The Dance Hall 6: We're All Off Our Rockers 2018-2019

[Dobre]

Both teams have had to deal with injuries, so their preparations have been impacted

And Chock & Bates, Hawayek & Baker, and Fukase & Tateno as well. Feels like a lot for dance--three of the top ten heading into the season. (Also two of the top ten from Junior Worlds with Lagouge & Rahier and the Greens not able to skate the JGP). We do usually see some teams pushing back debuts in order to be ready after summer injuries and/or surgery so perhaps it just seems unusually high because the injuries come in addition to all the retirements and splits during a post-Olympic season?

 

[cocotaffy]

Complete random subject. I stumbled upon this dance number on Reckoner by Radiohead and I wondered whether an ice dance team has ever danced on Radiohead before. And I mean an original interpretation not a Michael Bublé, Céline Dion or Lara Fabian cover

 

[Sylvia]

ISU Season Best total scores (120+) for the Junior Grand Prix dance teams so far this season (countries' top scoring team is bolded) with one JGP remaining this week (marked ARM) below:

15 168.17 Arina USHAKOVA / Maxim NEKRASOV RUS ISU JGP Amber Cup 2018 (ARM)
17 166.52 Marjorie LAJOIE / Zachary LAGHA CAN ISU JGP Canada 2018
18 165.63 Avonley NGUYEN / Vadym KOLESNIK USA ISU JGP Ljubljana Cup 2018
21 161.67 Sofia SHEVCHENKO / Igor EREMENKO RUS ISU JGP Ljubljana Cup 2018
22 161.00 Elizaveta KHUDAIBERDIEVA / Nikita NAZAROV RUS ISU JGP Czech Skate 2018
27 154.17 Maria KAZAKOVA / Georgy REVIYA GEO ISU JGP Czech Skate 2018 (ARM)
30 152.21 Elizaveta SHANAEVA / Devid NARYZHNYY RUS ISU JGP Bratislava 2018 (ARM)
31 151.69 Polina IVANENKO / Daniil KARPOV RUS ISU JGP Ljubljana Cup 2018
35 148.62 Diana DAVIS / Gleb SMOLKIN RUS ISU JGP Czech Skate 2018
36 148.51 Eliana GROPMAN / Ian SOMERVILLE USA ISU JGP Bratislava 2018
37 147.92 Ksenia KONKINA / Alexander VAKHNOV RUS ISU JGP Canada 2018
39 142.97 Eva KUTS / Dmitrii MIKHAILOV RUS ISU JGP Cup of Austria 2018
40 142.96 Loicia DEMOUGEOT / Theo LE MERCIER FRA ISU JGP Canada 2018
42 142.29 Darya POPOVA / Volodymyr BYELIKOV UKR ISU JGP Amber Cup 2018
44 141.60 Ellie FISHER / Simon-Pierre MALETTE-PAQUETTE CAN ISU JGP Ljubljana Cup 2018 (ARM)
45 141.16 Yana BUGA / Georgy POKHILYUK AZE ISU JGP Amber Cup 2018
46 140.67 Emmy BRONSARD / Aissa BOUARAGUIA CAN ISU JGP Czech Skate 2018 (ARM)
50 138.50 Maria GOLUBTSOVA / Kirill BELOBROV UKR ISU JGP Czech Skate 2018 (ARM)
51 138.13 Natalie D'ALESSANDRO / Bruce WADDELL CAN ISU JGP Canada 2018
52 137.42 Sophia ELDER / Christopher ELDER USA ISU JGP Czech Skate 2018
53 137.00 Ekaterina ANDREEVA / Ivan DESYATOV RUS ISU JGP Amber Cup 2018
54 136.75 Ashlynne STAIRS / Elliott GRAHAM CAN ISU JGP Amber Cup 2018
55 135.78 Emma GUNTER / Caleb WEIN USA ISU JGP Canada 2018 (ARM)
56 135.66 Alicia FABBRI / Paul AYER CAN ISU JGP Bratislava 2018
58 134.19 Olivia MCISAAC / Corey CIRCELLI CAN ISU JGP Czech Skate 2018
60 133.61 Sara CAMPANINI / Francesco RIVA ITA ISU JGP Cup of Austria 2018
61 132.58 Irina GALIYANOVA / Grayson LOCHHEAD CAN ISU JGP Amber Cup 2018
62 131.50 Alina EFIMOVA / Alexander PETROV USA ISU JGP Ljubljana Cup 2018
64 129.82 Francesca RIGHI / Aleksei DUBROVIN ITA ISU JGP Ljubljana Cup 2018
67 128.52 Sasha FEAR / George WADDELL GBR ISU JGP Czech Skate 2018
68 127.92 Emiliya KALEHANOVA / Uladzislau PALKHOUSKI BLR ISU JGP Bratislava 2018 (ARM)
69 127.80 Miku MAKITA / Tyler GUNARA CAN ISU JGP Canada 2018
71 127.58 Katarina WOLFKOSTIN / Howard ZHAO USA ISU JGP Czech Skate 2018
73 126.13 Emily ROSE BROWN / James HERNANDEZ GBR ISU JGP Bratislava 2018
74 125.48 Natalie TASCHLEROVA / Filip TASCHLER CZE ISU JGP Czech Skate 2018
75 124.85 Anna CHERNIAVSKA / Volodymyr GOROVYY UKR ISU JGP Bratislava 2018
76 124.75 Oona BROWN / Gage BROWN USA ISU JGP Amber Cup 2018 (ARM)
77 124.57 Nadiia BASHYNSKA / Peter BEAUMONT CAN ISU JGP Bratislava 2018
78 123.91 Mira Isabel POLISHOOK / Deividas KIZALA LTU ISU JGP Czech Skate 2018
81 123.02 Jocelyn HAINES / James KOSZUTA USA ISU JGP Cup of Austria 2018
82 122.80 Viktoria SEMENJUK / Artur GRUZDEV EST ISU JGP Czech Skate 2018 (ARM)
83 122.72 Charise MATTHAEI / Maximilian PFISTERER GER ISU JGP Ljubljana Cup 2018
84 122.09 Katarina DELCAMP / Maxwell GART USA ISU JGP Bratislava 2018

