The Dance Hall 5: Ice Dance Fans 2017-2018

[Dobre]

The real battle in dance at French Nationals:

Lauriault & Le Gac 63.50
Abachkina & Thauron 63.43

AKA, the judges are willing to wait until the FD to decide this one.

Bring on the battle in Spain as well!

 

[Dobre]

Does anyone know why Kuzmichova & Sinicyn are not at Nationals?

Along with natural concern, it's important because--as far as we know--they are the only Czech dance team with citizenship.

Also, the SD results at Four Nationals are an upset. Yanovskaya & Lukacs (in second) and Plutowska & Flemin (in third) are both ahead of Mansour & Ceska and Mysliveckova & Csolley.

I'm officially curious about how Yanovskaya & Lukacs will do at Europeans now.

 

[topaz]

As much as I don't want to say it, I thought Sinitsina/Katsalapov looked in-shape and really good at Skate America. Maybe my expectations were really low for them, but they seemed to be on track and in similar shape as Stepanova/Bukin.

I commented the same thing in the SkAm FD thread. I think Vika Sinitsina has improved quite bit this year. She no longer looks like she chasing him and I think Vika really shines in the FD. Nikita is brilliant performer and has tons of charimsa but I wonder if Vika and Nikita will be a "team" next season. I would love to see how Vika and Dmitri Soloviev would look together, granted that Boblova retires after this season.

Or Vika could team up with Pavel Drozd. Hopefully she's not too tall for Pavel. I have not been "excited" about Alla Loboda skating and performances this season nor last season. If they could team up, I would like to see them with Marina or Anjelika Krylova.

 

[Sylvia]

Does anyone know why Kuzmichova & Sinicyn are not at Nationals?

Along with natural concern, it's important because--as far as we know--they are the only Czech dance team with citizenship.

There's a rotating photo banner on the CZE federation website: http://www.czechskating.org/

The 4th photo is captioned (in Czech):
ZOH 2018 (zimních olympijských hrách = Winter Olympic Games)
"Congratulations to our representatives Anne Dušková / Martin Bidař and Cortney Mansour / Michal Češka to advance to ZOH 2018 in Korea."

(I can't find a linked article or news item on the site, however.)

 

[Dobre]

Or Vika could team up with Pavel Drozd. Hopefully she's not too tall for Pavel. I have not been "excited" about Alla Loboda skating and performances this season nor last season.

Leave my Alla & Pavel alone.

 

[Bigbird]

My two cents;

1. My main problem with Zhulin's teams is he likes to fill in all the blanks. He doesn't leave much room for his teams personal investment, so sometimes they come off as flat. That Rach program has none of the nuances, polish, and controlled passion that a classical piece of that calibre should have. But I think that's why they've given them such frayed and mousey costumes because that's what they can handle right now. When I think of that music, I call to mind, Takahashi, Gordeeva/Grinkov, Asada and a different set of emotions comes to mind. Of course, when his teams connect with his vision they score a home run, for example, Karenina and Crazy for B/S. I also really liked his 2012 FD for Zlobina and Sotnikov though from AZB (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFXwGtyJd3E). I haven't really been into anything else from him. Otherwise, his programs tend to be meh.

2. If Vika switches out with Alla, nothing much would change as I believe Pasha tries to emulate Nikita like half of the Russian ice dance pairs men. Viks is sweet, but she doesn't really know how to be anything than that from one program to the next. I remember Alla and Pavel's Giselle, I was so smitten with them even though I found them a bit rough around edges. Puberty has not been kind to Alla though, but I admire him for sticking it out with her. She also seems really sweet. If they could actually get into great shape and have a better coaching team they'd be perceived so differently.

 

[misskarne]

This dance thread needs a little Team Australia! (All threads need a little Team Australia.)

Here's Chantelle and Andrew's SD and FD from Australian Nationals. They're getting better all the time!

 

[cocotaffy]

I don't understand your argument. You're basically saying if V/M's programs have similarities to what they've done before then they're easy for them. No reference to the technical difficulty of what's being done on the ice at all. P/C's programs aren't simple because they're similar to their previous ones. That's a separate issue and one that is nowhere in the rulebook, so they shouldn't be penalised for it.
I'm actually a fan of a lot of what P/C do, what's missing is the complexity. If they continue competing after this year I hope they start working on that front because there's been no progress in the past 4 years. As long as the judges don't care they have no reason to do so but to me great ice dancers should demonstrate that they're capable of complex footwork. Complex doesn't have to mean busy, they don't need to change their whole style. Maybe include some more closed holds? Work on their partnering? Cut back on crossovers and attempt more multidirectional skating? V/M would be gone by then, they'd have free reign. I really hope they do it.

