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

[sap5]

I didn't know where to put it since there's no P/C thread anymore , but here's an interesting interview of them by NBC, it gives a great insight into their interpretation of their programs and what is THEIR STYLE.

https://olympics.nbcsports.com/2018/11/27/gabriella-papadakis-guillaume-cizeron-ice-dance/

I like this interview, and I like their approach. They have the right mental attitude for success, as well as development (of both themselves and the sport overall). They are 3x WC -- they should lead the way.

 

[starrynight]

Some interesting statistics on the tango romantica in this twitter thread:

https://twitter.com/skatingstats/status/1067302535734550528

 

[Orm Irian]

I didn't know where to put it since there's no P/C thread anymore , but here's an interesting interview of them by NBC, it gives a great insight into their interpretation of their programs and what is THEIR STYLE.

https://olympics.nbcsports.com/2018/11/27/gabriella-papadakis-guillaume-cizeron-ice-dance/

Thanks for the link, that's a really interesting read. I like their take on creating a new style - that it's something that will take the next four years to build, and this is just the first step on the road, not an abrupt switch to something completely new and different just for the sake of it. The idea that they can stay true to themselves and yet still evolve as performers and bring new aspects to their skating, and not have to give into the demand to pursue novelty...it's exactly what I wanted to see from them. And, to be fair, what I expected to see, as it's always been perfectly plain that these two go their own way no matter what!

I also just came across this interview that Stephane Lambiel did with the In the Loop podcast when I was on YouTube just now; it's more focussed on his work as a singles choreographer, but there's some discussion of his process of working with Gabi and Guillaume too (it seems like he was involved in helping them refine the music choice). It rather brought home to me how little I know about the process of ice dance choreography! It must be quite different from singles choreography, or even pairs, because the technical requirements are so much more stringent.

 

[LilJen]

I'm in grad school right now so I have little time to follow skating. BUT. . . just watched P/C's FD in France. Another gorgeous number. I continue to appreciate their simple costuming that allows us to just see THEM and their lines. Also am a wholehearted supporter of Guillaume's membership in the Adam Rippon Tight Mesh Shirt Club. Love Guillaume's posture; it's just gorgeous.

 

[cocotaffy]

Haven't seen it reported yet but Cecilia Torn and Jussiville Partanen have split per Skating Finland twitter

 

[kittysk8ts]

I didn't know where to put it since there's no P/C thread anymore , but here's an interesting interview of them by NBC, it gives a great insight into their interpretation of their programs and what is THEIR STYLE.

https://olympics.nbcsports.com/2018/11/27/gabriella-papadakis-guillaume-cizeron-ice-dance/

I hope you continue to share these things here, especially absent the other thread.

 

[kittysk8ts]

I'm in grad school right now so I have little time to follow skating. BUT. . . just watched P/C's FD in France. Another gorgeous number. I continue to appreciate their simple costuming that allows us to just see THEM and their lines. Also am a wholehearted supporter of Guillaume's membership in the Adam Rippon Tight Mesh Shirt Club. Love Guillaume's posture; it's just gorgeous.

I think they are both sooooo sexy in their black Tango costumes. RAR!

 

[VGThuy]

I was on the train going home and for some reason that horrendous cover of "Bad" that Skoptcova/Aleshin use in their FD got stuck in my head and I was reminded of that PBP post of someone saying "This cover is BAD." I started laughing randomly and people looked at me.

 

[NAOTMAA]

That bad cover of "Bad" is like barely the tip of the iceberg when it comes to bad covers in skating. No one ever uses the great original (copyright problems ) but instead insist on using some really horrendous cover instead that just makes you cry

 

[VGThuy]

That bad cover of "Bad" is like barely the tip of the iceberg when it comes to bad covers in skating. No one ever uses the great original (copyright problems ) but instead insist on using some really horrendous cover instead that just makes you cry

If an ice dance is brave enough to do the REAL version of "Bad" and can actually keep up with the song and the tempo, I bet they'd get so many fans.

 

[Tesla]

If an ice dance is brave enough to do the REAL version of "Bad" and can actually keep up with the song and the tempo, I bet they'd get so many fans.

That would be pretty damn awesome.

 

[Dobre]

I feel like I saw my good Michael Jackson ice dance program with Weaver & Poje's rendition in 2016-17, and having sat through Lorenz & Polizoakis's hot mess and Lauriault & Le Gac's version (which clearly left no impression on me since I had to look L&LG up just to clarify that it was theirs) also that season, I really don't need another one at any point in the immediate future.