Yet to compete (top 10 at 2018 Junior Worlds still age-eligible and planning to compete):
Caroline & Gordon GREEN USA (6th) and Natacha LAGOUGE / Corentin RAHIER FRA (8th).

 

[casken]

Complete random subject. I stumbled upon this dance number on Reckoner by Radiohead and I wondered whether an ice dance team has ever danced on Radiohead before. And I mean an original interpretation not a Michael Bublé, Céline Dion or Lara Fabian cover

Not to my knowledge. We've had a million MUSE programs though...

 

[cocotaffy]

Not to my knowledge. We've had a million MUSE programs though...

Really and only that one song of Muse too. As for Radiohead, such an untapped potential. It might be hard to adapt but that pas de deux on Reckoner looked quite good why not on the ice.

 

[Dobre]

Top ISU senior scores thus far:

Stepanova & Bukin--Current SB: 200.78
Last season's SB: 184.86
Score is up: 15.92

Hubbell & Donohue--Current SB: 197.42
Last season's SB: 196.64
Score is up: 0.78

Weaver & Poje--Current SB: 197.27
Last season's SB: 192.35
Score is up: 4.92

Sinitsina & Katsalapov--Current SB: 196.42
Last season's SB: 177.45
Score is up: 18.97
(This team had no post season last year).

Gilles & Poirier--Current SB: 194.12
Last season's PB: 186.1
Score is up: 8.02

Guignard & Fabbri--Current SB: 193.28
Last season's SB: 178.44
Score is up: 14.84

The Parsons--Current SB: 180.95
Last season's SB: 163.14
Score is up: 17.81

Smart & Diaz--Current SB: 180.07
Last season's SB: 162.05
Score is up: 18.02

McNamara & Carpenter--Current SB: 178.64
Last season's SB: 160.51
Score is up: 18.13

Carreira & Ponomarenko--No senior score from last season
(Juniors last season had a much lower base value).

Lauriault & Le Gac--Current SB: 176.46
Last season's PB: 159.64
Score is up 16.82

AVERAGE RISE IN SCORES: 13.423
(Among the top ten currently scored senior teams that competed in seniors last season as well)
Feel free to let me know if you see any corrections that I need to make.

 

[levineismine]

We are interviewing Misato Komatsubara and Tim Koleto next week. If you have any questions for them you can tweet them using the hashtag #askTeamKoko
Link

 

[Sylvia]

Re-posting relevant Junior international dance posts by @Dobre & @Colonel Green from the Canadian Dance thread to here:

As far as podiums go, going into this season it looked like there were three teams who were set apart from everybody else (L/L and the two leading Russian duos), but Nguyen and Kolesnik have definitely elbowed their way into that conversation, so it's looking like a four-way contest for three podium spaces.

