The Dance Hall 9: Bring the Bling or No Beijing 2021-2022

[litenkyckling]

I'm curious as to whether the long-term plan for C/P is to stay in London? What happens after this Olympic cycle when other teams (including possibly Gr/P) express interest in I.AM in Montreal? Do C/P get first dibs, especially considering that she grew up in Montreal?

I would imagine so, because they first asked to join IAM and they didn't have space so instead they offered up the London option instead. I think that a move to Montreal would be good long term because training with a team like L/L every day next quad will be important for growth. I think she planned to stay just over the border in New York so the citizenship issue could still be resolved while training in Montreal.

I wonder if Gr/P will move or not though, because they seem pretty happy where they are. They have a coaching staff who will mostly be focusing on them, they get to live near or with their families and they have a team that give them creative control. I can see them having a lot of loyalty to their coaches much like G/P with Carol Lane.

 

[BittyBug]

I must say that Caroline's outfit was also distracting (in a bad way ...)

I love the costume. It's appropriately spare for modern dance.

 

[Peepsquick]

I love the costume. It's appropriately spare for modern dance.

It is appropriate but not flattering imho...

 

[Wyliefan]

Check out Lilah and Lewis's Halloween costumes! https://www.instagram.com/p/CVt5SRxFhNi/?utm_medium=copy_link

 

[Theatregirl1122]

I love the costume. It's appropriately spare for modern dance.

There are many appropriate and pared down costumes that don't have crotch arrows...

 

[chantilly]

It is appropriate but not flattering imho...

I agree but I think it’s mostly the bodice the skirt back and arms are lovely
But the nude bodice makes her look heavy IMO

 

[taz'smum]

I will say I think it's a curious choice indeed that Igor gave Davis/Smolkin that MR FD

I think you are reading too much into the choice.
Igor thinks that the skating is more important than the music and should speak for itself whatever the music, so it seems he just falls back on tried and tested warhorses.

 

[Immortelle]

I was in a bad mood after the SC Men’s FP (too much slow, dirgey music) and it affected my opinion of most of the FDs.
Having now rewatched Green/Parsons’s FD and I really like it, it’s modern but inclusive of more traditional dance aesthetics. It’s more of an introverted style than most of the top teams, more like P/C without the pretentiousness (see the “Unpopular Opinions” thread?).
To me it feels fresh and accessible without veering into populism, for want of a better word…

 

[marbri]

I think you are reading too much into the choice.
Igor thinks that the skating is more important than the music and should speak for itself whatever the music, so it seems he just falls back on tried and tested warhorses.

I wasn't digging my heels into a conspiracy theory I just found it curious. There is a French Junior team ( I think this season) doing a FD to similar music and I didn't watch that thinking there were any copy/paste moments in it so I just found it odd that Igor would do that. But if it's as simple as him not giving a shit what he does as long as the levels are there then I guess that's all it is. Good to know he has no artistic integrity

 

[Dobre]

1) Is the Piper/Paul bronze from last Worlds with that 130 FD score, and their continued momentum this season, coming at the cost of Canada's #2 and #3? Like is ice dance still so political that it's a tradeoff between your federation's teams; e.g. for your top team to medal at the Olympics, you'll trade placements for your lower teams...

Gilles & Poirier are Canada's best shot at an Olympic medal of any color in any discipline. (And G&P are not favorites for one, though they are legit contenders). Skate Canada would likely do whatever they can here.

Mostly what SC can do is control the field at Skate Canada International. As far as that event goes, this likely meant circling the wagons & inviting the lowest 4-6th place team from Worlds possible in order to help guarantee a win at SC. A win, not a second place, because P&C were unseeded & there was no knowing if G&P would end up in a deep field for their second event, which they did. This meant no top U.S. or Russian team at SC.

Ironically, no top U.S. or Russian team probably translated into two lower U.S. teams & two lower Russian teams. That translated into way more competition for Lajoie & Lagha than they have ever had at SC.

