Kinoshita Group Cup - Dance RD & FD

[Karen-W]

RD Starting Order/Live Results - https://www.jsfresults.com/InterNational/2025-2026/csjpn2025/SEG007.htm
Detailed Time Schedule - https://www.jsfresults.com/InterNat...----------QUAL000100--_StartListwithTimes.pdf

StN. Name Nation
Warm-Up Group 1
1 Utana YOSHIDA / Masaya MORITA JPN
2 Marie-Jade LAURIAULT / Romain le GAC CAN
3 Daniela IVANITSKIY / Matthew SPERRY FIN
4 Emilea ZINGAS / Vadym KOLESNIK USA

Warm-Up Group 2
5 Alicia FABBRI / Paul AYER CAN
6 Hannah LIM / Ye QUAN KOR
7 Lily HENSEN / Nathan LICKERS CAN
8 Leah NESET / Artem MARKELOV USA

 

[Karen-W]

So, the first group has skated and Les Gacs have a .16 lead over ZingKol - solid scores of 76.40 and 76.24 respectively. YoMori's score of 62.81 should be REALLY concerning for the JSF heading into the OQE. It's on par with their Skate Ontario August Sectional score, so it really does feel like they may not earn one of the 4 dance spots currently available.

 

[Marta24]

It is very frustrating that there is no stream for international viewers. Some of these scores are very

 

[Karen-W]

FabAyer - 66.69 - yeah, they're not getting that SCI host spot and they're not going to the Olympics.

 

[Marta24]

Ugh, L/Q's score

 

[Karen-W]

Ugh, L/Q's score

Yikes!

Found an acct on X that is posting vids of the RD quickly!

Yoshida/Morita - https://x.com/moozuru/status/1964210081937178958
Lauriault/Le Gac - https://x.com/moozuru/status/1964211682827182497
Ivanitskiy/Sperry - https://x.com/moozuru/status/1964213393029812412
Zingas/Kolesnik - https://x.com/moozuru/status/1964215010197926305
Fabbri/Ayer - https://x.com/moozuru/status/1964218148158312945
Lim/Quan - https://x.com/moozuru/status/1964219842942099748
Hensen/Lickers - https://x.com/moozuru/status/1964221430025068907
Neset/Markelov - https://x.com/moozuru/status/1964223022447067161

 

[Tinycities]

Either a tough panel or these programs need more milage. Lots of choreo violations and PStB

 

[Karen-W]

RD Results - https://www.jsfresults.com/InterNational/2025-2026/csjpn2025/SEG007.htm
Pl. Name Nation TSS= TES+ PCS+ CO PR SK Ded.- StN.
1 Marie-Jade LAURIAULT / Romain le GAC CAN 76.40 43.94 32.46 8.30 8.05 8.05 0.00 #2
2 Emilea ZINGAS / Vadym KOLESNIK USA 76.24 42.59 33.65 8.40 8.60 8.30 0.00 #4
3 Leah NESET / Artem MARKELOV USA 68.77 38.71 30.06 7.45 7.60 7.55 0.00 #8
4 Hannah LIM / Ye QUAN KOR 66.99 35.67 31.32 7.90 7.95 7.70 0.00 #6
5 Alicia FABBRI / Paul AYER CAN 66.69 35.64 31.05 7.80 7.85 7.70 0.00 #5
6 Utana YOSHIDA / Masaya MORITA JPN 62.81 33.87 28.94 7.35 7.20 7.20 0.00 #1
7 Lily HENSEN / Nathan LICKERS CAN 60.29 31.15 29.14 7.35 7.35 7.20 0.00 #7
8 Daniela IVANITSKIY / Matthew SPERRY FIN 51.40 26.19 25.21 6.45 6.30 6.20 0.00 #3

Judges Protocols - https://www.jsfresults.com/InterNat...------QUAL000100--_JudgesDetailsperSkater.pdf

FD Starting Order - https://www.jsfresults.com/InterNational/2025-2026/csjpn2025/SEG008.htm
Detailed Time Schedule - https://www.jsfresults.com/InterNat...----------FNL-000100--_StartListwithTimes.pdf
StN. Name Nation Rank Points
Warm-Up Group 1
1 Daniela IVANITSKIY / Matthew SPERRY FIN 8 51.40
2 Lily HENSEN / Nathan LICKERS CAN 7 60.29
3 Utana YOSHIDA / Masaya MORITA JPN 6 62.81
4 Alicia FABBRI / Paul AYER CAN 5 66.69

