Tessa Virtue & Scott Moir, #46 : Until the End of Time

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Who didn't know MR and La Traviata? I think everyone watch at least MR, don't make drama from this.
MR has definitely not been seen by "everyone". I never watched it because I hated the parts of the soundtrack that were played often around the time of the movie release and the few scenes I did watch from the movie (convinced by friends or flipping through channels when it happened to be on TV, etc.) did not entice me to watch the rest. I thought the whole thing looked overblown and not the type of thing I would enjoy.

I was not thrilled at all when I heard VM's Olympic FD would be MR. I was slightly more convinced, but not totally won over after seeing the program at Autumn Classic. In between Autumn Classic and Skate Canada, I looked up the storyline of the movie on Wikipedia and had a better idea of what the program was trying to portray. However, knowing the storyline isn't what won me over when I watched the Skate Canada version of the program - it was their skating and how they managed to put across the emotions of the story and the characters.

I agree with both the posters who are looking for a bit more coherence between the two halves of the program and with those who are arguing that the storyline doesn't have to be literal. It works for me as it is; it might work even better if there was a slightly more coherent transition between the two halves/two pieces of music.
 
Did anyone here watch PJ's podcast with Kurt Browning? Kurt's only prediction for the GP Finale is that one of the top 2 dance teams won't be there. Now people think he might be talking about VM because he is closer to them than to PC. What do you think? At NHK they said they are looking forward to being back in Japan for GPF, so I don't really believe they won't go. However maybe it might make more sense to fully concentrate on the Olympics.

Link to the podcast: https://www.facebook.com/CBCOlympic...3f7S2A7j7gn5-1qe0c4pPFiPY7bjdKh6g&pnref=story
 
Did anyone here watch PJ's podcast with Kurt Browning? Kurt's only prediction for the GP Finale is that one of the top 2 dance teams won't be there. Now people think he might be talking about VM because he is closer to them than to PC. What do you think? At NHK they said they are looking forward to being back in Japan for GPF, so I don't really believe they won't go. However maybe it might make more sense to fully concentrate on the Olympics.

Link to the podcast: https://www.facebook.com/CBCOlympic...3f7S2A7j7gn5-1qe0c4pPFiPY7bjdKh6g&pnref=story
I think it's just a "prediction" like we do for fun. This is Ice Dance, not single : you have to show up or it may work against you. Plus V/M said at NHK that they were excited to come back to Japan for GPF. Nothing to worry about I think. ;)
 
I think that Kurt fell off the V/M wagon a loooooong time ago. He seems to gush about their competitors while harping on past problems V/M had ... like Tessa and her shins. I have always like Kurt until the past 4 or 5 years during his ice dance commentary. You might as well have someone like Emmanuel Sandhu do commentary instead of Kurt considering "the support" he gives Tessa & Scott.
Also don't have as much appreciation for PJ as I used to in past years.
 
I think that Kurt fell off the V/M wagon a loooooong time ago. He seems to gush about their competitors while harping on past problems V/M had ... like Tessa and her shins. I have always like Kurt until the past 4 or 5 years during his ice dance commentary. You might as well have someone like Emmanuel Sandhu do commentary instead of Kurt considering "the support" he gives Tessa & Scott.
Also don't have as much appreciation for PJ as I used to in past years.

I noticed that about Tessa & Scott during the previous Olympics.
 
professordeb, that's how I feel and that's what made me wonder about his comment. And I also wondered why there hasn't been at least one of these small videos with PJ, Tessa and Scott. I'm really curious about what happened.
However, as marbri said, GPF will be here soon and we'll find out about them going or not. I just keep hoping for the best. In my opinion no one deserves this gold medal more than Tessa and Scott and so I really, really hope they'll get it.
 
I don't think not showing up would necessarily work against them. If you feel you have a program that needs more than slight tweaks, it's better to take the time to make those changes and set them into muscle memory than to continue to compete a program that isn't where you really want it.