At least 5 teams in the podium hunt at the moment. Three leading Russian duos. Shevchenko & Eremenko, Khudaberdieva & Nazarov, and Lajoie & Lagha all have combined scores within 1/2 a point of each other. And Ushakova & Nekrasov have the highest junior score of the season. Nguyen and Kolesnik have the third highest junior SB. The three Russian teams all split placements with each other last year at Russian Junior Nationals.

Shanaeva & Naryzhnyy haven't skated since the first competition of the season. They could put themselves into the battle with a great skate this week. And the Greens have not competed since June, but it would be unwise of us to count them out considering they outscored Nguyen & Kolesnik's combined score in that event and finished top six last year. (Obviously G&G won't be in the battle for the JGPF podium).

Comparing individual scores across events is already difficult, but comparing their combined scores seems even less meaningful to me. L/L, especially, have the second-highest score given out so far from the second event, added to a score that is atypically low both because Linz had the tightest scoring of any of the JGP events so far and because they had some real kinks in the program that time. S/E, conversely, came first at a really low-scoring event and then second at a higher-scoring one.

A head-to-head win is a win. There is no reason to take S&E out of this equation. The combined scores (scores from both events added together) for L&L, S&E, and K&N are within 1/2 a point. L&L's skate in Canada is a valid reason to consider them to be in the medal hunt. S&E's win in Austria is a valid reason to consider them to be in it too. Ushakova & Nekrasov had the highest FD score prior to the JGPF last season and Lajoie & Lagha had one of the top two SB scores heading into the event. Neither one finished on the podium. Both teams are legit contenders this year (and more established than they were at this point last season); but that is no reason to narrow one's view of the field. P&V lost to U&N prior to the Final last year; but P&V are the ones that made the podium. One can argue that there are favorites, but there are logical reasons to see at least five possible contenders at this point.

ETA: I have my fingers crossed that the Greens will show up at Eastern Sectionals next month looking good. If healthy/trained, they could still be in the mix internationally later this season (and at U.S. Nationals, too).

 

[EYGH]

Complete random subject. I stumbled upon this dance number on Reckoner by Radiohead and I wondered whether an ice dance team has ever danced on Radiohead before. And I mean an original interpretation not a Michael Bublé, Céline Dion or Lara Fabian cover

I love this pas de deux and totally think the coregraphy could be transposed/adapted on the ice.

 

[Dobre]

Answering this post from the Canadian Dance thread here so as to avoid posting off-topic there.

Kazakova&Reviya might get in the mix. He is just outstanding. They are from a small federation and may not be supported as much though.

They are both from Russia. They represent a small federation. I'd like to see them break into some more original material; but they did themselves a solid today, that's for certain.

 

[Bigbird]

So no team is using this gem from Piazolla this year?
Soledad

 

[A.H.Black]

ETA: I have my fingers crossed that the Greens will show up at Eastern Sectionals next month looking good. If healthy/trained, they could still be in the mix internationally later this season (and at U.S. Nationals, too).

I'm behind on Jr. Grand Prix. Do we know why the Greens have not competed?

 

[Sylvia]

I'm behind on Jr. Grand Prix. Do we know why the Greens have not competed?

Nothing is publicly known at this time. As I posted in the Kiss & Cry section, I'm hoping they will be ready to compete at Sectionals next month to qualify for Nationals.

 

[Sylvia]

Re-posting the JGP Final Dance Qualifiers from the Kiss & Cry section:

Ushakova/Nekrasov RUS 15 + 15 = 30 (340.98)
Khudaiberdieva/Nazarov RUS 15 + 15 = 30 (320.62)
Nguyen/Kolesnik USA 13 + 15 = 28 (327.47)
Shevchenko/Eremenko RUS 15 + 13 = 28 (320.37)
Lajoie/Lagha CAN 13 + 15 = 28 (320.31)
Kazakova/Reviya GEO 13 + 13 = 26 (318.82)

Alternates, 1st-3rd:
Ivanenko/Karpov RUS 13 + 11 = 24 (301.08)
Shanaeva/Naryzhnyy RUS 13 + 9 = 22 (300.35)
Popova/Byelikov UKR 11 + 9 = 20 (284.06)

Confirmed here: http://www.isuresults.com/events/jgp2018/jgpsdance.htm

 

[Dobre]

For what it's worth . . .