Warm-Up Group 2
5 Hannah LIM / Ye QUAN KOR 4 66.99
6 Leah NESET / Artem MARKELOV USA 3 68.77
7 Emilea ZINGAS / Vadym KOLESNIK USA 2 76.24
8 Marie-Jade LAURIAULT / Romain le GAC CAN 1 76.40

 

[Rukia]

le gacs probably feeling really good about spending most their time in Ontario now

 

[Skate Talker]

I definitely do not know a great deal about the technical aspects of ice dance, but of the 3 Canadian teams I enjoyed the performance of Fabbri/Ayer the most.
After watching 5 of the teams I sadly ended up kind of bored with this Rhythm Dance theme and didn't see the rest.

 

[Karen-W]

After watching 5 of the teams I sadly ended up kind of bored with this Rhythm Dance theme and didn't see the rest.

Yup. Between this competition, Bolero Cup and the first few JGPs, I've concluded that I really do NOT like the '90s RD theme. The IDTC really missed the mark with this - they should have found a way to include the '00s, gone with a '20s-'30s-'40s decade range, or, better yet, abandoned this entire "decades" experiment entirely.

 

[Kateri]

After watching 5 of the teams I sadly ended up kind of bored with this Rhythm Dance theme and didn't see the rest.

This is gonna sound stupid, but I really underestimated how much this 90s theme would get to me. My experience of the '90s was shitty, I hated all the manufactured boy/girl bands that got constantly pushed in my face, and it's putting me in a bad mood every time. I'm going grumpy teen mode!

 

[Kateri]

The IDTC really missed the mark with this

It's going to backfire, big-time. They wanted cool and viral? They're getting cringe to the rafters. At best, they'll get mocking, RayGun-moment vids of some team doing Cotton Eye Joe at the Olympics. Part of me hopes this is what gets ice dance thrown out as a sport by the IOC.

 

[Wyliefan]

Well, that's a bit drastic. I'd settle for getting a few of the higher-ups thrown out.

 

[Karen-W]

This is gonna sound stupid, but I really underestimated how much this 90s theme would get to me. My experience of the '90s was shitty, I hated all the manufactured boy/girl bands that got constantly pushed in my face, and it's putting me in a bad mood every time. I'm going grumpy teen mode!

Mine wasn't, but I also listened almost exclusively to country music in the '90s - and it was a GREAT decade for that genre. It isn't as though I wasn't exposed, though, to other popular genres in the '90s. The problem, I'm seeing, with this particular RD theme & the parameters they set for the types of music teams could use is they nixed the big ballads as not being 'dance' music. Which, I suppose, is fair in the sense that the only time anyone ever danced to those songs was for slow dances, but it just feels like a big, gaping hole in the options available and in the public's general awareness of what was big in the '90s musically. Ballads were such a huge part of the decade that there were at least 2 or 3 songs that became major hits in both pop & country by different artists. It's sort of insane to have excluded those songs from the '90s decade theme.

It's going to backfire, big-time. They wanted cool and viral? They're getting cringe to the rafters. At best, they'll get mocking, RayGun-moment vids of some team doing Cotton Eye Joe at the Olympics. Part of me hopes this is what gets ice dance thrown out of the olympics.

Sadly, yes, because any team that is even willing to consider country music for the RD may wind up defaulting to Cotton Eye Joe if they don't know '90s country music already or decide Shania Twain is too obvious. Bushell/Pena (competing at Bolero Cup) combined it with Patty Loveless' "I Try to Think About Elvis" and Brooks & Dunn's "Boot-Scootin' Boogie", which is just dumb. There are so many other songs that could have been used in its place instead - and Cotton Eye Joe was not actually a hit on the country charts, which begs the question, why decide to have a country RD and use a song that '90s country music fans regard as a hokey, misrepresentation of the genre?

 

[Tinycities]

In regards to the programs here, I actually really like the Zingas/Kolesnik program. It needs some cleaning up, and I hope they rework that last segment, but it has been one of the better RDs so far this season.

Neset/Markelov need to ditch about half the songs they picked.

I also felt that Yoshida/Morita were underscored.

 

[Kateri]

Sadly, yes, because any team that is even willing to consider country music for the RD may wind up defaulting to Cotton Eye Joe if they don't know '90s country music already or decide Shania Twain is too obvious.