With the shortened season, it's difficult to find time where you can make real changes. They can't skip Nationals. So if they're going to skip something, than GPF would be it. Besides, they already won it, so it won't feel like they've got some unfinished business there. Well, other than getting a quality GPF medal, maybe. ;)

Not saying that V/M are not going to GPF; just saying it isn't all that bad if they don't. The media can say all they want, and those judges who have already decided to vote against them will do that no matter what. But if there are still some judges who will actually judge what is in front of them, then it's better to show your best work than to not.

Ultimately, I'd like V/M to walk away feeling they've presented what they love in the best way they could. However they get there doesn't bother me.
 
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Silly, I know, but I'm having a jealous moment after seeing Vic/Nikita skate to Rachmaninov's dramatic piece -- and visualizing Scott & Tessa skating to it. There's something about the continuity of of a complete piece - like Mahler, Umbrellas. Still, MR was what they wanted --
 
Silly, I know, but I'm having a jealous moment after seeing Vic/Nikita skate to Rachmaninov's dramatic piece -- and visualizing Scott & Tessa skating to it. There's something about the continuity of of a complete piece - like Mahler, Umbrellas. Still, MR was what they wanted --

Umbrellas wasn't a complete piece. All from the same movie, yes, but they played around with the order of the music, with the end of the movie being at the beginning, for example.

For whatever reason, a lot of V/M's programs have featured not-so-smooth music transitions.

I don't think not showing up would necessarily work against them. If you feel you have a program that needs more than slight tweaks, it's better to take the time to make those changes and set them into muscle memory than to continue to compete a program that isn't where you really want it.

With the shortened season, it's difficult to find time where you can make real changes. They can't skip Nationals. So if they're going to skip something, than GPF would be it. Besides, they already won it, so it won't feel like they've got some unfinished business there. Well, other than getting a quality GPF medal, maybe. ;)

I think that would be a very bad idea. A big part of ice dance judging is about narrative and not showing up would simply create a narrative of them being scared of P/C. Remember B/A? Skipping the GPF didn't help them in the least, and they (undeservedly, IMO) got passed by D/W at nationals and worlds.

Also, any idea that skating a great program can help overcome an entrenched narrative was put to rest after the Sochi SD...
 
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You might as well have someone like Emmanuel Sandhu do commentary instead of Kurt considering "the support" he gives Tessa & Scott.
Not really sure where the snide remark about Emanuel came from, but logistically speaking, he would be a better ice dance commentator than other singles skaters because he has had significant ballet and modern dance training and would have a better understanding of some of the rhythms that are featured in each season's SD.
 
I just don't think Kurt views ice dance the same as he views the other 3 disciplines. He is a bit of a dinosaur in that regard so he boils everything ice dancers do down to a moment or a feeling. I don't think it's so much not being a fan of Tessa and Scott but rather "it's ice dance, who cares". I don't think he should comment on ice dance in general because he doesn't do the discipline justice or show it much respect.
 
Not sure I agree that Kurt is off the bandwagon. He has many compliments for V/M and their skating skills, and chose to highlight them when he was responsible for choreography in their last Stars on Ice shows. He’s also married to a ballerina - methinks he respects dancers in any form.

On another note, I do like Matthieu Caron’s FD outfit for Tessa. I had written in a previous post that I hoped they would switch designers, but I did like this switch in outfits. Here’s hoping he gives them fabulous SD outfits.
 
Not really sure where the snide remark about Emanuel came from, but logistically speaking, he would be a better ice dance commentator than other singles skaters because he has had significant ballet and modern dance training and would have a better understanding of some of the rhythms that are featured in each season's SD.
Actually that wasn't meant to be a snide remark about Emanuel. I adored him as a skater and thoroughly enjoyed his performances ... ok, maybe not his meltdowns. I guess the connection I was trying to make was that E-man competed in men's just as Kurt did back in the day but I think that Emanuel would do a better job of describing what was taking place. Indeed, the fact that he had a background in ballet would make him understand from a personal point of view just how well Tessa presents herself (with Scott's assistance) and that her ballet training does her in good stead.
 
I think that Kurt fell off the V/M wagon a loooooong time ago. He seems to gush about their competitors while harping on past problems V/M had ... like Tessa and her shins. I have always like Kurt until the past 4 or 5 years during his ice dance commentary. You might as well have someone like Emmanuel Sandhu do commentary instead of Kurt considering "the support" he gives Tessa & Scott.
Also don't have as much appreciation for PJ as I used to in past years.

