The Dance Hall 6: We're All Off Our Rockers 2018-2019

[Orm Irian]

Isn't there that musical version of War and Peace (Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812)? Is that a musical or just a play (I haven't seen it obviously). ok I could google it. ok I did. It IS a musical. Now the next question: is it any good?

I know people who think it's pretty good, but with the exception of a couple of songs, I don't really agree with them (even the songs I like go on for far too long). I'm open to having my mind changed by a good ice dance version though!

 

[Deleted member 74551]

Natasha, Pierre and The Great Comet of 1812 was one of the best things I’ve ever seen off-Broadway. You could definitely get an interesting program out of a cut of ‘Dust and Ashes’.

 

[Miloune]

I hope someone does "Quand on arrive en ville" from Starmania. Now that would be cool!

 

[dramagrrl]

I guess you're referring to this program with Vanessa Crone, the last lift is indeed the first in G/P's FD. And there is maybe a likeness here and there in the attitudes. It was a nice program.

I posted in the Nebelhorn FD thread that I think the main reason why I like this FD from G/P is because it seems like a program he would have skated (better) with Vanessa Crone. I didn't realize there were actual moments of choreo taken from old C/P material.

I don't like the vocal and would have preferred if they used the original version of the song, but overall I think it's an effective vehicle for them. I think Piper (I just typed "Vanessa" and had to delete it! ) could have a much more beautiful dress - this one is nice enough, but with a Starry Night theme, I would make the dress a much darker blue and add more crystals/rhinestone beading for stars.

 

[Ka3sha]

I’ve finally watched G/P FD from Nebelhorn and am absolutely in love with this dance

I may not always like Piper’s skating, but they truly are a unique team. With all due respect to WeaPo, I hope that they will finally be Can#1 this season.

 

[Spiralgraph]

I really like G/P's FD and I also prefer Don MacLean's original Starry, Starry Night, but the version they're using is good. G/P have an excellent chance to be on the podium at worlds if they perform well. Their FD is memorable and different from most of the other FD's I've seen this season.

 

[mjb52]

I know people who think it's pretty good, but with the exception of a couple of songs, I don't really agree with them (even the songs I like go on for far too long). I'm open to having my mind changed by a good ice dance version though!

Well if there is one thing you can be confident about when it comes to figure skating it's that rarely will a song be allowed to go on too long...

 

[Dobre]

Gilles & Poirier have a score of 194.12. Currently behind three teams and with three top teams yet to compete (at least one of which we can expect to finish above them). They come in from last season ranked 5th of the top remaining dance teams. They are not clearly #1 at home, and they have a couple tough GP Assignments, both of which are against two teams that defeated them in head-to-heads last year. Though they have a homefield advantage at SC, which--combined with Sinitsina & Katsalapov's tendency to implode--gives them an advantage over S&K. G&P have a shot at a podium finish, but an "excellent" chance is perhaps not the correct term? I have no desire to rain on anyone's parade, only to point out where they currently stand, and that--while it may not be a big shock if they score surprisingly high at SC--they have a serious battle ahead of them, both at home and away from home.

 

[VGThuy]

Gilles & Poirier have a score of 194.12. Currently behind three teams and with three top teams yet to compete (at least one of which we can expect to finish above them). They come in from last season ranked 5th of the top remaining dance teams. They are not clearly #1 at home, and they have a couple tough GP Assignments, both of which are against two teams that defeated them in head-to-heads last year. Though they have a homefield advantage at SC, which--combined with Sinitsina & Katsalapov's tendency to implode--gives them an advantage over S&K. G&P have a shot at a podium finish, but an "excellent" chance is perhaps not the correct term? I have no desire to rain on anyone's parade, only to point out where they currently stand, and that--while it may not be a big shock if they score surprisingly high at SC--they have a serious battle ahead of them, both at home and away from home.

Reminds me of a certain team from the 2015-2016 season after their challenger who were behind a more favored domestic team. The difference that it wasn't until their first GP where that team made people excited about their program.

 

[Dobre]

Reminds me of a certain team from the 2015-2016 season after their challenger who were behind a more favored domestic team. The difference that it wasn't until their first GP where that team made people excited about their program.

