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

[Miloune]

The Olympics Twitter account posted that they are debuting a series (not sure how long) about six I.AM teams (P/C, H/D, C/B, FB/S, S/D, F/G) and their four main coaches (Marie France, Patrice, Romain, Scott) that will show the preparation of the teams for the Olympics. Sounds intriguing.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1459465060070432768

Can't wait to see this! Though S/D aren't even sure to go to the OG.. (on my part I hope they will)

 

[love_skate2011]

Stepanova / Bukin will not be the leading team they are getting old.

Davis / Smolkin will be the team to rise and may be world medalists soon, all other russian juniors going seniors are flops
the only other that I can see challenging them are Krylova's students Kaganovskaya / Angelopol.

 

[Bigbird]

Sorry, I had not included L/L. In full agreement with you there.

Really? I like my British voguers over the cartoonish Canadian birds. Seriously?

 

[irenemulindwairen]

Really? I like my British voguers over the cartoonish Canadian birds. Seriously?

I do, I think they are lovely.

 

[Bigbird]

I do, I think they are lovely.

Alright. I will try to be nice.

 

[muffinplus]

You think L/L are better than G/P?

Piper still has the same skating skills as she did 3 years ago... draw your own conclusions.

 

[Wyliefan]

She and Paul also skate with more maturity, finesse, and total commitment to their programs.

 

[muffinplus]

She and Paul also skate with more maturity, finesse, and total commitment to their programs.

Hard disagree on L/L having less commitment, but they are a very young team, so they have very different programs…

I don’t like either of G/P’s programs this year. I am waiting for the free Dance to grow on me. But skills wise, I don’t see why they are the first ranked Canadian team or really other than them being next in line after V/M and W/P retired. Like I said, the score differential with G/F at SCI seemed completely absurd and artificial. That said,we know C/B are also a team that is not super strong on skating skills and gets the scores they do (and I love C/B).. Welcome to ice dance

 

[yeslek]

Can't wait to see this! Though S/D aren't even sure to go to the OG.. (on my part I hope they will)

That will likely be one of the most interesting parts

 

[chantilly]

Piper still has the same skating skills as she did 3 years ago... draw your own conclusions.

Yeah… no.

And she was never as bad as people said.

She’s not the best skater out there, but she’s not as bad as people make out

She’s also better at interpreting music than a lot of other over emoters

 

[muffinplus]

Yeah… no.

And she was never as bad as people said.

She’s not the best skater out there, but she’s not as bad as people make out

She’s also better at interpreting music than a lot of other over emoters

Um... so she is much better than 2-3 years ago you are telling me? I disagree. Her edges are still very meh. I'm not questioning her interpetive abilities which are great

 

[thvu]

Lajoie and Lagha are so sloppy. I’m not seeing how great they are if they can’t control their speed. It’s not even like they show deep edges with great control. They still come off to me as juniors finding their way in the senior ranks.

 

[On My Own]

The judges acted like giving DelSchoes or DenStavs a medal much less gold when Navka was in the competition was worse than getting their teeth pulled. Once Navka was gone, they remembered that they liked DenStavs at least.

Well, just talking about the actual choreo, I found Delobel/Schoenfelder to have the best FD. I guess the judges underrated them, but am happy they won a world title, at least, and with their best FD ever...

Coming to 2021 though, I just don't outright like any FD. It's just going to all come down to politics, not even remotely to an "olympic moment". Best RD goes to Muramoto/Takahashi actually, but they won't get the scores since they have zero rep, and he's still lacking as an ice dancer, even if hugely improved just this off-season.

 

[muffinplus]

Lajoie and Lagha are so sloppy. I’m not seeing how great they are if they can’t control their speed. It’s not even like they show deep edges with great control. They still come off to me as juniors finding their way in the senior ranks.

In what way are they sloppy? Any specific examples? They have very fast programs...so I don't know if that gives an appearance of sloppiness?

 

[On My Own]

In what way are they sloppy? Any specific examples? They have very fast programs...so I don't know if that gives an appearance of sloppiness?

I think you can note the sloppiness when you just watch Lagha... Lajoie is more controlled. He could have much better posture. Moments entirely unfinished in the character step, and overblown facial expression.

 

[muffinplus]

I think you can note the sloppiness when you just watch Lagha... Lajoie is more controlled. He could have much better posture. Moments entirely unfinished in the character step, and overblown facial expression

Their programs are camp though… re overblown facial expression. And I haven’t noticed bad posture from him tbh

I thought their unison was very good for how fast they move

 

[Khaleesi]

What do people think of C/B’s FD? At Finlandia I was thinking what the heck am I watching. Then at SA I thought well it’s interesting and at least not the same snoozy kind of program everyone else seems to be skating to. Then yesterday I was like I think I actually like this program (shame about the fall).

 

[On My Own]

Their programs are camp though… re overblown facial expression.

Well, hers aren't quite as distracting and overblown. So I wouldn't say he's doing it quite right, for me. If nothing else, it created an unpleasant mismatch for me.

And I haven’t noticed bad posture from him tbh

I thought their unison was very good for how fast they move

It's kind of obvious in hold (butt sticks out, free leg is sloppy and unfinished), but also when they were doing their OFSt in the FD. He just didn't have the erect quality she had, and it made his movement look less finished (note the arms being much worse than hers).