I am curious whether perhaps Bad might be blocked on youtube like Purple Rain was, in which case many people online wouldn't see it. It would be a logical reason for not using the original, though in Skoptcova & Aleshin's case, I assume they also wanted something with a slower tempo. (It's truly a ghastly version. I think S&A do some things well, but this particular selection just strikes me as the tried and not very true let's-give-the-new-Russian-team-no-money-terrible-packaging-and-awful-music-this-season-so-that-next-year-everyone-will-be-impressed thing). This may not be a real thing; but it sure feels like a right of passage a great many first-year senior Russian teams go through.

 

[chameleonster]

I didn't care for Weaver/Poje's MJ at all, so I am even more ready to NOT deal with another. I actually think choreographically what Soucisse/Firus use of Dirty Diana is pretty good, if not particularly well suited to them.

As for Skoptcova/Aleshin's free dance... Well it's leagues better than Loboda/Drozd's senior free dance. I feel like I can at least follow the thought process involved, whereas with L/D's Chicago I get as far as "well it makes sense to try something that focuses on speed and energy with little need for polish and to continue to develop their performance quality while standing out from the pack" before the whole thing tumbles tragically off a cliff. There are aspects of S/A's free dance that kind of work, or at least manage to highlight some of their strengths in the choreography. And the decision to give them something modern that isn't at all lyrical isn't a bad one. We'll see how it stands up at Russian Nationals, however.

 

[firstflight]

Just for fun as we are entering mid-season, join in on any or all of the following questions:

What’s your prediction for the top-10 placements at Worlds? Remember to check which countries have 3 vs 2 spots.
1) P/C
2) S/B
3) H/D
4) S/K and W/P separated by less than a point
5) See #4
6) G/F
7) C/B
8) G/P
9) H/B
10) F/G
Spoiler: F-B/S

Whose FD’s are your favorites that won’t be at Worlds?
Manta/Johnson
Popova/Mozgov


Whose FD is your favorite from a non-powerhouse country (never in medal contention at Worlds)?
Turkkila/Versluis

No ranking needed- Whose RD’s are your favorites so far this season?
McNamara/Carpenter
Weaver/Poje
Papadakis/Cizeron
Stepanova/Bukin

No ranking needed- Whose FD’s are your favorites so far this season?
Gilles/Poirier
Guignard/Fabbri
Papadakis/Cizeron
Hawayek/Baker
Fournier-Beaudry/Sørensen (I know it’s from last season, but still...)

 

[RoseRed]

Okay, I'll play

Prediction for the top-10 placements at Worlds:
1) P/C
2) H/D
3) S/B
4) S/K
5) W/P
6) G/F
7) G/P
8) C/B
9) H/B
10) F-B/S
Spoiler: F/G, S/D, L/LG

S/B feel like they have more momentum right now, but H/D were done competing before they even started on the GP, so that can change quickly at GPF. I'll keep H/D ahead for now. C/B and F/BS are hard to place, since we haven't seen them this season (at least internationally for FB/S). I feel like there's going to be lots of competition for that last spot. I put the three with the best SB scores in the spoilers, but I'll put FB/S there for now (just because). And other teams could factor in too like H/K (if they get the Spanish spot).

Whose FD’s are your favourites that won’t be at Worlds?
- Lajoie/Lagha (kind of cheating because they'll certainly be at JW)
- Carreira/Ponomarenko
- Hurtado/Khaliavin (if they don't get the Spanish spot)

I could add Zagorski/Guerreiro's if the program keeps developing well - it seemed unfinished on the GP, but I liked it.

Whose FD is your favourite from a non-powerhouse country (never in medal contention at Worlds)?
- Hurtado/Khaliavin (Spain counts right?)

No ranking needed- Whose RD’s are your favorites so far this season?
- Weaver/Poje
- Gilles/Poirier
- Papadakis/Cizeron
- Sinitsina/Katsalapov
- Smart/Diaz
- In juniors: Lajoie/Lagha

I also like: Stepanova/Bukin, Hubbell/Donohue

No ranking needed- Whose FD’s are your favorites so far this season?
- Gilles/Poirier
- Papadakis/Cizeron
- Weaver/Poje
- Hurtado/Khaliavin
- Fear/Gibson
- Hubbell/Donohue (I know, but they got me)

I also like: Guignard/Fabbri, Hawayek/Baker, Lauriault/Le Gac, Parsons/Parsons (I know, P/C's music, but it suits them much better than their last FD). Actually, I enjoy lots of FDs this season (Smart/Diaz, Stepanova/Bukin, Zagorski/Guerreiro, Wang/Liu...).

 

[Andora]

I am sooooo curious to see what happens with F-B/S! Their FD could be sharp. I've been a low key "enjoy but don't invest in wins" fan of theirs. I hope the switch to Canada is rewarding for them. But is it possible they'll place poorly this year?

