U.S. Ice Dance 2022-23 news & updates

[Frau Muller]

…

Moving forward to Finland, do we expect Carreira/Ponomarenko and Hawayek/Baker to give the US the same results?

Or the Browns.
OK, 4th for the Browns.

 

[BlueRidge]

You mean you expect H/B to lose to Gilles/Poirier?

The only score we have for GilPo is from Skate Canada which is clearly the outlier high scoring event on the GP.

It will be interesting to see what happens next week.

 

[skatingguy]

Chock/Bates will be hitting the panic button - I wonder if either of them needs dental work in a few weeks? That would give them some time to start over again going into US Nationals.

 

[dancefan17]

I am not seeing the panic and doomsday for Chock and Bates. They got a very late start to the season, they are not hitting all of their levels and had a few mistakes. Plus they are re-working their free dance. All fixable. The competition for the new quad is certainly fierce, especially from their colleagues at IAM. C/B are more than capable, we will see if they have enough time to polish the programs.

 

[Carolla5501]

deleted, someone made my point much better than I could’ve

 

[AYS]

Just gonna say, I think C/B's re-worked FD is gorgeous. I'm not a huge fan of the second music cut, and I wouldn't be surprised if the judges aren't completely on board from that standpoint, but the choreography and movement is mesmerizing.

 

[Karen-W]

Just gonna say, I think C/B's re-worked FD is gorgeous. I'm not a huge fan of the second music cut, and I wouldn't be surprised if the judges aren't completely on board from that standpoint, but the choreography and movement is mesmerizing.

Yeah, the first music cut is the new piece, and the second is from their original FD, and I wish they'd get rid of it completely. The Jorane piece just doesn't work at all, no matter how much they might love it personally.

 

[Trillian]

I am not seeing the panic and doomsday for Chock and Bates. They got a very late start to the season, they are not hitting all of their levels and had a few mistakes. Plus they are re-working their free dance. All fixable. The competition for the new quad is certainly fierce, especially from their colleagues at IAM. C/B are more than capable, we will see if they have enough time to polish the programs.

I mostly agree. The late start to the season is the biggest thing hurting them, especially since I’m sure they would have gotten exactly the feedback they needed to improve their programs if they’d been in front of an international panel sooner. But with that said, I do think it’s going to be a tough road for them at this point. The GP Final should be interesting.

I don’t expect Hawayek & Baker to beat Gilles & Poirier next week, but I am curious to see the scores. There’s no reason they should be so far behind the top five on the SB list.

 

[On My Own]

Just gonna say, I think C/B's re-worked FD is gorgeous. I'm not a huge fan of the second music cut, and I wouldn't be surprised if the judges aren't completely on board from that standpoint, but the choreography and movement is mesmerizing.

I wouldn't go so far as to rave about it, but I said on the Dance thread that it's probably their best. I know people loved the snake dance, and bits of it were very good, but I think this shows off C/B's best qualities in the most complete manner, unless I've forgotten one of their FDs.

I wouldn't mind C/B winning the world title with this FD.

 

[Sylvia]

Santa Claus Cup entries are up and confirmed on the USFS' Int'l Assignments page. USFS is sending four teams! As previously noted, McNamara/Spiridonov (senior) and Neset/Markelov (junior). Also being sent are two teams in Advanced Novice - Sylvia Li/Rowan Le Coq and Annelise Strapert/Maxim Korotcov.

Stapert is her last name (typo in Santa Claus Cup entries list).

Li/Le Coq's winning Novice FD at the recent U.S. Ice Dance Final to West Side Story, with her fun costume change , is worth checking out - starts at ~1:12:55 in the replay video: https://usfigureskatingfanzone.com/watch/?Archive=3083
They are coached by Igor Lukanin & Kristen Fraser-Lukanin in New Jersey.

Jordan Cowan also filmed them performing their WSS at Sky Rink at Chelsea Piers in NYC in September 2022: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fs3LWlaz0Es

 

[BlueRidge]

I'm in a total whatever will be will be mood as far as who wins, places, and shows at Worlds. I'm more about seeing the best showings for the FDs that are out there now. I like a lot of what we've seen and look forward to the even better performances to come.

There's no point in stressing over Chock & Bates. One learns that over the long term as a fan of theirs.

 

[VGThuy]

It’s a long season and a long way to 2026. Not every setback is career-defining. Hell, not every bad season is either.

 

[TanithandBenFan]

I'm in a total whatever will be will be mood as far as who wins, places, and shows at Worlds. I'm more about seeing the best showings for the FDs that are out there now. I like a lot of what we've seen and look forward to the even better performances to come.

There's no point in stressing over Chock & Bates. One learns that over the long term as a fan of theirs.

If I stressed over every one of their bumps in the road over the past 12 years I’d be in an asylum by now. It is often exhausting being an uber of them, but the highs and their beautiful skating has made it all worth it.