I was thinking of the interpretation and the projection not the technical aspect because that's what we were discussing. So imo they have 2 programs this year which channel the same type of outwardly performances which I think makes it a bit easier mentally. And I never said they need to be penalised for it at all. On the contrary, I mentioned how I believe whatever us ID fans conjure up about the meaning of their programs or not, at the end of the day, it will be all about TES and GOEs.
About the complexity, I don't agree. There isn't just one type of complexity. For instance, partners can skate in holds doing the same steps which requires incredible synchronisation and matching body lines. They can also deconstruct this and each go in one direction doing their own twizzle or steps and magically find each other. This requires an innate knowledge of where the partner is on the ice at all times while doing something wildly different yourself. This is spatially very challenging. I find P/C are doing the latter incredibly well, they constantly go their separate way yet flawlessly finding each other without adding any extra steps to catch up with the other. The extra steps part is important because I've seen many teams having to do that including Scott in MR at the GPF. Both are different but difficult.
I also don't understand what you mean about partnering, what do you want them to improve in that area ?
But of course, I agree they're still very young and do need to keep pushing themselves to improve. I just think their skating isn't lacking complexities per say but their steps are more woven in the choreography never sacrificing the glide and the flaw and not made to be so much of a feature. It makes it less dynamic offering a great contrast to V/M. And both being great at what they do, it gives a headache to the judges hence the closeness on the PCS imo.

 

[Anyasnake]

I agree that the Zhulin teams don't look like they take too much part in their music choices - but I could be wrong.
However, B/S Anna Karenina FS was incredible, (gorgeous gorgeous) and honestly they would have had a chance at that world podium that year if not for the issues they were facing.
But the the 2015-2016 Ice dance event was amazing, Boston worlds were epic for me so many amazing programs.

 

[Anyasnake]

Multiple results coming in.

FRA nats :

1.Gabriella PAPADAKIS / Guillaume CIZERON SD 79.01 FD 123.10 TOTAL 202.11
2.Marie Jade LAURIAULT / Romain LE GAC SD 63.50 FD 100.44 TOTAL 163.94
3.Angelique ABACHKINA / Louis THAURON SD 63.43 FD 96.37 (fall on the last lift) TOTAL 159.80
4.Lorenza ALESSANDRINI / Pierre SOUQUET SD 54.21 FD 82.50 TOTAL 136.71

ITA nats :

1.Anna CAPPELLINI / Luca LANOTTE SD 82.08 FD 118.78 TOTAL 200.86
2.Charlene GUIGNARD / Marco FABBRI SD 76.84 FD 113.52 TOTAL 190.36
3.Jasmine TESSARI / Francesco FIORETTI SD 57.40 FD 87.34 TOTAL 144.74
4.Carolina MOSCHENI / Andrea FABBRI SD 55.40 FD 81.44 TOTAL 136.84

GER nats :

1.Kavita LORENZ / Panagiotis POLIZOAKIS SD 63.65 FD 101.42 TOTAL 165.07
2.Katharina MÜLLER / Tim DIECK SD 61.29 FD 97.37 TOTAL 158.66
3.Shari KOCH / Christian NÜCHTERN SD 59.70 FD 96.47 TOTAL 156.17
4.Jennifer URBAN / Benjamin STEFFAN SD 53.97 FD 82.36 TOTAL 136.33

 

[Miloune]

Lmao and here I was thinking PC were overscored... that's nothing compared to C/L hahha! Oh well, good for them!
Though a 10 points lead over G/F...

That fall from Angélique probably costed them the silver!

 

[Anyasnake]

For now Spanish Nationals - Short Dance

Smart/Diaz 69.61
Hurtado/Khaliavin 64.21

H/K made a mistake on the 1st twizzle set and I've never seen S/D technically so strong, they looked very polished.

 

[Anyasnake]

Lmao and here I was thinking PC were overscored... that's nothing compared to C/L hahha! Oh well, good for them!
Though a 10 points lead over G/F...

That fall from Angélique probably costed them the silver!

Well nationals are overscored for sure, BUT... Italy took that to a whole new level IMO

 

[chapis]

For now Spanish Nationals - Short Dance

Smart/Diaz 69.61
Hurtado/Khaliavin 64.21

H/K made a mistake on the 1st twizzle set and I've never seen S/D technically so strong, they looked very polished.

Global S/D 229 vs H/K 227.78 .

