The Dance Hall 8: Join the Maskerade 2020-2021

[Dobre]

S&B fall at the top among teams most likely to go 4 more years. (I think it's quite plausible another team or two among the top 6 might stay in; but of the lot, S&B seem the most likely to me).

 

[tony]

Since there's a high chance of Worlds going to Canada in 2024, I think it's possible to see G/P and FB/S both stick it out the additional two seasons, especially with most of the other couples likely retiring in 2022 or maybe 2023 if a (gold) medal chance is there following Beijing retirements.

But by 2025, I don't really think any of the top teams will still be around except for maybe S/B, but I think they are a team that will just get passed by quickly once the window of opportunity is open.

 

[ryanj07]

I agree with those saying S/B will likely stay on. I could even see them getting a post Olys world title like C/L did if the chips fall in their favor.

 

[Bigbird]

Is there a reason you're asking about Z/G retiring? Why would they? They're doing so well.

Respectfully they have been struggling with stamina and technique for years and it must be so costly to always have to get outside choreo as you know their coaches are sadly lacking in that area and many others. Where are the good coaching schools for dancers in Russia? Morozov does good things sometimes in the Samokhin group but he doesn't linger, traveling nomad type. It's like all roads lead to Zhulin. Sigh.

 

[yeslek]

Respectfully they have been struggling with stamina and technique for years and it must be so costly to always have to get outside choreo as you know their coaches are sadly lacking in that area and many others. Where are the good coaching schools for dancers in Russia? Morozov does good things sometimes in the Samokhin group but he doesn't linger, traveling nomad type. It's like all roads lead to Zhulin. Sigh.

Aren’t they on salary from being on the national team in Russia?

 

[starrynight]

Ice dance looked and felt boring. Like a known meal you're having a fourth time around. And it wasn't skated well either.
Next year is going to be better. It has to.

It’s kind of made me realise that I’ve actually enjoyed the drama of the Uber wars (D/W vs V/M and P/C vs V/M) more than I realised.

A rivalry between Sinitsina/Katsalapov and Papadakis/Cizeron is missing the drama. Maybe because it does feel manufactured?

 

[taz'smum]

Is there a reason you're asking about Z/G retiring? Why would they? They're doing so well.

Thank you People forget that skaters love what they do, and want to continue for as long as they can.

Z/G will keep on skating as long as they can manage to hang onto that 3rd spot, are still healthy, and are still enjoying it!
Aspirations have been tempered over time and they are now simply enjoying still being in the game and being part of the National team!

This season has been an amazingly enjoyable season for them.
The team competition in particular was an incredible experience, one of the highlights of their career.
They are just enjoying the awesome ride

 

[mjb52]

Also, being one of the top 10 teams in the entire world at what they do is nothing to sneeze at. It's a huge achievement.

Separately, I don't think we know what a rivalry between S/K and P/C will be like because we haven't experienced it yet. The Europeans victory was a massive upset and they haven't competed against each other since then. Next season will be the first time they are both competing on a closer footing. I hope the drama stays on-ice and not off though.

 

[ccpompom]

Thank you People forget that skaters love what they do, and want to continue for as long as they can.

Z/G will keep on skating as long as they can manage to hang onto that 3rd spot, are still healthy, and are still enjoying it!
Aspirations have been tempered over time and they are now simply enjoying still being in the game and being part of the National team!

This season has been an amazingly enjoyable season for them.
The team competition in particular was an incredible experience, one of the highlights of their career.
They are just enjoying the awesome ride

OH I was hoping they'll retire after this quad tbh their skating, programs and packaging are not it. I'd rather see what the teams below them can offer. I know it's better. And they got that 10th place bc they represent rusfed. Here's hoping they'll call it career after 2022

 

[taz'smum]

OH I was hoping they'll retire after this quad tbh their skating, programs and packaging are not it. I'd rather see what the teams below them can offer. I know it's better. And they got that 10th place bc they represent rusfed. Here's hoping they'll call it career after 2022

Russia follows the sporting principle, they send the first past the post at Nationals.
If the teams below them are better, then they will be sent in place of Z/G.


With my 'love' of competitions which involve my offspring, I too would prefer that they call it a day in 2022.

 

[starrynight]

Separately, I don't think we know what a rivalry between S/K and P/C will be like because we haven't experienced it yet. The Europeans victory was a massive upset and they haven't competed against each other since then. Next season will be the first time they are both competing on a closer footing. I hope the drama stays on-ice and not off though.

You’re right.

But I also think that S/K haven’t had their ‘wow’ program yet. Every proper champion ice dance team needs one.

I just don’t think dance works well as a discipline without a big build up over a season.

 

[mjb52]

Well as someone whose two prior favorite teams peaked in the wrong year, I'm hoping the reason for that is that S/K's own wow program is going to come at exactly the right time.

 

[starrynight]

I think a proper rivalry is a good thing to keep dance fresh.

I think P/C would have benefited from a proper rival this quad to keep the fires burning.

Once Virtue/Moir retired it sort of has seemed like a long walk towards an inevitable Olympic gold for P/C.

