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

[Wyliefan]

So what are H/D and W/P and the other top teams, chopped liver?

 

[VGThuy]

I think some are expecting that by 2022, it will be a battle between Eastern Europe backing S/B and 4CC + Western Europe backing P/C (since almost every Fed in 4CC and Western Europe has an ice dance team training in Gadbois) with everyone else fighting for bronze. I think the GOE and PCS scores during the GP has triggered some of us who lived through 90s and 2000s ice dance.

 

[skategal]

So what are H/D and W/P and the other top teams, chopped liver?

Yeah I think USA has so much depth and talent that some team will be or become a gold medal threat by 2022.

 

[Andora]

I’m thinking that Step/Bukin are the team the ISU has decided will be the rivals/challengers of P/C leading up to the next Olympics. The ISU can’t risk not having a rivalry in ice dance.

I agree. And yet, the ISU almost had no rivalry last quad until V&M returned, so who knows?

 

[taz'smum]

I agree. And yet, the ISU almost had no rivalry last quad until V&M returned, so who knows?

Davies and White suddenly decide to return

 

[RoseRed]

Davies and White suddenly decide to return

Tessa and Scott said they tried to convince them. That would have been awesome to see actually.

 

[aka_gerbil]

So what are H/D and W/P and the other top teams, chopped liver?

I was going to say that H/D are the top qualifiers for the GPF by two points. They did that with their events being the first two of the season, back-to-back, and without the advantage of doing their home gp as their second event.

 

[Colonel Green]

Davies and White suddenly decide to return

V/M return again for the 2021/22 season. They win both GP events, come second at the Final, and go into the Olympics as underdogs. Guillaume takes advantage of the ISU rule change allowing men to wear tights. Midway through the free dance, his tights split, and P/C have to skate while trying to avoid another wardrobe malfunction. They still win silver, but V/M win gold again. Didier is apoplectic.

 

[cocotaffy]

V/M return again for the 2021/22 season. They win both GP events, come second at the Final, and go into the Olympics as underdogs. Guillaume takes advantage of the ISU rule change allowing men to wear tights. Midway through the free dance, his tights split, and P/C have to skate while trying to avoid another wardrobe malfunction. They still win silver, but V/M win gold again. Didier is apoplectic.

You had me at "Guillaume takes advantage of the ISU rule change allowing men to wear tights" good thing I wasn't drink anything or else short-circuit scare.

 

[starrynight]

So what are H/D and W/P and the other top teams, chopped liver?

Most people presume that Weaver/Poje will retire after 2022 Montreal Worlds (but plans can change).

I think that in terms of a challenger, the scoring changes on one hand mean that no team is suddenly going to leap ahead on tech. BUT if the judges want to elevate a team, they can use the new scoring system to put them there and keep them there.

I personally think that a Russian team will have its time at the top.

I have so many memories of being told constantly last quad that the Shibutanis would never medal because they were too slow etc etc and then look what happened. At the beginning of last quad I would never have suspected that Hubbell/Donohue would be in with a shot of an Olympic medal either.

Also what happens at the end of a quad is what people remember. Weaver/Poje won two Grand Prix Final titles but that's basically ancient history in most minds. The achievements of teams at the end of the quad are always viewed to be superior - perhaps because of the looming precence of the Olympics.

It's interesting to try to make predictions. It was the quad of the Montreal Style for 2014/2015 to 2017/2018 ... but I think that this will be the quad of the rebuilding of Russian ice dance.

I'm also quite interested to see how long the concentration of the rest of the worlds ice dance teams at Gadbois can be sustained. (Although they are physically down one team as Komatsubara/Koleto have left to live and train in Japan for Koleto's citizenship requirements - although they will still be working with Gadbois).

 

[Dobre]

I think some are expecting that by 2022, it will be a battle between Eastern Europe backing S/B and 4CC + Western Europe backing P/C (since almost every Fed in 4CC and Western Europe has an ice dance team training in Gadbois) with everyone else fighting for bronze. I think the GOE and PCS scores during the GP has triggered some of us who lived through 90s and 2000s ice dance.

Ah, now personally I think Stepanova & Bukin are likely to podium now or mid part of the quadrennium. But that there are some young teams that could pass them prior to the Olympics.

Eastern/Western Europe actually has nothing to do with my own thinking. I do think it always helps to be #1 for your country. But mostly I think S&B are ready to podium because a lot of teams are out, S&B are in a good position coming out of last season (having defeated Cappellini & Lanotte and Weaver & Poje head to head and having split results with Bobrova & Soloviev last season), S&B take a lot of technical risk, they've been quite solid competitors compared to many of their peers (Sinitsina & Katsalapov, Gilles & Poirier, Hawayek & Baker), Stepanova & Bukin's twizzles are better than 50% (probably more solid that Chock & Bates and Weaver & Poje's), S&B were on the same track as P&C prior to moving up and had a much higher mountain to climb at home which they have now climbed, and Stepanova has upped her game in the presentation.

