Canadian Ice Dance 2016-17 season news & updates

[Moustaffask8r]

At the Quebec Summer Comp, they are listing their home clubs as Laval and St Hubert.

You need to be member of canadian club to train in Canada, that's why they're listed like that at summer provincial. Theywere in Armenia a little while ago.
Anyway better for them to keep representing Armenia... Not sure they will be among the top team in Canada

 

[RunDanceSkate]

You need to be member of canadian club to train in Canada, that's why they're listed like that at summer provincial. Theywere in Armenia a little while ago.
Anyway better for them to keep representing Armenia... Not sure they will be among the top team in Canada

True, however the other International teams who train in Canada have not listed their Canadian clubs.

Fournier Beaudry Laurence Danemark DEN
Sorensen Nikolaj Danemark DEN

Olivia Smart Espagne ESP
Diaz Adrian Espagne ESP

Garabedian Tina Laval LV
Proulx -Sénécal Simon St-Hubert RS

Perhaps it was an error in their registration, but for now I will leave them on the list.

 

[emilieh]

Garabedian Tina Laval LV
Proulx -Sénécal Simon St-Hubert RS

Perhaps it was an error in their registration, but for now I will leave them on the list.

They have a gofundme page that indicates that they will continue to represent Armenia.

 

[sammyott]

Any word on what Gilles and Poirier have been up to? I think they're really improving and if they choose good music (really benefited them in the SD at worlds this year; right behind Weaver/Poje) then they could be a force to be reckoned with.

 

[Karpenko]

Piper is being a lioness:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BHDCZYlg2jx/?hl=en

I think they've done some recent podcasts with PJ also, I haven't seen anything on their programs yet.

 

[Sylvia]

I think they've done some recent podcasts with PJ also, I haven't seen anything on their programs yet.

The link to Gilles/Poirier's conversation with Pj Kwong at Boston Worlds was posted earlier in this thread here: http://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/ind...season-news-updates.98546/page-2#post-4792466

Gilles/Poirier will perform again in the "So You Think You Can Judge" ice dance exhibition on Friday, August 5, 2016 at 7 pm in Scarborough, ON: http://www.sfsc.on.ca/so_you_think_you_can_judge_-_friday_august_5_2016
The other Senior/Junior dance teams advertised on the event poster are Mackenzie Bent/Dmitre Razgulajevs (Sr), Katia Fedyushchenko/Lucas Kitteridge (Sr for GBR), Nicole Kuzmich/Alexandr Sinicyn (Jr for CZE), and 2016 Canadian Novice Dance bronze medalists Irina Galiyanova/Tommy Tang (Jr).

 

[breathesgelatin]

Thought I'd post this in the Canadian Ice Dance thread as well....

Confirmation from Maddie Edward's instagram that ZhaoKai Pang is retiring:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BH0VBQ-gTKEgMi3QaVm7FeUtWlN9dOD3PJ3GTo0/

It's a bummer. I really like this pair. Maddie has that je ne sais quoi, I think. Hopefully she finds a partner if she wants to continue.

 

[VGThuy]

So many Canadian teams are going through retirement and/or break-ups mid-Olympic cycle.

 

[Moustaffask8r]

So many Canadian teams are going through retirement and/or break-ups mid-Olympic cycle.

P/O are taking the summer off... doesn't look good there either.... ha well...

 

[cocotaffy]

P/O are taking the summer off... doesn't look good there either.... ha well...

What ???? Why ? What the heck is going on in Canada ? Is it a lack of funding ?

 

[lavenderblue]

P/O were both nominated for full funding from Sport Canada and each received local scholarship prizes, so funding seems on par with what many others are getting.

 

[centerpt1]

This thread is so depressing! So mad at Virtue/Moir for coming back. It's like they sucked the hope out of Canadian Dance.

 

[SamuraiK]

This thread is so depressing! So mad at Virtue/Moir for coming back. It's like they sucked the hope out of Canadian Dance.

