Vanessa James | Morgan Cipres

[arakwafan2006]

I will openly admit that i normally do not watch this team because in the past, it's been a mess. I somehow missed that they switched coaches though and today put out an amazing short program. I decided to start a new thread ( unless someone shortly informs me there already IS one lol) for these guys because they look like a different team.

I still think they skate like two singles skaters a bit but they have truly cleaned their act up. It was crisp, they looked well trained and the elements were quite good. Here is their performance. The crowd's reaction said it all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNvXEANcYsk

 

[snoopy]

Fab performance.

 

[jenniferlyon]

I was in and out of the house while Euros were on, but I did manage to catch their SP. Well done!

 

[Spun Silver]

They deserve their own thread. Thank you. I adore them. Most people rave about how gorgeous Morgan is but to me Vanessa is a gutsy pair girl par excellence and absolutely stunning - she has star written all over her. This isnt my favorite program of theirs but the drama is probably appropriate, given their history. The unison in the closing SBS spins is to die for.

 

[skatfan]

Check out the interview check out the interview that they did on the Ice Talk podcast recently - available through
Your podcast aggregator. Lots of fun to see them do so well today.

 

[4rkidz]

I have continually said if this pair can do two clean programs watch out! Unfortunately they splatt a lot!

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

I will openly admit that i normally do not watch this team because in the past, it's been a mess. I somehow missed that they switched coaches though and today put out an amazing short program. I decided to start a new thread ( unless someone shortly informs me there already IS one lol) for these guys because they look like a different team.

I still think they skate like two singles skaters a bit but they have truly cleaned their act up. It was crisp, they looked well trained and the elements were quite good. Here is their performance. The crowd's reaction said it all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNvXEANcYsk

Wait to you see their free skate.. That one is the WOW program!!!!!

 

[cocotaffy]

Absolutely loved them yesterday, so happy they brought it when it counts. I'm just worried they won't withstand the pressure in the FS but I sure hope they will. I want them and S/M on the podium.

 

[Finnice]

They have a marvellous free program this season. If they skate it clean, it will be a treat to watch.

 

[Sylvia]

Re-posting this IN interview with John Zimmerman by Jean-Christophe Berlot (who spoke to him before the competition started in Ostrava) here from GSD: Zimmerman's tutelage guiding James, Ciprès

Check out the interview that they did on the Ice Talk podcast recently

Episode 16: http://web.icenetwork.com/fans/icetalk

... French pairs skaters Vanessa James and Morgan Ciprès talk about what it was like relocating to the United States to train and the challenges -- and dangers -- of attempting the throw quad salchow.

 

[aftershocks]

The crowd's reaction said it all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNvXEANcYsk

They hit that one out of the ballpark and the judges went with it! Scoring is very close for 2 - 5 positions. The battle for the podium will be hot.

The IN article with great quotes by John Zimmerman is well worth reading -- also posted in GSD. After Skate America, John Z sat down with Vanessa/Morgan and worked out with them their partnership issues of trust and confidence:
"The link is confidence. Each member of the pair supports the other, and makes him or her feel confident...That's where the relationship between the two partners is so important..."

John Z also explained:
"When [Vanessa] called me at the end of last season I was excited and thrilled, but I also felt challenged... The first thing was never to try to reinvent them. They were already an amazing team... We had to choose the areas in which we wanted to invest. We mostly tried to investigate their relationship on the ice and to improve it... John Kerr has done a lot of the choreography... He and I contributed to the dance lifts... Jeremy (Barrett) first came up with the idea of the upside down lift, and then we thought we could use it as an entrance into the throw... I love stuff like that... Actually, that is what makes me stay in the business: Trying different things on the ice... Our team also created both programs for Savchenko/Massot."

Amazeballs! Much continued success to J/C and to John Z and his team.

John Z's team includes his wife, Silvia Fontana, John & Sinead Kerr, and Jeremy Barrett.

They have a marvellous free program this season. If they skate it clean, it will be a treat to watch.

