The Dance Hall, Part 4: To Helsinki & Back -- Seeking Rhumba Magic ...

[nimi]

Who are all the Igor and Marina teams this year? I can't keep them straight anymore.

e.g. the top5 in Nebelhorn I think

 

[sap5]

e.g. the top5 in Nebelhorn I think

Thanks!!

 

[clairecloutier]

Muramoto/Reed train with Marina, as do Tobias/Tkachenko. Can't remember all the other ones!

 

[chameleonster]

Igor has Chock/Bates, Coomes/Buckland, Carreira/Ponomarenko, Pogrebinsky/Benoit, Nazarova/Nikitin, Abachkina/Thauron, Min/Gamelin, Mansour/Ceska, among others. Marina has the Shibs, Muramoto/Reed, Tobias/Tkachenko, and Lorenz/Polizoakis, again among others.

 

[VGThuy]

Who are all the Igor and Marina teams this year? I can't keep them straight anymore. I know Marina has the Shibs, and Igor has Chock/Bates, Carreria/Ponomorenko, and the Ukrainian N/N team, right? Who else?

Six out of the top seven overall at Nebelhorn:

http://www.isuresults.com/results/season1718/csger2017/CAT004RS.HTM

1. Igor
2. Marina
3. Marina
4. Igor
5. Igor
6. Barbara Fusar-Poli
7. Marina
8. Choreographed by Marina and Scali

 

[Sylvia]

Papadakis/Cizeron's Moonlight Sonata FD from the Masters live stream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zf0wLD48WM

 

[shan]

Papadakis/Cizeron's Moonlight Sonata FD from the Masters live stream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zf0wLD48WM

Thanks Sylvia.

Gorgeous program!!

 

[Miloune]

I almost want to fast forward to November/December/february to see how this program will look even more fabulous and polished. Omg they really ARE dancers on ice.

 

[mollymgr]

I love the transition spin into the second half. They use the music very nicely. Beautiful!

 

[Dobre]

Congratulations to all the teams that qualified or finished top 6 at Nebelhorn! It was a real fight, I think as we knew it would be. Happy for Team Japan, Team Korea, and Team Czech Republic. I believe they have all now met the 3-discipline qualification rule for the team event. Sad to be missing the Finns at the Olympics.

I very much like Lorenz & Polizoakis's new FD. Seems like a perfect fit for them.

Yay, Chris Reed! Two solid sets of twizzles. Muramoto & Reed getting off to a really great start this season--now two Challenger competitions in a row--after such a tough year last year.

8. Choreographed by Marina and Scali

Do you mean #9? The Finns work with Margaglio & I assume Marina choreographed their FD. Garabedian & Proulx-Senecal were #8. They are still with Dubreil & Lauzon, correct?

I quite like Sales & Wamsteeker's Robin & Marian FD. This is the second time I've seen it, and I liked it even better this time.

 

[allezfred]

Papadakis/Cizeron and Coomes/Buckland are my top two free dances that I have seen so far this season in that order.

 

[GreenGan]

I didn't like Coomes/Buckland' FD much. But P/C's
We just miss Chock/Bates and The Shibs now ? When will we be able to see their programs ?

 

[VGThuy]

I didn't like Coomes/Buckland' FD much. But P/C's
We just miss Chock/Bates and The Shibs now ? When will we be able to see their programs ?

Not until their Grand Prix appearances.

I first saw Papadakis/Cizeron's FD on my iPhone on the subway and thought Guillaume's transitions were excellent but everything else seemed only ok. Then I went home and put it on the big screen. It really makes a difference. I also think the version I put on the big screen was a much clearer quality. It's a great vehicle and should be a great Olympic program worthy of gold. I hope V/M keep improving their MR because it has potential and I like that they both went in different directions so people can really fight about who deserves gold and having fun arguments based on fan-created dichotomies of high art and commercial, etc.

Although, I'm holding out hope that the Shibs will have something incredible so that they can play spoiler but I know most can't imagine that happening so right now I'm just seeing the race for gold being between V/M and P/C.

