Virtue and Moir #22 - To Russia with love

[Proustable]

For me, I have admired the technical demands of CoP dance, but I have longed, and longed, and longed for the artistry of the 6.0 days. Carmen is a marriage of the two, really. I said this after the debut at SC, but this program is a masterpiece and a winner no matter what scoring system you're using to evaluate it by. IJS, 6.0... it doesn't matter. It's incredible either way.

While there is no denying that the best 6.0 dances are artistic, I tend to think that the artistry of the 6.0 days was overrated. Pick two seasons: one COP and one 6.0, and I believe I'll find as many artistic dances in each.

[Macassar88]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eHFR04GGM0&feature=plcp
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpqbucv6_kI&feature=plcp
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mNGXcgxq60&feature=plcp

Here you go. The "camerawork" is bad, sorry about that, I had lots of heads in front of me and I was trying to maneuver it as best I could. I only recorded T&S's answers, the rest was spoken in Russian and anyway, I wasn't even sure I could upload it because of the sound quality.

Ooh you're part of the press? That's so cool! Do you ever get to ask questions?

[Macassar88]

http://visualrian.ru/en/images/zooms/RIAN_1285325.jpg

Interesting pic of the last rotational lift

[Bue]

Sorry guys no idea how to make a video but I just watched the British Eurosport coverage on Sky+ and here's what the guys said (edited a bit). It's your typical Simon and Nicky stuff!

They didn't talk during the performance. Afterwards:

Simon: Well if there was a flaw there I didn't spot it. It look to the untrained eye faultless. [takes one to know one, Simon ]
Nicky: I loved this at SC... Tatiana Tarasova standing... that was ballet on ice and drama, such drama, technical difficulty. But gosh, she's sinewy, she's sexy, she's provocative, she is Carmen out there. It's amazing to me. Fantastic.
Simon: And she's Katy Perry. [Way to lower the tone, Simon!] She's got it all. But they do seem to be getting better and better.
Nicky: [Something about how he hadn't spotted she looked like KP, because to him she had become Carmen.] And it gets to me sometimes that it's ballet on ice but it's all about this thing I bat on about, it's the relationship between the couple, it's the story, never losing that focus. And here in Russia, this is where they so appreciate that.
[Then they talk about Bestiamanova and Bukin doing Carmen 20 some years ago and now Tessa and Scott building on that.]
Nicky: And I'm just so encouraged people can get to the level where they can take that framework and make it art.
Simon: [Talks about how they were underwhelmed with their marks at SC.] They're perfectionists of course, that's what makes them the best in the world.
Nicky: In a way I don't care what the judges give it because I thought it was fantastic. Are we on air at the moment, should I not have said that?!
Simon: [Chit chat about marks] Undefeated. Unbeatable? We shall see.

Hopefully someone will post the video soon!

[Bue]

I only don't like one part of the dance, the part she tripped on at SC & Tessa came close to the same mistake here too, when she flips her legs over cause the back part of her blade clips the ice & trips her up a bit, not sure why they kept it but hopefully the change that small part for the GPF.

This. I am not convinced it looked like it was supposed to here either? It's far too messy.

[IoanaC]

Ooh you're part of the press? That's so cool! Do you ever get to ask questions?

Yes, I had a press accreditation. I could have asked questions but, to be honest, I just wanted to enjoy their presence there, and the fact that they looked optimistic and confident about the program. They know it will take a lot of work, but it's obvious that they love it and love skating it.

Bue, you're right, that move isn't supposed to look like that. They did it well in practice, but it's quite tricky. I love it, I feel it somehow mirrors Scott's kick in the beginning, but if they still can't make it work in every performance, they might have to change it.

The gala was quite good. They began with all four medal ceremonies - I have no idea why they organized it like that, instead of the traditional way, after every event. It felt a bit anti-climactic. It's a pity that there weren't so many people in the audience as I had expected. However, it's interesting (in a good way!) that the Russian people prefer the competition to the gala. Usually it's the other way around. The arena here is Olympic-size and yesterday it was almost full. It gave me hope that the future of figure skating doesn't depend entirely on the Asian audience.
Tessa and Scott skated to Hallelujah (wonderful as usual) and, since all the gold medallists had to perform an encore, they did the diag step sequence and the finale from the FD. The funniest thing was to watch Tessa, in her delicate Mahler-like white dress, suddenly switch to fierce Carmen mode and breath fire in the end! The audience clapped all along and by the time they got to the rotational lift, people were basically howling. When they'll skate it in London, I fear we might not even hear the music anymore...
By the way, the step sequence looked great, wider and with more attack than yesterday. Which means they just have to manage those nerves better, and they'll be fine.

[Macassar88]

Yes, I had a press accreditation. I could have asked questions but, to be honest, I just wanted to enjoy their presence there, and the fact that they looked optimistic and confident about the program. They know it will take a lot of work, but it's obvious that they love it and love skating it.

Bue, you're right, that move isn't supposed to look like that. They did it well in practice, but it's quite tricky. I love it, I feel it somehow mirrors Scott's kick in the beginning, but if they still can't make it work in every performance, they might have to change it.

The gala was quite good. They began with all four medal ceremonies - I have no idea why they organized it like that, instead of the traditional way, after every event. It felt a bit anti-climactic. It's a pity that there weren't so many people in the audience as I had expected. However, it's interesting (in a good way!) that the Russian people prefer the competition to the gala. Usually it's the other way around. The arena here is Olympic-size and yesterday it was almost full. It gave me hope that the future of figure skating doesn't depend entirely on the Asian audience.
Tessa and Scott skated to Hallelujah (wonderful as usual) and, since all the gold medallists had to perform an encore, they did the diag step sequence and the finale from the FD. The funniest thing was to watch Tessa, in her delicate Mahler-like white dress, suddenly switch to fierce Carmen mode and breath fire in the end! The audience clapped all along and by the time they got to the rotational lift, people were basically howling. When they'll skate it in London, I fear we might not even hear the music anymore...
By the way, the step sequence looked great, wider and with more attack than yesterday. Which means they just have to manage those nerves better, and they'll be fine.