I enjoy both of J/C's programs a lot. And John Kerr did wonderful work for Sav/Mas too! Wow J/C executed a fine throw 3-twist with lots of height and then that transition with Vanessa raising her left leg while Morgan crouches down and glides underneath her, all the while they remain in contact with Morgan releasing Vanessa's right hand and then grabbing her standing leg as he slides underneath her raised leg. It's a cool and unexpected move. The coolest move in J/C's sp is the upside down lift that transitions immediately into a throw which Vanessa saved the landing on! It must take an enormous amount of trust to leap diagonally into the air and bank on your partner catching you. That was some crazy move. "You deserve it, the way you work it!"

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

"James was so emotional when she left the kiss and cry for the mixed zone, after her and Morgan Ciprès' second-place finish. Someone then jumped on her to hug her warmly. It was her teammate and best friend, Maé-Bérénice Méité. The two embraced for half a minute and started to trudge toward the TV booths some 20 meters away as a funny, four-legged human animal.

"It was so stressful!" Méité said afterward, with tears all along her cheeks.

Skating can provide the best friendships -- and the best moments to share, too.
"

http://web.icenetwork.com/news/2017/01/26/214423314/czech-gulas-kostner-muzzled-under-mishins-watch

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

Holy Cr*p!

They had the highest technical score in the free

3 Vanessa JAMES / Morgan CIPRES FRA 145.84 74.27 71.57 8.79 8.86 9.11 9.04 8.93 0.00

So, is Zimmerman gonna shave his head?

 

[cocotaffy]

I'm very glad for them, they had a gorgeous and gutsy free. I hope they can build on this and kick ass at Worlds.

 

[Cachoo]

Beautiful programs....I love it when the crowd becomes so overwhelmed that they cheer loudly even in quiet moments and that happened with them today...very moving and I'm so glad they made it to the podium. I thought the top 3 teams were aces.

 

[kittysk8ts]

That freeskate was soooooo satisfying for me. Haha. Just excellent. Thnx for starting the thread @arakwafan2006

 

[aftershocks]

Vanessa/Morgan were receiving the loudest cheers during the medal ceremony -- very deserved. Everyone is seemingly happy for them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_mMlI5a6OM

Here's their free skate: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBhQR3FEnnA

I doubt that John Z is going to shave his entire head, but he could use a trim, or maybe a mohawk.

Vanessa & Morgan !!! At last!

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E-A8GuW05_E/UVrt4ahU_mI/AAAAAAAAD-o/6ke2BOoPfII/s1600/2.jpg

https://scontent-waw1-1.cdninstagra...g?ig_cache_key=MTI5MDYxMTQxMDMxNzA3NTM1NQ==.2

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/84/64/6b/84646b08f12534e249ccb7548395df04.jpg

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/94/c6/5e/94c65eedffac81a181f246f2636fe87d.jpg

http://cygnuskate.pagesperso-orange.fr/cygnusworld/skate/photo/show/2013-2014/21-james-cipres.jpg

 

[aftershocks]

Ah, worth listening to this Ice Talk Episode #16 with Jackie Wong interviewing Vanessa and Morgan:
http://web.icenetwork.com/fans/icetalk

Vanessa had uncles who played hockey in Canada, and her mother was interested in skating. Vanessa started out playing tennis with her twin sister, but they gravitated to taking skating lessons and eventually chose skating over tennis.

 

[dinakt]

May it be their big breakthrough! I absolutely loved both the Short and the Long.

 

[aftershocks]

I was looking at Vanessa's Instagram and I came across this great William Golding quote that she posted:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BPVin7xARxG/?taken-by=vanessa_james_sk8&hl=en

"I think women are foolish to think they are equal to men. They are far superior and always have been. Whatever you give a woman, she will make greater. If you give her sperm, she will give you a baby. If you give her a house, she will give you a home ... She multiplies and enlarges what you give to her. So if you give her any crap, be ready to receive a ton of shit."