 

[Dobre]

I was going to add that Lajoie & Lagha and Fournier-Beaudry & Sorensen kept last year's free dances. This seems like a team & coaching decision rather than a federation decision.

L&L lost to Davis & Smolkin at SC because L&L dropped too many levels in the FD, particularly on the combination spin.

 

[Peepsquick]

L&L lost to Davis & Smolkin at SC because L&L dropped too many levels in the FD, particularly on the combination spin.

Thank you for the explanation @Dobre! For my unschooled eyes, they looked pretty good and vibrant ... it was easy to enjoy so I missed the errors.

 

[clairecloutier]

For those who appreciate Green/Parsons' innovative free dance this season .... you can read about the creative process for this free dance and the concepts underlying the program here:

Green and Parsons: Moving Out of Their Comfort Zone - U.S. Figure Skating Fan Zone

Caroline Green and Michael Parsons saw early success when they teamed up in 2019. They won two Challenger Series medals in their first season and placed in the top

usfigureskatingfanzone.com

Green and Parsons' free dance this year is inspired by the modern dance of Martha Graham and draws on Graham's specific technique for dance. The creative process began when Elena Novak, one of their head coaches, suggested music by composer Ezio Bosso.

"Elena said: 'Just try moving to this music, and see if you connect with it,'" Green recalled. "And we took to it quickly. Then it turned into experimentation--moving with each other, on our own, with the music, without. The program was born out of that."

"We took our time to really listen to the music and think, 'How do we want to move with this?'" Parsons added.

The couple had learned about the Martha Graham style of modern dance from their off-ice dance coach, Meredith Jones. Parsons describes the style as featuring "a lot of contraction, where we put a lot of emotion into almost sparse movements." The Martha Graham technique is characterized by its use of contraction (gathering energy in the body), followed by release (of energy). Another aspect is using purposeful hand movements to express emotion.

 

[sap5]

I'm not yet a fan of Green/Parson's FD, because I don't yet see this in Caroline's skating:

The Martha Graham technique is characterized by its use of contraction (gathering energy in the body), followed by release (of energy).

I know this floor technique has to be modified for ice, but that contraction, where the power is gathered within the core, and then sent out through the extremities, is key. When I watch Caroline, I see her stick out her arms, but I don't yet feel that power going through them, or the power going through the skating stoke. Hopefully it will develop over the season.

 

[litenkyckling]

As per FF Sports de Glace instagram, Galyavieva/Thauron have split.

I hate this news - they were such an exciting team that had so much potential. Louis Thauron unfortunately has a chronic injury.

Here is the only video I can find of their Perfume FD, which I thought was incredible:

Adelina GALYAVIEVA & Louis THAURON Free Dance 2021 French Figure Skating Championships

Adelina GALYAVIEVA & Louis THAURON Free Dance 2021 French Figure Skating Championships

www.youtube.com

 

[clairecloutier]

Sorry to hear that about Galyavieva/Thauron. I always enjoyed watching them skate!

 

[Peepsquick]

As per FF Sports de Glace instagram, Galyavieva/Thauron have split.

I hate this news - they were such an exciting team that had so much potential. Louis Thauron unfortunately has a chronic injury.

Here is the only video I can find of their Perfume FD, which I thought was incredible:

Adelina GALYAVIEVA & Louis THAURON Free Dance 2021 French Figure Skating Championships

Adelina GALYAVIEVA & Louis THAURON Free Dance 2021 French Figure Skating Championships

www.youtube.com

Very sorry to hear about that! They meshed so well and I loved their material.

 

[Karen-W]

I kind of wondered about their status after seeing some posts from him in recent weeks that didn't give the impression they were training. It's a definite shame for them.

 

[Wyliefan]

Aw, I liked them.

And I can't help thinking that Lauriault/Le Gac made a mistake. They could have been #1 in France after P/C retire.

 

[Karen-W]

Aw, I liked them.

And I can't help thinking that Lauriault/Le Gac made a mistake. They could have been #1 in France after P/C retire.

Maybe but there are some decent teams just coming up from the junior level.

