The Dance Hall 10: The Saitama Samba 2022-2023

[Sylvia]

I think that's everyone, except Chen/Sun and Fukase/Zhang (aka Cho), and I'm not sure about the status of those teams. Fukase/Zhang haven't competed in a while, and aren't on the entry list for the Quebec event this summer, so idk if they're still a team. But I don't think there was an announcement that they weren't, so they could still be training together at IAM. Rikako is currently in Montreal according to her IG.

@Dobre also had asked about the status of Fukase/Cho in the GP Assignments thread:

Japan had Fukase & Cho (who could maybe have earned whatever Japan's internal score requirement is for a TBA); but I don't know if they are still together. They aren't on the entry list for the Quebec summer event, which is where I would have expected to see them. They pulled out of Japanese Nationals last year, but the teams training in Canada didn't travel due to covid.

I just came across this 8/27/22 tweet by In The Loop with a link to an interview in Japanese with Rikako Fukase in which she confirmed that Eichu Cho [a.k.a. Oliver Zhang in Canada] has retired from competition and that she has switched to synchro skating in Canada (with the current world champions, Les Suprêmes):

活躍する大東人100周年記念スペシャル #1 深瀬理香子さん｜大東文化大学創立100周年記念サイト まんなか学部

活躍する大東人100周年記念スペシャル #1 深瀬理香子さん

www.daito.ac.jp

 

[Wyliefan]

Oh, I'd wondered what happened to them. Thanks for the update!

 

[Dobre]

I have two main thoughts about the Ostrava ice dance event.

1. Absolutely zero movement. There were split dance results, but absolutely no one moved their overall ranking after the RD. This despite multiple errors and the fact that the FD should be worth more. Congratulations, ISU and ice dance technical committee. It took you all of two scoring cycles to eliminate all the movement created by the introduction of IJS. Looked like the reverse skate order was the final nail in the coffin.

2. Man in the Iron Mask is a brilliant soundtrack. Especially for dance/pairs. This program, along with the Peals' FD, feel like whole, developed programs to me. The elements are designed to reflect the moments in the music. More than the elements are required for the program. It's not all just an exercise in where to fit them. Anyway, think the JGP Final outlook is beginning to take shape. Feel like there are at least three, maybe four, highly likely teams, and I'm curious who the others will turn out to be.

----

Also:

Happy for Hauer & Starr in their debut. I saw them win juveniles together, when they were mostly smiles & ice-dancer hair. Looks like they are developing some power. Hard to tell on the screen, but it would be a very good sign.

 

[leilaofpaper]

I have two main thoughts about the Ostrava ice dance event.

1. Absolutely zero movement. There were split dance results, but absolutely no one moved their overall ranking after the RD. This despite multiple errors and the fact that the FD should be worth more. Congratulations, ISU and ice dance technical committee. It took you all of two scoring cycles to eliminate all the movement created by the introduction of IJS. Looked like the reverse skate order was the final nail in the coffin.

What rankings do you feel should have been different after the RD?

 

[Dobre]

What rankings do you feel should have been different after the RD?

I thought the French team was overscored from the start and then went on to make another mistake or two to prove it but still didn't lose the place. I would have had Tkachenko & Kiliakov higher in the RD and then dropped them down when she blew her twizzles in the free. Those are two that come to mind right off the bat, but it's not like I want to wuzrob anyone. I want a tighter scoring system, in which the GOE and PCS wouldn't hold teams over one another when those kind of things occur. (I also thought Aksenov's edges were weak).

 

[Colonel Green]

Marjorie Lajoie's mother posted about Holubtsova/Bielobrov's time at IAM. I'd guess they're heading back to Europe now.

 

[Sylvia]

New Senior team for Azerbaijan - Adrienne Carhart (the oldest of 4 skating sisters, 3 of whom also ice dance!) & Oleksandr Kolosovskyi (born in UKR, competed 2020-2022 for AZE with Ekaterina Kuznetsova - their ISU bio: http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00110563.htm)

Carhart (one of the top solo ice dancers competing this season) & Kolosovskyi made their debut at the Labor Day Invitational club competition in Estero, Florida (where they train) and competed Rhythm Dance only: https://ijs.usfigureskating.org/leaderboard/results/2022/30777/CAT003SEG006.html

The top 2 finishers in the Junior Dance event (RD & FD were separate/scores not combined) will be debuting on JGP soon - Helena Carhart/Volodymyr Horovyi for USA and Zoe Larson/Andrey Kapran (new) for UKR - RD results: https://ijs.usfigureskating.org/leaderboard/results/2022/30777/CAT002SEG003.html
FD results: https://ijs.usfigureskating.org/leaderboard/results/2022/30777/CAT028SEG105.html

 

[Holy Headband]

I have two main thoughts about the Ostrava ice dance event.