 

[Trillian]

I wouldn't go so far as to rave about it, but I said on the Dance thread that it's probably their best. I know people loved the snake dance, and bits of it were very good, but I think this shows off C/B's best qualities in the most complete manner, unless I've forgotten one of their FDs.

I haven’t watched the reworked version from NHK yet, but I’m not sure anything could top the Daft Punk FD for me. I know it’s not everyone’s taste, but that was genuinely one of my favorite skating programs of all time. And it was a great vehicle for the Olympic season. I didn’t hate the new FD from Skate America, though - I’m guessing the less enthusiastic reaction was just because people have gotten so used to seeing more character-driven programs from them.

It’s a long season and a long way to 2026. Not every setback is career-defining. Hell, not every bad season is either.

True, but I have a hard time imagining 2026 is the goal for Chock & Bates. I suspect they’d like to win worlds this year and then retire.

 

[litenkyckling]

C/B should bring back the Elvis FD or something like it - it showed her off wonderfully had lots of pizazz and the audience loved it. This FD would work for a more introspective team but not for a team that do best with storytelling.

If it were up to me they’d have a more classic Latin RD (they should go to Adrian Diaz who has been the best Latin choreographer this season imo) and then a more upbeat FD with a romantic storyline.

 

[PRlady]

If they were going to do the story of their romance, all they would have to emulate is their coaches’ At Last FD. Now that was romantic. But I suspect lots of passionate PDA is not their thing.

 

[Colonel Green]

C/B's best chance to win a World title was this season at the start of a new Olympic cycle but we all know many times that the skaters and teams that win World titles in the year after an Olympics often never get back there again as the field gets better with younger teams and skaters who end up bypassing them. Perhaps they are experiencing what Aaron Rodgers is in football and age is catching up to them.

While I'm sure getting older presents challenges, the team they just lost to is the same age as them. Four of the six teams projected to make the Final have all members above the age of 30.

As far as C/B's prospects, the late start is clearly hindering them, but I don't think they should panic about this. The lost element at SkAm was a pretty standard early goings gaffe, and they only narrowly lost here due to Madison's twizzle; they aren't getting dumped or anything like that.

Now, I'm sure that they were hoping to ideally start the season as the clear gold medal favourite, but just because they aren't that doesn't mean they're in massive trouble.

 

[AYS]

I get the feeling they are using the term romantic in a broader way than people often use that word, ie, to describe the journey and feelings of their relationship, rather than simply an artistic expression of their love. When people first heard how they were describing it before SA, I saw comments like "generic, smaltzy, pretty people skating to pretty music", etc. This is not that; they're challenging themselves..

 

[Barbara Manatee]

They've changed the concept from a romantic program, though:

"In the last couple weeks since Skate America we have built our story around a new inspiration of the relationship between fire and air."

But they're still using much of the same choreography. So maybe it was indeed a little generic?

 

[Wyliefan]

Isn't that pretty much what F-B/S did last season?

 

[AYS]

They've changed the concept from a romantic program, though:

"In the last couple weeks since Skate America we have built our story around a new inspiration of the relationship between fire and air."

But they're still using much of the same choreography. So maybe it was indeed a little generic?

The SA version wasn’t generic romantic either. Did you watch it? TBH it was more out there than this version. My first impression when they finished was “whoa this is making me wonder about their relationship.” I think I might have said something to that effect to @BlueRidge in the arena.

 

[Foolhardy Ham Lint]

If I stressed over every one of their bumps in the road over the past 12 years I’d be in an asylum by now. It is often exhausting being an uber of them, but the highs and their beautiful skating has made it all worth it.

Never say never. You could always join me in the Emmanuel Sandhu / Roman Sadovsky wing.

 

[Barbara Manatee]

I did see C/B's Skate America performance. I am just relying on memory for comparing the versions, though - thanks, Peacock.

 

[her grace]

Wolfkostin/Chen continued their you-never-know-what-you're-going-to-get ways at NHK. Their scores throughout this season are widely variable:

Lake Placid: 175.42
US Classic: 164.07
Budapest Trophy: 180.46
GP de France: 164.89
NHK: 148.01

 

[Wyliefan]

Hadn't realized they varied that much!

 

[litenkyckling]

Wolfkostin/Chen continued their you-never-know-what-you're-going-to-get ways at NHK. Their scores throughout this season are widely variable:

Lake Placid: 175.42
US Classic: 164.07
Budapest Trophy: 180.46
GP de France: 164.89
NHK: 148.01

I’ve been thinking about this, and in light of what we know about Anthony Ponomarenko and how long he’s been injured for - I do wonder if they have a long time injury sustained under Igor. Did they not withdraw and then re-enter nationals a couple of years ago after one of them tore their ACL (that wasn’t what it was in the end but was clearly still an injury if that’s what it was first assumed to be.)

