The Dance Hall 8: Join the Maskerade 2020-2021

[Bigbird]

The Nepo power is also strong in the case of Morozov/Bagin.
I personally am holding out for Khudabarieva/Bazin, for the sheer entertainment factor.

Vasilisa K. and Valeri Angelopol maybe? But other than that best to wait. I do like the young French couples if only they had some great coaching and plenty of ice.

 

[VGThuy]

I loved the post-Sochi period. I thought the quality of skaters were better than most other periods since IJS was adopted.

We had the rise of PapCiz sort of saving the 2014-15 season, and the teams seemed hungry and had new-found motivation to take their own skating further. CapLanotte were quite enjoyable during this period some IMO some of their best FDs, Bob/Sol had their great Anna Karenina program that got better as the season progressed but they unfortunately weren't able to skate it at Worlds due to factors beyond them, there was WeavPoje who were pushing their skating even if people didn't like their material as much and then they moved to Morosov...the comeback of the Shibs, the rise of HubbDonohue, with ChockBates making the U.S. Nationals and fight for the top spot in the hierarchy a never-ending, constantly stressful bloodbath every season. PiperPaul brought interesting choreography every other year. We had the great Ravensburger and then the premiere of the hip hop/blues SD, which people actually had fun with. To cap it off, the return of VirtueMoir and seeing Tessa much healthier and them hitting new heights. Heck, the juniors were exciting as well.

Last quad was a great time for ice dance, IMO. I still re-watch 2016 Worlds FD when the caller was a bit generous but the teams for the most part skated as if they wanted it.

 

[mjb52]

Any thoughts on the 4 spots available at Nebelhorn? It's Italy and GB trying to confirm a spot right? I would think Georgia will be likely to snap up one if K/R are healthy.

 

[Colonel Green]

I’ll be interested to see if Wang/Liu continue after Beijing, because right now they’re the only team in the 4CC division that seems at all capable of challenging the US-Canada duopoly on the ice dance podium if the top teams retire.

 

[Colonel Green]

Any thoughts on the 4 spots available at Nebelhorn? It's Italy and GB trying to confirm a spot right? I would think Georgia will be likely to snap up one if K/R are healthy.

I think Georgia and Finland are in for sure (as sure as these things can be, anyway), and South Korea has a strong chance at the third. The fourth I think is pretty open right now, there’s a bunch of teams in the low 60s in the RD and with FDs that don’t break 100 points.

 

[love_skate2011]

I’ll be interested to see if Wang/Liu continue after Beijing, because right now they’re the only team in the 4CC division that seems at all capable of challenging the US-Canada duopoly on the ice dance podium if the top teams retire.

No way there are still L/L, C/P and H/B. Maybe others will move up the rankings too after 2022 retirements.

 

[Colonel Green]

No way there are still L/L, C/P and H/B. Maybe others will move up the rankings too after 2022 retirements.

I’m not saying the US and Canada won’t continue to be dominant overall, just that the Chinese team could be in the mix if they stick around, and if they don’t there won’t be anybody.

 

[Wyliefan]

I’ll be interested to see if Wang/Liu continue after Beijing, because right now they’re the only team in the 4CC division that seems at all capable of challenging the US-Canada duopoly on the ice dance podium if the top teams retire.

I hope they do. I like them, and I think they have more to give. I actually thought they'd finish higher at Worlds than they did.

 

[clairecloutier]

I was surprised by Wang/Liu's placement at Worlds, because they had a really successful season last year. They were 9th on last year's season's-best list, between FB/S and Fear/Gibson. And they were just off the podium in 4th at 2 events last year (4CCs and CoC). Given that momentum, I was surprised to see them to see them back down in 13th at Worlds. i know they lost training time in Montreal because of covid, however, I thought their performance level seemed good anyway, they looked crisp. Hard not to feel that they either benefited from politik last year and/or didn't this year.

 

[allezfred]

It's Italy and GB trying to confirm a spot right?