1. Absolutely zero movement. There were split dance results, but absolutely no one moved their overall ranking after the RD. This despite multiple errors and the fact that the FD should be worth more. Congratulations, ISU and ice dance technical committee. It took you all of two scoring cycles to eliminate all the movement created by the introduction of IJS. Looked like the reverse skate order was the final nail in the coffin.

2. Man in the Iron Mask is a brilliant soundtrack. Especially for dance/pairs. This program, along with the Peals' FD, feel like whole, developed programs to me. The elements are designed to reflect the moments in the music. More than the elements are required for the program. It's not all just an exercise in where to fit them. Anyway, think the JGP Final outlook is beginning to take shape. Feel like there are at least three, maybe four, highly likely teams, and I'm curious who the others will turn out to be.

----

Also:

Happy for Hauer & Starr in their debut. I saw them win juveniles together, when they were mostly smiles & ice-dancer hair. Looks like they are developing some power. Hard to tell on the screen, but it would be a very good sign.

Are they really not going to revert to drawing lots within groups? The excuse for this travesty was the pandemic-disrupted season, but we're back to regular competition now. They're just going to forget about changing it back?

I absolutely hate the reverse skating order in all disciplines, not just ice dance.

 

[clairecloutier]

I’d definitely prefer a random skate order. Especially in dance.

 

[Belsornia]

I heard that broadcasters had been pushing for reverse skate order for a while, so presumably that’s partly why they aren’t going back.

 

[Gris]

Quoting @victorskid from the French skating news thread - Lopareva / Brissaud now train in IAM part time.

From Twitter today - I.AM announces that Evgeniia Lopareva & Geoffrey Brissaud, representing France, are now part of the Ice Academy of Montreal!

https://twitter.com/montreal_ice/status/1567152072834879491

Evgeniia Lopareva & Geoffrey Brissaud, representing France, are now part of the Ice Academy of Montreal! The skaters will share their time between Lyon, where they will continue to be trained by Roxane Petetin, and Montréal, where they are fully integrated in the I. AM team.
Evgeniia and Geoffrey have started training with us mid-August and will compete for the first time in the 2022/2023 season at the French Masters.

 

[On My Own]

I’d definitely prefer a random skate order. Especially in dance.

Don't think it'd help one bit...

 

[Karen-W]

Cross-posting from my post in the OES News thread -

The Spanish fed is creating an Elite Dance Group based in Madrid and headed by Hurtado & Khaliavin - https://hieloespanol.es/1/la_fedh_c..._liderado_por_hurtado_y_jalyavin_3282291.html

They will be having tests for interested Spanish and foreign ISU skaters on Sep 17 & 18.

 

[Karen-W]

A new junior dance team who will be representing Spain internationally - Athena Roberts & Eric Alis, who train in BC with Megan Wing & Aaron Lowe.

ETA - let's get the link right! https://www.instagram.com/p/CiYX_wmo14G/

 

[Karen-W]

The Taschlers, Fournier Beaudry/Sorensen, Turkkila/Versluis, Kazakova/Reviya, Hawayek/Baker and Green/Parsons are scheduled to make their season debut at Finlandia - great line-up!

 

[deegee]

The Taschlers, Fournier Beaudry/Sorensen, Turkkila/Versluis, Kazakova/Reviya, Hawayek/Baker and Green/Parsons are scheduled to make their season debut at Finlandia - great line-up!

would love to see a podium of h/b, k/r & t/v

 

[Andrea82]

For those loving studying protocols, I alert that Halina Gordon Poltorak is Judge#4 at Lombardia Trophy tomorrow.

It is the first time in like 2 decades we can see her actual scores given when she was a member of ID technical committe, she could have been only Referee or Technical Controller but not Judge.

 

[GoneWithTheWind]

Links to Guignard/Fabbri's new programs at Lombardia for anyone who didn't see them live

RD: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylm6B_aDTp8&t=1s
FD: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73OdHUDGX94&t=163s

That one-arm stationary lift into rotational lift in their FD is so impressive!

