The Dance Hall 7: Tripping the Light Fantastic 2019-2020

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Colonel Green

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With the discussion about the Grand Prix, I was looking over the Challenger events to try to figure out where people will be heading this year — especially among the top teams.

Papadakis/Cizeron usually don’t do Challengers.

The Autumn Classic is first up this year, and I expect with Gilles/Poirier as the top-ranked team (unless P/C do decide to do a Challenger, in which case it would make sense to return here). Skate Canada (logically) prefers to have its top dance team attend this. You’d expect there to again be heavy turnout from Quebec- and Ontario-based dance teams.

Lombardia is easy: another win and big season-opening score for Guignard/Fabbri.

Hubbell/Donohue also sounded like they weren’t going to do a Challenger this year, skipping their customary berth at the U.S. Classic. You’d similarly expect that the USFSA would want one of the other top US teams to make the trip — Chock/Bates are obviously an option, though they have more history with Nebelhorn. An alternative would be for Hawayek/Baker to go.

After that you have the next three European Challengers. Sinitsinsa/Katsalapov won Nepela Trophy last year; they might make a return appearance, or go to Nebelhorn (as previously noted, Chock/Bates also have a history there).

Stepanova/Bukin have gone to Finlandia four of the last five seasons, so every reason to think that will continue.
 

Dobre

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Igor has a history at Nebelhorn, but Chock & Bates aren't with him anymore. He often takes multiple teams.

The most logical set up for the American teams at U.S. Classic would be C&B, McNamara & Carpenter, and Green & Parsons. That spreads out the teams and gives both C&B and M&C a home event. (Those two teams are the only American ones without a North American event during the GP).

If Chock & Bates do not want the Classic because it's early, then I can see Hawayek & Baker coming. (But I'm thinking Autumn Classic is more likely for Hawayek & Baker?)

Fournier-Beaudry & Sorenson usually do a North American event; but Gilles & Poirier often traveled across the ocean as #2 or #3 for Canada. So things have shifted quite significantly in the Canadian dance hierarchy. F-B&S might be traveling. Or we might get an interesting head-to-head between them and one of the U.S. dance teams.
 
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Colonel Green

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If Chock & Bates do not want the Classic because it's early, then I can see Hawayek & Baker coming. (But I'm thinking Autumn Classic is more likely for Hawayek & Baker?)

Fournier-Beaudry & Sorenson usually do a North American event; but Gilles & Poirier often traveled across the ocean as #2 or #3 for Canada. So things have shifted quite significantly in the Canadian dance hierarchy. F-B&S might be traveling. Or we might get an interesting head-to-head between them and one of the U.S. dance teams.
My main thought about Hawayek/Baker and ACI is that it's probably not in their interests to go if Fournier Beaudry/Sorensen are going. They've now got a sort of regional rivalry going, as in last year's 4CC they were their respective countries' #3s (F-B/S are now presumptive #2) and placed neck-and-neck both there and at Worlds. F-B/S clearly are angling to pass them by, and they've got a matchup scheduled now at their respective second Grand Prix events.

But the way the season is set up to this point is modestly favourable to H/B, in that they're the presumptive bronze medalists at their first event, so they'll have that going for them going into Cup of China. F-B/S could also win bronze at SkAm, but that'll be much more of a fight for them against Zahorski/Guerreiro (presumably; fingers crossed that Z/G have found their footing again).

All that being the case, why go up against your Canadian rival at an event on Canadian soil before the Grand Prix starts?
 

Dobre

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All that being the case, why go up against your Canadian rival at an event on Canadian soil before the Grand Prix starts?

Why are you convinced F-B&S will go? I think the only time Canada's #1 and #2 have both gone to the Autumn Classic was 2017-18. (And team #2 promptly ditched their FD afterward).


This is total speculation. But, hey, what else do we have to discuss all off-season?:biggrinbo

Anyway, I'm not at all sure where Hawayek & Baker will want to go. (As with F-B&S, they typically do a North American event but H&B's place in the hierarchy at home has changed and their strategy/USFS's strategy for them may change along with it).

It is entirely possible that Chock & Bates will not want to do the U.S. Classic, as one assumes they have opted out of it for years. But C&B could use the World Standing points right now after missing so many competitions over the past couple seasons due to injury, and USFS would probably like a headliner there if they can get one.

