Vanessa James | Morgan Cipres

Very rarely do I encourage keeping programmes for more than one season, but on this ocassion I wouldn't be too disappointed.

However, I think I'd opt for a new LP, even if in a similar style to "SoS". I could accept that.

So happy with their WTT performances. Such a positive end to the season; to win both segments, and not let the pressure get to them after winning the SP, when they were clearly so tired, is such an achievement and a mark of how far they've come and improved.

Fabulous season for them overall :cheer:

ETA: Oh and I agree with @aftershocks on this. This has been a long time (and hard work) coming for them :respec:
 
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Their FS is just soooo effective at reaching an audience. I just love how when the music changes from the orchestral part back to the intense vocal, and they're just turning around to set up for the lift, the audience already starts to clap and cheer.
 
OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have been watching Vanessa James since the 2009 Worlds, watching this team since they paired up, and waiting for these two to reach their potential ever since. Two years waiting for a new FP that might get the job done, only to have the old one replaced last year, with that ill-fitting R&J, I had let my hopes go.

And this season J&C just met all of them.

:wuzrobbed There is something so incredible about seeing a pairs team take that final step and reach their potential. Bravo. And much love to John Zimmerman, Sylvia Fontana, John Kerr, Vanessa, & Morgan, and everyone else who helped make it happen.
 
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^^ Yep, add Jeremy Barrett to the mix -- Barrett came up with, among other moves, that idea in the sp for Vanessa to take a head first diagonal leap of faith into the air, trusting Morgan to catch her before she drops head first to the ice! :eek: :respec: :encore:

J'adore Vanessa et Morgan!!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeLyBxe_-s8 :swoon: :inavoid:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xL2eELDzoSk Haha, Andrea Joyce was wrong; a clean sp skate did not put J/C in the lead at Euros as it arguably should have, but it certainly put them in 2nd and in the elusive Euros podium hunt! :rollin:

And that's 'Cipres' as in the Sounds of Silence, the 's' is Silent: Tall, silent, & darkly handsome :smokin: :grope:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKkVETYgTfs&t= great job for tail end of the season
This one is even more memorable; a great milestone for J/C:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoW3Zx_-3h8 :cheer2: :encore:

And for those who incredibly haven't been following J/C, here they were in Boston last year, with sizzling hot, hot, hot sp:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6W2z-PRnIYM Put that in your pipe and smoke it! :D I love Vanessa's bodysuit and hairstyle flair!
Lots of highlights in this program, including a sultry, sexy step sequence that Eurosport's Mark Hanretty accurately described as "Very well-matched within the step sequence," albeit with "not the deepest, cleanest of turns." But as someone mentioned earlier: "Who's looking at their blades?" :lol: (I guess aside from nitpicky judges and unaccountable naysayers).

Of course, I would like to see Vanessa & Morgan continue to improve their skills. I mean why not have a series of pairs camps in the U.S. in which all pairs coaching teams in U.S. take part (and that means Zimmerman with J/C). And invite expert guest coaches like Moskvina, et al? Take some ballet classes Pairs teams!!! Not because we want to see ballet on ice. What we want to see is more stretch, line, body awareness and control beyond athletic awareness. Plus drill, drill in exercises to increase blade mastery because that's where speed and confident lean into edges derives from. And gain some softness in the knees (hint: ask Downtown Jason Brown how he does it) :) Go my favorite pairs teams!!! :saint:

BTW, I just posted J/C's and their team's Wu-tang mess.be aliases in the original Trash Can thread. :rofl: Still eerily accurate aliases for the most part.
https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/in...coined-by-wu-tang-clan-name-generator.100220/ see end of second page
 
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^^ Yep, J/C's fp is a much better concept for them which contrasts more deftly with their usual sexy, upbeat sp. Music and choreo selection with attention to an overall concept that's suited to skaters' style and that can enhance their skating and make an impact that differentiates them from the pack, is so very important in skating today. It's crucial to stand out with boffo programs and technical tricks to compete with the amazing depth we are seeing.

The next step, which we will probably be waiting for a long time, is for TPTB to dig their heads out of the sand (or out of their butts), and get with it to create more opportunities for skaters to grow, develop their skills and be rewarded. Competition structure needs tweaking. And long term, ISU and feds need to find ways to get deep-pocketed corporates and individuals to invest in skating. Learn how to better promote the personalities in skating and to demonstrate how amazing and difficult the feats are that skaters perform on a regular basis!
 
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Sooo I have some more music I'd love for them to skate to!