 

[Dobre]

I didn't like Coomes/Buckland' FD much. But P/C's
We just miss Chock/Bates and The Shibs now ? When will we be able to see their programs ?

We are still waiting to see Cappellini & Lanotte's programs and Stepanova & Bukin's FD as well. We also haven't seen Tobias & Tkachenko, Kaliszek & Spodyriev, Agafanova & Ucar, Wang & Liu, or Hurtado & Khaliavin yet.

We will see Stepanova & Bukin, Kaliszek & Spodyriev, and Hurtado & Khaliavin next week at Finlandia. The Shibs are at Rostelecom. Agafanova & Ucar are scheduled for SC (they have been removed from the Finlandia list). Chock & Bates and Wang & Liu are at COC. And we may have to wait until NHK to see C&L and T&T.

 

[cocotaffy]

P/C nothing more to add than fabulous start, of course they still have work to do, but they've never been that ready so early with such a full and complexed FD before. So many more transitions and variety of movements than in any of their other programs. I love their work going down to the ice and up constantly, brings a lot of texture and layers. So many new movements we haven't seen from them. Last year FD was perfect for them to be ready for this.
My second fav is Muramoto/Reed, exquisite, the music, the interpretation and their skating so much improved.
Hubbell/Donohue, great potential too, sexy with a modern yet vintage vibe.
Finally, I'm intrigued by Coomes/Buckland. I'm not sold on it yet, it is a bit too monotonous and doesn't really crescendo enough for now. But it has a lot of potential and is very different from anything we've seen so far, they'll stand out well with this. Lots of potential. I'm impressed with Penny's recovery, they're really ready and I can't wait to see what results they can get at Euros.
There is a lovely variety of style this year, ice dancers are putting the single skaters to shame

ETA: I can't believe I forgot to add one of my fav FD this season, I blame my excitement, Beaudry-Fournier/Sorensen the Doors would actually my second fav along with M/R. And Guillaume designed their costumes too.

 

[marbri]

I keep forgetting about C/L. I know they are doing the same old same old but their same old is always fun to watch

 

[Dobre]

For those of you who like to see something different:

Schwendinger & Wunderlich's FD to Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. Ria is completely in character throughout. Not the score they were looking for at the Croatia JGP, but kudos nonetheless for the performance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pB7Zjmyqw_4

 

[Miloune]

P/C nothing more to add than fabulous start, of course they still have work to do, but they've never been that ready so early with such a full and complexed FD before. So many more transitions and variety of movements than in any of their other programs. I love their work going down to the ice and up constantly, brings a lot of texture and layers. So many new movements we haven't seen from them. Last year FD was perfect for them to be ready for this.

I get the same feeling about the transitions and layers. In this FD (unlike in Stillness and Built a home imo), there's not a moment where you think "oh, maybe they could have put something more there". Every moment is "used", and superbly indeed, to enhance the music. It's like they are the music itself.
Of course it needs more mileage to be perfect, but the material is here.

 

[Wyliefan]

I hope V/M keep improving their MR because it has potential and I like that they both went in different directions so people can really fight about who deserves gold

I think that was going to happen in any case.

 

[Lara111]

For those of you who like to see something different:

Schwendinger & Wunderlich's FD to Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. Ria is completely in character throughout. Not the score they were looking for at the Croatia JGP, but kudos nonetheless for the performance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pB7Zjmyqw_4

I really like them. Noticed them last year at JGP - their FD last year was my favorite

 

[caseyedwards]

Six out of the top seven overall at Nebelhorn:

http://www.isuresults.com/results/season1718/csger2017/CAT004RS.HTM

1. Igor
2. Marina
3. Marina
4. Igor
5. Igor
6. Barbara Fusar-Poli
7. Marina
8. Choreographed by Marina and Scali

Almost every ice dance team in the world knows to train in North America! Russians have to learn this and stop being stubborn and stupid

 

[Dobre]

I really like them. Noticed them last year at JGP - their FD last year was my favorite

You know Christopher Dean gets a lot of credit for the Duchesnays' original style. But Martin Skotnicky helped coach both Torvill & Dean and the Duchesnays. And Rahkamo & Kokko and Winkler & Lohse. And works with this young German dance team. I see Skotnicky's style, and it really reads as unique to me.