From the first few events of the season, I'm already at two Cotton Eye Joes to one Shania.

 

[Karen-W]

From the first few events of the season, I'm already at two Cotton Eye Joes to one Shania.

I believe it.

I'll forgive the lack of Garth Brooks this season only because I know he's an absurd little turd when it comes to protecting his music - there was a time when any his team were copyright-striking any of his music on YT & he refused to let it be sold on some digital platforms - so I have zero expectation that any team would be able to afford his price for the rights to use his music. But the rest of the '90s had such amazing country music and we're getting a ****ing Swedish techno faux country song because ice dance coaches & choreographers have a limited knowledge of the genre.

 

[Skate Talker]

....But the rest of the '90s had such amazing country music and we're getting a ****ing Swedish techno faux country song because ice dance coaches & choreographers have a limited knowledge of the genre.

Another possible explanation is that they don't actually like true country music. (I'm not a fan of country music, but I can't say I find Cotton Eye Joe worth listening to either.)
The limit to my so-called country music enjoyment is stuff by Blue Rodeo, Prairie Oyster, k.d.lang, and Cowboy Junkies, with the odd song by Shania thrown in - but my country-loving friends tell me none of that is "real" country - probably why I actually like it, truth be told.

 

[Karen-W]

Another possible explanation is that they don't actually like true country music. (I'm not a fan of country music, but I can't say I find Cotton Eye Joe worth listening to either.)
The limit to my so-called country music enjoyment is stuff by Blue Rodeo, Prairie Oyster, k.d.lang, and Cowboy Junkies, with the odd song by Shania thrown in - but my country-loving friends tell me none of that is "real" country - probably why I actually like it, truth be told.

Your country-loving friends would be correct - to an extent. I'd probably classify those artists as alt country, which definitely had a following but didn't get a lot of radio play.

 

[Kateri]

Well, that's a bit drastic. I'd settle for getting a few of the higher-ups thrown out.

This is the only way they'll learn! Consequences!

 

[PRlady]

I believe it.

I'll forgive the lack of Garth Brooks this season only because I know he's an absurd little turd when it comes to protecting his music - there was a time when any his team were copyright-striking any of his music on YT & he refused to let it be sold on some digital platforms - so I have zero expectation that any team would be able to afford his price for the rights to use his music. But the rest of the '90s had such amazing country music and we're getting a ****ing Swedish techno faux country song because ice dance coaches & choreographers have a limited knowledge of the genre.

As someone who was the last person culturally to expect to get into country music, I share your grumpiness. So many good country songs in the ‘90s! So few good pop hits!

And yeah Garth is a pain and has ensured his very good music has less of an audience now than Reba or Alan or MCC.

 

[Dobre]

I'm a dance fan that at no point was prepared to assume Fabbri & Ayer had passed Lauriault & Le Gac, but I'm going to point out that this is L&LG's third outing of the season and F&A's debut. Also only midway through this competition. It's too early to make assumptions about who is going to finish the season where. (L&LG won Lake Placid, finishing 6 spots above Fabbri & Ayer last season, & look how they finished the season). What this is, however, is a good argument for getting yourself ready & out there early after a tough season.

Lots of basics today, and Higashino is not tough. Early days.

 

[TanithandBenFan]

I have fond memories of a lot of 90s music from my high school and college days, and that includes some of the “party” songs that are being used. Howeva! So much of this music is NOT suitable for ice dance. And so many of the non party songs wouldn’t fit either. I mean, I would be over the moon watching one of my faves do a 10,000 Maniacs program, but is it Olympic material? No.

I’ll never get over that no one is using “You Only Get What You Give” for a midline step.

 

[Rukia]

I have fond memories of a lot of 90s music from my high school and college days, and that includes some of the “party” songs that are being used. Howeva! So much of this music is NOT suitable for ice dance. And so many of the non party songs wouldn’t fit either. I mean, I would be over the moon watching one of my faves do a 10,000 Maniacs program, but is it Olympic material? No.

I’ll never get over that no one is using “You Only Get What You Give” for a midline step.

This is so correct. When they boxed them in with the "dance party" nonsense they immediately made it so the rd would be so much more generic. Anyway they need to trust their teams more and stop trying to create moments and then they'll get more creative and fun stuff (potentially lol).

 

[Karen-W]

FD is underway.