Reminds me of Vanessa finally getting fed up with Morgan's crap during their low point last season in the kiss 'n cry.

I'm so glad for J/C that they didn't give up, but found a way to make beneficial changes that have helped them maximize their strengths. Kudos to them! And many thanks and congrats as well to John Z and his coaching team.

Also on Vanessa's Instagram, a practice clip:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BPdCWxFAy8x/?taken-by=vanessa_james_sk8&hl=en

 

[rhapsody]

Ah, worth listening to this Ice Talk Episode #16 with Jackie Wong interviewing Vanessa and Morgan:
http://web.icenetwork.com/fans/icetalk

Vanessa had uncles who played hockey in Canada, and her mother was interested in skating. Vanessa started out playing tennis with her twin sister, but they gravitated to taking skating lessons and eventually chose skating over tennis.

The highlight of this interview is that they started going to 'couples therapy boxing' after Skate America to vent out their frustration on each other!

How very

 

[justtojoke]

Holy Cr*p!

They had the highest technical score in the free

3 Vanessa JAMES / Morgan CIPRES FRA 145.84 74.27 71.57 8.79 8.86 9.11 9.04 8.93 0.00

So, is Zimmerman gonna shave his head?

Who knew that was the motivation they needed. I AM SO HAPPY FOR THEM, THEY FINALLY DID IT!

 

[briancoogaert]

Oh yes ! After 4th and 5th, they finally did it.
The best Tech Score is normal. I would have put them first or second in the free, because they really tried the best tech content, and the others were far from that. Anyway, it wouldn't have changed the final ranking.

 

[Jun Y]

May it be their big breakthrough! I absolutely loved both the Short and the Long.

I was just thinking exactly the same. Everyone is talking about how captivating the free skate is --- and it is --- but I really like the short program too. It's stylish and sensual and a bit mysterious, and full of little details to accentuate the music.

John Kerr's choreography is inspired. In short and free, the entries into the death spiral are different: Cipres does a spread eagle in the short and 3 turn in the free. Both entries are seamless and aesthetically pleasing, compared with most other fancy entries to gain features.

 

[snoopy]

Yeah the short is sizzling. It is my fav of the two.

 

[justtojoke]

I was just thinking exactly the same. Everyone is talking about how captivating the free skate is --- and it is --- but I really like the short program too. It's stylish and sensual and a bit mysterious, and full of little details to accentuate the music.

John Kerr's choreography is inspired. In short and free, the entries into the death spiral are different: Cipres does a spread eagle in the short and 3 turn in the free. Both entries are seamless and aesthetically pleasing, compared with most other fancy entries to gain features.

YES John Kerr's work with them is beautiful. It's the little things that make the program build, interlinking steps that only a dance coach can offer imo. Like their free legs before the twist and that GORGEOUS death spiral entrance into the long. The team of John, Silvia, John and Jeremy have worked wonders on this team. It is absolutely lovely to see

 

[skatfan]

They should have gotten the high Tech score - they did s 4sal throw jump! Yes it was two footed, but no one else did a quad in the final group

 

[aftershocks]

Cross-posting from GSD thread:

I love this upside down lift. Here are J/C practicing it off-ice:
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/94/c6/5e/94c65eedffac81a181f246f2636fe87d.jpg

Some other teams are incorporating a similar looking lift, if not exactly the same. There are so many cool looking lift position variations these days. I wonder about the process of creation and how long it takes to train new lifts based on their difficulty?

A lot of J/C's cool moves are likely to start making an appearance in other teams' programs. All credit to John Z's collaborators and to J/C! Such impact is not unlike Savchenko/Szolkowy's innovative moves, which are still being adapted by many of today's pairs teams.

I absolutely love that diagonal leap Vanessa makes in the sp, trusting Morgan to catch her in mid-flight. We've seen similar leaps before, usually in exhibition, but none that I can recall as a transition into a sizzling throw jump during a competitive performance.

