Well they do the extreme advantage of their performance being an exhibition. Charlie can't really pull around and carry Meryl for 1/3 of their FD. I love the song too much to see it completely left out though.

[circuscandy]

I challenge a team to create a sorry and depressing polka just for fun.

Maybe if Madi and Zach have the ending of Titanic added to theirs. (I kid, I kid!)

Article about their 3-day collaboration with Alex Wong: http://web.icenetwork.com/news/artic...&vkey=ice_news

I am so pumped to see the progression of these two programs. Their SD for me is such a joyful masterpiece and if they can being even more nuanced movement, I'd be thrilled. I could eat it up as it is.