 

[Immortelle]

So sad, they had me with Daddy Cool because they really got into it! Also loved their voidy blue Carmen ??

 

[NinjaTurtles]

I'm not yet a fan of Green/Parson's FD, because I don't yet see this in Caroline's skating:



I know this floor technique has to be modified for ice, but that contraction, where the power is gathered within the core, and then sent out through the extremities, is key. When I watch Caroline, I see her stick out her arms, but I don't yet feel that power going through them, or the power going through the skating stoke. Hopefully it will develop over the season.

It’s too bad that it’s likely not feasible with blades and lifts, but a Halston-esque stretch jersey costume would really help with conveying Graham’s core centered style.

 

[Sylvia]

Galyavieva/Thauron's names were crossed out of both IdF and Rostelecom Cup yesterday in the Grand Prix ice dance grid.

FFSG's Instagram post today: https://www.instagram.com/p/CV0hXhYoqkN/
Machine translated excerpt: "Our ice dancers Adelina Galyavieva & Louis Thauron end their collaboration after four seasons spent together, a chronic injury from Louis preeventing them from completing their sports project..."


@cholla's post in GSD: https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/th...nçaise-part-quatre.107545/page-5#post-6098225

 

[barbarafan]

I will say I think it's a curious choice indeed that Igor gave Davis/Smolkin that MR FD (with some bold similarities in music and moves) the same year Scott starts coaching Carr/Pom after they leave Igor. Reminded me a bit of the year Igor and Marina split up, V/M chose to stay with Marina, Cappellini/Lanotte start training with Igor and he gives them a Carmen FD to compete against V/M's Carmen FD (which he knew about before working with C/L).

I have never had any bad feelings about Igor, ever, but once is a coincidence, twice? Makes me wonder if he has a vengeful or bitter side to him ? Did anything similar happen when Chock/Bates left him?

I did find DS was a very close copy of content of TS program.

 

[Andrea82]

The callers for GP Italy are Halina Gordon-Poltorak, Judy Blumberg and Sergei Baranov.

HG-P was in the Finlandia Trophy panel.
Blumberg is at her seasonal international debut.
Baranov was at Nebelhorn, Ice Star, Victor Petrenkp Cup and Denis Ten Memorial.

 

[Belsornia]

I’m sad about Galyavieva/Thauron too. They had strong performances at Worlds and especially WTT last year and I thought they really had potential to move up in the next quad.

It’s always hard when skaters aren’t able to end their competitive careers on their own terms. I hope Adelina is able to find a new partner, if she wants to continue.

The rough times for French skating continue.

 

[Karen-W]

Anyone else excited to see StepBuk in Italy? Looks like they're actually going to show...

 

[Dobre]

Anyone else excited to see StepBuk in Italy? Looks like they're actually going to show...

 

[Holy Headband]

Didn't know whether to make a new thread for this?
I would like to know who you think the next great couple in dance will be?
After the olympics/worlds there is going to probably be a good number of retirements.
I expect Stepanova/Bukin to get up there especially if S/K retire. Also C/B if they are staying on.Zagorski/Guirro
So who is going to take the dance world over?
Kaganovskaia/Angelopol juniors now but such potential.
Lajoie/Laga
Morozov/Bagin
Davis/Smolkin
Wolfkostin/Chen again juniors.
Thoughts

Kagapol are the only up-and-comers I see as a safe bet because of the combination of their talent level and federation (though I'm perceiving disturbing signs RusFed may push Davis/Smolkin for real, which would be a gross injustice given the number of superior young teams in Russia), but I really like Green/Parsons as well. I hope they can make a breakthrough, and I think their eye-catching FD this season was a strategic masterstroke in terms of getting them attention from the judges and fans.

I think Lajoie/Lagha will benefit substantially from the post-Olympic reshuffle.

Lastly, I got the sense from the lenient way they were judged at Nebelhorn that Kazakova/Reviya may have been earmarked as the ISU's next small federation darlings.

 

[Bigbird]

Are Abashkina and Drozd still a thing? I saw video recently of him skating in a show with Zagitova? Are they on a break?