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

[mjb52]

Finally we agree on something @MarieM

Bring back dying on ice, just not literally!

 

[Bigbird]

Finally we agree on something @MarieM

Bring back dying on ice, just not literally!

Yes please. What is ice dance without some real DRAMA...

 

[VGThuy]

I don't want to "go back" to any period per se. What I want is a period where all different styles and coaching centers can succeed and be encouraged to succeed so long as they truly hit their elements and levels. I also want to make sure the progress we made to reward clean difficult turns/steps, skating skills, the P/C-like glide are rewarded. I just also want there to be other styles that can also be rewarded but where actual difficulty and correct technique is still key.

In a way the 2011-14 quad was extremely difficult and rewarded technique and difficulty because the step requirements and the level calling was so stringent, but we didn't really have the best programs or the programs were all about hitting itemized elements and not creating a dance as a whole (though some teams still tried). I love all the new choreo elements to encourage more dancing but it's a shame we had to ITEMIZE such things, which sort of creates formulaic dances because we know it'll include a choreo step, a one foot sequence, a step pattern that has half the content they did back in 2011-14 (but are more dancey...in theory), a twizzle sequence with all these steps that sort of take away the do or die factor of it, and required lifts which only some teams challenge themselves in because it's gotten so easy to receive a level 4. However, we don't want to make things so hard that they look laborious or that only acrobatic style lifts are rewarded either.

Ice Dance is hard to regulate because it's always a balancing act and I always think we either go one way or the other. We want difficulty, but we also want actual dance. We want it to be judged fairly, but we also don't want to take away the creativity that actually makes the dances more subjective and difficult to judge/differentiate. We don't want too much power in the hands of the tech panel but then we don't want to go back to where the judges had all the power and can rank teams no matter what actually happens on the ice.

I wish we had a way to create full dance programs for the FD and for the "RD" we really put the rhythm back in the rhythm dance because so many ice dance difficult turns and steps are so much about the glide that they don't go with rhythmic heavy-music outside of waltzes and blues and such.

 

[aka_gerbil]

I think so much of it is personal opinion because my ice dance favorites video folder has more programs from more skaters from the Sochi quad than any other.

 

[taz'smum]

deleted

 

[VGThuy]

I think so much of it is personal opinion because my ice dance favorites video folder has more programs from more skaters from the Sochi quad than any other.,

I think a lot of the positive qualities about excellent skating skills and the types of turns that are deemed "difficult" to get credit for level 4 sometimes are antithetical to what makes good "dance" step choreography that should also reward short turns, taps and steps that go with fast beats, etc. I noticed that all the step sequences from 2011-2014 had the same sort of composition where the man led the woman and they kicked they legs up in time to do this difficult steps and turns. I think 11 was required for both step sequences during that time? I know starting with 2015, they had made the second sequence freer by only requiring I think 5 or 6 "difficult" turns/steps. And now here we are in 2022 with only one step sequence (I think the easier one), and a one-foot sequence and a bunch of choreo elements (which is what I argued for back in 2014, but this many, ). Ice dance has really taught me to be careful for what I wish for.

 

[MarieM]

Finally we agree on something @MarieM

Bring back dying on ice, just not literally!

Literally could be fun no?

 

[bcash]

I think a lot of the positive qualities about excellent skating skills and the types of turns that are deemed "difficult" to get credit for level 4 sometimes are antithetical to what makes good "dance" step choreography that should also reward short turns, taps and steps that go with fast beats, etc. I noticed that all the step sequences from 2011-2014 had the same sort of composition where the man led the woman and they kicked they legs up in time to do this difficult steps and turns. I think 11 was required for both step sequences during that time? I know starting with 2015, they had made the second sequence freer by only requiring I think 5 or 6 "difficult" turns/steps. And now here we are in 2022 with only one step sequence (I think the easier one), and a one-foot sequence and a bunch of choreo elements (which is what I argued for back in 2014, but this many, ). Ice dance has really taught me to be careful for what I wish for.

The 08-14 era step sequence construction did have a lot of the "leg kicking" turns and turn-combos that always took me out of the performance and looked busy and clunky most of the time. I thought the 14-18 one diagonal/straightline + one circular (with one-foot sequences for both partners embedded) requirements maybe was the sweet spot between showcasing substantive skating skills and opening up choreographic possibilities.

 

[allezfred]

Interview with Olivia Smart and Adrian Diaz:

Smart and Diaz: Rolling Into Beijing

By Hiro Yoshida Olivia Smart and Adrian Diaz have had the season of their dreams so far and this weekend they will finally get to perform on the biggest stage in the world four years on from narrow…

europeonice.com

 

[taz'smum]

Interview with Olivia Smart and Adrian Diaz:

Smart and Diaz: Rolling Into Beijing

By Hiro Yoshida Olivia Smart and Adrian Diaz have had the season of their dreams so far and this weekend they will finally get to perform on the biggest stage in the world four years on from narrow…

europeonice.com

I'm hoping for top 8

 

[Andrea82]

Some useless stats on the Beijing judging panel

The gender composition of the pool of 12 judges is
9 women
3 men

Average age is 54. Youngest judge is Yang Fan born in 1983 and oldest one is Sobkow born in 1953.