LOL , totally. All the 2nd tier teams couldn't handle another olympic season of lovey-dovey dominance

 

[fan]

Sometimes we forget that these skaters are real people with real lives. Who knows if there is a sick family member or other issue? They don't need to let us know. We just need to appreciate them while they're on the ice, because you never know when they won't return

 

[overedge]

LOL , totally. All the 2nd tier teams couldn't handle another olympic season of lovey-dovey dominance

That's a little harsh. The "2nd tier teams", and often their parents, are putting a LOT of money, time and resources into their skating careers. And the teams that are not on the national team are often not getting a lot of external financial support. Perhaps what they "couldn't handle" is the cost of competing for another couple of seasons, and maybe not making any progress in the standings that would justify continuing that cost. And it's a shame to lose good ice dance teams because of that.

 

[SamuraiK]

That's a little harsh. The "2nd tier teams", and often their parents, are putting a LOT of money, time and resources into their skating careers. And the teams that are not on the national team are often not getting a lot of external financial support. Perhaps what they "couldn't handle" is the cost of competing for another couple of seasons, and maybe not making any progress in the standings that would justify continuing that cost. And it's a shame to lose good ice dance teams because of that.

Relax, it was a tongue in cheek coment. I need to laugh to keep from crying of losing such a good teams that deserved better.

 

[jenji124]

At Virtue/Moir being blamed for the splits and retirements

 

[bwayrose7]

At Virtue/Moir being blamed for the splits and retirements

I don't know if I'd blame them, per se, but I don't think it can be denied that their return has at least something to do with it. Canadian dance is one of the densest fields in the world to begin with, so it was already difficult to gain traction, funding, resources, etc. But at least a handful of teams would have stood a chance at getting competition slots and competing for an Olympic berth- or a berth at the post-Olympic worlds, for the teams a little lower down the ladder. Now everyone gets bumped down, because whatever is said publicly, I doubt anyone is under any illusions that V/M will leap back up to the top (at least domestically)- reputation is hugely important in ice dance, IMO.

That's a little harsh. The "2nd tier teams", and often their parents, are putting a LOT of money, time and resources into their skating careers. And the teams that are not on the national team are often not getting a lot of external financial support. Perhaps what they "couldn't handle" is the cost of competing for another couple of seasons, and maybe not making any progress in the standings that would justify continuing that cost. And it's a shame to lose good ice dance teams because of that.

Well said. When a dense field becomes denser, these teams are even less likely to have a "breakout" season or performance that puts them on the radar- they might not even get much of a chance to be seen. I have nothing against V/M- indeed, I've always been a fan and still am one- but it's a shame that other talented teams become discouraged by the reality of what their return means and lose or give up on their chances, especially when V/M have already accomplished so much.

 

[barbarafan]

At Virtue/Moir being blamed for the splits and retirements

Well Carol Lane abusing her position as commentator at CBC went on national TV as soon as V/M made their comeback announcement and stated how terrible it was for the other teams..If she was a good coach she would say Bring it on....The teams which seem to be retiring are ones that could easily overtake Lane's babies G/P with good programs this year as some had them placed ahead of the favoured G/P last year so you can only imagine what kind of advice she gave her teams if they asked for her opinion....Funding in Canada only scratches the surface of the cost of competing.

 

[jenji124]

I don't know if I'd blame them, per se, but I don't think it can be denied that their return has at least something to do with it. Canadian dance is one of the densest fields in the world to begin with, so it was already difficult to gain traction, funding, resources, etc. But at least a handful of teams would have stood a chance at getting competition slots and competing for an Olympic berth- or a berth at the post-Olympic worlds, for the teams a little lower down the ladder. Now everyone gets bumped down, because whatever is said publicly, I doubt anyone is under any illusions that V/M will leap back up to the top (at least domestically)- reputation is hugely important in ice dance, IMO.

I dont think V/M will jump back to the top, they have to work to do just like every team has to do. W/P have been in seniors for quite a long time, same thing can be said about them sticking around after their shot in the Olympics and same with P/I. Team funding is limited and a team may have to go through an Olympic cycle or 2 to make it to the top. I don't think you can blame a team that makes it to the top has success and sticks around (or comes back) they have every right to compete for how long they chose.

Well Carol Lane abusing her position as commentator at CBC went on national TV as soon as V/M made their comeback announcement and stated how terrible it was for the other teams..If she was a good coach she would say Bring it on....The teams which seem to be retiring are ones that could easily overtake Lane's babies G/P with good programs this year as some had them placed ahead of the favoured G/P last year so you can only imagine what kind of advice she gave her teams if they asked for her opinion....Funding in Canada only scratches the surface of the cost of competing.

