U.S. Ice Dance 2016/17 season - news & updates

[Sylvia]

The first major club competition of the new season in U.S. ice dance is the Chesapeake Open, Thursday & Friday, June 23-24, 2016, hosted by the Baltimore FSC at the Gardens Ice House in Laurel, Maryland. Link to the competition thread in Kiss & Cry (includes the U.S. & international teams and the event schedule): http://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/index.php?threads/2016-chesapeake-open-june-22-25-incl-dance.98733/
(Note: The Kiss & Cry section is open to all until July 1st; after that a FSU season pass or subscription will be required.)

Here are all the U.S. dance team entries [2016 Nationals placements added]:

SENIOR
Charlotte Maxwell / Ryan Devereaux [S8 at 2016 U.S. Nationals]
Kseniya Ponomaryova / Oleg Altukhov [S11]
Elicia Reynolds / Stephen Reynolds [S13]

JUNIOR (* = currently listed in ISP & eligible for JGP selection)
*Christina Carreira / Anthony Ponomarenko [J4]
*Chloe Lewis / Logan Bye [J6]
*Eliana Gropman / Ian Somerville [J7]
Caroline Green / Gordon Green [N1]
Emma Gunter / Caleb Wein [N2]
Elizabeth Addas [J11] / Michael Valdez (NEW)
Alina Efimova [J9] / Sasha Petrov (NEW)

NOVICE
Sophia Elder / Christopher Elder [N3]
Gianna Buckley / J.T. Michel [N4]
Allie Rose / Spencer Emerson [N8]
Leah Krauskopf / Caleb Niva [N9]
Claire Purnell / Luke Purnell [N11]
Cherri Chen / YuanShi Jin [N12]
Elizabeth Tkachenko / Alexei Kiliakov [Int1]
Isabella Amoia / Cory Fraiman [Int3]
Jordan Lin / Morgan Sletten [Int4]
Isabel Blahunka / Will Shawver [Int5]
Byrdee Darling / Ryan O'Donnell
Molly Cesanek [N5] / Nikolay Usanov [N7] (NEW)
Caroline Liu / John Carlson [Int8] (NEW)

INTERMEDIATE
Layla Grace Karnes / Jeffrey Chen [Juv1]
Maria Soldatova / Faddey Soldatov [Juv2]
Claire Cain / Andrei Davydov [Juv3]
Paulina Brykalova / Daniel Brykalov [Juv5]
Olivia Sebastiani / Dillon Berry [Juv6]
Anna Pettersson / TJ Carey [E-Int6]
Maria Brown / Marius Driscoll [M-Juv5]
Emma Blanchette / Alexander Colucci [M-Juv7]
Dana Vulaj / Volodymyr Patsukevych (NEW)
Cordelia Pride / Benjamin Lawless (NEW)

JUVENILE
Nastia Efimova / Jonathan Zhao [Juv7]
Alice Serbin / Kenan Slevira [Juv9]
Sabrina Foti / Christian Bennett [E-Juv6]
Elliana Peal / Ethan Peal [M-Juv8]
Sarah Dutton / Emmett King [M-Juv9]
Julia Bennett / Jim Wang
Annika Bjorklund / Anthony Haddad
Veronica Chunikhin / Maxim Korotcov
Anna Zakharov / Maximilian Belyantsev
Rebecca Ogorodnikov / Matthew Sperry

The U.S. Figure Skating National Dance Camp takes place here afterwards, June 25-26, 2016: "Teams [in ISP] will receive on ice technical feedback, one on one sport performance sessions and on ice performance sessions."

---

Results (Novice PD, Intermediate PD/FD & Juvenile PD) from the 2016 Edward G. Picken Dance Classic on June 4 are posted in the photos section of IDC's FB page: https://www.facebook.com/icedancecom/photos/?tab=album&album_id=10153697546322939

The Lake Placid Ice Dance Championships and ISU International (for Senior/Junior/Adv. Novice teams) are scheduled for July 27-30, 2016.