Keep the 50 shades theme for the SP for the 3rd year and use Halsey's "Not Afraid anymore" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WNxDRJb5ow

OR go for a completely different kind of sp and use Hans Zimmer's "Time" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxabLA7UQ9k

I really hope they keep the Sound of Silence LP. It's a beauty and it compliments their strengths as well as highlights their improvements. I hope they carry this momentum into next season and maintain these good vibes and confidence.
 
justtojoke said:
Sooo I have some more music I'd love for them to skate to!

Keep the 50 shades theme for the SP for the 3rd year and use Halsey's "Not Afraid anymore" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WNxDRJb5ow

OR go for a completely different kind of sp and use Hans Zimmer's "Time" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxabLA7UQ9k

I really hope they keep the Sound of Silence LP. It's a beauty and it compliments their strengths as well as highlights their improvements. I hope they carry this momentum into next season and maintain these good vibes and confidence.
Click to expand...

Agree about the LP, it's definitely made for them. It highlights their talent so much. As for the SP, I'm not sure how the judges would receive three programs that are roughly the same theme but if Papadakis and Cizeron can do three lyrical free dances in a row, I don't see why Vanessa and Morgan couldn't do the same concept. Anything that's kind of sexy with tension and character would work fine, I think.
 
I took notice when watching their Euros program (can't remember if it was sp or lp) but was very excited with what they put down at the WTT. Loved that program and the way they skated it!
 
justtojoke said:
I really hope they keep the Sound of Silence LP. It's a beauty and it compliments their strengths as well as highlights their improvements.
Click to expand...

Yes, I agree that might be a good idea to just get a new sp, and keep their current fp. That way they can spend more time working on continuing to improve aspects of their skating and trying to get the quad throw landing consistent (rather than having to learn new sp and new fp choreo).
 
These two are so gorgeous looking individually and together that I find it is distracting from their skating. I'm looking at them more than their skate. No wonder their FP has gone viral. They are beautiful and hot. It is mesmerizing like for P/C but in a different way. P/C are etheral whereas Vanessa and Morgan are very much incarnated.
 
^^ :lol: Mayhap do you mean P/C skate like heavenly bodies/spirits and J/C are g*d-d**n hella sexy?! :D :p

I don't find J/C's sexiness and gorgeousness distracting. It's just all a part of the enjoyment of watching them skate. ;) Looking good don't mean a thang, if you can't deliver the goods on the ice, eh! :kickass: :encore:

Vanessa's Instagram is pretty damn gorgeous and stimulating to look at as well. :watch:
https://www.instagram.com/vanessa_james_sk8/?hl=en

Here are J/C with P/C -- the camera simply lurves these four hot ones! https://www.instagram.com/p/BP6YhWHAiRH/?taken-by=vanessa_james_sk8&hl=en

I love this Patinage cover of Vanessa & Morgan: https://www.instagram.com/p/BSOoPOqFlQG/?taken-by=vanessa_james_sk8&hl=en

J/C with "the best coaches ever": https://www.instagram.com/p/BR820vulaYf/?taken-by=vanessa_james_sk8&hl=en

More hot pics of Vanessa & Morgan:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BS-87zzlBZg/?taken-by=vanessa_james_sk8&hl=en
https://www.instagram.com/p/BSyujYGl8n_/?taken-by=vanessa_james_sk8&hl=en
https://www.instagram.com/p/BSyh9yKFyXZ/?taken-by=vanessa_james_sk8&hl=en
https://www.instagram.com/p/BSwfE-iFc5Q/?taken-by=vanessa_james_sk8&hl=en
https://www.instagram.com/p/BSIN4fhl_Hx/?taken-by=vanessa_james_sk8&hl=en
https://www.instagram.com/p/BR4C5WzF8Mm/?taken-by=vanessa_james_sk8&hl=en
https://www.instagram.com/p/BRPF4kxFpmG/?taken-by=vanessa_james_sk8&hl=en
https://www.instagram.com/p/BRntw2Dl4zG/?taken-by=vanessa_james_sk8&hl=en
https://www.instagram.com/p/BSwfosllNTf/?taken-by=vanessa_james_sk8&hl=en
To the person who asked on the Instagram, please pay attention, lol: J/C used to be a couple, but now they are just partners on the ice, because it's too hard to handle being that hot together on and off the ice! :lol:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BQsTrstlnZ_/?taken-by=vanessa_james_sk8&hl=en One mug is V's on-ice partner, the other is her current boyfriend
Here's a funny Wait, What? feature with Morgan and Vanessa :lol: :D
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFWJT8xdrGQ

Vanessa's family portrait: https://www.instagram.com/p/BOiRQK9ASp8/?taken-by=vanessa_james_sk8&hl=en
 
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I see that being attractive gets you a fan club very quickly! Vanessa has such a commanding, drop-dead-gorgeous diva presence that you can't help but be a tiny bit jealous lol.
 
