Grand Prix of Espoo 2023 - Free Dance “HARD! CHOCK! HALLELUJAH!”

[skipaway]

I'll never understand the raves for this program. It just ends with such a whimper. I just don't get what I'm watching, what vibes they're going for, or what I'm supposed to feel.

Sigh, they are character skaters. They're not P&C and shouldn't skate to artsy abstract concepts.

Snake + Soldier, Alien + Astronaut, Wind + Fire - those are their wheelhouses. No point in straying from that formula for something so bland like this.

Big hand + Little hand?

 

[peibeck]

C/B's lifts go with the music well but aren't as dynamic as they've been in the past. I think they need to find something more dynamic.

 

[Karen-W]

Is Evan’s costume nearly identical to his astronaut outfit?

he only gets like 3 variations of costumes

Hey, at least she gave him some bling on the neck and wrist this time!

 

[skatingguy]

Chock, Madison/Bates, Evan
Coach: M.F. Dubreuil, P. Lauzon, R. Haguenauer
Music: Time, Breathe, Eclipse

Stationary Lift 4
Rotational Lift 4
SyTwW3+SyTwM4 - Madison really struggled through the 2nd twizzle set
OFTW4(3 after review)+OFTM3(2 after review)
Dance Spin 4
Choreo Assisted Jump
Choreo Character Step Sequence
Straight Line Lift 4
DiStW3+DiStM3
Choreo Dance Lift

Struggles on the twizzles for Madison today, and also with the choreographic assisted jump. Did she flash the judges in the full split at Skate America? If so I don't remember that part, or they showed it from a different angle this time.

123.85 = 1st Place
209.46 = 1st Place

 

[~tapdancer~]

he only gets like 3 variations of costumes

All the money goes to her costumes.

 

[LilJen]

Gawd. We need some unretirements, please.

 

[thvu]

Gabby & Guillame, please come back.

 

[topaz]

Well Well, judges using GOE to prop them up in several elements. The speed has not improved. Choreo assisted jump was performed slowly with no ice coverage. Lack of difficult holds.

 

[LilJen]

Gabby & Guillame, please come back.

Yes. I’ll take Hubbell and Donahue, too.

 

[Karen-W]

Gawd. We need some unretirements, please.

Nope, we need more retirements. The top 3+FBS can all retire and I'd be perfectly thrilled.

 

[~tapdancer~]

Whoa, the slow mo replay showed how much Evan struggled with the lift of her standing on his hand (have they done that lift every program for a while now?) He was grimacing big time.

 

[marbri]

Gabby & Guillame, please come back.

Not if they are going to skate the same program for the 10th time

 

[peibeck]

Whoa, the slow mo replay showed how much Evan struggled with the lift of her standing on his hand (have they done that lift every program for a while now?) He was grimacing big time.

Given his multiple back issues, them making it through lifts and spins at all keeps me impressed.

 

[Spikefan]

Gabby & Guillame, please come back.

I’m not a fan of skaters coming back but I also cannot handle Chock/Bates being 2-3 time World Champs.

Yes. I’ll take Hubbell and Donahue, too.

Not until late 2024; however, even pregnant Hubbell would have better speed, edges, twizzles.

 

[BlueRidge]

Time for the young ones to take over!!

 

[Lanie]

Juulia is so lovely, and I am in love with the blue ombre dress.

 

[Spikefan]

Time for the young ones to take over!!

Here come Davis/Smolkin to everyone’s delight.

 

[marbri]

I’m not a fan of skaters coming back but I also cannot handle Chock/Bates being 2-3 time World Champs.


Not until late 2024; however, even pregnant Hubbell would have better speed, edges, twizzles.

They only have one title so far and having seen all the programs to date I think they will struggle for a 2nd, unless she decides to turn herself into fire again

 

[Lanie]

REAL FLAGS! Not on screens! Take that, Skate America!

 

[Rukia]

Here come Davis/Smolkin to everyone’s delight.

bradie tennell how dare you

 

[Private Citizen]

I'm not sure what Chock and Bates have left to prove; probably should have gone out on top.

I like the concept of the program and the first third, but it fizzles at the end. I see the potential wow factor in some of the other moves, like the choreographic lift, but right now it all seems very laboured.

For me, Guignard and Fabbri are the class of the field this season, and Lajoie and Lagha should be the top Canadian team and on the podium at Worlds if they're clean.

 

[Debbie S]

Snake + Soldier, Alien + Astronaut, Wind + Fire - those are their wheelhouses. No point in straying from that formula for something so bland like this.

I would put last year's FD in the abstract category.

I think the program is an interesting concept and has a lot of potential. If skated clean and full-out, it could be amazing. They were just off today. I hope there isn't an illness or injury.

 

[marbri]

Honestly it's not going to happen but at this stage of the season I'd throw Guignard/Fabbri, Gilles/Poirier and Lagja/Lajoie on the worlds podium

 

[VGThuy]

I'll never understand the raves for this program. It just ends with such a whimper. I just don't get what I'm watching, what vibes they're going for, or what I'm supposed to feel.

Sigh, they are character skaters. They're not P&C and shouldn't skate to artsy abstract concepts.

Snake + Soldier, Alien + Astronaut, Wind + Fire - those are their wheelhouses. No point in straying from that formula for something so bland like this.

I agree. Madison Chock is meant to be given some story for her to move in character with. Evan as a junior had some presence but he has been comfortable being regulated as the supporting partner since 2012. It got a little better once they left Igor but not the same level was it was when he was a junior. They themselves just aren’t the type of performers who can rely on their inner personalities to sell a program. Notice how they had to continually change the concept of their FD last season into a more character-based theme.

 

[Karen-W]

I agree. Madison Chock is meant to be given some story for her to move in character with. Evan as a junior had some presence but he has been comfortable being regulated as the supporting partner since 2012. It got a little better once they left Igor but not the same level was it was when he was a junior. They themselves just aren’t the type of performers who can rely on their inner personalities to sell a program. Notice how they had to continually change the concept of their FD last season into a more character-based theme.

They changed the theme of their FD once, between SkAm and NHK, last season. They changed their costumes twice - once when they changed the overall concept and a second time between NHK and the GPF.

 

[Wyliefan]

No dance replay yet! Dangit, Peacock!

 

[VGThuy]

They changed the theme of their FD once, between SkAm and NHK, last season. They changed their costumes twice - once when they changed the overall concept and a second time between NHK and the GPF.

It all felt like a work-in-progress until the GPF/Nationals.

 

[Wyliefan]

Replay up at last! I really love Nadiia and Peter's R&J, even if they got themselves tangled up in semantics about love and friendship. Sometimes you just have to accept that you're portraying archetypes, and keep your mouth shut.

 

[~tapdancer~]

Watching the replay, I really am looking forward to US nats. Z/K and CarPon have completely different types of programs and I love it. That's the greatness of ice dance, the variety of programs. And I just want to say, I have been around since the 80s as a fan and Igor S built US ice dance and I appreciate so much what he has done. I always adore his programs. Beauty and the Beast is beautiful and powerful music and I love seeing a ice dance program to it. Skating is athletic and artistic and fans appreciate powerful music as well as the subtle. It was and is my favorite skating discipline.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

Starting to watch this now as I’ve gotten sidetracked with pairs and women

So I like the program a lot of the second finn team and being that I’m from Chicago so I get this musical and I’m someone who’s not into musicals but to nitpick as dick would say I wish they would take the choreography of this even further. I like that they use the queen Latifah when you’re good to mama and Renée Zellweger’s finale nowadays / hot honey rag I just wish they would take the choreography even deeper