 

[Marta24]

Pogrebinsky and Benoit are moving up to Seniors.

http://www.ice-dance.com/site/pogrebinsky-benoit-set-their-sights-on-long-term-goals/

 

[breathesgelatin]

Pogrebinsky and Benoit are moving up to Seniors.

http://www.ice-dance.com/site/pogrebinsky-benoit-set-their-sights-on-long-term-goals/

Interesting! Not what I would've expected. Thought they might've tried for US Junior championship, making the JGP final, etc.

They are #31 on the Season's Best list so no guarantee of a placement on the senior GP... I guess it's possible but Ice Dance seems the hardest to get a spot these days - just not enough to go around. Would the US assign them a host spot to Skate America?? There seem to be other more senior teams that might "need" that spot. Maybe they'll just do the Challenger circuit. Interested to see what happens.

Do we have official confirmation about what McNamara/Carpenter and the Parsons are doing?

 

[clairecloutier]

It's certainly interesting that the U.S. #3 junior team is announcing a move to seniors before teams #1/#2 do. I wonder if P/B may have heard some unofficial info (namely, that one or both Wheaton teams is staying junior).

P/B are a pretty tall, mature-looking team. That should help them in the move up to seniors.

Senior dance is going to be even more competitive at Nationals next year!

 

[Moustaffask8r]

Interesting! Not what I would've expected. Thought they might've tried for US Junior championship, making the JGP final, etc.

They are #31 on the Season's Best list so no guarantee of a placement on the senior GP... I guess it's possible but Ice Dance seems the hardest to get a spot these days - just not enough to go around. Would the US assign them a host spot to Skate America?? There seem to be other more senior teams that might "need" that spot. Maybe they'll just do the Challenger circuit. Interested to see what happens.

Do we have official confirmation about what McNamara/Carpenter and the Parsons are doing?

Try US Championship...how can they do that with M/C
Plus this year they had C/P moving up and improving significantly, who knows maybe they wouldn't have made it to junior world!
Smart move! From what we heard the other two are planning on sticking in Junior! So P/G will have senior experience before the other two move up. There is no guaranty that your junior career will help you in senior....look at Y/M , junior world Champ and they're not together anymore.
Good! At least those two have the guts! I gave them a +3 on this one!

 

[Dobre]

Pogrebinsky & Benoit have options. She is Ukrainian.

 

[Moustaffask8r]

Pogrebinsky & Benoit have options. She is Ukrainian.

Seriously! What are you talking about!
That means she would have to sit out one full year.
And you seriously think that USFSA would release them?

 

[Jammers]

M/C saying Junior is the most idiotic thing they could ever do. Do they want to stay Juniors forever? How many times have they competed as Juniors at Nationals? A decade? Move up already you have nothing more to prove or achieve time to take the next step and skate with the big boys and girls. I credit P/B and their coaches for taking a risk and moving up to bad M/C and their coaches seem happy staying where they are and not challenging themselves if they don't move up.

 

[Sylvia]

Do they want to stay Juniors forever?

Well, no, they [M/C] can't stay Junior forever even if they wanted to.

ETA: McNamara/Carpenter's first Nationals at the Junior level was in 2011 when she was 11-almost-12 and he was 14-almost-15. In their 6 U.S. National Junior appearances, they placed 9th, 3rd, 3rd, 2nd, 1st, 1st.

Do we have official confirmation about what McNamara/Carpenter and the Parsons are doing?

No.

 

[Moustaffask8r]

M/C saying Junior is the most idiotic thing they could ever do. Do they want to stay Juniors forever? How many times have they competed as Juniors at Nationals? A decade? Move up already you have nothing more to prove or achieve time to take the next step and skate with the big boys and girls. I credit P/B and their coaches for taking a risk and moving up to bad M/C and their coaches seem happy staying where they are and not challenging themselves if they don't move up.