EXACTLY SO... Carole PJ and Kurt are best buds on the G/P train. PJ has know Paul since he was widdle widdle and Kurt may just be afraid of Carole. Anyways there was nothing positive said about Tessa and Scott until they competed at Autumn Classic 2016 when with their performance Skate Canada was now in for the win but everything is grudging from the trio. Even last year at Worlds on a facebook live at PJ titled T/S practice which I of course turned on to see turned out to be PJ with Piper and Paul at the top of the arena and down below like little ants that you really couldn't see much at all were T/S. Carole jumped in at the end to talk.

The worst thing though was what happened at Challenge last year. All the judges on the free dance gave G/P PCS in the 9's with high GOE's with Caroline Martin giving them 9.75 all the way down. And guess who is judging dance again this year at challenge....exactly. Mitch and Alex retired shortly before challenge and I have always wondered if they might have heard rumors about what was going to happen. There was a huge diff. between Saucisse and Firus and G/P. So if ice dance in Canada is a deserted island we know where to look.

Anyways so much for crying in my beer.
 
From what I understand here is that it's kind of in the cards (i.e not a encore/repeat of Vancouver & last season, so to speak) in terms of V/M's fate? I've made up my mind since I can't control it (i.e. narrative), I jut might have to enjoy their moments then. (Maybe with a tinged of bittersweet emotions) However, i want to remain optimistic and will it wait out till the end.

I kind of like just "Come what may". Short and hopeful

Good luck , Tessa & Scott!
 
All this stuff about Kurt IMO is a much ado about nothing.
He loves Tessa and Scott.
And loves dance because he loves great skating skills.
You are all reading WAY too much into his comment and creating your own false narratives.
My guess is that Kurt made that comment based on past experiences of what happens during Olympic years and the fact that it is in Asia. The distance creates a huge challenge for the athletes.
This above was a narrative by the CBC all weekend at SKAM.
 
Yes^
They talked about with pairs with Duhamel and Radford. They talked about it with Ashley Wager possibly skipping the GP final.
It was brought up again regarding whether the athletes would do 4CC. It was brought up that some athletes would consider it because it was already in Asia, so they would just stay.
I believe it was also talked about in the men's event.
 
I'm reading the comments about Kurt Browning not being as complementary about Tessa and Scott but umm... how about he learns more dance moves than a Twizzle? Carol Lane's commentary is not always bad but for her to be a coach, she articulates what she sees about as well as a long time hobbiest. Tracy Wilson is good on CBC. Ben Agosto and Charlie White are wonderful, in that order to listen to. The more analytical Eurosport guy is informative as well but he thinks that the French shit bars of gold and has a massive guy crush on Cizeron so...

Maybe is't like rappers that do not have an appreciation for Classical music that explains why Kurt, who has been doing commentary for decades knows shit about dance?
 
Kurt may have a good personal relationship with V/M but you would't know it to hear him on telecasts these past 2 seasons. Yeah I thought he was Negative Nellie last season with his questions of "has Tessa's legs truly healed from the problems of previous seasons? and "is Scott's back OK" and other innane questions he was posing? Perhaps he was "the foil" asking the questions so that his fellow commentators could use that as a starting spot. Even if that were so, it seemed like a poor way to get a narrative going about V/M.
I agree, Kurt may not know a lot about ID in particular but he should know more than just the twizzles. How about blade and edge work? I'm sure he knows about such because I used to love watching his footwork.He should also know much about changing your weight when doing different elements -- like spins in singles, for instance. Kurt should have some great insights about dance now that he has been covering it for some time but it's almost as if someone stuck him in a rut and gave him a script of the kinds of things he should say. Which is a pity.
As for Tracy Wilson, I have noticed her narrative is more pro-V/M this season than it was in 2013-14. I'm back to enjoying her take on ID much more than anyone to date. That said, I would love to hear Ben's thoughts on the top 10 ID teams. I understand he's pretty good.
 
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