 

[Colonel Green]

Whose FD’s are your favorites that won’t be at Worlds?
Zahorski/Guerreiro

Whose FD is your favorite from a non-powerhouse country (never in medal contention at Worlds)?
Wang/Liu

No ranking needed- Whose RD’s are your favorites so far this season?
Soucisse/Firus (distinctive! please get the pattern, guys!)
Papadakis/Cizeron
Sinitsina/Katsalapov
Lajoie/Lagha (junior)

No ranking needed- Whose FD’s are your favorites so far this season?
Gilles/Poirier
Fear/Gibson
Guignard/Fabbri
Lajoie/Lagha (junior)

 

[Enchanted]

Another P/C article. It's blocked but maybe someone has an access to it.

I don't usually buy articles unless I know they are proper interviews and not just short reports. The English title would be Your mother didn't give us a choice.

 

[yurokis40]

Worlds top ten
1. P&C
2.W&P
3.S&B
4H&D
5.S&K.
I see people already discounting Weaver and Poje.

 

[muffinplus]

Worlds top ten
1. P&C
2.W&P
3.S&B
4H&D
5.S&K.
I see people already discounting Weaver and Poje.

You really think W&P will come back and place second after having missed the entire GP season? They aren't beating Hubbell and Donohue and probably not beating the Russians

 

[yurokis40]

My gut feeling is that Weaver and Poje will medal at worlds they always seem to skate well in Japan they have a big fanbase there, the tango Romantica is one of there strengths , people are overestimating H&D they were already beaten in the fd by S&K, there PCS worlds were virtually identical to weaver and Poje at worlds and that was with a reused program.

 

[yurokis40]

You really think W&P will come back and place second after having missed the entire GP season? They aren't beating Hubbell and Donohue and probably not beating the Russians

the GP season is overstated the real competitions that matter before worlds are Europeans and 4CC its not impossible for a team that missed the gp to medal at worlds, not only is h&d's fd not good this year but Zach can make mistakes at crucial moments, as for the Russians they have never lost to either and will only meet at worlds its possible they will lose but we don't know.

 

[Debbie S]

The lack of a U.S. judge on the panel at Worlds may affect the placement of the U.S. teams. With the increased emphasis on GOE vs levels in the scoring, there is more opportunity for political games. H/D could finish anywhere from 2nd to 5th.

 

[casken]

You really think W&P will come back and place second after having missed the entire GP season? They aren't beating Hubbell and Donohue and probably not beating the Russians

B&K won worlds in 2003 with the route W&P are talking, right down to it being a post Olympic year and with Morozov as a coach.

Not that I think it will happen, but there's precedent for it.

 

[yurokis40]

B&K won worlds in 2003 with the route W&P are talking, right down to it being a post Olympic year and with Morozov as a coach.

Not that I think it will happen, but there's precedent for it.

they also skate well there worlds 2014 .02 from the world title not that I think they will win P&C seem to be ahead of everyone.

 

[Colonel Green]

I think anything could happen, re: Weaver and Poje, but considering that they ended last season by beating a well-regarded Italian team for bronze in Italy, and this at the end of a season where very little went their way, I wouldn’t underestimate the judges’ appreciation.

 

[yurokis40]

I also feel they have strong programs this year, plus they added also Igor and Pasquale.

 

[supergirl573]

I didn't care for Weaver/Poje's MJ at all, so I am even more ready to NOT deal with another. I actually think choreographically what Soucisse/Firus use of Dirty Diana is pretty good, if not particularly well suited to them.

As for Skoptcova/Aleshin's free dance... Well it's leagues better than Loboda/Drozd's senior free dance. I feel like I can at least follow the thought process involved, whereas with L/D's Chicago I get as far as "well it makes sense to try something that focuses on speed and energy with little need for polish and to continue to develop their performance quality while standing out from the pack" before the whole thing tumbles tragically off a cliff. There are aspects of S/A's free dance that kind of work, or at least manage to highlight some of their strengths in the choreography. And the decision to give them something modern that isn't at all lyrical isn't a bad one. We'll see how it stands up at Russian Nationals, however.

I didn't care for Weaver/Poje doing the choreography. However, I liked it wen Anna Belle Morozov was doing parts of it with Weaver on Twitter. Words from the wise ice dancers: never post videos with you dancing with a competitor and they are out dancing you.

 

[Dobre]

I think you would be a fool to underestimate Weaver & Poje's chances at 4CCs and Worlds this season.

But that they will have to hit their twizzles. Sigh.

 

[casken]

I think you would be a fool to underestimate Weaver & Poje's chances at 4CCs and Worlds this season.

That's why I'm not making any predictions right now, other than a P&C romp at worlds. The GPF and 4CC will give a us a better idea of where everyone else stands.