^^ Not if you've seen or talked to Vanessa in person! She is such a lovely, beautiful-spirited person with an open heart and a sweetly generous smile.

Vanessa is also a tough determined diva. No question, she's a kickin' it pairs lady, and that's a fact. :D

But I get that you mean 'jealous' in a good, respectful kinda way. ;)


It is very nice that J/C are being recognized and newly discovered by people who haven't known anything about them previously. I did have to laugh a bit about the as usual fact that the general public do not realize how many times J/C have skated that WTT fp, nor know much nor perhaps anything about them to date. I hope their fanbase continues to build. They have worked so hard for a long time and they deserve good things coming their way on a regular basis. :respec:
 
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Really gaining nice momentum at just the right time, both in terms of visibility and results. Will be interesting to see how it should positively influence their competitive mindset.
 
Back when Ms. James first began skating with Mr. Cipres, there was a little website that did a blurb on her. It was an African American site that posted photos of her skating, and it sent along well wishes to her. She responded to the site and left a very humble message to the site owners, thanking them for their support. It was really lovely of her to do that. I have been a fan of theirs for a long time and am happy that their hard work is paying off well.
 
aftershocks said:
^^ Not if you've seen or talked to Vanessa in person! She is such a lovely, beautiful-spirited person with an open heart and a sweetly generous smile.

Vanessa is also a tough determined diva. No question, she's a kickin' it pairs lady, and that's a fact. :D

But I get that you mean 'jealous' in a good, respectful kinda way. ;)

:respec:
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Of course! I've really grown to like her, she's got spunk and style and seems very nice.
 
^^ Yeah, I know. They've been executing that thrilling trick for awhile now in exhibitions. I'm sure they built up to learning it with safety always a foremost concern.

It never ceases to amaze all the feats that pairs skaters engage in and execute fearlessly on a regular basis. Pairs is really the finest discipline of all, eh. :)
 
aftershocks said:
^^ Yeah, I know. They've been executing that thrilling trick for awhile now in exhibitions. I'm sure they built up to learning it with safety always a foremost concern.

It never ceases to amaze all the feats that pairs skaters engage in and execute fearlessly on a regular basis. Pairs is really the finest discipline of all, eh. :)
Click to expand...

Yeah, I started out as a serious ladies' fangirl but after I started watching pairs there was no comparison. Just so much thrill and classy programs!
 
Someone suggested that Vanessa and Morgan could play the characters from "The Bodyguard" starring Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner. I know we've seen enough programs to "I will always love you" but there are lots of other songs in the movie so just a random thought.
 
^^ That's a nice idea. A lot of the songs on The Bodyguard soundtrack have a slow rhythm though. The most upbeat are Queen of the Night; Joe Cocker's Trust Me, Soul System's It's Gonna Be a Lovely Day; I'm Every Woman; and Curtis Stigers's What's so funny 'bout peace, love and understanding ... all of which sound a bit dated aside perhaps from I'm Every Woman. :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JWTaaS7LdU&list=PLwZhIRnMRHmBiw7WJ3izRkXa33KfctlaY&index=1
Maybe they could use something from The Bodyguard for an exhibition.

Another possibility is Black Orpheus soundtrack (largely samba beats) :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdmYlwOjndo

What about the haunting soundtrack from Loving:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdmYlwOjndo some interesting choices (but not very upbeat)

But this one is definitely more J/C's style; good bet for another sp :cheer2:
Romeo Must Die soundtrack:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReRwcF6zR-o&index=3&list=PLCwKtUqvZI0MApA-fvjgRkzPdAqZOBnnh
Aaliyah, Come Back in One Piece (ft DMX)
Aaliyah, Are You Feeling Me? Can't you just see J/C groovin' to this rhythm & these lyrics? :swoon:
Aaliyah, I Don't Wanna (Be Without 'Cha)
Aaliyah, Try Again
Destiny's Child, Perfect Man
Any of the above songs would be a blast for J/C's sp. :D
Romeo Must Die trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w500paj_MPU

BTW,
The Sound of Silence music video by Disturbed, is somewhat ... 'Disturbing.' :p
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9Dg-g7t2l4

Here's Disturbed's live rendition on Conan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bk7RVw3I8eg

Disturbed's David Draiman discusses how they decided to give homage to the Simon & Garfunkel song with their unique cover:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JoCUpV3Hgw
 
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Reposting the below from Stolbova/Klimov thread, because its an interesting discussion about James/Cipres and 'chemistry.'

