The Dance Hall 10: The Saitama Samba 2022-2023

[miffy]

British citizenship can only be got in 3 years with marriage to a citizen or 5 without, but you have to live there. Unless he has a British grandparent or something I’d count GB out

 

[Karen-W]

British citizenship can only be got in 3 years with marriage to a citizen or 5 without, but you have to live there. Unless he has a British grandparent or something I’d count GB out

Spain is definitely the easiest. Not only did Olivia and Kirill get citizenship in time for 2018, but Zandron got it in less than 4 months after he and Barquero earned a pairs spot for Spain at Nebelhorn last year.

 

[Dobre]

British citizenship can only be got in 3 years with marriage to a citizen or 5 without, but you have to live there. Unless he has a British grandparent or something I’d count GB out

And Germany has a language test.

Hence, I would think Spain.

 

[coralline]

4) Li/Wang did Junior and Senior competitions in the same day at Santa Claus Cup. They have a Harry Potter free dance (with a very loud "expecto patronus" voiceover at one point). The organizers got confused at one point and played the Senior music cut during the Junior segment.

If anyone is interested，here is the Harry Potter FD of Li&Wang from 2022 China FS Club League Competition. They used three voiceover spells actually, “Lumos” “Wingardium Leviosa” and “Expecto Patronum”.

https://youtu.be/3Z8bf6xeQ2I

 

[On My Own]

@raruki had posted the recent bilibili videos on the Chinese skating thread:

Chinese Skating News, Pt. 4: Fresh Noodles for Milan 2026

Heilongjiang's ice dance teams have arrived in Hungary, Good luck! https://weibo.com/1425144873/MhrEce9Me

www.fsuniverse.net

Chinese Skating News, Pt. 4: Fresh Noodles for Milan 2026

Heilongjiang's ice dance teams have arrived in Hungary, Good luck! https://weibo.com/1425144873/MhrEce9Me

www.fsuniverse.net

 

[skategal]

My mind went to George Waddell as a partner for Olivia Smart and IIRC he already has British citizenship.

But I have no idea. Just a suggestion.

 

[Andrea82]

Tech Panel for GPFinal is composed by Hilary Selby, Marie-Louise Gijtenbeek and Francesca Fermi.
Referee is Jennifer Mast.

You can be delighted by Fermi's 1999 Euro performance by clicking on her name. And Gijtenbeek at Audi On Ice a decade ago.

Selby called Olympics 2018, Worlds 2022, Worlds 2021, Worlds 2016, Worlds 2013, Euros 2014, GPF 2012, GPF 2007.
Gijtenbeek called Worlds 2022,
Fermi called Olympics 2010; GPFinal 2019, GPFinal 2015, GPFinal 2007, Four Continents 2015.

 

[trainingdogs82]

I know Gilles & Poirier are now the favorites but I really hope and prefer Guignard & Fabbri to win the Grand Prix final. Fingers crossed. I also hope Fourner Beaudry & Sorensen can make the podium, which it looks like they actually have a chance to do.

 

[yurokis40]

I know Gilles & Poirier are now the favorites but I really hope and prefer Guignard & Fabbri to win the Grand Prix final. Fingers crossed. I also hope Fourner Beaudry & Sorensen can make the podium, which it looks like they actually have a chance to do.

Guignard and Fabri are good but there is one critical element missing in their fd actual dancing, they also skate far apart and side by side , G&P are almost constantly in hold easy decision for the judges.

 

[trainingdogs82]

Guignard and Fabri are good but there is one critical element missing in their fd actual dancing, they also skate far apart and side by side , G&P are almost constantly in hold easy decision for the judges.

Interesting point. I always thought it was Gilles & Poirier's superior charisma and on ice personality that pulled them ahead of G&F consistently.

 

[GoneWithTheWind]

Guignard and Fabri are good but there is one critical element missing in their fd actual dancing, they also skate far apart and side by side , G&P are almost constantly in hold easy decision for the judges.

Which is a shame because G/F used to skate in hold a lot in previous seasons. The trend in ice dance recently, partly influenced by I.AM, has been for more open holds and side by side skating, so I really enjoy seeing G/P's free dance using closed holds so effectively.

 

[trainingdogs82]

Which is a shame because G/F used to skate in hold a lot in previous seasons. The trend in ice dance recently, partly influenced by I.AM, has been for more open holds and side by side skating, so I really enjoy seeing G/P's free dance using closed holds so effectively.

Maybe the judges are sending a message with their scoring of G/P this season that is something they want moving forward, and the other top teams need to take note, particularly the I.AM teams.

 

[VGThuy]

Maybe the judges are sending a message with their scoring of G/P this season that is something they want moving forward, and the other top teams need to take note, particularly the I.AM teams.

While changing the construction of ice dance programs and having required elements where skaters are encouraged to skate separately and not in hold? Talk about a mixed message.

"Oh, we didn't really reward you for skating in hold and having face-to-face skating, but now that you have a program that is finally exciting, we want to tell you we are rewarding the way you used to skate...."