I do think they were well in unison for their speed, but not for the rest of the qualities to be considered.

 

[Braulio]

What do people think of C/B’s FD? At Finlandia I was thinking what the heck am I watching. Then at SA I thought well it’s interesting and at least not the same snoozy kind of program everyone else seems to be skating to. Then yesterday I was like I think I actually like this program (shame about the fall).

That is creative and a good program that may not match the 'Lady Snake' effect but is creating its own and thus far it is going in the right direction. Coming Nationals that program could lead them to the Championship Title

 

[muffinplus]

What do people think of C/B’s FD? At Finlandia I was thinking what the heck am I watching. Then at SA I thought well it’s interesting and at least not the same snoozy kind of program everyone else seems to be skating to. Then yesterday I was like I think I actually like this program (shame about the fall).

I really like it.

 

[deegee]

What do people think of C/B’s FD? At Finlandia I was thinking what the heck am I watching. Then at SA I thought well it’s interesting and at least not the same snoozy kind of program everyone else seems to be skating to. Then yesterday I was like I think I actually like this program (shame about the fall).

that has been my EXACT trajectory of feeling about this program #twinning

(although, i did think it was a pretty program for them when i first saw it with nice moments, i didn't feel like i understood it or actually liked it)

 

[Dobre]

Thoughts from NHK:

For Muramoto & Takahashi.

Sat here watching La Bayadere/Stairway to Heaven/Lion King & thinking that the 2nd to final group of FDs at the Olympics is going to be more diverse & interesting than the final flight.

What do people think of C/B’s FD?

I like it.

It & Atonement are the only FDs I like among the current top 7 at the moment.

-----

About the younger teams, I think they will start to find their "place" among the senior skaters when more of the young teams are competing at 4CCs/Europeans/Worlds.

 

[firstflight]

So I wasn’t sure of the coaches’ wisdom for F-B/S and S/D to be in a head-to-head given the stakes for one team (Olympics?!) and the future of the other (Canada’s #2).

And we got the result in the RD that is kind of surprising but not really given how this season is progressing. Smart/Diaz being second behind Guignard/Fabbri is a continuation of the momentum shifts.

 

[Colonel Green]

So I wasn’t sure of the coaches’ wisdom for F-B/S and S/D to be in a head-to-head given the stakes for one team (Olympics?!) and the future of the other (Canada’s #2).

As far as S/D goes, the Olympic spot is determined by mathematically adding up the scores of three specific events (Finlandia, nationals, Euros), so nothing that happened here (or at the Grand Prix events) would directly impact Olympic qualification. The goal is to generate as much momentum for them as possible going into those qualifying events.

 

[firstflight]

As far as S/D goes, the Olympic spot is determined by mathematically adding up the scores of three specific events (Finlandia, nationals, Euros), so nothing that happened here (or at the Grand Prix events) would directly impact Olympic qualification. The goal is to generate as much momentum for them as possible going into those qualifying events.

Yes, I knew that. I meant more the “Is this a boss move or a risk move?” with more competitions given that Smart/Diaz aren’t the most reliable of skaters in terms of getting levels. But it makes sense for the whole team to want them to compete more rather than less.

78+ is a fantastic RD score so cheers

 

[Colonel Green]

Yes, I knew that. I meant more the “Is this a boss move or a risk move?” with more competitions given that Smart/Diaz aren’t the most reliable of skaters in terms of getting levels. But it makes sense for the whole team to want them to compete more rather than less.

As far as risk goes, I don't think there was much of one; this event doesn't have many podium-quality teams, so realistically the worst they were going to do was third, which was about where most would have predicted them in the first place.

 

[Karen-W]

It also helps establish a narrative that SmaDia are the stronger of the two teams when they're going toe-to-toe, placement-for-placement with the teams that finished 7th & 8th at Worlds last year. It's as much about perception of upward momentum (SmaDia) v. stagnation (HurKha). Finlandia served up essentially a tie between the two teams. Now, HurKha are in a position where they need to demonstrate they can catch up to/beat the #8 team (F-B/S) at Rostelecom or the idea that they're stagnating (two losses to F/G already - Finlandia & NHK), plus one already to F-B/S (Lombardia) starts to become baked in and probably impacts the GOE and PCS the judges dole out to them at Euros.

 

[Dobre]

The risk is to Fournier-Beaudry & Sorensen, not Smart & Diaz. It's not to the team chasing.

Does anyone have a link to Bratti & Somerville's RD?

 

[Karen-W]

The risk is to Fournier-Beaudry & Sorensen, not Smart & Diaz. It's not to the team chasing.

Does anyone have a link to Bratti & Somerville's RD?

Here's the link to the stream from the Ice Challenge RD cued up to when they took the ice: https://youtu.be/DMdVB66CHG4?t=7501

 

[firstflight]

The risk is to Fournier-Beaudry & Sorensen, not Smart & Diaz. It's not to the team chasing.

Does anyone have a link to Bratti & Somerville's RD?

Yes, agreed given the setup. And that’s what been happening, where F-B/S are not, in this season, posing any a bit of a serious challenge to Gilles/Poirier score-wise. Smart/Diaz continue to move closer to F-B/S’ scores and actually eclipsed them today.

There wasn’t really a “both” victories available here.