From Russia with love [#28]: Autumn to Winter 2017

[Madison25]

Did you? I hated the FD. The music is too heavy and makes their skating look heavy too. (Like if skating is too hard work). Interesting that Mao's skating with this music was never heavy; one probably need to be a really good skater to get away with music like this.
Thanks God that Zahorski Gurreiro moved from Zhulin, otherwise they would be skating to this, and it wouldn't suit them either.

They didn't convince me either... I like the lifts though, but that costumes are so outdated

 

[Maofan7]

TEST SKATES - DAY 2

ICE DANCE

Ekaterina Bobrova / Dmitri Soloviev Free Dance (2nd Copy, 3rd Copy)
Sofia Evdokimova / Egor Bazin
Tiffany Zahorski /Jonathan Guerreiro
Elena Ilinykh / Anton Shibnev
Alla Loboda / Pavel Drozd
Annabelle Morozov / Andrei Bagin
Betina Popova / Sergey Mozgov Free Dance
Victoria Sinitsina / Nikita Katsalapov Free Dance (2nd Copy)
Alexandra Stepanova / Ivan Bukin

MEN

Dmitri Aliev Free Skate (2nd Copy)
Sergei Voronov
Mikhail Kolyada Free Skate (2nd Copy)
Andrei Lazukin
Alexander Petrov
Alexander Samarin Free Skate

PAIRS

Kristina Astakhova / Alexei Rogonov
Alisa Efimova / Alexander Korovin
Natalja Zabijako / Alexander Enbert
Evgenia Tarasova / Vladimir Morozov

LADIES

Alina Zagitova Free Skate (2nd Copy)
Evgenia Medvedeva Free Skate (2nd Copy)
Elena Radionova Free Skate
Maria Sotskova Free Skate (2nd Copy)
Elizaveta Tuktamysheva Free Skate (2nd Copy)

REST TO FOLLOW

 

[Katha]

Somehow the new coaching team managed to fix Nikita's twizzles, they deserve a lot of credit for that. If that FD is skated properly, it can be a crowd pleaser. You already saw that in the test skate. Rach is not very original, but it can be effective. And Vocalise is lovely and not used that often. But man, what's with those "tribute to the 90ies" torn paper towel costumes? Those need to go.
BobSol looked promising, if tentative. Not sure about the others.

 

[MarieM]

Did you? I hated the FD. The music is too heavy and makes their skating look heavy too. (Like if skating is too hard work). Interesting that Mao's skating with this music was never heavy; one probably need to be a really good skater to get away with music like this.
Thanks God that Zahorski Gurreiro moved from Zhulin, otherwise they would be skating to this, and it wouldn't suit them either.

I do agree.

That FD is all kind of wrong.
The twizzles have me balistic. NO ICE COVERAGE. To fix them, Zhulin has them doing one set going one side, the second coming back and the third one on the same side as the first. Total ice coverage ? Max 2 meters.
The lifts are good.
The steps ? At this level? Not so much. Hops and hops and hops to TRY to gain or maintain speed. Really, if that brought down the house???

 

[hanca]

Somehow the new coaching team managed to fix Nikita's twizzles, they deserve a lot of credit for that. If that FD is skated properly, it can be a crowd pleaser. You already saw that in the test skate. Rach is not very original, but it can be effective. And Vocalise is lovely and not used that often. But man, what's with those "tribute to the 90ies" torn paper towel costumes? Those need to go.
BobSol looked promising, if tentative. Not sure about the others.

I think we already celebrated once Nikita's 'fixed' twizzles. After Nikita refused to twizzle at his last worlds with Elena, then he moved with Victoria to Zueva and everyone was so impressed that she fixed his twizzles. Although time has shown that she didn't fix them because he again refused to twizzle a few years later at Europeans. So I will celebrate his 'fixed' twizzles only after he manages several Europeans, worlds and Olympics where he actually twizzles rather than skates alongside his partner.

 

[Ka3sha]

B/S's Free Dance
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_PiBWUppKc&feature=youtu.be

 

[Maofan7]

B/S's Free Dance
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_PiBWUppKc&feature=youtu.be

It was already in post 32 above

 

[Ka3sha]

It was already in post 32 above

ok, didn't see it

 

[Maofan7]

Added Tuks, Zagitova's, and Sotskovs's to post 32

 

[Deleted member 40371]

Added Tuks, Zagitova's, and Sotskovs's

Mama was messaging too much during Zagitova's video .

 

[chapis]

Mama was messaging too much during Zagitova's video .

 

[Maofan7]

Added Meds to post 32

 

[barbarafan]

As excited as i was to watch ,I’m now a bit disappointed. I was wondering why people were so committed to hating the Latin rythym and now i see. The music selections were uninspiring in the dance event for sure. I will say that Step/Bukin look promising. On one hand, i always wonder what a different coaching team would do. Then when i see those Twizzles out of nowhere, i realize what we would sacrifice. THey look like they trained the summer knowing the Olympics was on the line which is really neat to see.


The silver lining? Tuk looks the best she has in years. Evgenia just keeps rolling along and looks fabulous.