The fact that Carol Lane coaches and commentates seems so wrong and a conflict of interest, I don't understand it honestly.

 

[overedge]

I don't think V/M will jump back to the top, they have to work at it just like every team has to do. W/P have been in seniors for quite a long time, same thing can be said about them sticking around after their shot in the Olympics and same with P/I. Team funding is limited and a team may have to go through an Olympic cycle or 2 to make it to the top.

IIRC V/M have already said that they are not going to take funding from Skate Canada. So their being on the national team doesn't mean that other teams will be not getting funding. However, I don't think there's been any indication of what Skate Canada is going to do with the money that normally would go to fund one of the dance teams.

And yes, V/M will have to work at it to be competitive. I doubt they are going to show up in anything less than top form, and they definitely have the experience to know what to do to be competitive. But realistically, can you see a judge anywhere saying "I'm going to place [team that hasn't gone to Worlds and/or is Top 10 in Canada] above [team with Olympic gold medal, Olympic silver medal, two world championships, seven-time Canadian champions, etc.]?" Something really unusual is going to have to happen for that to take place.

The fact that Carol Lane coaches and commentates seems so wrong and a conflict of interest, I don't understand it honestly.

I agree. It bothers me not only that it happens but that CBC doesn't even acknowledge it, or thinks that the audience doesn't care. Her official CBC bio doesn't even name the skaters she's working with:
http://www.cbc.ca/mediacentre/carol-lane.html#.V4g-1KLni68

Skating coverage has enough credibility problems without this sort of complication.

 

[VGThuy]

Yeah, it's kind of jarring when Kurt Browning and her talk about coaching Piper and Paul and comment on their skate as if there's nothing wrong with that sort of conflict of interest. When I first realized that was her in the 2015 Worlds commentary, at first I liked that she had nice things to say about the Shibs, then I came to my senses and wondered why wasn't she coaching Piper and Paul right then and there?

 

[danafan]

IRC V/M have already said that they are not going to take funding from Skate Canada.

Virute and Moir were nominated for Sport Canada funding by Skate Canada according to this document: https://info.skatecanada.ca/hc/en-ca/article_attachments/205183203/2016_Carding_Nominations_V1.pdf

There are also high performance grants given to skaters/teams who are not on the Sport Canada list. (Top 5 from nationals in novice, junior, senior). Since most of the top 5 in every discipline in senior are already funded by Sport Canada, I don't know what happens to the money or if it gets reallocated.

https://skatecanada.ca/national-team/skate-canada-high-performance-grants/

 

[overedge]

Virute and Moir were nominated for Sport Canada funding by Skate Canada according to this document: https://info.skatecanada.ca/hc/en-ca/article_attachments/205183203/2016_Carding_Nominations_V1.pdf

There are also high performance grants given to skaters/teams who are not on the Sport Canada list. (Top 5 from nationals in novice, junior, senior). Since most of the top 5 in every discipline in senior are already funded by Sport Canada, I don't know what happens to the money or if it gets reallocated.

https://skatecanada.ca/national-team/skate-canada-high-performance-grants/

Being nominated for funding isn't the same as receiving the money. IIRC what they said was to the effect that they would not accept any funding because they didn't need it.

 

[Dobre]

I don't think V/M will jump back to the top, they have to work at it just like every team has to do. W/P have been in seniors for quite a long time, same thing can be said about them sticking around after their shot in the Olympics and same with P/I. Team funding is limited and a team may have to go through an Olympic cycle or 2 to make it to the top. I don't think you can blame a team that makes it to the top has success and sticks around (or comes back) they have every right to compete for how long they chose.

I agree. V&M have every right to come back. And W&P have the ability to challenge.

It does seem rather premature that so many teams have made this decision before V&M have even competed. We didn't see a whole flood of Russian pairs teams splitting immediately after Volosozhar & Trankov announced their return, and there's a lot of depth in Russian pairs skating. Of course, we didn't see Volosozhar & Trankov invited to compete at Rostelecom either. I can't help but feel that the wrong message has been sent in Canada, albeit perhaps unintentionally.

