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

[Dobre]

Is there any word on programs from Svinin/Zhuk squad? I think I know roughly where Zhulin team is at, inasmuch as they know themselves.

The only program by one of their teams that is up on Doris's Golden Skate list is Shanaeva & Narizhnyy's "Amaluna" from Cirque du Soleil.

 

[litenkyckling]

Is there any word on programs from Svinin/Zhuk squad? I think I know roughly where Zhulin team is at, inasmuch as they know themselves.

there was an article going around last week I think (but I'm not sure how to find it!) where it was roughly translated that S/B would be doing something that was modern and romantic? But I don't really think that tells us a lot!

 

[Ka3sha]

S/B are keeping the program they choreographed for the last season but didn’t skate anywhere. They indeed described it as something “about love, modern and classical”. Irina Zhuk also said that they will take part in Tatiana Navka’s “Ruslan and Liudmila” show in Sochi sometime during the summer.

 

[chantilly]

Any idea, when we will get announcements from G and P and P and C? I can't remember if we got H and D or C and B yet either.

 

[Belsornia]

The only program by one of their teams that is up on Doris's Golden Skate list is Shanaeva & Narizhnyy's "Amaluna" from Cirque du Soleil.

It seems a reasonable decision to repeat given how little they competed it last season (once plus the test skates?) but it's also a bit disappointing since that programme felt such a step down from their great River FD. hmmm, maybe it will hit better once it's reworked for seniors and if they have a less disrupted year.

 

[Dobre]

Any idea, when we will get announcements from G and P and P and C? I can't remember if we got H and D or C and B yet either.

Doris's page says that Gilles & Poirier are using Elton John for the RD.

 

[Sylvia]

^^^ An RD to Elton John is based on Paul's & Piper's banter in this Twitter thread back in April: https://twitter.com/PaulDPoirier/status/1384149757208129543
ETA a bit more info here: https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/th...e-dance-news-and-updates.108316/#post-6002335

Madison Hubbell shared/teased a clip of their RD choreo earlier this month: https://www.instagram.com/p/CP36eNtJ56e/

 

[chantilly]

Doris's page says that Gilles & Poirier are using Elton John for the RD.

I did know about that. I was wondering about the FD’s.
Should have been more specific

 

[Colonel Green]

I did know about that. I was working about the FD’s.
Should have been more specific

Gilles & Poirier often wait very late in the pre-season before announcing music choices.

 

[Dobre]

From the Kiss & Cry:

ETA: Hannah Lim is listed with "Korean Skating Union" in Junior Dance with her ice dance partner, Ye Quan, so it looks like they plan to represent South Korea in 2021-22.

Lim & Quan finished 5th in Canadian Junior Nationals in 2020. They were 3rd in the RD there. (Keeping in mind that two top teams did not compete at that Nationals due to the Junior Olympics). Lim & Quan also finished 4th in juniors at 2021 Skate Canada Challenge.

 

[dancing_on_ice]

With grand prix assignments out, here's a summary for the teams hoping to qualify for the Grand Prix Final.

SkAm - Hubbell/Donohue, Chock/Bates
SCI - Gilles/Poirier, Guignard/Fabbri
CoC - Papadakis/Cizeron, Stepanova/Bukin, Hubbell/Donohue
NHK - Sinitsina/Katsalapov, Chock/Bates
IdF - Papadakis/Cizeron, Stepanova/Bukin, Gilles/Poirier
Rostelecom - Sinitsina/Katsalapov, Guignard/Fabbri

Essentially, S/B are likely to fail to qualify for the Final considering the competition they have. They're looking at likely two bronzes or one silver one bronze while Guignard/Fabbri and Chock/Bates are both likely to get two silvers. As such, StepBuk are probably getting squeezed out of the Final.

 

[Colonel Green]

Essentially, S/B are likely to fail to qualify for the Final considering the competition they have. They're looking at likely two bronzes or one silver one bronze while Guignard/Fabbri and Chock/Bates are both likely to get two silvers. As such, StepBuk are probably getting squeezed out of the Final.

I really don't get it. Does RusFed just not care about them?

 

[dancing_on_ice]

I really don't get it. Does RusFed just not care about them?

Seems pretty clear that RusFed have dropped StepBuk and are happy to leave the Olympic bronze medal for the North Americans to duke it out. RusFed's top dance priority this season is to get SinKats the gold.

 

[Debbie S]

Color me surprised b/c I thought P/C would be at NHK, since they've been there before. But with NHK and IdF back to back, I wonder if the French fed worked it out with the Chinese fed to choose them for CoC. That would explain why C/B and S/K, who had first choice within their seeding groups, chose NHK.

It was a given that H/D and G/P would each be at an event with P/C, the only question was which one.

Also surprised that C/B are not at SC but I guess USFS wanted both top teams at SA. I'm glad C/B are getting another chance to compete at SA, since they missed out on the normal nat'l champ assignment last season.

 

[litenkyckling]

I'm pretty disappointed for S/B I have to say - I know they aren't the best skaters but they're so entertaining and to be shut out of GPF despite 4 medals at Euros must be so frustrating for them.

Also in ~normal~ times I'd be trying to find a way to go to IdF this year because it's got a very appealing line up for me! As such I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a World's trip in 2020

 

[Wyliefan]

I wonder if Lauriault/LeGac are wishing they'd stuck with France.