If Chock & Bates go to the U.S. Classic (which they may not want to do because it is an early event and they don't have an early event and the air in Salt Lake is :blah:), then H&B are highly unlikely to be invited there.

Should that be the case, then the following would be pluses for H&B going to the Autumn Classic:

1. H&B wouldn't have to travel across the ocean.

2. H&B train in Canada.

3. H&B probably wouldn't have to go head-to-head right off the bat against the young U.S. dance teams prior to getting their own programs squared away. (A loss to McNamara & Carpenter or Carreira & Ponomarenko could be a lot more damaging to H&B than a loss to F-B&S on Canadian soil).

4. H&B wouldn't have to go up against Guignard & Fabbri in Italy and travel all the way there.

5. They wouldn't have to deal with the Russian teams and the Eastern European judges at Nepela.

6. H&B would get an early CS out of the way, which would be beneficial as they are booked for SC.

7. There's no guarantee that F-B&S will be at the Autumn Classic as, with the exception of the Olympic season, Canada's #1 & #2 don't usually both go to the Autumn Classic. If F-B&S go and Gilles & Poirier don't, then the Autumn Classic would be an opportunity for a win. So there would be different motivation in that scenario.

8. H&B have defeated F-B&S every time those teams have met for the past 3 or so seasons so they might very well do it again.

Having said all of that, odds are probably quite low that F-B&S and H&B will go to the same CS event(s) as they are closely ranked and have the same coaches. (Both teams have a record of going to Finlandia, U.S. Classic, and Autumn Classic, though. So keeping them apart might well mean changing someone's normal game plan).

Also H&B could go to Nebelhorn. (Should Chock & Bates not want two events, including Nebelhorn, in order to bump up those World Standing points, and should H&B not mind the likelihood that Igor may take Carreira & Ponomarenko).
 

platniumangel

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Probably they got the spot based on being a split couple and the Parsons earning a guaranteed berth last season. It's not in the rules, but it seems similar to what happened with Li & Xie getting invited onto the GP (one invite of which was at SA) last season. (And, yes, it seems entirely plausible that USFS and SC traded berths as they seem to do so quite a lot. Though by all appearances not in dance over the past couple seasons).

Anyway, USFS didn't offer the berth. Skate Canada did. If they didn't give it to Green & Parsons, it would have gone to a dance team from another country. Technically, USFS is waiting as they haven't named the third team to SA. I don't know who else could possibly get it, considering the teams we saw signed up for the Chesapeake Open; but no one has been named yet.

Green & Parsons aren't in the International Selection Pool yet either. I'm curious whether they will just be added to it directly now that they have a GP (as Gracie was last year) or whether USFS will wait for them to compete. I have a feeling we have an update to the ISP list in dance coming regardless, though, as I'm pretty sure Wolfkostin & Chen's scores are high enough to get them on the list.

Do we know what minimum points are needed at an event to be added to ISP for Jr/Sr?
 

Dobre

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Do we know what minimum points are needed at an event to be added to ISP for Jr/Sr?

No. We knew a couple years go, but it may have gone up since scores skyrocketed with the new scoring system last season. Wolfkostin & Chen scored 150.33 as a combined score at the Chesapeake Open, though; and that is higher than Cesanek & Yehorov's score from Nationals. C&Y are on the ISP now and skated very well at Nationals.

(I'm thinking the old required score was only in the 120s? But I can't remember at the moment, and odds are it has gone up).
 

Debbie S

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On the subject of Senior B's, Nebelhorn will usually have top/world-level judges (and it's also the comp where judges nominated by their feds for world-level appointments take their exam or whatever it is as the final step in their certification process) so skaters and coaches like to go there, i.e. get feedback from the best. I assumed that's why C/B and Igor preferred to go there when they were USA #1 and a natural choice for the SLC comp. C/B did compete in SLC in 2012, the first year of the comp's existence.