They are not trying to “confirm” a spot that isn’t theirs to confirm. They have the opportunity to earn one of the additional four spots just like all the other countries at Nebelhorn.

 

[yurokis40]

Things are looking good for G&P next year looks like Canada and Russia are working together in ice dance.

 

[mjb52]

I am tired of this weird meme that S/K's programs are similar to P/C's. Yes, I know it is just largely that one person repeating it over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over for the most part, but as with many things that one obsessed person says repeatedly, I feel like other people are picking it up. Gabriella even mentioned it (not in a rude way or anything) in her interview. I just don't see it at all. In fact, the very reason I am capable of liking both teams is in part b/c to me they do completely different things, both of which I like (for the most part, I obviously wasn't a big fan of P/C's material last year), although overall I prefer S/K.

 

[Holy Headband]

My money would be on Kazakova/Reviya of Georgia as the up and coming breakout stars of the new quad.

They have everything a star couple needs to succeed (except a rich federation ) and I would love to see them and their voidy kitschy programs rise to the top We need someone to stop the beige wave in ice dance.

 

[Holy Headband]

I am tired of this weird meme that S/K's programs are similar to P/C's. Yes, I know it is just largely that one person repeating it over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over for the most part, but as with many things that one obsessed person says repeatedly, I feel like other people are picking it up. Gabriella even mentioned it (not in a rude way or anything) in her interview. I just don't see it at all. In fact, the very reason I am capable of liking both teams is in part b/c to me they do completely different things, both of which I like (for the most part, I obviously wasn't a big fan of P/C's material last year), although overall I prefer S/K.

S/K are not pretentious enough to copy P/C properly. P/C's monotonous arthouse turns into beauty-conscious schlock that is designed to look 'classy' in S/K's hands. H/B's FD this season, on the other hand, is plagiarised very faithfully, but I suppose it's harder to call out your own rinkmates.

 

[Sylvia]

Sofia Val (16) and Nikita Vitryanyuk (19) are a new junior team based in Lyon, France and representing Spain.

Sofia's announcement: https://www.instagram.com/p/CNIERoRgM4-/
Nikita's announcement: https://www.instagram.com/p/CNISgSVJlX8/

She last competed with her previous partner at 2020 Junior Worlds: http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00107024.htm
He previously represented Cyprus internationally with Maria Miliukova (Adv. Novice level) and in singles: http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00054751.htm

 

[Peepsquick]

S/K are not pretentious enough to copy P/C properly.

Pretentiousness is often in the eye of the beholder... Not a pretentious bone in Gabi and Guillaume.

 

[Holy Headband]

Pretentiousness is often in the eye of the beholder... Not a pretentious bone in Gabi and Guillaume.

It is indeed a subjective label, but I don't necessarily mean it in a pejorative way. Pretentiousness can be an engine of creativity and every artistic field needs some of it IMO.

 

[Brenda_Bottems]

After watching the World Championships,it is official: ice dance is dead. (Or best case scenario,life support)

I pray Virtue+Moir come back and save the artform.

-BB

 

[Bigbird]

After watching the World Championships,it is official: ice dance is dead. (Or best case scenario,life support)

I pray Virtue+Moir come back and save the artform.

-BB

We are having a lull that's all. Something great I believe is just around the corner. The ladies, men and pairs are nicely picking up the slack though.

 

[allezfred]

Ice dance is in a much better place than it was during the Dark Ages of 2010-2014.

 

[Bigbird]

Ice dance is in a much better place than it was during the Dark Ages of 2010-2014.

I loved some of those years more than others. I still remember when Mitchell and Islam were a thing and they gave us Cassablanca. The Smile program from the Shibs and Don Quixote and Shindlers list from I/K. It's all become sort of generic at the top. But no probs I can gladly agree to disagree.

 

[Peepsquick]

I loved some of those years more than others. I still remember when Mitchell and Islam were a thing and they gave us Cassablanca. The Smile program from the Shibs and Don Quixote and Shindlers list from I/K. It's all become sort of generic at the top. But no probs I can gladly agree to disagree.