Also, I'm assuming Pang & Edwards's split is more an outcome of the uncertainty related to her injury issues. They are young enough, I don't think V&M's comeback really affects them. (And I am very sad about P&E's split. They were my favorite Canadian junior team from the past two seasons).

The fact that Carol Lane coaches and commentates seems so wrong and a conflict of interest, I don't understand it honestly.

Ben & Tanith have both coached, and I am not giving either one of them up as commentators. It has taken decades for NBC to get quality ice dance commentary. But I would be more than happy to give Tracy Wilson's commentary back to Canada full time (of course, she coaches as well). To be fair, I think it is hard enough to find qualified dance commentators--familiar with IJS--without the expectation that they cannot also coach for a living. And all expert dance commentators are going to have close ties to individuals within the dance community. (It's a small world--as one notices while watching the same coaches stand at rinkside all day during Worlds practices). A nod to acknowledging personal connections, though, is very appropriate; and I think it's good to hold commentators feet to the fire when it comes to respecting all the teams on the ice.

 

[jenji124]

And yes, V/M will have to work at it to be competitive. I doubt they are going to show up in anything less than top form, and they definitely have the experience to know what to do to be competitive. But realistically, can you see a judge anywhere saying "I'm going to place [team that hasn't gone to Worlds and/or is Top 10 in Canada] above [team with Olympic gold medal, Olympic silver medal, two world championships, seven-time Canadian champions, etc.]?" Something really unusual is going to have to happen for that to take place.

I was thinking more along the lines of internationally being at the top. I meant jump back to #1. I definitely think they'll be in the mix of the top 3 internationally. I'm a big fan of theirs and would love if they were #1 internationally, and I don't doubt they are going to show up in anything less then excellent form, but they've been out for 2 years a lot has changed.

 

[overedge]

Ben & Tanith have both coached, and I am not giving either one of them up as commentators. It has taken decades for NBC to get quality ice dance commentary. But I would be more than happy to give Tracy Wilson's commentary back to Canada full time (of course, she coaches as well). To be fair, I think it is hard enough to find qualified dance commentators--familiar with IJS--without the expectation that they cannot also coach for a living. And all expert dance commentators are going to have close ties to individuals within the dance community. (It's a small world--as one notices while watching the same coaches stand at rinkside all day during Worlds practices). A nod to acknowledging personal connections, though, is very appropriate; and I think it's good to hold commentators feet to the fire when it comes to respecting all the teams on the ice.

There's a big difference, though, between being involved in the ice dance community and directly commenting on a team for whom you are also the primary coach. I don't believe that Agosto or Belbin have ever done commentary on a team that they were involved that closely with.

I agree that it's hard to find a knowledgeable ice dance commentator who isn't closely involved with the skating world, and I'll also freely admit that I love G/P and the work Carol Lane has done with them (and with some of her other teams as well). However, I don't think it's ethical for CBC to assign Lane to comment on events where G/P or any of her other teams are competing. It just doesn't look right, even if she is doing her best to be neutral. If they have to use her for those events, IMHO the best way for her to approach it would be to say "I coach this team" and maybe e.g. give some insights into why their programs are the way they are, rather than offering critical assessments of the performance. It wouldn't be perfect and I'm sure people would still criticize her for being unfair to G/P's competitors, but at least her connections would be stated and then the viewer could make up their own mind.

FWIW here's CBC's code of ethics for its employees: http://www.cbc.radio-canada.ca/en/r...nd-policies/management/human-resources/2-2-3/

 

[VGThuy]

The CBC commentating team doesn't hide that she coaches G/P, and she did give insight into their programs at Worlds.

 

[overedge]

The CBC commentating team doesn't hide that she coaches G/P, and she did give insight into their programs at Worlds.

I've never heard it mentioned on air. And it's not mentioned in her online CBC bio:http://www.cbc.ca/mediacentre/carol-lane.html#.V4hKraLni68

 

[wickedwitch]

There's a big difference, though, between being involved in the ice dance community and directly commenting on a team for whom you are also the primary coach. I don't believe that Agosto or Belbin have ever done commentary on a team that they were involved that closely with.

Not unless you think she was close with her boyfriend. Although I think she was only commentating for Ice Network at the time.

I think Carol Lane should disclose her biases and connections at the beginning of the broadcast and right befor G/P skate, because they won't find an unbiased commentator.