6 are at their first Olympic games (Cesaro of Italy, Munoz of Spain, Mast of USA, Russell of Great Britain, Yang of China and Stanhke of Germany). 4 of the newcomers judged the Team Event while for Russell and Yang the individual event will be their Olympic debut.
As for the other 6, most judged in Sochi (along with the technical panel to be used in Beijing). Krauziene of Lithuania and Makarova (General Secretary of Ukraine Federation) are at their 4th game.
2018: Leblanc-Richard (in Ladies. And yes, she had Osmond winning the FS), Makarova, Sobkow
2014: Andreeva, Krauziene, Makarova, Molina
2010: Krauziene
2006: Makarova

The Worlds edition and Grand Prix Finals (last 10 years) in which they were officiating in Ice Dance are

Julia Andreeva: Worlds 2021, 2013. GPF 2018, 2015, 2014, 2012, 2011.
Michela Cesaro: Worlds 2016, 2014, 2012. GPF 2018, 2016, 2015
Laimute Krauziene: Worlds 2021, 2018, 2015, 2013. GPF 2011
Nicole Leblanc-Richard: Worlds 2017. GPF 2016.
Anastassia Makarova: Worlds 2019, 2018. GPF 2018
Jennifer Mast: Worlds 2021, 2016 (as referee). GPF 2019, 2014.
David Molina: Worlds 2019 (as technical controller), 2016, 2012. GPF 2018 (controller), 2016, 2013, 2010.
David Munoz: Worlds 2021. GPF 2017.
Nicholas Russell: Worlds 2012
Malgorzata Sobkow: Worlds 2019. GPF 2019
Claudia Stahnke: Worlds 2019, 2016, 2013, 2011
Fan Yang: Worlds 2019

 

[Hindernisse]

Long interview with Tina Garabedian and Simon Proulx-Sénécal:

Absolute Skating

Welcome to Absolute Skating, information site for and by the skaters and their fans. The place to meet the person behind the skater and experience events on and behind the stage.

absoluteskating.com

 

[Belsornia]

Away from Beijing, the generous panels in Minsk have come through once again at Winter Star, and both Nauryzova/Datiev and Mitrofanova/Kasinskij can now book their tickets to Montpellier.

 

[I❤️Marina&Sergai]

As an artist, he and is partner were such great dancers... as a coach, he comes across as nostalgic of that era. As a person ...

I use to love watching him and Maia skate , but they way he speaks of others really diminishes those memories,

 

[irenemulindwairen]

I use to love watching him and Maia skate , but they way he speaks of others really diminishes those memories,

Which is why I call him a foolish man.

 

[Bigbird]

Which is why I call him a foolish man.

Are we shooting the breeze talking about Old Man Zhulin? Seriously?

 

[irenemulindwairen]

Are we shooting the breeze talking about Old Man Zhulin? Seriously?

his comments on Le Duc put me off him completely. Let alone the programs that he gives his students. So old old fashioned.

 

[Bigbird]

his comments on Le Duc put me off him completely. Let alone the programs that he gives his students. So old old fashioned.

It just is what it is.

 

[bcash]

Hmm side-eyeing the Russian and Polish judges for this RD.

 

[Andrea82]

The fight for the Olympic Free Dance cut-off was as brutal as expected.

In the end, Ramanauskaite/Kizala got the best out of this experience. It was a decent showing afterall, a new PB and the oppurunity of being flagbearers at the opening ceremony.

Away from Beijing, the generous panels in Minsk have come through once again at Winter Star, and both Nauryzova/Datiev and Mitrofanova/Kasinskij can now book their tickets to Montpellier.

I love that Nauryzova/Datiev managed to show up at Jegvirag Cup today too! And they went from 60 to 50 points in 2 days.

 

[thvu]

Ice Dance Tried to Get Edgy. Things Got Weird.

Olympic skaters must perform to “street dance rhythms.” In a discipline not known for cutting loose, this got as complicated as rapping in China.

www.wsj.com

The headline is more interesting than the article itself.

 

[Miloune]

What is the rythm for next season? Is it back to waltz?

 

[NinjaTurtles]

What is the rythm for next season? Is it back to waltz?

I don’t think they’ve announced it yet, but I want to believe it’s the previously cancelled Folk/Yankee Polka.

 

[mjb52]

Words I thought I would never say: I'm so ready for some polka.

 

[Karen-W]

I don’t think they’ve announced it yet, but I want to believe it’s the previously cancelled Folk/Yankee Polka.

One can only hope. I'd be happy for a good old fashioned Yankee Polka or any of the waltzes.

 

[skatingguy]

Words I thought I would never say: I'm so ready for some polka.

You say that now, but by this time next year.

 

[PRlady]

You say that now, but by this time next year.

The only thing I hate more than a polka is a tango. Waltz and foxtrot, please. Also the Golden Waltz pattern really separates the men from the boys.

 

[Baby Yoda On Skates]

When was the last time we had polka? I feel like it's been a long time.

 

[aka_gerbil]

When was the last time we had polka? I feel like it's been a long time.

12-13 for seniors.

My vote is Golden Waltz, which hasn’t been done since 10-11.

 

[Amantide]

12-13 for seniors.

My vote is Golden Waltz, which hasn’t been done since 10-11.

My favorite has always been GW and Blues.