I wouldn't be surprised if C/B did 2 Senior B's, for the rankings points if nothing else, but I also wouldn't be surprised if they just did 1. I'm just excited to see what they do this season, with a full summer of training. The Broadway RD theme is right in their wheelhouse. :)
 

Dobre

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I am really enjoying the music announcements for the RD. OK, there's Grease, 3 Cabarets, & Moulin Rouge; but overall a diverse group of programs we've already heard about and a bunch of different pieces than the ones that were used in 2018. Still a lot of announcements yet to come so we'll see if that trend continues. But thus far, it's been fun.
 

clairecloutier

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Apparently there's an ISU video about the Finnstep key points, which may have been made a while ago, as it seems to feature Tiffany Zahorski, but with another partner, not Jon.

 

taz'smum

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Apparently there's an ISU video about the Finnstep key points, which may have been made a while ago, as it seems to feature Tiffany Zahorski, but with another partner, not Jon.


It was filmed with Olivier Schoenfelder, during the 2 years Tiff was looking for a new partner.
 

chameleonster

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For those wondering about what's going on with Min/Eaton, Yura posted instagram stories of them goofing off during practice together today. You can also hear Chicago playing in the background at one point but as there was another couple skating at the time I'm not sure it's their music.
 

Dobre

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For those wondering about what's going on with Min/Eaton, Yura posted instagram stories of them goofing off during practice together today.

Thank you. They will be back on my next update list.

a bunch of different pieces than the ones that were used in 2018.

Naturally, roughly three hours after I posted this comment, someone posts that Konkina & Drozd are using 42nd Street. LOL. Timing is everything. Serves me right;).

ETA: And Sinkats follow it up with Singing in the Rain.
 
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platniumangel

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Sorry, not sure if this is the right area to post.

Does anyone know who the entries are for senior/junior dance at Cactus Open? It’s happening the same week as Texas Cannon Open. Odd to have both competitions held simultaneously.

 

platniumangel

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LOL. I originally felt that way about the hip-hop season, and ended up loving it. I am reserving judgment and my usual loud groaning based on that. Hahahaha.

I love musicals but I am not liking the choices thus far! Hopefully I’ll be pleasantly surprised as the season goes on 😀
 

Sylvia

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Does anyone know who the entries are for senior/junior dance at Cactus Open?
Looks like Marina Zoueva's new teams training in Estero, Florida have chosen to make their respective debuts at the Cactus Classic club comp. in Scottsdale, AZ rather than at the NQS dance comp. at the Cannon Texas Open:

Senior RD/FD:
Adrienne Carhart, The Skating Club of New York / Yuri Vlasenko, Arctic FSC (he skated with Lydia Erdman at 2019 U.S. Nationals, 8th place)

Junior RD/FD:
Gianna Buckley, Seattle SC / Anton Spiridonov, Florida Everblades FSC (same Russian guy? http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00106733.htm)
Marine Pouliot (previously skated pairs in CAN), The Skating Club of New York / Kenan Slevira, All Year FSC
Christina Sheckler, Washington FSC / Grant Kulenkamp, FSC of Southern California
Elvira Nikolova, Bulgarian Skating Federation / Dane Ayers, Bulgarian Skating Federation (he competed in Intermediate Dance at 2018 U.S. Nationals)
 
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Ladida

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For Spanish speakers here:
Nice video about Sara's day in Moscow.
Can some recognize the music Sinitsina/Katsalapov are skating from 01:10? Can it be there new FD music?
 

platniumangel

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Does anyone know if the entries for Cannon open are posted anywhere yet?

Replying to myself lol in case anyone is interested: my friend told me the junior entries for Texas Cannon Open. Still don’t know senior.

Ritter/Wang
Lin/Sletten
Ling/Wein
Asher/Pearson
Wolfkolstin/Chen
Tkachenko/Kiliakov
Loughlin/Petrenko
Lavrova/Gart
Ales/Tsarek
Nguyen/Kolesnik
*Withdrawn: DelCamp/Somerville

Wish I could watch! Some new teams competing.
 

Lara111

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Replying to myself lol in case anyone is interested: my friend told me the junior entries for Texas Cannon Open. Still don’t know senior.

Ritter/Wang
Lin/Sletten
Ling/Wein
Asher/Pearson
Wolfkolstin/Chen
Tkachenko/Kiliakov
Loughlin/Petrenko
Lavrova/Gart
Ales/Tsarek
Nguyen/Kolesnik
*Withdrawn: DelCamp/Somerville

Wish I could watch! Some new teams competing.
I wish there was broadcasting.
 

Sylvia

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