U.S. Ice Dance 2019-20 season news & updates

[clairecloutier]

Here’s a short piece I did with Hubbell/Donohue heading into 4CCs:

Hubbell and Donohue Look to Rebound at Four Continents - U.S. Figure Skating Fan Zone

Every competition has its unique challenges, even for veteran skaters like Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue. Hubbell and Donohue entered the 2020 Toyota U.S.

usfigureskatingfanzone.com

They talked about the problem they had in the free dance at Natls, and how their free dance has changed over the season.

 

[Debbie S]

They talked about the problem they had in the free dance at Natls,

I've read their comments and understand what they are saying, but it comes across a little like sour grapes to me. C/B had a 1.3 lead in the RD (which we know is pretty substantial for ice dance) and had been outscoring H/D in the FD all season. They beat H/D overall at the GPF and were considered the favorites going into Nats. C/B outscored H/D in the FD at Nats by almost 4 points - and H/D didn't lose 4 points due to doing a few elements in the wrong direction - their GOE and PCS were in line with their previous events. Honestly, I was there and didn't notice and I doubt most of the judges did either. Just accept that you lost this time.

 

[Icandance]

Personally, I think HD have more power overall, but CB have the better FD. Likely winner will be which team hits better tech level with fewer errors.

 

[dancing_on_ice]

I'm very happy that C/B defended their 4CC title, but H/D must be disappointed that they placed behind them again and lost to the Canadians. Their road to a world medal this year looks less and less likely...
As for H/B, I feel for them, but they must be worried about their Worlds spot next year and an Olympic spot in 2022. The teams behind them, CPom, Green/Parsons, and N/K are improving rapidly, while they have stalled since moving to Montreal. I wonder what needs to be changed to stop this shift in momentum.

 

[Jammers]

I'm very happy that C/B defended their 4CC title, but H/D must be disappointed that they placed behind them again and lost to the Canadians. Their road to a world medal this year looks less and less likely...
As for H/B, I feel for them, but they must be worried about their Worlds spot next year and an Olympic spot in 2022. The teams behind them, CPom, Green/Parsons, and N/K are improving rapidly, while they have stalled since moving to Montreal. I wonder what needs to be changed to stop this shift in momentum.

H/B won't have to worry about the C/P who most likely won't be eligible for the Olympics and N/K even if they move up next season are still a young team that won't have the time to challenge H/B either. The team to watch out for is Green/Parsons who show a lot of promise for such a new team. Caroline is 16 but skates with the maturity of a 20 year old and she can only get better.

 

[Colonel Green]

H/B won't have to worry about the C/P who most likely won't be eligible for the Olympics and N/K even if they move up next season are still a young team that won't have the time to challenge H/B either.

Kolesnik has the same citizenship problem as Carreira, as well.

 

[Colonel Green]

From the junior dance at the Bavarian Open.

Oona Brown & Gage Brown - 2020 Bavarian Open FD

February 8, 2020 Bavarian Open - Junior free dance. Music: "Bloodstream" by Tokio Myers, "Air" by Johann Sebastian Bach; Choreography by: Inese Bucevica, Joe...

youtu.be

Avonley Nguyen & Vadym Kolesnik - 2020 Bavarian Open FD

February 8, 2020 Bavarian Open - Junior free dance. Music: "Pianco Concerto No. 2" by Sergei Rachmaninov; Choreography by: Igor Shpilband, Pasquale Camerlengo.

youtu.be

 

[Spiralgraph]

I don't think Hawayek and Baker have stalled at all. They have improved their speed and attack on their elements. Yes, they're not guaranteed the third spot at next year's nationals but to assume that C/P or G/P or M/C will all continue to improve while H/B remain static comes off as wishful thinking.
Part of this thinking to me is that our top three have been around the US dance field for so long that the idea of new faces on the podium is very alluring for some people. As brand new teams at Worlds, it's unlikely that C/P or G/P etc would place higher than Kaitlin and Jean-Luc would.

 

[kwanfan1818]

As brand new teams at Worlds, it's unlikely that C/P or G/P etc would place higher than Kaitlin and Jean-Luc would.

They wouldn't necessarily need to while C/B and H/D are still skating and can earn three spots between them. Then a new U.S. 3 could gain championship experience with little external pressure to "save" three spots, the situation if the top U.S. teams retire/the field clears, and H/B are the only ones with Worlds experience.

 

[Aceon6]

Just a small plea to use more than initials. Even in a US specific thread, reading them gives me a headache. For example, I see G/P and wonder why people think Canadians are in the mix. GrePar and GilPoi, please.

 

[Colonel Green]

They wouldn't necessarily need to while C/B and H/D are still skating and can earn three spots between them. Then a new U.S. 3 could gain championship experience with little external pressure to "save" three spots, the situation if the top U.S. teams retire/the field clears, and H/B are the only ones with Worlds experience.

As an aside, stuff like this is why I'm increasingly enjoying speculating about what post-2022 ice dance looks like internationally. North American ice dance, in particular, has been fully in the grasp of a wave of skaters who came out of juniors in the 2007-2010 period ever since then.

 

[DreamSkates]

I'm very happy that C/B defended their 4CC title, but H/D must be disappointed that they placed behind them again and lost to the Canadians. Their road to a world medal this year looks less and less likely...
As for H/B, I feel for them, but they must be worried about their Worlds spot next year and an Olympic spot in 2022. The teams behind them, CPom, Green/Parsons, and N/K are improving rapidly, while they have stalled since moving to Montreal. I wonder what needs to be changed to stop this shift in momentum.

Well they have time to evaluate why they are falling behind in points - where and why. Overall I did enjoy C/B free dance much more than any other free dance I've seen this year. So creative and artfully skated.
I don't know much about quality of skating in ice dance, but I do respond to creativity and get a bit bored with boy-girl drama/romance ice dancing. Minus H/B Saturday Night Fever program. C/B show how much more ice dancing can be.

