2021 US Nationals Free Dance: The Minor Fall, the Major Lift, Bedazzled Snake Confronting "Hallelujah"

[Frau Muller]

It was a well called and judged event. Congratulations to H/D on edging out C/B for the gold.
That said, I enjoyed G/P’s program the most tonight. They have a great future ahead.

 

[just tuned in]

H/D were superior (imo) to C/B in their speed and that I felt their program was death-defying. Every moment was risky. They were so fast and their feet were so close. I held my breath the entire time. C/B's program was sinuous and cool, but not at the level of H/D (imo).

Molly C is certainly giving it all she has, but I would rather see Yehor with Caroline Green.

Michael Parsons is a great dancer and a great partner and has tons of moves and performance and personality, and I uber him. (imo) Caroline is the wrong partner for him.

 

[skatfan]

It was a well called and judged event. Congratulations to H/D on edging out C/B for the gold.
That said, I enjoyed G/P’s program the most tonight. They have a great future ahead.

They really made a statement with that program, and their fourth might have held even if C/P had been able to compete.

 

[her grace]

I remain somewhat unsettled by how much Wheaton's choreographers seem to not take any note at all of the fact that Caroline is still underage when deciding on choreography choices.

All that said, these two have got exceptional skills.

I disagree. I didn't find their program any "sexier" than the typical Russian junior ice dance team. They certainly weren't groping each other or giving each other incredibly smoldering looks like some of the adult teams do. Both skaters have skated with siblings for years. They need to develop the interpretive skill of being able to do more romantic or sensual programs, and I don't see how it would help them to wait until she's 18 to work on that. I thought this program was an age-appropriate attempt at girl-and-guy-who-like-each-other-having-fun-dancing.

Other thoughts
I just love Hawayek/Baker's FD. The movement is so organic and flowed with the music. I even liked the bloody dress. It goes with the darker theme. Maybe they should keep choreographing for themselves; they gave themselves more original material than Marie-Universe's team has.

Chock/Bates: still a good program, but the twizzle mistake marred it. I also think they should get a new FD for the Olympics. I'm afraid the judges will be thinking "What else you got?" if they keep it for 3 seasons.

Hubbell/Donohue: Powerful quality skating, and I'm glad they won.

 

[Wyliefan]

Caroline and Michael's "Screw Loose" program bothered me a lot more than this one did. I agree that this one looked more like they were just dancing and having fun.

 

[Spikefan]

Teenagers do dance to Prince so no need for any pearl clutching.

 

[PRlady]

So where would Nguyen/Kolesnik landed if they had stayed together? I’m guessing just below G/P.

 

[Wyliefan]

So where would Nguyen/Kolesnik landed if they had stayed together? I’m guessing just below G/P.

Were they due to move up this season? I'd forgotten. I still can't believe they split up.

 

[Carolla5501]

My thoughts were "the snake needs an audience" C/B's program seemed a little flat compared to H/D. And I felt like C/B would have drawn some energy from a live audience who knew and loved this program. But Chock wins the podium. That mask that matched the costume was over the top.


Or course unlike others I don't find it necessary to pass moral judgement on the skaters. I honestly think that even a 16 year old is probably old enough to realize "this is theater I am doing" not real life LOL! (Let's hope these kids don't wander around in real life wearing enough bling and makeup for an entire town at once!) )

 

[Frau Muller]

I like the overall look of Cesanek's dress, but the detail of the top is too many thoughts shoved into one. The silhouette with just lace or stoning on the top would have been nice.

Somebody please remind me why Cesanek/Yehorov (5th after the RD), were included in the final FD group? It’s not as if altering the split of the 11 dance teams, from 3-4-4 to 3-3-5, helped the TV presentation...unless NBCSN chacked the penultimate group. (I watched on Peacock.)

 

[Sylvia]

Somebody please remind me why Cesanek/Yehorov (5th after the RD), were included in the final FD group?

5 teams is the norm in dance (4 in pairs).

 

[NinjaTurtles]

My thoughts were "the snake needs an audience" C/B's program seemed a little flat compared to H/D. And I felt like C/B would have drawn some energy from a live audience who knew and loved this program. But Chock wins the podium. That mask that matched the costume was over the top.