JGP Score Roundup

Overall Scores:
172.91 Ushakova & Nekrasov
168.17 Ushakova & Nekrasov
166.52 Lajoie & Lagha
165.63 Nguyen & Kolesnik
164.65 Kazakova & Reviya
161.84 Nguyen & Kolesnik
161.67 Shevchenko & Eremenko
161.00 Khudaberdieva & Nazarov
159.62 Khudaberdieva & Nazarov
158.70 Shevchenko & Eremenko
154.17 Kazakova & Reviya
153.79 Lajoie & Lagha
(No teams that did not qualify for the Final have an overall score above any of these scores).

RD Scores:
69.18 Ushakova & Nekrasov
67.63 Ushakova & Nekrasov
65.57 Lajoie & Lagha
65.42 Kazakova & Reviya
65.41 Nguyen & Kolesnik
65.29 Khudaberdieva & Nazarov
64.39 Khudaberdieva & Nazarov
64.26 Shevchenko & Eremenko
63.95 Lajoie & Lagha
63.79 Shevchenko & Eremenko
63.40 Nguyen & Kolesnik
60.34 Konkina & Vakhnov*
60.34 Fisher & Mallette-Paquette*
60.30 Shanaeva & Naryzhnyy*
59.92 Gropman & Somerville*
59.78 Ivanenko & Karpov*
59.77 Kazakova & Reviya
(Teams with an asterisk have not qualified for the Final)

FD Scores:
103.63 Ushakova & Nekrasov
100.95 Lajoie & Lagha
100.54 Ushakova & Nekrasov
100.22 Nguyen & Kolesnik
99.23 Kazakova & Reviya
98.44 Nguyen & Kolesnik
97.88 Shevchenko & Eremenko
95.71 Khudaberdieva & Nazarov
95.23 Khudaberdieva & Nazarov
94.44 Shevchenko & Eremenko
94.40 Kazakova & Reviya
92.33 Shanaeva & Naryzhnyy*
92.12 Fisher & Mallette-Paquette*
92.07 Davis & Smolkin*
91.91 Shanaeva & Naryzhnyy*
91.91 Ivanenko & Karpov*
90.37 Ivanenko & Karpov*
89.84 Lajoie & Lagha
(Teams with an asterisk have not qualified for the Final)

Thoughts: Scores and placements are a little less all over the place this season than last. Ushakova & Nekrasov have two wins, the top 2 scores in two categories, and 2 of the top 3 scores in the third. They have not gone up head-to-head in international competition with the top Russian teams or Lajoie & Lagha yet. After U&N, scores are pretty intermixed. As often happens, scores generally rose toward the end of the JGP (with the exception of Shevchenko & Eremenko's and Shanaeva & Naryzhnyy's RDs, both of which had visible errors during their second events). Notably lower than the rest of the JGPF field scores were Kazakova & Reviya's RD marks and Lajoie & Lagha's FD marks from those teams' first events; however, their follow up performances of the same dances are both in the top 5. Khudaberdieva & Nazarov have two wins, but their scores are around the middle of the pack and the only other JGPF qualifying team they have gone up against thus far is the final qualifying team of Kazakova & Reviya. Think it's impossible to know where K&N--or really, most of these teams--will fit in during a head-to-head.

 

[Bigbird]

I just watched Morozova and Bagin and then Anastasia and Grigory at their latest competitions and all I can say is this, "what a low down dirty shame". Somehow someway this is going to come back to bite the Federation where it hurts. They are literally wasting valuable ranking points right now. Anyhoo, does anyone know what S/S will be doing for the remainder of the season?

 

[Dobre]

I think let's wait & see who really shows up for Rostelecom. It's a ways off yet. (Russia has two teams on the replacement list and we have four previously injured dance teams on the GP lists that haven't competed yet. It is still entirely possible that S&S and/or E&B could get assignments. Or even be put in at Rostelecom as Popova & Mozgov were last season).

 

[chameleonster]

As I recall Evodkimova/Bazin actually had to pull out due to injury last season, so that may not be applicable here. I believe Shpilevaya/Smirnov are planning to do another Russian Cup event, and I hope they get at least one more Challenger. I'm hoping that they'll be able to qualify for Winter Universiade at least, since that's this year.