 

[aftershocks]

From Katarina DelCamp's Instagram:

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That's a nice tribute to On Ice Perspectives. And in turn, a nice tribute by OIP to DelCamp/Somerville's budding ice dance partnership!

Katarina & Ian are so lovely together, and blessed to have discovered similar gifts and passions in each other. Kudos to them on their journey:

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ETA:
Katarina as an 11-year-old skating to Somewhere in Time ♥

11 Year old Katarina skates as Elise McKenna from Somewhere in Time

Katarina was touched by the classic love story "Somewhere in Time" and wanted badly to skate to the theme music. Here she is skating as the character Elise M...

www.youtube.com

Even then, Katarina was so very talented as a graceful, flexible dancer and an expressive performer! Despite not being an explosive jumper, she still got the job done.

 

[Dobre]

Claire Caine is on IPS.

Caine & Davydov finished 4th at the Novice Ice Dance Final this season (3rd in the FD and one of the CDs there).

 

[Impromptu]

Not sure if this belongs here, or a new thread, since technically Karina Manta is no longer competing, but she's written a book which will be published next fall:

Karina Manta on Twitter

“Some exciting news: I’m writing a book!! And it’s going to be published with Knopf in 2021!! This project feels like a piece of my heart come-to-life, and I can’t wait to share it with you all. ? The biggest thanks to @jessregel and @kellyunderwater for believing in this story.”

twitter.com

 

[clairecloutier]

An article on the Browns, who will make their Junior Worlds debut this week:

Browns Excited for First Major ISU Championship - U.S. Figure Skating Fan Zone

Next week, young U.S. junior ice dance team Oona Brown and Gage Brown will make their debut at the ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships 2020, in Tallinn,

usfigureskatingfanzone.com

 

[semogal]

What’s up US dance fans? Our team just won gold at Junior Worlds and I had to search for this thread!

Congrats to Avonley NGUYEN / Vadym KOLESNIK!!
Here is their winning FD: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k133TDKM31w

 

[sk9tingfan]

What’s up US dance fans? Our team just won gold at Junior Worlds and I had to search for this thread!

Congrats to Avonley NGUYEN / Vadym KOLESNIK!!
Here is their winning FD: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k133TDKM31w

Our two other young teams were exquisite as well. Such potential!

 

[VGThuy]

I was just thinking how exciting that the SD and FD had some real shift and gave the competition a real feeling of a competition beyond top 2 teams. We haven’t had that in the seniors since 2015 Worlds honestly. Of course places 4-7 stayed the same from the SD to FD, but it’s ice dance. What we got here was a shift haha.

 

[Dobre]

Our two other young teams were exquisite as well.

Yes, I thought the U.S. dancers all--as a team--really did all that one could hope for. The Browns, who had a really strong FD performance here, even played spoiler & cracked the top ten. Wolfkostin & Chen had the most solid event of their season. It was a great competition for all these young U.S. teams.

 

[jlai]

BTW, what was Ted referring to when he hinted at problems/struggles with forming the partnership for N/K? Other than having to switch country?

 

[heartyxo]

BTW, what was Ted referring to when he hinted at problems/struggles with forming the partnership for N/K? Other than having to switch country?

The only thing I can really think of is that Vadym had to leave Ukraine by himself when he was only around 15 just so they could skate together. All his family are still there, so he lives with Avonley and her mom. There could be something else I’m unaware of though.

 

[Dobre]

I believe he also came over and tried out, and then went back to Ukraine for a while before deciding to ultimately make that huge move. So the partnership was a while in forming.

 

[Jammers]

I wonder why the rest of his family didn't come with him and stayed in the Ukraine? You would think at least one of his family would have come with him to a strange country at age 15.

 

[clairecloutier]

An article about Nguyen/Kolesnyk with basic info about them:

Getting to Know Avonley Nguyen & Vadym Kolesnik – Ice-dance.com

www.ice-dance.com

 

[AYS]

This is neither news nor update but Vadym K is a very, very special skater and partner and they are wonderful together - they have it it it all over the place. I really have my fingers crossed that these two are able to stay in it for the long haul.

 

[layman]

Nguyen & Kolesnik are both very, very special. She has extraordinary stretch and line and musical awareness. He has spectacular partnering ability and presents her beautifully. They both have wonderful posture and deep knee bend, speed and flow over the ice. It's an amazing partnership.

Their Gold medal at the World Junior Championships (the only American Gold medal) was an upset. They had to make up a lot of ground after coming in 3rd in the short.

Talent cannot be denied. When people say that Ice Dancers must "wait their turn," I say, "no way"...and dancers like Nguyen & Kolesnik prove the point.

 

[AYS]

Didn't mean to imply Avonley isn't also very special. I've been saying lately I'm too old to take the stress of being an emotionally attached fan anymore but then someone comes along who has something to say about that.

 

[clairecloutier]

I'm with those who feel that Avonley/Vadim are a special team. To me, the quality that stands out most is their chemistry. Vadim has exceptional partnering skills; he's so strong and attentive to Avonley. As for Avonley, she is exquisite and has star quality. Physically, they're really well-matched, and seem to be compatible in personality as well, at least so far. The future looks bright for them!

 

[VGThuy]

I agree that N/K are a special team. Their potential is boundless IMO. I am also glad to admit I was wrong about their Rach 2 in the beginning. It turned out to be the right choice for them and they surprised me with how they were able to rise up to the challenge of their music. It’s been a while since I’ve seen such an organic program from Igor’s camp. Sure Camerlengo had a lot to do with it looking less acrobatic Chock/Bates style in their version and gave it more depth.