My guess is if they didn't say anything they're staying junior!

 

[cheerknithanson]

Perhaps McNamara/Carpenter are keeping it a secret and we'll have to see once the GP assignments come out. Or Senior B. Either way, we know in the 2017-2018 season, they and the Parsons will HAVE to go to seniors.

And I somewhat agree. M/C literally had the perfect season. There's NOTHING more that can top that for juniors. NOTHING. They've proven themselves that with their skills they can compete against seniors. Though we actually haven't seen them compete at the senior level at all, they LOOK like a senior team among juniors. Like it's good to do it now so when the Olympics come and they go to the 4CC, they'll be ready to show they're a threat (Hopefully).

 

[Chemistry66]

Perhaps McNamara/Carpenter are keeping it a secret and we'll have to see once the GP assignments come out. Or Senior B. Either way, we know in the 2017-2018 season, they and the Parsons will HAVE to go to seniors.

And I somewhat agree. M/C literally had the perfect season. There's NOTHING more that can top that for juniors. NOTHING. They've proven themselves that with their skills they can compete against seniors. Though we actually haven't seen them compete at the senior level at all, they LOOK like a senior team among juniors. Like it's good to do it now so when the Olympics come and they go to the 4CC, they'll be ready to show they're a threat (Hopefully).

Yeah, I can see them submitting their names for GP consideration and waiting to see if they get 2 assignments before making a decision official.

 

[Jammers]

Even if they don't get two assignments they would most likely get at least one Senior B so i think it's worth it to move up. There is nothing to gain staying Junior and if anything they could hurt themselves by not being as dominant as they were last season.

 

[VGThuy]

Does it really matter what happens to them as Juniors though? The Shibs won Junior Worlds silver in 2009. Due to Maia's age, they stayed Junior in 2010 and went down and placed 4th at Junior Worlds. Then in their Senior debut the next season, they won a World bronze over the junior team that beat them the year before and the other junior team that dominated them in 2009.

 

[mgobluegirl]

Does it really matter what happens to them as Juniors though? The Shibs won Junior Worlds silver in 2009. Due to Maia's age, they stayed Junior in 2010 and went down and placed 4th at Junior Worlds. Then in their Senior debut the next season, they won a World bronze over the junior team that beat them the year before and the other junior team that dominated them in 2009.

I'd say that was more an exception than the general rule, though. The Shibs had a hard time duplicating their worlds debut, and didn't win another medal until this year. That's a 5-year gap.

 

[VGThuy]

But that wasn't due to them staying Junior for too long.

 

[Dobre]

Random facts:

Of the 35 Junior Worlds dance gold medal-winning teams listed on Wikipedia (those dating back to 1976), only two teams have gone on to win gold at Senior Worlds:
Domnina & Shabalin (won their first & only senior medal 6 years out of juniors)
Virtue & Moir (won their first senior medal 2 years out of juniors)

Of all the Junior Worlds medalists in dance listed (I count 96), I believe 9 teams have gone on to medal at Senior Worlds:
The two teams listed above +
Belbin & Agosto (won their first senior medal 3 years later)
Delobel & Schoenfelder (won their first & only senior medal twelve years later)
Davis & White (won their first senior medal 4 years later)
Bobrova & Soloviev (won their first & currently only senior medal 6 years later)
Weaver & Poje (won their first senior medal 7 years later)
Maia & Alex Shibutani (won their first senior medal 1 year later)
Papadakis & Cizeron (won their first senior medal 2 years later)

Five of these nine teams are scheduled to go head-to-head against each other this season! Definitely a more recent phenomenon.

Face it, they are all the exception. Most junior dance teams split. If McNamara & Carpenter can stay together (my fingers are crossed), they will be an exception themselves. Whether they move up now or later.