Mad for Skating said:
I think J/C's "chemistry" comes more from being two attractive people than actually skating together. For example, in their SP step sequence, they're going in opposite directions and doing nothing in hold. Ksenia and Fedor did the same thing in their SP to "I put a spell on you" last year, and people said it had no chemistry. Now Vanessa and Morgan do it, and everyone says it's such a sexy program and they have great chemistry. If J/C are going to play the "we win on chemistry" card, they need to skate together. Like Iliushechkina/Moscovitch's SP - there are tons of little choreographic moves that make it almost like a tango in ice dancing. That, IMO, is true chemistry.

I will say that James/Cipres are very strong on the technical side, they have a quad throw and their side-by-sides are getting much more consistent, so I won't argue their tech scores too much...
Click to expand...

Chemistry is not necessarily about romance. And the way pairs look at each other does not mean they have chemistry or are a good match. What James/Cipres have that works has to do with a combination of their good looks, their skating abilities, the way they move over the ice, their athleticism, their personalities, the contrasts & the similarities between them -- yin & yang, plus their palpable connection which is not about how they look at each other. Together they simply happen to sizzle. They feel it and the audience feels it. Of course, they need everything else too in order for it all to work. Happily, their hard work paid off this season with their new team of coaches and choreographers. However, everything J/C have done with other coaches and choreographers also led to their success this season. I think the importance of choosing the right choreography and music is becoming more and more evident. It is crucial to achieving success in figure skating.

Sure, J/C's looks have a lot to do with how they appeal to audiences. But their chemistry together is more about how their personalities connect with each other. Plus the yin and yang of their differences and similarities.

I agree with you that J/C can continue to improve their blade skills and work more on trying to improve unison. They could also benefit, as I mentioned earlier, by taking ballet to gain more line, stretch and body awareness.

You pointed out that J/C are going in opposite directions in their sbs step sequence. But, that's on purpose and part of the choreography. Skating together is not necessarily about skating in the same direction, as there is such a thing as 'mirror skating.'

To be perfectly honest, few pairs ever achieve the pinnacle of 'skating together.' It's always a work in progress to learn how to 'skate together.' All pairs should check out Tai Babilonia & Randy Gardner videos to learn how to skate 'as one.'

And read: Tai & Randy's book with Martha Lowder Kimball: Forever Two As One:
https://www.amazon.com/Forever-Two-One-Tai-Babilonia/dp/0966250214
 
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Ksenia/Fedor & Vanessa/Morgan are my two fave pairs so that comparison was interesting to me. But oop...Morgan and Vanessa are definitely becoming contenders. The FSU breakdown has begun:lol:. I think this is the first time I've seen skaters almost 'criticized' for how hot they are. I am so amused:watch:.
 
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^^ Thanks, I saw that earlier today. A really nice article on J/C:

"At the end of the 2015-16 season, French pair skaters Vanessa James and Morgan Ciprès were not sure whether it was worthwhile to continue to compete. However, by the end of the 2016-17 season, they had won their first medal at Europeans as well as the pair skating competition at the 2017 World Team Trophy with new personal best scores...

'I think we changed places for next year,' James, 29, added. 'Next year, instead of fighting trying to move up, we are already in a different group now, at a different level. So we’re starting right where we need to be to be at the top for the Olympics. It’s cool.'

Things did not look that good at the end of the season a year ago. The skaters, who had teamed up in 2010, felt like they had not make enough progress. The pair had finished sixth, fifth and fourth since starting to compete at Europeans in 2012. They came close to winning a medal and were third in the short in 2015, but then dropped out of the medals in the free skating.

'We decided we needed a change, because being fifth and fourth at Europeans and eighth to tenth at Worlds wasn’t good enough for us,' explained James. 'We didn’t want to keep doing that until the Olympics. It was either we stop now or we need a big change.' ...

Not only [John] Zimmerman and [Silvia] Fontana found the right approach to the skaters, but together with former ice dancer John Kerr, they created programs for them that suited them perfectly...

fans especially liked the free [Disturbed's Sound of Silence] so much that they hoped the French would keep this program. '
We could have kept it, but the judges maybe want to see a new program, and in the Olympic season, it is probably better to do something new,' Ciprès noted. 'People like it, yes, they want to see it now, but when you only see that for next season completely, I think it’s going to be boring,' James added. 'I think we have to try to find something innovative.' At press time, the team had not yet announced ... their new programs...

Beyond Pyeongchang, the pair is planning to compete for one more season... 'Maybe one year after the Games, that depends on how next year goes and if we’re still skating well and we are still enjoying it,' Cipres confirmed..."

 
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