 

[PRlady]

Links to Guignard/Fabbri's new programs at Lombardia for anyone who didn't see them live

RD: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylm6B_aDTp8&t=1s
FD: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73OdHUDGX94&t=163s

That one-arm stationary lift into rotational lift in their FD is so impressive!

Watching it a second time, my guess is that they and Babs know their most experienced competition left in the field are Chock/Bates, who have had buzzy FDs two years in a row. I don’t know who choreographed this new look for them but it’s great, much more interesting than I expect from them.

 

[Ena Grins]

I was on the fence about G/F's music choices when I first saw each of these programs, yesterday and today. Rewatching them now I see that my fandom is overwhelming any reluctance I had and that I am going to be fully in the tank for them this season.

 

[On My Own]

It is truly stunning how the discipline that is SUPPOSED to be the most artistic constantly churns out the least watchable, most pathetic pieces of work imaginable. I'd frankly watch men's skating than ice dance at this point, and that's saying something.

 

[Andrea82]

Ramanauskaitė/Kizala achieved the new increased Free Dance TES minimum for Worlds today. They got the RD minimum at Britannia International Cup a few weeks ago. So Lithuania can use their 2 spots at 2023 Worlds.

 

[Karen-W]

Still not entirely sold on GuiFab's RD, but their FD is really great and it will definitely challenge Chock/Bates for the top spot, I think. Can't wait for both teams to meet up at the GPF and then again at Worlds!

 

[Debbie S]

G/F's FD might get some buzz among the judges b/c it's different than their usual movie soundtrack programs. And they have some good lifts. But the music is meh and unless I'm missing something, the concept is kind of generic.

Except for the TES in the RD, their scores here were almost identical to what they got last season. We'll see if they rise as the season goes on.

 

[her grace]

Links to Guignard/Fabbri's new programs at Lombardia for anyone who didn't see them live

RD: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylm6B_aDTp8&t=1s
FD: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73OdHUDGX94&t=163s

That one-arm stationary lift into rotational lift in their FD is so impressive!

Thanks! I LOVE the FD. A unique piece of music and innovative moves with their trademark excellent basic skating.

 

[hlimfan27]

G/F are weird for me. They are excellent skaters and probably the best skaters in the field right now. And she constantly amazes me with the lifts she is able to pull off. I can only imagine how strong she is.

Yet, they're so dull and boring to me. It feels like an exercise to watch their programs. They certainly went outside their comfort zones in terms of program packaging, which I appreciate, but they still lack the charisma that other top ice dance teams usually have. While their programs have some cool moments and wonderful elements, the program around them is often awkward - if not an outright snoozefest. Charlene cannot pull off the latin movements in the RD. He's a little better there, but I wish they chose something closer to a rumba.

It will be interesting to see if F/G can beat them at Europeans. I don't forsee that happenning, but it would be a nice surprise

 

[ostile17]

It will be interesting to see if F/G can beat them at Europeans. I don't forsee that happenning, but it would be a nice surprise

No friecking way!!! F/G are miles below them!

 

[deegee]

No friecking way!!! F/G are miles below them!

yes. i would lose my lunch if g/f lost to f/g.

 

[Andrea82]

For those loving studying protocols, I alert that Halina Gordon Poltorak is Judge#4 at Lombardia Trophy tomorrow.

It is the first time in like 2 decades we can see her actual scores given when she was a member of ID technical committe, she could have been only Referee or Technical Controller but not Judge.

Turns out she is a fan of Bratti/Sommerville....
Keeping levels' calls as they were (panel was Leanna Caron-Maria Tumanoskaya-Anna Cappellini), HGP's scores would be

Guignard/Fabbri 207.64
Taschelrs 180.37
Bratti/Sommerville 178.56
Reed/Ambrolevicius 172.48
Demougeot/Le Mercier 165.56
Lagouge/Caffa 156.06
Leccardi/Dalla Torre 152.92
Manni/Rothislberger 150.93
Ramanauskaitė/Kizala 148.99
Hertenstein/Binkowski 139.1

In both segments she gave Bratti/Sommerville second highest PCS. In the Free Dance, she tied them with Guignard/Fabbri in Presentation.

 

[Wyliefan]

In the Free Dance, she tied them with Guignard/Fabbri in Presentation.

Er, that's a bit much! I liked their program, but their presentation has a long way to go to be up there with G/F's.