Congrats to Kavita and Joti

And, so who is going to the olympics besides P/C for France?

 

[Wyliefan]

Well nationals are overscored for sure, BUT... Italy took that to a whole new level IMO

I'll take it. Uberdom knows no limits. Bravissimi, Anna e Luca!

 

[Anyasnake]

Global S/D 229 vs H/K 227.78 .

Congrats to Kavita and Joti

And, so who is going to the olympics besides P/C for France?

Yeah 1.22... which means that it will all be decided tomorrow !
Well, it should be L/LG but I don't know if she's french yet. However, Angelique is french so that might be them. They are all going to Euros so I don't know if they are giving a clear answer now - which they can't anyway since we don't have updates on Marie-Jade citizenship.

 

[Bigbird]

Smart and Diaz, their SD is one of my favourites and they performed it today to perfection. Why Adria wasn't in that questionable poll is beyond all levels of understanding. He had this latin beat down to an artform. I'm not a fan though of their FD but I hope they have an equally strong showing tomorrow. I also like the SD of H/K but today they were too frantic. But Khaliavin was very expressive today which was good to see.

 

[VGThuy]

Smart and Diaz, their SD is one of my favourites and they performed it today to perfection. Why Adria wasn't in that questionable poll is beyond all levels of understanding. He had this latin beat down to an artform. I'm not a fan though of their FD but I hope they have an equally strong showing tomorrow. I also like the SD of H/K but today they were too frantic. But Khaliavin was very expressive today which was good to see.

What questionable poll?

 

[chapis]

For now Spanish Nationals - Short Dance

Smart/Diaz 69.61
Hurtado/Khaliavin 64.21

H/K made a mistake on the 1st twizzle set and I've never seen S/D technically so strong, they looked very polished.

they still got L4 but low GOE. But rhumba pattern L1 and Partial step seq level 2 vs L3 of S/D http://www.fedhielo.com/images/resultados/CEsp_2017/CESP2017_DanzaSenior_SD_Scores.pdf

 

[firstflight]

Well nationals are overscored for sure, BUT... Italy took that to a whole new level IMO

I think the German scores are just as .

 

[muffinplus]

What questionable poll?

Porny skater of the year

 

[muffinplus]

I'll take it. Uberdom knows no limits. Bravissimi, Anna e Luca!

Just saw the end of the performance.. they must have hugged for about a minute! the home crowd loves them

 

[chapis]

Just saw the end of the performance.. they must have hugged for about a minute! the home crowd loves them

awww, last nationals, I guess

 

[muffinplus]

awww, last nationals, I guess

Yes, unfortunately, that's how I took it

No Baby Lanotte in K&C

 

[Miloune]

awww, last nationals, I guess

Worlds in Milan are gonna be a cry fest for sure.

 

[lauravvv]

they still got L4 but low GOE. But rhumba pattern L1 and Partial step seq level 2 vs L3 of S/D http://www.fedhielo.com/images/resultados/CEsp_2017/CESP2017_DanzaSenior_SD_Scores.pdf

And, unlike Golden Spin, they also got lower PCS than S/D. I think that the judges at Nationals got it right. Higher PCS than S/D for skating skills, lower for everything else. I really like H/K, but I personally don't see anything interesting in their SD except Carlos Santana's music, especially in terms of choreo compared to S/D's SD. And when they add an overall weaker performance to it, the result is pretty obvious.

 

[kittysk8ts]

From PJKwongs FB page, along with a short clip of them skating to music that it NOT their SD/FD music:

https://www.facebook.com/SkatingPj/videos/1786936721324757/

"Shhhh tell none - my #secret mission is to record a #podcast and #video for quick release on @skatingpj with these 2 @pauldpoirier and @pipergilles #change is in the air!"

What a shame that they have to do this so late in the season, but probably a good idea. Must be a new FD.

 

[kittysk8ts]

awww, last nationals, I guess

I teared up a bit. Glad they took their time leaving the ice and letting it all soak in. Lovely moment

 

[chapis]

From PJKwongs FB page, along with a short clip of them skating to music that it NOT their SD/FD music:

https://www.facebook.com/SkatingPj/videos/1786936721324757/

"Shhhh tell none - my #secret mission is to record a #podcast and #video for quick release on @skatingpj with these 2 @pauldpoirier and @pipergilles #change is in the air!"

What a shame that they have to do this so late in the season, but probably a good idea. Must be a new FD.

better late than never

 

[Wyliefan]

Aw, I kind of liked their FD. But since no one else did, this is probably the right decision. Good luck to them.