U.S. Ice Dance 2016/17 season - news & updates

Lewis/Bye just earned their first JGP medal, and with the results this week Carreira/Ponomarenko are all but guaranteed to be in the final. They could not make it if they're unlucky and Ushakova/Nekrasov win next week, Shpilevaya/Smirnoff get silver with at least 154.08, and Parsons get bronze... But that scenario seems unlikely.
 
chameleonster said:
Lewis/Bye just earned their first JGP medal, and with the results this week Carreira/Ponomarenko are all but guaranteed to be in the final. They could not make it if they're unlucky and Ushakova/Nekrasov win next week, Shpilevaya/Smirnoff get silver with at least 154.08, and Parsons get bronze... But that scenario seems unlikely.
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Yup, this is the perfect storm of events that must happen based on what I calculated on GS. The US will likely have three dance teams this year in the JGP Finals.
 
That program is seriously 5 times better than what they had last year. It's just so much better, that was really nice. Little nit-picks on cleaning up the details, but overall this is the strongest program they've ever had IMO. It's really nice to see, last year must have really pissed them off lol.
 
Kaitlin Hawayek and Jean-Luc Baker article: http://web.icenetwork.com/news/2016/10/05/204579416
... "This year, we wanted something people could appreciate as art rather than try so hard to grasp a concept or story."
"'Liebestraum' translates to 'dream of love,' and that's the basic concept we're going with," she continued. "Ultimately, we're just going with the goal of skating it like a dream -- very ethereal, very light. We're going for pure skating."
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Catching up on the ice dancer blogs from fall competitions since Damian Dodge's at Lombardia Trophy and Karina Manta's and Joe Johnson's at U.S. Classic (links were posted earlier in this thread):

Anastasia Cannuscio and Colin McManus blogged from the Nepela Memorial in Bratislava last week: http://web.icenetwork.com/news/2016/09/28/203880456/blog-islava-dancers-check-in-from-ondrej-nepela
Their Bratislava photos: http://web.icenetwork.com/photos/204086224

Chloe Lewis blogged from Tallinn, Estonia last week for IDC: http://www.ice-dance.com/site/category/events/competitor-blogs/2016-jgp-tallinn-cup-blog/

Elliana Pogrebinsky and Alex Benoit blogged from Nebelhorn Trophy for IDC: http://www.ice-dance.com/site/category/events/competitor-blogs/2016-nebelhorn-trophy-blog/

Christina Carreira blogged from Saransk, Russia for IDC: http://www.ice-dance.com/site/category/events/competitor-blogs/2016-jgp-cup-of-mordovia-blog/
 
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Kaitlin Hawayek and Jean-Luc Baker: "This year, we wanted something people could appreciate as art rather than try so hard to grasp a concept or story." "'Liebestraum' translates to 'dream of love,' and that's the basic concept we're going with," she continued. "Ultimately, we're just going with the goal of skating it like a dream -- very ethereal, very light. We're going for pure skating."

:swoon:
 
Weve3 said:
Kaitlin Hawayek and Jean-Luc Baker: "This year, we wanted something people could appreciate as art rather than try so hard to grasp a concept or story." "'Liebestraum' translates to 'dream of love,' and that's the basic concept we're going with," she continued. "Ultimately, we're just going with the goal of skating it like a dream -- very ethereal, very light. We're going for pure skating."
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Personally, I LOVE a great story with a relationship that changes and develops, and I don't think skating without one is more "pure" than skating with a story to tell. But I do think Hawayek & Baker's programs this season fit them much better than last season, and it is nice to see the fun side of their personalities come out within their short dance this season.
 
hmmmm if you are a USA dance uber fan is it too early to start worrying/wondering about C&B and H&D? Both were beaten solidly already. I was most surprised that S&B took down C&B by that far of a margin in both programs. Although S&B are my favorite Russian team. But I am fond of Bobrova!

Why do we think that both were beaten?
 