Mathieu Caron made masks that matched some of the costumes he designed earlier in the year; they were available for the public to purchase. I believe a portion of the funds went to COVID-19 related charities. The snake dress version sold out quickly. Some of the skater costume ones are still available: https://feeling-mathieu-caron.square.site/s/shop

 

[Frau Muller]

5 teams is the norm in dance (4 in pairs).

I know. My point: why the different split in the RD? It was 3-4-4 for that.

 

[Debbie S]

I know. My point: why the different split in the RD? It was 3-4-4 for that.

I believe the USFS rulebook states that for Nats, the final group needs to be a full warmup size (6 for singles, 5 for dance, 4 for pairs). This was done for the benefit of TV/NBC contract. Pairs and dance finals have not been shown on network TV for several years but I believe the rule still stands. There is more flexibility/referee discretion for the SP/RD.

 

[tony]

I believe the USFS rulebook states that for Nats, the final group needs to be a full warmup size (6 for singles, 5 for dance, 4 for pairs). This was done for the benefit of TV/NBC contract. Pairs and dance finals have not been shown on network TV for several years but I believe the rule still stands. There is more flexibility/referee discretion for the SP/RD.

Edited: you are correct, I found the exact rule, at least from 2019-2020:

When it comes to singles, they can either put 5 or 6 in the final two groups, but pairs and dance have to be a full field.

https://scboston.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/2019-20-U.S.-Figure-Skating-Rulebook.pdf

Rule 2734B:

B. TVRule
1. At the U.S. Figure Skating Championships only, the championship (senior) ladies, men’s and pairs free skate, and
championship (senior) free dance events will be drawn as follows:
Ladies and men: The last two warm-up groups will consist of not fewer than 10 and not more than 12 competitors, with the exact number to be decided by the chief referee in consultation with the executive director prior to the draw of the short program.
a. Starting order for the final two groups will be drawn in four subgroups.

1. The top three finishers in the short program will be the last to skate in the final group and will draw from the first subgroup.
2. The fourth-, fifth- and sixth-place (or fourth- and fifth- place if five in group) finishers in the short program will be the first to skate in the final group and will draw from the second subgroup.
3. The seventh-, eighth- and ninth-place (or sixth-, seventh- and eighth-place if five in group) finishers in the short program will be the last to skate in the second-to-last group and will draw from the third subgroup.

Singles Free Skate
Pairs Free Skate
Ice Dance Free Dance
1+1 1+2 2+2
1+1 1+2 2+2
1+1 1+2 2+2
2019-20 U.S. Figure Skating Rulebook 137
138
2019-20 U.S. Figure Skating Rulebook
iv. The 10th-, 11th- and 12th-place (or ninth- and 10th-place if five in group) finishers in the short program will be the first to skate in the second-to-last group and will draw from the fourth subgroup.
Pairs: The last warm-up group will consist of four couples.
a. Starting order for the final group will be drawn in two subgroups.

1. The top two finishers in the short program will be the last to skate in the final group and will draw from the first subgroup.
2. The third- and fourth-place finishers in the short program will be the first to skate in the final group and will draw from the second subgroup.

Ice dance: The last warm-up group will consist of five couples.
a. Starting order for the final group will be drawn in two subgroups.
i. The top three finishers in the rhythm dance will be the last to skate in the final group and will draw from the first subgroup.
ii. The fourth- and fifth-place finishers in the rhythm dance will be the first to skate in the final group and will draw from the second subgroup.

 

[Sylvia]

The "TV Rule" (2735 in the rulebook) only applies to the free skate/dance portion.

For ladies and men, "the last 2 warm-up groups will consist of not fewer than 10 and no more than 12 competitors, with the exact number to be determined by the chief referee in consultation with the executive director prior to the draw of the short program."

 

[Frau Muller]

I believe the USFS rulebook states that for Nats, the final group needs to be a full warmup size (6 for singles, 5 for dance, 4 for pairs). This was done for the benefit of TV/NBC contract. Pairs and dance finals have not been shown on network TV for several years but I believe the rule still stands. There is more flexibility/referee discretion for the SP/RD.

Thanks for a straight answer, Debbie S. Now this makes sense.