Ivanitskiy/Sperry - https://x.com/moozuru/status/1964538971297632443
Hensen/Lickers - https://x.com/moozuru/status/1964541271462334802
Yoshida/Morita - https://x.com/moozuru/status/1964543383973851369
Fabbri/Ayer - https://x.com/moozuru/status/1964545290075328939
Lim/Quan - https://x.com/moozuru/status/1964548716276469842
Neset/Markelov - https://x.com/moozuru/status/1964550703688614395
Zingas/Kolesnik - https://x.com/moozuru/status/1964552897271918781
Lauriault/Le Gac - https://x.com/moozuru/status/1964554899490033910

 

[Karen-W]

FD Results - https://www.jsfresults.com/InterNational/2025-2026/csjpn2025/SEG008.htm
Pl. Name Nation TSS= TES+ PCS+ CO PR SK Ded.- StN.
1 Marie-Jade LAURIAULT / Romain le GAC CAN 121.50 69.10 52.40 8.95 8.70 8.55 0.00 #8
2 Emilea ZINGAS / Vadym KOLESNIK USA 117.27 65.57 51.70 8.60 8.80 8.45 0.00 #7
3 Leah NESET / Artem MARKELOV USA 107.50 60.60 47.90 8.15 7.95 7.85 1.00 #6
4 Hannah LIM / Ye QUAN KOR 105.17 58.37 47.80 8.05 8.05 7.80 1.00 #5
5 Alicia FABBRI / Paul AYER CAN 102.69 56.09 46.60 7.90 7.80 7.60 0.00 #4
6 Utana YOSHIDA / Masaya MORITA JPN 98.25 53.85 44.40 7.45 7.30 7.45 0.00 #3
7 Lily HENSEN / Nathan LICKERS CAN 93.74 52.04 41.70 7.20 6.90 6.75 0.00 #2
8 Daniela IVANITSKIY / Matthew SPERRY FIN 79.75 43.95 35.80 6.25 5.90 5.75 0.00 #1

Judges Protocols - https://www.jsfresults.com/InterNat...------FNL-000100--_JudgesDetailsperSkater.pdf

Final Results - https://www.jsfresults.com/InterNational/2025-2026/csjpn2025/CAT004RS.htm
FPl. Name Nation Points RD FD
1 Marie-Jade LAURIAULT / Romain le GAC CAN 197.90 1 1
2 Emilea ZINGAS / Vadym KOLESNIK USA 193.51 2 2
3 Leah NESET / Artem MARKELOV USA 176.27 3 3
4 Hannah LIM / Ye QUAN KOR 172.16 4 4
5 Alicia FABBRI / Paul AYER CAN 169.38 5 5
6 Utana YOSHIDA / Masaya MORITA JPN 161.06 6 6
7 Lily HENSEN / Nathan LICKERS CAN 154.03 7 7
8 Daniela IVANITSKIY / Matthew SPERRY FIN 131.15 8 8

 

[alj5]

Well I loved Zingas & Kolesnik’s FD.

 

[Wyliefan]

Fabbri/Ayer -- not sure their "skate to a warhorse in millennial pink" strategy is going to do them any favors.

Lim/Quan -- their team did them dirty. This has none of their strengths at all.

Neset/Markelov -- what the heck was that? Space-age Pride and Prejudice? It had some nice dancey moments, but overall it was just confusing. (OK, Shazam says Napoleon, but I was not really getting Napoleon from that.)

Zingas/Kolesnik -- it has potential. But I'd put her in a different color.

Les Gacs -- it didn't have the uniqueness of their best programs, but it was lively, and that should serve them well.

 

[marbri]

The FD's I will actually enjoy rewatching here:

1. Fabbri/Ayer because that music has meaning for me and Alicia brings the feels for me.
2. Hensen/Lickers because again I love the music and if you are going to touch iconic music like this that is associated with very successful skaters of the past they did a great job of owning it for themselves and I love all their lifts and how they are choreographed and really highlight the feel of the music. Two thumbs up from me!

And speaking of touching iconic music associated with very successful skaters of the past I was seriously underwhelmed by ZIngas/Kolesnik skating through theirs. Kolesnik is a beautiful skater who moves beautifully on the ice but if he isn't going to bring his face into it and really emote it falls flat. The main problem for me in this FD, I just saw element after element without any story or connection. I really thought on paper this would be a much stronger debut.

Just opinions of a fan wanting to be entertained