I still am not sure if S&B are going to get the Level 4 footwork, and I feel like they are going to need it. At some point. Also, there's a learning curve when it comes to leading your country's team, as was mentioned earlier, and as of now, I'm still curious how that will affect S&B and the other teams that have just become #1.

I could probably write the same type of logical argument for any of the teams that are currently scoring miles above the field. I do think G&P have a great FD this season. I wasn't anticipating W&P staying in previously so I think they are a nice surprise for at least the first half of the quadrennium, and they rock the tango. Hubbell & Donohue have the advantage of a few spots on the other teams based on the fact that the three teams right below them at the Olympics last season are all out, and also H&D have done most of their climbing previously. Guignard & Fabbri could very well have won that RD head-to-head in Finland. But anyway, none of my mental arguments have anything to do with Western/Eastern Europe.

Also, I have absolutely no fortune telling powers whatsoever.

 

[Bigbird]

Zhulin confirmed that Drozd is indeed skating with Ksenia Konkina now.
Loboda/Shibnev were in the entries list for Russian Cup event #5, but now are off the list

They came to their senses with this one. It was way too early for any competition. They need to do exhibition programs and things like that first, IMHO.

EDIT: Excited for final GP. My favourite RD is H/D and favourite FD H/B. Oh my, I'm excited to see what Gadbois has done with C/B!!

 

[jiejie]

For Olympics 2022 prognostications, some seem to be assuming that Stepanova/Bukin will be invited.

 

[Laney]

On my way to Grenoble
I'm so looking forward to see Gabriella and Guillaume live in a competition for the first time

 

[taz'smum]

On my way to Grenoble
I'm so looking forward to see Gabriella and Guillaume live in a competition for the first time

Me too, my first time seeing them live since 2011!!

 

[Laney]

Me too, my first time seeing them live since 2011!!

I only saw them live at Art on Ice some years ago but I think you can't compare that to a competition
I usually love their competition programs more than their shows
And I think you get a much better idea of spead and expressions... when you see skaters live

 

[Dobre]

I believe the tech specialist is from the Netherlands. So, with the exception of NHK, I think all the dance technical specialists on the regular GP this season were from countries not represented in the event. I think it's a good trend.

 

[MarieM]

I sure hope this event will not be judged with GOEs.

 

[shuilee]

Wow GP France is like a mini-Worlds! 7 teams that could score 110+ in FD and 70+ in SD. Unbelievably deep field and I'm upset this GP is so uneven.

Bad news for SinKats. USA/GBR/NED panel is bad news for them. Hopefully they get the GoEs.

 

[deegee]

g/p's fd this year is truly beautiful. they are one of my favorite teams from the last quad. even still, vincent seems so so open to me. i know more open dances with fewer dance holds has been the trend for a while, but it feels to obvious in such a gorgeous dance as vincent.

 

[yurokis40]

don't know what you mean by open , they interpret every single beat.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

Wow GP France is like a mini-Worlds! 7 teams that could score 110+ in FD and 70+ in SD. Unbelievably deep field and I'm upset this GP is so uneven.

That's what I've been saying and some other posters responded to me that they think I'm wrong. Obviously they don't really follow figure skating.

 

[muffinplus]

don't know what you mean by open , they interpret every single beat.

Open hold

 

[yurokis40]

they had an interview where they talked about making a few to the program , I guess that's what it means.

 

[Bigbird]

Any sightings or news about P/C? Please and thank you

 

[Laney]

Any sightings or news about P/C? Please and thank you

See in the French thread in GSD

 

[Dobre]

That's what I've been saying and some other posters responded to me that they think I'm wrong. Obviously they don't really follow figure skating.

I don't think it's a mini Worlds. I do think it's the deepest field on the regular GP assuming everyone competes. Also the most on the line for the highest number of teams in one event. Should be fun.

 

[yurokis40]

PC look like they have a traditional tango, technically it looks good but clearly missing the sensual part it still looks good them and W&P and G&P have the feel of a real tango although nobody can sell a tango better than Kaitlyn Weaver, there yo soy maria is still legendary.

 

[thvu]

Oh @yurokis40 , you pretend to be so knowledgeable, but don’t know how “open” is used to describe a dance.

 

[yurokis40]

Oh @yurokis40 , you pretend to be so knowledgeable, but don’t know how “open” is used to describe a dance.

best way to describe P&C's free dances I know what open is, nobody skated closer together than Virtue and Moir who walloped them at the Olympics, but Euro judges so they kept ir close.