I do miss Mitchell and Islam. I was sad when they stopped.

 

[tony]

Paul/Islam* - you’re giving Mitch all the credit

 

[Bigbird]

Ice dance is in a much better place than it was during the Dark Ages of 2010-2014.

I loved some of those years more than others. I still remember when Mitchell and Islam were a thing and they gave us Cassablanca. The Smile program from the Shibs and Don Quixote and Shindlers list from I/K. It's all become sort of generic. But no probs I can gladly agree to disagree.

Paul/Islam* - you’re giving Mitch all the credit

Oh yeah..

 

[VGThuy]

I still think the worst was the 2003-2006 period. It was fine when it was 6.0 but that IJS transition was rough with teams crawling across the ice and struggling through the elements while having pain face during needless catchfoots/Biellmans. No Olympic program was good. I know people will say Del/Schoes’ Masquerade program was good but I rewatched it and though it was the best of the lot it kind of aged like milk for me. It was disappointing because I actually loved two of the three D/Ss at the time and really liked the third D/S; and Marie-France/Patrice were bringing the skills. I was not a fan of Navka and guy she dragged around nor Belbin/Agosto. The fact IJS rewarded them the most with Grushina/Goncharov should have been a warning to everyone. Most of us just thought it was typical politicking. What saved Torino was the mess that was the OD and the stare.

 

[TanithandBenFan]

Ice dance is in a much better place than it was during the Dark Ages of 2010-2014.

I think you mean The Golden Age

 

[clairecloutier]

I still maintain that 1998-2002 was the worst quad in ice dance, at least for me, since I started watching in 1991. Honestly it was horrible, with Anissina/Peizerat practically the only top team I enjoyed in those years. The fact that the quad culminated in 2002 with ice dancers themselves protesting that year's World bronze medal winners (Chait/Sakhnovski) kind of says it all.

1994-1998 was the second worst quad for me. Again, the fact that forgotten Moniotte/Lavanchy were two-time World medalists speaks volumes. I was not particularly a fan of either G/P or K/O, so the only thing saving that era for me was early Bourne/Kraatz and the emergence of A/P toward the end.

One issue with my appreciation of 1990s ice dance was that I was still watching it on cable/network TV, and they didn't show a lot of the lower-ranked teams, which might have added more interest? I don't know. I appreciate being able to see all the teams now, with streaming.

 

[Marta24]

I started watching figure skating on a regular basis in 2003. I was mostly focused on Ladies, because I was such a huge Kostner fan. I rememeber when I watched ice dance the first time, that I wondered why the pair skaters weren`t doing any jumps
Anyway, I didn`t really like ice dance and started to really pay attention when V/M, C/L and D/W moved up to Seniors. Since then Ice Dance is my favorite discipline. There were a lot of ups and down in the last 10 years, but overall I would say we have seen some great performances. I`m really excited about the post Olympic season. With so many teams probably retiring it looks like a big change is coming.

 

[Rhumba d’Amour]

My least favorite era—between the retirement of the Duchesnays in around 1992 or so, and the rise of the North American teams circa 2008. Really all I liked in between were Anissina/Peizerat, Barbara, and the nifty programs of Delobel/Schoenfelder (though not necessarily their skating.)

 

[mjb52]

I really enjoyed 1988 all the way through 1998, with the exception of the two years post Lillehammer when the ISU was pushing more traditional styles hard. I loved so many of the top teams from that period (I don't think we got to see the lower-ranked teams as much, or at least I didn't). I was a huge K/O fan so their fight against G/P made 1996-1998 very exciting for me. Post 1998, with Krylova's injury, is where ice dancing fell off for me for awhile and the rise of the N.A. teams sealed it. I didn't really watch ice dance, or even ice skating, much again until 2018, although I somehow got into I/K and followed them on and off. I do think there is a lot more stylistic variation possible under the rules now, which I like, but also limitations because of the judging system and a very critical social media culture that may create some risk-aversion (or not, it's just a thought). It will be really interesting to see where teams go in the Olympic season.