 

[sap5]

For those of you who like to see something different:

Schwendinger & Wunderlich's FD to Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. Ria is completely in character throughout. Not the score they were looking for at the Croatia JGP, but kudos nonetheless for the performance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pB7Zjmyqw_4

Now that's what I'd call voidy.

 

[nimi]

From the team event qualification thread a while back:

Nicole (now Kuzmichova) was granted Czech citizenship in December 2016, so she and Alexander Sinicyn could skate in OWG. Cortney (Mansour) is working on hers too. (...)

So... Mansour/Ceska got the spot for Czech Republic. Has somebody heard anything about how the citizenship thing is going for her?

Speaking of Czech ice danders: I really hope Lucie is going to get the Slovak citizenship. Here's an interview with Lukas where he might be saying something about how they're working on getting the citizenship (unless google translate got things wrong and he said no such thing): https://www.olympic.sk/aktuality-sov/tanecny-par-mysliveckova-csolley-postupil-na-zoh

 

[MarieM]

Rewatching T&D's rhumba and comparing it to Penny&Nic is making me realise once again what we've lost with COP in ice dance. Sad sad sad

 

[clairecloutier]

So, minor thing ... I'm loving Muramoto/Reed right now, but I really wish they would change that handstand lift at the end of their free skate. It's awkward and doesn't go with the rest of the program.

 

[chapis]

So, minor thing ... I'm loving Muramoto/Reed right now, but I really wish they would change that handstand lift at the end of their free skate. It's awkward and doesn't go with the rest of the program.

true, this looks a little weird. This is their exhibition and it seems they are practicing other lifts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4J5-gmjD6cE&t=6s

It is nice ex, but those costumes are

 

[bbkenn]

Rewatching T&D's rhumba and comparing it to Penny&Nic is making me realise once again what we've lost with COP in ice dance. Sad sad sad

I agree. You could really tell the difference between the teams with their skating skills, edge work and quality during the compulsory dance part. Sigh.

 

[sap5]

I agree. You could really tell the difference between the teams with their skating skills, edge work and quality during the compulsory dance part. Sigh.

But is that really all COP? How many teams are going to look good against T/D?

 

[VGThuy]

I was talking to some people about why pairs programs, especially now that so many of them have adopted ice dance skills into their programs, have become a lot more dancey and successful than most ice dance programs.

I think ice dance has become so strict and regimented now and that has resulted in ice dance teams have trouble dancing full out as much as they can. I think every ice dance team have been restricted to the point where they are prevented from giving us something even better, including the best ones. I also think level calls are obviously much stricter in ice dance than it has been in pairs. Because every element is so reliant on the caller in ice dance whereas the skaters themselves in pairs and singles have much more control over their scores in comparison due to them having jumps (so long as they are rotated and have a good entrance), so they feel less need to skate so carefully and on point to make sure the strict callers give them levels.

I also wonder if callers have become super strict with the edges and seeing them and making sure skaters hold them for a certain length of time and making sure they are "deep" enough to get credit because the technical panels don't trust judges to differentiate between the teams via GOE and PCS anymore that they sort of have taken over that part by not just making sure that a turn/step/twizzle is clean but also making a clean call be a sort of judgment call between "clean" and "CLEAN". I mean we've all spoken about how teams levels can change depending on who is on the tech panel not withstanding the differences between the performances. We've also seen teams express (politely most of the time) some confusion over not receiving certain levels when they felt they performed their steps cleanly.

I also think this is what has killed fast, great, rhythmic footwork and dance throughout the entire routine. I was watching some 90s ice dance and I had forgotten how athletic, energetic, intricate, and packed with different content a lot of those FDs were back then. Ice dance truly looked like a different discipline from pairs back then. Now, not so much. Everything is converging into one look between the disciplines that ice dance is looking more like pairs skating without the overhead lifts and throws/jumps. There's a real danger that ice dance will become redundant, IMO. I think ice dance needs a big code overhaul and needs an even more distinct code vocabulary and system from the other 3 disciplines.