 

[Taso]

Finally watched C&B's FD this year. Just watched NHK. I think it's really good - it is a little weird that they aren't doing something with a clear storyline, but I really enjoyed the choreography and performance quality and the music. Musically it does drop off just a bit, but I don't know if a sudden strange cut right at the end is going to somehow make it less jerky. Their last FD dropped off, and some of P&C's have done this as well - I think it has more to do with holding the performance quality and tension right to the last moment moreso than anything.

In the context of NHK I watched F-B/S. I've liked this team for years and am happy for their win. Good performance quality, but the choreography IMO isn't anywhere close to as memorable as C&B's. Good for them for getting a win over a top team, that really puts them in the quest for the world podium, but personally I hope that this is the only time they are ahead of C&B.

 

[DreamSkates]

I have a brother like that. It's much more difficult to control an adult than a child, especially since we can't force him to take his medication. My family has tried to explain and instill proper public behavior to him, and sometimes it takes, but when he gets super stimulated or whatever, he can't control his impulses. We don't take him everywhere, but we can't just keep him imprisoned at home. In this situation, we would have probably tried to avoid having him meet with a skater, but if he really enjoyed something like that then I would try to tell him to behave and be kind and courteous. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't.

Taking it away from skating because my brother would not be into that, but I'm imagining taking him to a basketball or football game and him having a rare opportunity to meet some of the athletes. It'll seem sort of cruel to take away all public activities from him, especially ones that he enjoys because he already has such limited opportunities due to his behavior. That being all said...

Of course, there are different levels and if the person in question truly cannot control their impulses that they will always say such things, then I would probably have to explain to him that he can't go to any events with us or meet people because he doesn't know how to behave properly. Then all hell will break loose and we will have to take whatever abuse he throws at us, but at least we can take it unlike strangers who don't know the situation and would be harmed by his behavior.

Thank you for sharing and being honest.

 

[Sylvia]

Fan Zone article on Christina & Anthony by @clairecloutier (Nov. 21):

Carreira and Ponomarenko Ready for a Reset - U.S. Figure Skating Fan Zone

Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko finished last season in style, winning a bronze medal at the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships 2022 in

usfigureskatingfanzone.com

Excerpt:

"Marie-France's vision was New York City, in three different eras," Ponomarenko said. "The beginning is the modern era. Then we go into 'Summertime,' which is the main theme. It's the 1950s [time frame] – a little bit older style, with different movements and expression. Toward the end, we go into the orchestrated version of the piece. That's where we show the 1920s/30s era. So, we have three significant pieces, all [with] a change of character."
Carreira and Ponomarenko said they enjoy working with new coaches Hubbell and Diaz.
"I love having Madison, because having a female coach is always good for the girl (female partner)," Carreira said.
Ponomarenko lives near their rink in London, while Carreira resides in Michigan to maintain permanent residency in the United States. She has her green card and expects to get U.S. citizenship before the 2026 Olympic Winter Games. Carreira and Ponomarenko both coach part time at Lakeland Arena, near Detroit.

 

[Karen-W]

We already knew this, but, USFS published the full list of skaters qualified for Nats today -
https://usfigureskatingfanzone.com/...a-us-figure-skating-championships-lineup.aspx

Senior Ice Dance

• Angela Ling and Caleb Wein (U.S. Ice Dance Final)
• Caroline Green and Michael Parsons (bye)
• Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko (bye)
• Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik (U.S. Ice Dance Final)
• Emily Bratti and Ian Somerville (bye)
• Eva Pate and Logan Bye (bye)
• Isabella Flores and Ivan Desyatov (U.S. Ice Dance Final)
• Kaitlin Hawayek and Jean-Luc Baker (bye)
• Katarina Wolfkostin and Jeffrey Chen (bye)
• Leah Krauskopf and YuanShi Jin (U.S. Ice Dance Final)
• Lorraine McNamara and Anton Spiridonov (bye)
• Madison Chock and Evan Bates (bye)
• Molly Cesanek and Yehor Yehorov (bye)
• Oona Brown and Gage Brown (bye)
• Rafaella Koncius and Alexey Shchepetov (U.S. Ice Dance Final)

Junior Ice Dance

• Anabelle Larson and Jonathan Young (U.S. Ice Dance Final)
• Anna Sophia O'Brien and Steven Wei (U.S. Ice Dance Final)
• Ellianna Peal and Ethan Peal (bye)
• Emma L'Esperance and Mika Amdour (U.S. Ice Dance Final)
• Helena Carhart and Volodymyr Horovyi (bye)
• Jenna Hauer and Benjamin Starr (bye)
• Julia Epps and Blake Gilman (U.S. Ice Dance Final)
• Juliette Shadid and Lucas Shadid (U.S. Ice Dance Final)
• Kristina Bland and Matthew Sperry (bye)
• Leah Neset and Artem Markelov (bye)
• Michela Melillo and Sam Chen (U.S. Ice Dance Final)
• Olivia Ilin and Dylan Cain (U.S. Ice Dance Final)
• Vanessa Pham and Jonathan Rogers (bye)