Reminds me of Farrucas - from the last step sequence to the end, you couldn't hear the music because the audience was cheering so loud (I wasn't there, but I have one video of it that hasn't been edited for sound)

[girlscouse62]

I don't really care that the Brit commentators are not as knowledgeable as some of us would like. I love that they love T/S and appreciate so much of the artistry and difficulty of their work. Wasn't Nicky an ice dancer at the same time as T/D?

[aka_gerbil]

While there is no denying that the best 6.0 dances are artistic, I tend to think that the artistry of the 6.0 days was overrated. Pick two seasons: one COP and one 6.0, and I believe I'll find as many artistic dances in each.

Find me consecutive seasons as good as the age where U/Z, K/P, and the Duschenney's were all competing.

[Lissa]

Sorry guys no idea how to make a video but I just watched the British Eurosport coverage on Sky+ and here's what the guys said (edited a bit). It's your typical Simon and Nicky stuff!

They didn't talk during the performance. Afterwards:

Simon: Well if there was a flaw there I didn't spot it. It look to the untrained eye faultless. [takes one to know one, Simon ]
Nicky: I loved this at SC... Tatiana Tarasova standing... that was ballet on ice and drama, such drama, technical difficulty. But gosh, she's sinewy, she's sexy, she's provocative, she is Carmen out there. It's amazing to me. Fantastic.
Simon: And she's Katy Perry. [Way to lower the tone, Simon!] She's got it all. But they do seem to be getting better and better.
Nicky: [Something about how he hadn't spotted she looked like KP, because to him she had become Carmen.] And it gets to me sometimes that it's ballet on ice but it's all about this thing I bat on about, it's the relationship between the couple, it's the story, never losing that focus. And here in Russia, this is where they so appreciate that.
[Then they talk about Bestiamanova and Bukin doing Carmen 20 some years ago and now Tessa and Scott building on that.]
Nicky: And I'm just so encouraged people can get to the level where they can take that framework and make it art.
Simon: [Talks about how they were underwhelmed with their marks at SC.] They're perfectionists of course, that's what makes them the best in the world.
Nicky: In a way I don't care what the judges give it because I thought it was fantastic. Are we on air at the moment, should I not have said that?!
Simon: [Chit chat about marks] Undefeated. Unbeatable? We shall see.

Hopefully someone will post the video soon!

Thanks for this, I just wish someone had the British Eurosport coverage up on YT, it's always up not long after but still nothing...

[Twilight1]

Find me consecutive seasons as good as the age where U/Z, K/P, and the Duschenney's were all competing.

I think nostalgia is kicking in here. I do not believe that all 3 teams were amazing every year when they were the top teams. Each team seemed to have their stand outs much like the skaters today. I thought 2005-2007 were a couple great years for programs in ice dance. I also think code of points has been used an excuse long enough to not put any creative thought into the programs. There are plenty of examples in this era of beautiful skating within the CoP system. IE; D&W's Indian OD, D&S Frida, D&L's Somewhere in time, At Last, V&M's Pink Floyd, their 2011 FD and now Carmen.

Even in 1997, G&P, K&O, A&P and B&K had great programs from 1996-1998. ( well B&K's OD's sucked)

[marikat]

Thanks for this, I just wish someone had the British Eurosport coverage up on YT, it's always up not long after but still nothing...

SD http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvJb07GbSOU&feature=plcp

[Cherub721]

Tessa and Scott skated to Hallelujah (wonderful as usual) and, since all the gold medallists had to perform an encore, they did the diag step sequence and the finale from the FD. The funniest thing was to watch Tessa, in her delicate Mahler-like white dress, suddenly switch to fierce Carmen mode and breath fire in the end! The audience clapped all along and by the time they got to the rotational lift, people were basically howling. When they'll skate it in London, I fear we might not even hear the music anymore...

That sounds awesome! With that dress I wonder why they didn't just do a bit from the SD, lol.

Thanks for that since it's the only report on the gala I've seen... would love to hear your impressions of the others also.

[Judy]

I was away for the weekend so just catching up .. saw someone post that Igor had made a comment about the judging and Carmen? What was that about?

[bmcg]

I was away for the weekend so just catching up .. saw someone post that Igor had made a comment about the judging and Carmen? What was that about?

Not sure where a link is now but I think it's referring to answers Igor gave in an interview after Skate Canada where he timed their SD lift off a youtube video and thought they should have had a time deduction. The when asked the inevitable question about the two Carmen FDs said he spoke to judges and they preferred C&Ls version. No mention of how many judges he polled

[Twilight1]

Just rehashing what Igor had said last week after Skate Canada

[Judy]

okay I missed that? I don't remember reading anything negative.

[marikat]

Hallelujah + encore http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6UM5...ature=youtu.be

[sap5]

SD http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvJb07GbSOU&feature=plcp

Thanks! I think the trouble I have with the SD is the waltz is inward-focused, while the polka is outward-focused. Either they should dance the polka with that inward-focus as well, or develop the storyline so that we know that the polka is done at a public dance while the rest of the FD tells their private story. I get a Downton Abbey sort of feel from it, so it could be believable that the polka is the dance they do together when they first meet in public after the initial attraction, but the way the choreo is before the polka, it's not very clear.

[Lissa]

Hallelujah + encore http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6UM5...ature=youtu.be

Yay thanks, the FD should be coming shortly I assume!