It can be done, for sure. New programs are always filled with possibility, and often teams climb up from 5th place onto the podium the following season. Plus, this is a good season for breakthroughs--even for young unestablished teams. (The top teams tend to be less ready than the next tier early in the season due to post-Olympic opportunities. Plus we have a number of injury issues this year). And we have a new scoring system. At the moment all these top SB scores are just generally in the same ballpark, and it will be interesting to see how the teams separate as we get into the fields with more than one top-ten team. Plus debut performances are always a question mark because you don't know how the international judges are going to react to new elements, etc. Teams get the information. They go back and work really hard and adjust. And often scores climb substantially upon the next performance.

 

[DreamsofBliss]

Reminds me of a certain team from the 2015-2016 season after their challenger who were behind a more favored domestic team. The difference that it wasn't until their first GP where that team made people excited about their program.

Ah yes. That year the team in question was third in their Challenger event while Gilles and Poirier won it. It is definitely hard to tell what will happen during a season from the Challenger events alone.

I just saw Sara Hurtado is injured and they will not be competing at Finlandia Trophy.

 

[Colonel Green]

Isn't there that musical version of War and Peace (Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812)? Is that a musical or just a play (I haven't seen it obviously). ok I could google it. ok I did. It IS a musical. Now the next question: is it any good?

It's a good musical, but I have a hard time imagining it being good for ice dance.

Gilles & Poirier have a score of 194.12. Currently behind three teams and with three top teams yet to compete (at least one of which we can expect to finish above them). They come in from last season ranked 5th of the top remaining dance teams. They are not clearly #1 at home, and they have a couple tough GP Assignments, both of which are against two teams that defeated them in head-to-heads last year. Though they have a homefield advantage at SC, which--combined with Sinitsina & Katsalapov's tendency to implode--gives them an advantage over S&K. G&P have a shot at a podium finish, but an "excellent" chance is perhaps not the correct term? I have no desire to rain on anyone's parade, only to point out where they currently stand, and that--while it may not be a big shock if they score surprisingly high at SC--they have a serious battle ahead of them, both at home and away from home.

Was anybody suggesting they wouldn't have to work hard for it? Any team that finished fifth at Worlds among the competing teams (since Cappellini/Lanotte are gone) in a non-fluke situation has a solid shot of making the podium if things go their way. And I can certainly see an argument for how this season would allow them to move ahead of Weaver/Poje, in particular.

 

[Dobre]

Was anybody suggesting they wouldn't have to work hard for it? Any team that is fifth at Worlds in a non-fluke situation has a solid shot of making the podium if things go their way (and I can certainly see an argument for how this season would allow them to move ahead of Weaver/Poje).

No, the implication was that their odds were "excellent." But they are underdogs, and I always think it's valuable to assess the field where it is. Otherwise, one doesn't appreciate the breakthroughs. And this often leads to underestimating other top notch teams and the difficulty faced in different competitions. I already said that many teams have moved up from 5th place to podium at Worlds. Gilles & Poirier, by the way, were not 5th at Worlds. They were 6th. They were the fifth team from Worlds out of those who have announced they are planning to compete this season. (I am assuming Cappellini & Lanotte are not).

 

[Taso]

Natasha, Pierre and The Great Comet of 1812 was one of the best things I’ve ever seen off-Broadway. You could definitely get an interesting program out of a cut of ‘Dust and Ashes’.

It was the best show I've seen on-Broadway, too, saw it the week it closed at the end of August 2017.

The thing that I find tough in 'Great Comet' for ice dance is that the duets are either extremely slow and long, or super strained, with other characters coming in in pieces that are more danceable. I could see Ushakova & Nekrasov making "Balaga" work, or the party scene at the opera maybe, but otherwise I think 'Comet' works way better for singles (Dust and Ashes being a great example, always saw Denis Ten skating to that in my head, sadly).

 

[Impromptu]

Just as long as I see one "Little Shop of Horrors" RD, I will be happy.

 

[Colonel Green]

No, the implication was that their odds were "excellent."

Saying someone has an “excellent chance” “if they perform well”, which is what the poster said, isn’t asserting they would be default medalists or anything like that. Merely that they have a good shot, which they do.

Gilles & Poirier, by the way, were not 5th at Worlds. They were 6th. They were the fifth team from Worlds out of those who have announced they are planning to compete this season. (I am assuming Cappellini & Lanotte are not).