 

[analia]

M&C doesn't excite me. They always skate to warhorses and that POTO program was depressing to watch. They looked good at Junior Worlds but I thought Yanovskaya/Mozgov looked better the year before, and then it became consensus that Y/M was a lot slower than most second tier senior dance teams. There is no real way to tell if any team is senior ready, especially when senior field is very stacked right now. They both look on the young side as well, kind of like Sinitsina/Zhiganshin when they first came out of junior.

 

[Moustaffask8r]

M&C doesn't excite me. They always skate to warhorses and that POTO program was depressing to watch. They looked good at Junior Worlds but I thought Yanovskaya/Mozgov looked better the year before, and then it became consensus that Y/M was a lot slower than most second tier senior dance teams. There is no real way to tell if any team is senior ready, especially when senior field is very stacked right now. They both look on the young side as well, kind of like Sinitsina/Zhiganshin when they first came out of junior.

I so agree with you... That Carmen program was awful....people often criticized Shpilband and Zueva for their choreography and the redondant music choice ....well, coaches in DC are not better! Phantom of the Opera, Roemeo and Juliet, Carmen.....need I have to say more.
As for them moving up to senior I guess we will know next week...after Chesapeake.

 

[thvu]

M&C doesn't excite me. They always skate to warhorses and that POTO program was depressing to watch. They looked good at Junior Worlds but I thought Yanovskaya/Mozgov looked better the year before, and then it became consensus that Y/M was a lot slower than most second tier senior dance teams. There is no real way to tell if any team is senior ready, especially when senior field is very stacked right now. They both look on the young side as well, kind of like Sinitsina/Zhiganshin when they first came out of junior.

I don't get the M&C hype either. I don't see the chemistry, and I generally find their choreography to be too garish. I get that their style is OTT, but I don't think they pull it off quite yet.

 

[VGThuy]

They're not to my taste either.

 

[princeton123]

Their facial expressions creep me out...they look like Children of the Corn.

 

[shan]

I like McNamara/Carpenter. I appreciate their competitive spirit and how they commit to their performances.

 

[Dobre]

I LOVE them.

They have a huge battle ahead of them climbing into seniors. I totally expect it to be a bumpy ride. But they are competitors. They have ten years together, which gives me hope for their dedication as a team. They have their own style, which is so NOT your run of the day soft & lyrical. They're quirky and powerful and already unique performers.

Yes, they did Carmen, Phantom, & R&J.

They also did Discombobulate, Heart of Africa, Bublitchki, and Ramalama.

They're different. (Dance teams who are not unique do not get compared to horror movies. LOL).
I cannot stand In the Hall of the Mountain King, and they totally sold it to me. They are the only performers I have ever seen skate up to the build in that music. After watching their SD for the first time last season, I just found myself laughing (happily). Because it was so completely them.

It is going to take something unique & special in order to stand out in the U.S. dance field right now. A tough, tough battle, but they have something to contribute--both technically and artistically.

 

[Sylvia]

Montgomery College published a blog article on Quinn Carpenter (mechanical engineering major) and Michael Parsons (biology major) on June 14: http://mcblogs.montgomerycollege.edu/atmc/mc-students-are-champions-on-ice/

Getting ready for those competitions requires discipline. The two joke that they consider anything after 6 a.m. sleeping in. Some days they are up as early as 4:30 a.m. for the first skating practice of the day. After classes and homework—and hopefully a nap—they are back on the ice. They also take ballet and other dance classes and work out off the ice to increase strength and endurance six days a week.

 

[Debbie S]

I prefer the Parsons but I can't deny that McNamara/Carpenter have incredible ability and versatility. They can express nearly any type of music. I find Lorraine over the top at times but I think that will improve as they mature.

 

[Twizzler]

I LOVE them.

They have a huge battle ahead of them climbing into seniors. I totally expect it to be a bumpy ride. But they are competitors. They have ten years together, which gives me hope for their dedication as a team. They have their own style, which is so NOT your run of the day soft & lyrical. They're quirky and powerful and already unique performers.