 

[Colonel Green]

From a preliminary scan, the bronze medal matchups:

SkAm
Fournier Beaudry & Sorensen out in front, with Zahorski & Guerreiro the next in line.

SCI
Fear & Gibson, with Carreira & Ponomarenko in default fourth place.

CoC
The three places on the podium all spoken for, with Stepanova & Bukin the default bronze medalists. Sorry, lower-tier teams.

NHK
Fear & Gibson line up their second bronze medal of the season, with Hawayek & Baker challenging.

IdF
The second of the top-teams-only podiums. C/P and Z/G vie for fourth.

Rostelecom
Fournier Beaudry & Sorensen, challenged by Hawayek & Baker.

 

[litenkyckling]

From a preliminary scan, the bronze medal matchups:

SCI
Fear & Gibson, with Carreira & Ponomarenko in default fourth place.

I think the fourth place race here will be interesting to watch with L/L in the mix too!

*edit: and S/D too!

 

[VGThuy]

It's kind of interesting to see how the predictions panned out now that the announcements have been made.

 

[Colonel Green]

It's kind of interesting to see how the predictions panned out now that the announcements have been made.

The biggest swerve is how S/B seemingly got rolled (which, since they were the fifth seed, wouldn't they have had input on that?).

Also, contrary to what Zhulin said, Viktoria & Nikita did not get Cup of China, so presumably there was a lot of behind-the-scenes discussion amongst the feds over where exactly the French were going to ask to go.

 

[SidelineSkater]

It's kind of interesting to see how the predictions panned out now that the announcements have been made.

Yup. I think most people were guessing P/C would be at NHK, along with H/D. C/B at SA was a bit of a surprise, as well as S/B getting the least helpful assignments.

I recall Zhulin saying something about S/K wanting CoC for preparation for the Olympics, which led me to believe they asked for that assignment.

***Colonel beat me to it

 

[Karen-W]

The biggest swerve is how S/B seemingly got rolled (which, since they were the fifth seed, wouldn't they have had input on that?).

Also, contrary to what Zhulin said, Viktoria & Nikita did not get Cup of China, so presumably there was a lot of behind-the-scenes discussion amongst the feds over where exactly the French were going to ask to go.

Agree. I did not expect to see S/B hosed the way they were with the assignments. I was with those who thought that G/F were going to be the sacrificial lambs to P/C.

I suppose H/D and C/B as the seeded teams as SA makes sense as it guarantees one gold and one silver and will thereby ensure they both make the GPF, regardless of likely only earning silvers at their 2nd events. Interestingly, had the RusFed employed the same strategy with S/K and S/B and assigned then both to RC, that would have put S/B in a better position to make the GPF ahead of G/F, though not a guarantee.

 

[Colonel Green]

Grand Prix by Gadbois-iness:

Skate America, Skate Canada International, NHK Trophy: 5/10 (50%)
Cup of China: 4/10 (40%)
Internationaux de France: 3/10 (30%)
Rostelecom Cup: 2/10 (20%)

NHK should be up to 60% once the TBD is assigned, since both of the plausible candidates for that are IAM teams.

 

[Dobre]

Real skating news!

Stepanova & Bukin could finish top-2 in either of their events. They have a tough row to hoe, but China is not pro-North America territory, and France could easily go for either S&B or G&P depending on new material/what happens.

Minus one point for me on the SA predictions.

Plus one point for me on the SC predictions.

Now, we wait to see the surprises that come with actual performances. And cross our fingers & hope all the events happen.

(I always thought there was a chance P&C, S&B, and G&P could end up in France).

 

[dancing_on_ice]

I'll be honest, Cup of China is very pro-Gadbois territory. Gadbois trains China's top team (Wang/Liu), and at COC 2019, C/B got a huge score for the free dance (higher than S/K, almost beat them), which really kickstarted their momentum for the rest of the season. The Chinese international judges have also been quite pro-Gadbois. I feel like S/B could maybe beat G/P or C/B, but I can't see them beating H/D.

 

[allezfred]

I think most people were guessing P/C would be at NHK

They were? I thought it was pretty obvious that Papadakis/Cizeron would not be doing back to back Grand Prix events on different continents.

Are they the same people who are surprised that Stepanova/Bukin have gotten the bum assignments now that Sinitsina/Katsalapov are World champions?

 

[Cherub721]

Agree. I did not expect to see S/B hosed the way they were with the assignments. I was with those who thought that G/F were going to be the sacrificial lambs to P/C.

G&F is the team that every federation with high level ice dancers wants because they're beatable. I feel like it was quite a challenge for SC to cultivate a field that would guaranteed G&P a gold medal, but they did it. The fields would be much more even if P&C were assigned to SC, where they train. That would put S&B and G&P in a more even match for a GPF spot.

 

[Dobre]

SC had the power to choose a field that would help G&P avoid tie-breakers & that's what they did. On the other hand, they didn't invite F-B&S, which they could have done. And they've got Lajoie & Lagha up against Carreira & Ponomarenko, which should be interesting.

 

[VGThuy]

SC had the power to choose a field that would help G&P avoid tie-breakers & that's what they did. On the other hand, they didn't invite F-B&S, which they could have done. And they've got Lajoie & Lagha up against Carreira & Ponomarenko, which should be an interesting.

I’m actually interested to see if there’s room for Green/Parsons in that latter mix you mentioned.

 

[Dobre]

I’m actually interested to see if there’s room for Green/Parsons in that latter mix you mentioned.

The right program could do it.