I edited that post before you responded to it, since I realized I hadn’t phrased that right.

Continuing on the music subject for next year, I have a vision for a program based on Anthony and Johanna’s songs in Sweeney Todd that I doubt anyone will actually do, but it looks great in my head.

 

[kittysk8ts]

I love Broadway.
I love the tango.
I love paso doble.
I love quickstep.
I love blues.
I love almost anything upbeat: folk dances, jive/swing, Charleston, cha cha, mambo, samba, even enjoy a once-upon-a-decade polka.

I do not love waltzes, the rhumba, or the foxtrot.

I love 'em all, but honestly am ok with not seeing the Rhumba again for a very long time.

I feel lucky to be enjoying the Tangos thus far. Still trying to work out some of the key points. i.e. that darned rocker for the woman.

 

[kittysk8ts]

I’m really surprised so many people like GP’s FD music. It sounds so boring to me. I just keep loosing my attention on the dance because of it

It's a beautiful song to me It draws me in.

 

[Emilia12]

It doesn’t really matter what we think about the programs, it’s not a choreography competition, it’s ice dance, and WP are still way more skilled than GP, so unless something horrible happenes at Nationals again, there really shouldn’t be any placement surprises. Well maybe it will be less point distance than usual

 

[Dobre]

WP are still way more skilled than GP

To be fair, here, I believe the difference between W&P and G&P's total technical score at Worlds was less than a point. G&P had a higher technical score in the free. W&P had a higher technical score in the RD. (That is only one competition, but I haven't time to go back and look at any others at the moment).

 

[yurokis40]

You can't predict what will happen yet at nationals, G&P have improved a lot

 

[firstflight]

You forgot Greatest Showman.

I'm hoping a top team will use "This Is Me." That's got to be one of the most vibrant and universal anthems to come out of a musical in a long time.

 

[Peepsquick]

I would like this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hj7LRuusFqo

THAT, I could get on board with!

 

[mollymgr]

Always remember, ice is slippery.

 

[allezfred]

I posted in the Nebelhorn FD thread that I think the main reason why I like this FD from G/P is because it seems like a program he would have skated (better) with Vanessa Crone. I didn't realize there were actual moments of choreo taken from old C/P material.

I don't like the vocal and would have preferred if they used the original version of the song, but overall I think it's an effective vehicle for them. I think Piper (I just typed "Vanessa" and had to delete it! ) could have a much more beautiful dress - this one is nice enough, but with a Starry Night theme, I would make the dress a much darker blue and add more crystals/rhinestone beading for stars.

You could just write "I HATE PIPER" and save yourself a lot of time.

I always thought that Crone/Poirier were a snoozefest together (and literally my husband ended up falling asleep during one of their free dances ). Say what you will, but Gilles/Poirier are never boring.

 

[dramagrrl]

You could just write "I HATE PIPER" and save yourself a lot of time.

I always thought that Crone/Poirier were a snoozefest together (and literally my husband ended up falling asleep during one of their free dances ). Say what you will, but Gilles/Poirier are never boring.

I actually don't hate Piper at all. I just much preferred Paul with Vanessa.

Agree to disagree about G/P never being boring. I think sometimes when you try too hard to be interesting, the opposite effect happens... (I'm definitely not saying this about all or even the majority of their programs, but they have definitely had multiple programs that have bored me, personally.)

 

[oleada]

Piper >>> Vanessa

Vanessa probably has better skating skills, but Piper’s nowhere near as bad as some claim. Plus, Piper had much more charisma, better presentation, better posture and as a team, they have better programs.

 

[Dobre]

I'm hoping a top team will use "This Is Me." That's got to be one of the most vibrant and universal anthems to come out of a musical in a long time.

Shibs!

(I know, I know, the odds are not good; but this song has to be done by someone who "gets it.")

 

[mollymgr]

I think G/P are definitely one of Canada's most dedicated teams. I admire Piper(and Paul too) for continuing to stay focused after what she went through during the past year and supporting each other. They definitely don't settle and I hope they find great success this year.

We are probably very close to a season where we will see some shake-ups in dance. There is so much depth not just internationally but even within each country.

 

[Ena Grins]

I'm crossing my fingers for a Rent program next year. I can't believe it's over 20 years old, and it's due for some ice dance love.