Yes, they did Carmen, Phantom, & R&J.

They also did Discombobulate, Heart of Africa, Bublitchki, and Ramalama.

They're different. (Dance teams who are not unique do not get compared to horror movies. LOL).
I cannot stand In the Hall of the Mountain King, and they totally sold it to me. They are the only performers I have ever seen skate up to the build in that music. After watching their SD for the first time last season, I just found myself laughing (happily). Because it was so completely them.

It is going to take something unique & special....

Ramalama was taken DIRECTLY from Wade Robson's concept and choreography on SYTYCD. Right down to the costumes and makeup. That does not make M/C unique or special.

They are powerful, aggressive, and strong- no doubt. Original and unique, not so much. It will be interesting to see how they make the jump into a very strong Senior field.

 

[cheerknithanson]

I LOVE them.

They have a huge battle ahead of them climbing into seniors. I totally expect it to be a bumpy ride. But they are competitors. They have ten years together, which gives me hope for their dedication as a team. They have their own style, which is so NOT your run of the day soft & lyrical. They're quirky and powerful and already unique performers.

Yes, they did Carmen, Phantom, & R&J.

They also did Discombobulate, Heart of Africa, Bublitchki, and Ramalama.

They're different. (Dance teams who are not unique do not get compared to horror movies. LOL).
I cannot stand In the Hall of the Mountain King, and they totally sold it to me. They are the only performers I have ever seen skate up to the build in that music. After watching their SD for the first time last season, I just found myself laughing (happily). Because it was so completely them.

It is going to take something unique & special in order to stand out in the U.S. dance field right now. A tough, tough battle, but they have something to contribute--both technically and artistically.

Well put. It's very difficult now considering that Chock/Bates, the ShibSibs, and Hubbell/Donohue are competing. And also Hawayek/Baker. And more. My guesses that if they crack the top 6 at the first senior nationals, then it'll be a huge accomplishment. I assume that if M/C make the top 6 at 2018 Nationals (They're going to HAVE to be in seniors by that time), they might be assigned to the 4CC. There they can show how up-and-coming they will be. And they and the Parsons REALLY stood out from the other junior teams in the JGP and the JWC.

 

[Dobre]

Ramalama was taken DIRECTLY from Wade Robson's concept and choreography on SYTYCD. Right down to the costumes and makeup. That does not make M/C unique or special.

They are powerful, aggressive, and strong- no doubt. Original and unique, not so much. It will be interesting to see how they make the jump into a very strong Senior field.

Yes, it was Robson's concept. They were young and it was far from a signature piece, but they did it the exact same season as the Germans who received loads of credit for being original and unique for bringing the concept to ice dance (and deservedly so, IMO it was the best piece Zhiganshina & Gazsi ever did). M&C are very out-of-the-box for U.S. dance. Much more successfully so, IMO, than the various attempts we had in the lower ranks of the senior field this season. I like that they aren't pigeon-holed into having to be different. They aren't afraid to tackle the big dramatic numbers. But, yes, they are unique.

As someone else put it very well during the JGPF, "I love it when the mountain trolls show up and ruin the princess party."

 

[Karpenko]

I look at McNamara & Carpenter similarly to how I viewed Ashley Wagner the first time - very dated packaging (everything.) and needs a lot more polish, but I love the attack that they bring and there's a lot of grit and presence to the way that they perform. They need to polish everything up a lot IMO, especially their lines, holds, projection (sometimes less is more), costuming, expression needs more variety - I think the big picture of their skating and programs/packaging could be a lot better overall. Everything is there though, I also think they have more presence on the ice than a lot of senior teams currently do.

They have a ton to offer when things start getting cleaned up (and the material works really well for them) though. I like them and think in 5 years they could be an exceptional team. I think they'll be at the 2022 Olympics.