People can complain about the pantomiming all they want and can even bitch about the layout being the same as the other years but i respect this young woman. She is so committed to her material. She is arguably the best female jumper every next to... Midori Ito and the most consistent since... Yamaguchi? I’m a fan of her work. I don’t re watch her programs as her style is not what I love but who cares? She is best in class

Tuk looked beautiful and fit...Her core is much stronger and she holds herself so strong and tight in her jumps. She always had lovely artistry and performance and that has not changed.

Well well Miss Evgenia..I almost didn't watch it as I felt it would be boring but to my surprise(happily) although I do not find the music interesting or inspiring at all but she is growing into her PCS she was getting. She is feeling and interpetting the music beautifully and she is dancing...not just hitting moves and postitions. Her hands and arms are now beautiful in motion and her body is hitting full extensions. Wow...I am thrilled.

 

[casken]

B/S's Free Dance
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_PiBWUppKc&feature=youtu.be

Honestly, this feels like any of the countless Shpilband/Zueva/Dubreuil FDs we've seen over the years. At least they didn't pick music that overwhelmed them in the second half.

 

[Maofan7]

Mama was messaging too much during Zagitova's video .

To Mama - she has been live streaming on instagram all weekend. She can do her homework study another time!

 

[Dobre]

Stepanova/Bukin won't skate today, Ivan has a flue
https://rsport.ria.ru/figure_skating/20170910/1125513818.html

You have got to be kidding me. They are the ones I most wanted to see today. Are we going to have to wait until Finlandia to know their FD music?!

Thank you, Ka3sha, so much for all the links and updates. They are much appreciated.

 

[text_skate]

I enjoyed Bob/Sol's FS. It suits them, and when polished, it will work well with audience.

 

[casken]

I enjoyed Bob/Sol's FS. It suits them, and when polished, it will work well with audience.

I more or less agree, I was just hoping for more since they were working with a new choreographer.

 

[text_skate]

I more or less agree, I was just hoping for more since they were working with a new choreographer.

I think we've got more: Less unnecessary arm-waving Although it could be even less.

 

[kwanfan1818]

It doesn't have to be true, it's just his opinion

I interpreted his comment as, "I was brought in to help her with her jumps. Her jumps are fine: she doesn't need my help."

 

[Maofan7]

Better version of Med's FS. Added to post 32

ETA Better copies of Zagitova & Tuk's FS added to post 32 above as well, along with a complete version of Aliev's

ETA Added Samarin and Popova / Mozgov

 

[kwanfan1818]

B/S's Free Dance
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_PiBWUppKc&feature=youtu.be

I'd so much rather watch this than S/K's incoherent attempt at

 

[Maofan7]

Elena Radionova's FS

 

[Taso]

Weird - I didn't hate Sinitsina & Katsalapov's FD....

 

[kwanfan1818]

So the scene is: Elena Ilinykh is spending the summer in the Catskills, and, by default, the only one around to take ballroom dancing lessons with is her baby brother.

While she's good-natured about it, what's missing is where today's equivalent of Patrick Swayze comes in and saves her from this hopeless situation and lets her rip.

ETA: Were Patrick Swayze and Stepanova the only ones having a blast out there? He's da bomb in Latin.

 

[AquaLady]

LOL @ S/K. That bit just before the ending pose of their FD where he spins her while she's sitting on his neck is a horrible replica of the one Elena did in I/K's Swan Lake. Skip to 2:55.

No one could do it like the real, original swan.

 

[Bellanca]

B&S and S&K -- I like what I am seeing from these two teams, but then again, I am too biased to comment on them objectively.

Evgenia Medvedeva:
She won't answer any questions about OG

Can't say that I blame her... Janny says one thing about it ... someone, somewhere will be

Stepanova/Bukin won't skate today, Ivan has a flue

Darn it. I was looking forward to seeing what they had going on, so far. Oh well - patience.

Viktor Kudryavtsev is now working with Pogo and Tsareva. He said that Anna's problems are mostly mental, she hasn't recovered from last years Worlds yet

If true, I hope that Anna can rid herself of this unnecessary baggage. Hoping for the best!

It doesn't have to be true, it's just his opinion

Exactly!

 

[angi]

Did any of the Pairs teams skated today? Still no video from their skates...

 

[Aerobicidal]

Evgenia Medvedeva:
On her new SP
"My short program is a flight of the soul, and I want to convey the purity of its essence. From the very beginning of this program, I stand with the closed eyes, and people hear the beating of my heart, and then I seem to come out of my body, take a step, as if I see myself from the side, fear in my eyes and misunderstanding of what is happening. It may sound cruelly, but it is the step of a person's soul from the body during the state of clinical death. Let it be tough, but I say this so that people understand the image that I want to convey. "
The skater noticed that at the end of the short program her own breath was heard. "In this program, I seem to re-learn this world and that other one that is also luminous and there is no fear in it .At the very end of the speech, I return to my body and I hear my breath, specially recorded for this composition, "- said the figure skater.

I'm just going to repeat this quote every time she skates the program, because there's no way I can come up with anything funnier.

 

[DobrinFan]

Did any of the Pairs teams skated today? Still no video from their skates...

They did. T/M program is terrible Music cuts are a mess, they looked unprepared and lost and she looks like a bumblebee Waiting for better videos to pop up before I really lose it.