 

[Ka3sha]

I still think of SinKats tango RD as one of the best programs this cycle (and their best one yet).
It allowed them to stand out, to get to the top, to become commanding in some sense. And it’s also something completely different from their usual ‘lovely romantic’ style

 

[mjb52]

I was thinking about that too, I like their FDs but their last two RDs have both really clicked I think, so it might be a profitable idea to figure out what made them work so well, not to copy it for the free dance but to use it as a key to unlock what might be a good approach next year. I think there's a bit of character acting in both, which seems to be something they do well (I really liked Vika's expressiveness in the short clips I saw from The Scarlet Flower too). I think they will probably also want to break the 2/3rds of the program slower piece, 1/3rd faster piece pattern also imo. But I'm not about to tell Z how to do his job! He has been a stellar coach for them. And actually, since he is 1/2 of one of the aforementioned prior favorite teams I wonder if at a very subconscious level he has been pacing all of this without even realizing it.

 

[Wyliefan]

OH I was hoping they'll retire after this quad tbh their skating, programs and packaging are not it. I'd rather see what the teams below them can offer. I know it's better. And they got that 10th place bc they represent rusfed. Here's hoping they'll call it career after 2022

If the teams below them were better, they would have beaten Z/G at home and gone to Worlds. They didn't.

 

[Colonel Green]

Thank you People forget that skaters love what they do, and want to continue for as long as they can.

Z/G will keep on skating as long as they can manage to hang onto that 3rd spot, are still healthy, and are still enjoying it!
Aspirations have been tempered over time and they are now simply enjoying still being in the game and being part of the National team!

Assuming we get the likely retirements after Beijing, a Euros medal seems like a strong possibility for them.

 

[taz'smum]

Assuming we get the likely retirements after Beijing, a Euros medal seems like a strong possibility for them.

Let's not get carried away

 

[millyskate]

The Brits have a tradition of winning post-olympic Euro bronze so I'm hopeful for the disco Brits

 

[Colonel Green]

The Brits have a tradition of winning post-olympic Euro bronze so I'm hopeful for the disco Brits

If you take the current World ranking and subtract P/C, G/F, and S/K they would be the silver medalists, even.

 

[Peepsquick]

I think a proper rivalry is a good thing to keep dance fresh.

I think P/C would have benefited from a proper rival this quad to keep the fires burning.

Once Virtue/Moir retired it sort of has seemed like a long walk towards an inevitable Olympic gold for P/C.

P/C gave us wonderful performances every season ... I think the fires were burning bright. Not everyone thrives on competition.

 

[MsZem]

The Brits have a tradition of winning post-olympic Euro bronze so I'm hopeful for the disco Brits

This tradition includes the Kerrs in 2011 and... looks like that's it.

Coomes and Buckland won in 2014 (pre-Olympics).

 

[Colonel Green]

This tradition includes the Kerrs in 2011 and... looks like that's it.

Coomes and Buckland won in 2014 (pre-Olympics).

Tradition has to start somewhere!

 

[taz'smum]

Tradition has to start somewhere!

Except I think Lilah and Lewis are online for the not the bronze!

 

[litenkyckling]

Except I think Lilah and Lewis are online for the not the bronze!

The totally selfish Brit in me (Who? Brits? Selfish? Never!) really hopes that this happens partly so that there would be better stats to lobby the government with for more funding for skating and that that would lead to a successful Euros bid... (preferably in Glasgow - so close to where Lewis is from)

 

[Holy Headband]

I enjoy F/G's performances a lot and think it's great for the sport to have a team like them that consistently picks high-energy crowd-pleasing music and knows what to do with it/has the stage presence and choreo to deliver genuinely fun programmes, BUT... even in a post-Olympic year a Euro medal for them would be chicanery on par with top-sixing the Polish team. Their skating skills need serious work. That said, maybe if they're motivated to work hard (and smart), they can get there by the end of the next Olympic cycle.

 

[Peepsquick]

I enjoy F/G's performances a lot and think it's great for the sport to have a team like them that consistently picks high-energy crowd-pleasing music and knows what to do with it/has the stage presence and choreo to deliver genuinely fun programmes, BUT... even in a post-Olympic year a Euro medal for them would be chicanery on par with top-sixing the Polish team. Their skating skills need serious work. That said, maybe if they're motivated to work hard (and smart), they can get there by the end of the next Olympic cycle.

Yes, they are pretty new at it for an ice dance team but I like their energy and they mesh well. They just need some time...

 

[MarieM]

Fear and Gibson are enjoyable and their packaging is genius. But they can't skate.
That's all they have over the polish team. But that is worth 10+ in my book.
A top ten finish is way too high nonetheless considering who's behind them. That's all.

As for S&Katsalapov, I always fear he'll blow things up by overdoing the elements. He nearly did it with his twizzles at worlds. That big fall is gonna come, we all know it. Let's hope he doesn't bring her down.

 

[mjb52]

ok sure...

I thought Nikita's twizzles at Worlds looked fine.

 

[skatingguy]

ok sure...

I thought Nikita's twizzles at Worlds looked fine.

It's hard to know whether Nikita's twizzles are like a Charlie White's twizzles where he got them under control & they were almost never problem after he did, or are they like an Andrew Poje twizzles where he has a few good seasons & then they start to deteriorate again. If they are only planning on going one more year than he might just make it.