Well, Chock/Bates were beaten because they had some very costly mistakes in the free, mostly on twizzles but I also saw issues on the step sequence. H/D are a little more concerning, they need to get their levels, and I'm not sure the judges are really responding to their SD.
 
These two American dance teams & Gilles & Poirier traveled across the ocean to get the feedback. This is why they went. And they got it.

I'm giving these teams credit for going. It's always a challenge to take that feedback and use it to make your own programs better, but teams can only do this if they get the tough feedback. This is the right time for it. I think of it like the preseason for a basketball team. The best teams go out and find the competition. They compete against larger schools/stronger teams/away from home. Worlds is in Europe this season. And most ice dance judges are European. Better to get out there now and get that advice before the GP.

I also really like what the Russian teams are doing with the blues portions of their SDs. I want to give them credit for that.
 
VIETgrlTerifa said:
I think it's too early to be concerned. Remember who the Shibs lost to at Nepela this time last season and what their scores were.
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True, though the momentum was with the Americans when the Shibs got better and all three teams were considered top six. With V/M back, and the Russian teams getting better, momentum may be a bit harder to gather this season.
 
The Russians didn't compete outside of Russia on the Challenger series last season. They needed to do so. It hurt both Bobrova & Soloviev and Stepanova & Bukin to start their international season so late, and it is certainly helping them to get out there now and compete.

It only helped the U.S. teams to get out there last season, and we all saw that no one was boxed in by early season performances. Not just the Shibs. B&S also came a long way last season--defeating C&L in the FD at Europeans. Coomes & Buckland passed S&B and G&P at Worlds. And G&P did much better in their Worlds SD than they had been during the season. We saw change. It happened all season long at every level of competition.

I can't help but think that Hubbell & Donahue need some international feedback on this SD. I would have preferred they get it earlier, since they compete so soon at SA. But at least they have the feedback now. (And, likewise, I think McNamara & Carpenter could really benefit from the feedback they have received on their FD. The program can be stronger. They're taking a lot of risk, and I LOVE that they are doing that. Now they have two months to work, and that's a lot of time to strengthen their program).
 
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AngieNikodinovLove said:
. I was most surprised that S&B took down C&B by that far of a margin in both programs.
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Chock/Bates were first in the short dance at Nepela. Mistakes in the free dance cost them the win there.

As others have said, the North American teams who ventured across the ocean to Europe likely got a tougher test than had they competed at home. This may benefit them in the long run.
 
According to the entries link posted in the Kiss & Cry section, USFS is sending 3 Wheaton teams to compete in NRW Ice Dance Trophy in Dortmund, Germany, November 4-6: Eliana Gropman/Ian Somerville and Emma Gunter/Caleb Wein in Junior and Caroline & Gordon Green in Adv. Novice. :)
 
Sylvia said:
According to the entries link posted in the Kiss & Cry section, USFS is sending 3 Wheaton teams to compete in NRW Ice Dance Trophy in Dortmund, Germany, November 4-6: Eliana Gropman/Ian Somerville and Emma Gunter/Caleb Wein in Junior and Caroline & Gordon Green in Adv. Novice. :)
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I'm excited to see that USFS is giving fall Internationals to Dance teams too! 3 Wheaton teams at 1 competition should make it much easier on the coaches than having to travel to a different JGP every week!
 
Chemistry66 said:
I'm excited to see that USFS is giving fall Internationals to Dance teams too! 3 Wheaton teams at 1 competition should make it much easier on the coaches than having to travel to a different JGP every week!
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They traveled anyway. McNamara & Carpenter and the Parsons were at two events with JGP spaces that were left empty. This event means the coaches will be traveling to a third event. I'm glad the teams have the opportunity, but clearly saving travel time was not the issue. Nor was it likely the need for more training time.

Is it somehow cheaper to enter all the teams in the NRW Ice Dance Trophy than to send two of those teams to a JGP?

This opportunity will allow the Greens to travel as well. I am glad to see them have the opportunity. It still seems a waste to not invite the age-eligible teams to the higher profile JGP events when no one else is available to fill those places.
 
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