 

[Cayuse]

As I recall Evodkimova/Bazin actually had to pull out due to injury last season, so that may not be applicable here. I believe Shpilevaya/Smirnov are planning to do another Russian Cup event, and I hope they get at least one more Challenger. I'm hoping that they'll be able to qualify for Winter Universiade at least, since that's this year.

An injury can be only one dental surgery away

 

[Bigbird]

^^LOLOL.

What has happened with Drozd? Am I right in assuming that the tryout with Abashkina didn't go anywhere?

Has Ilinykh really completely committed to coaching within her academy with Lipnitskaya? Would they contemplate trying out together? They both have such soft knees. Sigh.

Whom else could he try out with, in Russia at his level?

It just seems like such a waste of tremendous talent. Oh well...

 

[Peepsquick]

Abashkina/Drozd might still be on ...
https://www.instagram.com/pashka_drozd/tagged/

 

[chameleonster]

Nothing has been announced that I'm aware, but Abachkina is still in Russia and they both follow this fan account: https://instagram.com/annasetas?utm_source=ig_profile_share&igshid=1ovpyvxr28uxc

No word on if either of them have gotten released or what country they would represent, which may prevent an official announcement, but they're definitely still training together.

 

[Bigbird]

Abashkina/Drozd might still be on ...
https://www.instagram.com/pashka_drozd/tagged/

Whoa. So Drozd will be released? Or will it be Abashkina released from France? ....the plot thickens.

 

[Sylvia]

Angelique Abachkina posted this message with 2 photos of herself yesterday: https://www.instagram.com/p/Bo67epmgqE1/?taken-by=icesmurfette

I haven’t published it before but today I want to proudly say that it has been 2 years since I overcame anorexia and bulimia without hospitalisation.
Those pictures show the day when my results finally got positive and I went on recovery.
For all those who struggle, know that you are not alone ! And it’s okay to seek for help for getting better ?? #fight #proud #eatingdisorderrecovery #eatingdisorderawareness

 

[Peepsquick]

Whoa. So Drozd will be released? Or will it be Abashkina released from France? ....the plot thickens.

I hope they dance for France. Russia's dance field has a tendency to be crowded. I would like to see them dance!

 

[Bigbird]

I hope they dance for France. Russia's dance field has a tendency to be crowded. I would like to see them dance!

Well it could happen, that junior team from Georgia that I really like were originally from Russia and they're doing really well.

But it must be said if they lose him they really do lose a gem of a talent. But hey, it is what it is.

 

[Dobre]

So Drozd will be released? Or will it be Abashkina released from France?

The only rumors I've read are that neither federation is keen on a release. One would hope, as A&D are still training together, that they have reason to be more optimistic. At least, they must feel they are clicking as a team. (I'm sure Zhulin would like another Russian team in the pipeline). Neither Drozd nor Abachkina would be free to compete internationally until after at least Golden Spin or Europeans anyway so maybe there will be more of an incentive for this to get sorted once both would be able to compete internationally.

 

[Bigbird]

The only rumors I've read are that neither federation is keen on a release. One would hope, as A&D are still training together, that they have reason to be more optimistic. At least, they must feel they are clicking as a team. (I'm sure Zhulin would like another Russian team in the pipeline). Neither Drozd nor Abachkina would be free to compete internationally until after at least Golden Spin or Europeans anyway so maybe there will be more of an incentive for this to get sorted once both would be able to compete internationally.

While it's good to see them moving on its sort of bittersweet to see them, in particularly Drozd being paired with a partner so less talented than him, their techniques are like night and day. With almost every top Russian team, they seem to struggle to find equally matched partners. But OTOH, maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised.

 

[Dobre]

While it's good to see them moving on its sort of bittersweet to see them, in particularly Drozd being paired with a partner so less talented than him, their techniques are like night and day.

Same song, second verse. He's going nowhere without a partner. I liked both previous teams and am sad to see them go; but I wish all four skaters the best and hope we will be able to continue to watch them grow in the sport.

 

[Peepsquick]

While it's good to see them moving on its sort of bittersweet to see them, in particularly Drozd being paired with a partner so less talented than him, their techniques are like night and day. With almost every top Russian team, they seem to struggle to find equally matched partners. But OTOH, maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised.

I see great potential in Abashkina. She hat the "IT" factor imho.