Oh and I just re-watched Gilles/Poirier FD and Guignard/Fabbri's back-to-back to see if they're are substantial difference in terms of closed holds and face-to-face skating, and although G/P have a great waltz section where they show off some great waltz holds, during that circular FW section, they still spent about half the time skating in open killian hold (you can drive a truck in-between them). Apart from the footwork section, there are tons of sections throughout that FD where they are posing separately and apart, mostly skate side-by-side and when they do face-to-face holds, most of the time, it's hand-to-hand and open with one section near the end that is in a closer face-to-face but it doesn't last very long. I'm not criticizing G/P, I think it's just the nature of ice dance these days. They want speed, musical expression, and outward performance...this already calls for more open skating. Add in all those choreo elements forcing skaters to skate apart and side-by-side, and the requirements to hit level 4 in the FW section, it's just what every team is doing now.

So really, G/P aren't really in much more closed hold than G/F were, except I think G/F could sprinkle in more face-to-face hold in the beginning of the program to break up all the side-by-side elements they're doing in the beginning (they display face-to-face holds in their footwork sequence...as much as teams can do while hitting the steps to get a level 4), but I bet it'll make their dance look more "traditional" and some fans won't like it as much.

 

[Karen-W]

Another new set of FD costumes for ChoBat. I like these better for conveying the Fire/Air theme of their program.

Wilma Alberti on Instagram: "Practice dance on 8th December 2022"

Wilma Alberti shared a post on Instagram: "Practice dance on 8th December 2022". Follow their account to see 1229 posts.

www.instagram.com

 

[kwanfan1818]

Chock looks even more Chock fabulous on the Chock-looking-fabulous scale.

 

[Debbie S]

I think that might be a practice dress? Mathieu Caron has a couple recent IG posts on his work on the NHK dress so I would think that's still the comp dress.

 

[Karen-W]

I think that might be a practice dress? Mathieu Caron has a couple recent IG posts on his work on the NHK dress so I would think that's still the comp dress.

Most of the ice dancers always wear their competition costumes for practices. I'm not sure what the plan is for ChoBat, but I do like these better than what they wore at NHK.

 

[VGThuy]

Now that I know Evan is supposed to be air and not ice, his prior look makes much more sense to me. However, this newer look is much better.

 

[PRlady]

Well the Golden Spin RD results are quite something. The new team of Zingas/Kolesnik ahead of the Georgians, Germans, Aussies and Pate/Bye?

US Nats dance is going to be crazy. Not to mention our other new team, Flores and partner (still waiting for release?)

 

[Lanie]

Evan's mom told me Madison has a new costume for the FD. I spend too much time sitting with their parents and Kaitlin's mom at the Palavela

 

[litenkyckling]

Well the Golden Spin RD results are quite something. The new team of Zingas/Kolesnik ahead of the Georgians, Germans, Aussies and Pate/Bye?

US Nats dance is going to be crazy. Not to mention our other new team, Flores and partner (still waiting for release?)

You do have to wonder if Igor totally favours Z/K over P/B. I think P/B didn’t have a clean skate but regardless - I think Igor will politik more for his JWC here especially when up against a team that left him. I so wish we’d had a stream here!!

 

[her grace]

Kolesnik is easily the best of the four American dancers Zingas/Kolesnik and Pate/Bye. Would have been nice to see the event, though.

 

[muffinplus]

Evita is just a much more judge friendly program than what G/F are doing.. And it's really good character acting from both Piper and Paul. But Piper's skating quality honestly still looks ...very clunky and just lacks smoothness? Good for G/P but judges are marking them this high because they are the number 1 Canadian team and everyone else is kind of gone. I don't even think F/B-S are a worse team at this point, they simply don't have the status yet even though their stock is going up.

 

[muffinplus]

Evan's mom told me Madison has a new costume for the FD. I spend too much time sitting with their parents and Kaitlin's mom at the Palavela

I liked their Skate America costumes; the NHK ones were a downgrade

 

[deegee]

Evita is just a much more judge friendly program than what G/F are doing.. And it's really good character acting from both Piper and Paul. But Piper's skating quality honestly still looks ...very clunky and just lacks smoothness? Good for G/P but judges are marking them this high because they are the number 1 Canadian team and everyone else is kind of gone. I don't even think F/B-S are a worse team at this point, they simply don't have the status yet even though their stock is going up.

g/f could make their skating skills more convincing if charlene would just get down into her knees more. it would also mitigate some of the bias about their lack of size difference at least a little bit so his head isn't always just slightly below hers. bc in reality he is taller than she is, but his knee bend is much better rn.

 

[angi]

C/B right now probably going around the rink handing "the reports on our demise were greatly exaggerated" t-shirts...

 

[Gris]

The scoring today is kind of, all over the place. Gilles / Poirier are leading with the worst levels...

 

[deegee]

The scoring today is kind of, all over the place. Gilles / Poirier are leading with the worst levels...

yeah, the result was super confusing after watching the ticker in the corner of the screen.

 

[angi]

The scoring today is kind of, all over the place. Gilles / Poirier are leading with the worst levels...

That's how ice dance have been scored for a while, all about GOEs and PCS. G/P got first here on PCS lead and the GOE on their character dance steps - both completely subjectively evaluated.
I felt the only team who attacked the RD today was C/B, the rest felt flat to me. Still, it feels like the scores could have gone in so many different directions given how close it was, and once again I just wish technical levels had a much higher impact than they currently have.

 

[Wyliefan]

It seems like the juniors ARE scored more according to the technical levels. If things don't change, a lot of them are in for culture shock when they make the transition to seniors!