I also enjoyed the variations in their death spiral moves/ positions in the fp, and that fabulous and unexpected horizontal catch-foot lift, not to mention the creative variations on J/C's lift dismounts.

 

[Loves_Shizuka]

Vanessa/Morgan were receiving the loudest cheers during the medal ceremony -- very deserved. Everyone is seemingly happy for them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_mMlI5a6OM

They really did seem t be the crowd favourites Understandable - they have an obvious chemistry and perform outwardly.

https://scontent-waw1-1.cdninstagram.com/t51.2885-15/e35/13573349_1563402970635924_1434507253_n.jpg?ig_cache_key=MTI5MDYxMTQxMDMxNzA3NTM1NQ==.2

Thanks for all the links @aftershocks

 

[aftershocks]

^^ Sure @Loves_Shizuka, I had found some of the links initially when Morgan was nominated for 2016 PSOTY award. I think Morgan won or came in second? I can't remember.

Anyway, James/Cipres have always been hot together. 'Hot enough to melt the ice,' according to this off the beaten track article that came out during 2014 Olympics:
http://www.beyondblackwhite.com/par...essa-james-morgan-cipris-hot-enough-melt-ice/

LOL, it never ceases to amaze how skaters always receive a higher profile when the Olympics roll around, but are invisible to most of the world once the Olympics are over. Anyway that site is about interracial dating apparently, which I'm not sure Vanessa and Morgan have ever dated. It's not unheard of for pairs partners to develop a romantic attraction, but a volatile romantic relationship can get in the way of taking care of business on the ice.

OMG, this gossipy piece on pairs figure skaters that also came out around the 2014 Sochi Olympics is a laugh a minute: "Olympic Figure Skating Pairs: Are they humping?" The Deadspin writer actually conducted research on a variety of international figure skating websites and social media sites in an attempt to squirrel out enough info to provide a sketchy rundown on dating status of the top pairs teams at 2014 Olympics. The information is definitely dated, somewhat clueless, and in a few cases, cryptic. The two-word assessment that accompanies the ahem photo of Vanessa and Morgan: "Connais pas" http://deadspin.com/olympic-figure-skating-pairs-are-they-humping-1521780486

Some comments below the article are priceless: "Well, you can't spell programs without orgasm" Ha ha, maybe for some the hopeful desire is more like, 'You can't watch programs without having a orgasm,' Some of Pap/Ciz's performances are excellent for that goal And this commenter puts forth an apt query: "Better question: Is figure skating ready for its first homosexual pairing?"


Vanessa was born in September 1987 in Canada. Her father is from Bermuda, and I'm guessing her mother may be Canadian. Since her father hails from Bermuda, Vanessa holds a British passport, which enableld her to skate pairs in Great Britain, before relocating to France to skate with Yannick Bonheur, prior to teaming up with Morgan, who formerly skated singles for France. Vanessa also previously skated singles for the U.S., when her family resided in the states. Vanessa was formerly a member of the Washington Figure Skating Club, in Rockville, MD. That must be around the time that Vanessa was coached by Priscilla Hill. Vanessa's twin sister, Melyssa James is also a former skater.

Here's Vanessa skating with Yannick Bonheur at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver. I had forgotten that Vanessa has already competed at two Olympics. Wow, what a moment for Yannick & Vanessa. Look how happy they are at rinkside before starting their freeskate: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvHYC2aVK6M

Morgan was born in April 1991. He began learning how to skate in 1995, and he debuted on the Junior Grand Prix circuit for France in 2004. He placed 13th in singles at the 2010 World Junior Championships. Morgan hooked up with Vanessa in September 2010 after her split with Bonheur post the 2010 Olympics. Morgan and Vanessa took a year off from competing so they could use that time for Morgan to learn pairs elements. They debuted as a competitive pair for France during the 2011-2012 season. So, J/C have been skating pairs competitively together for about 5 1/2 years. Alas, I can't locate any clips of Morgan performing as a singles skater.