Friday, October 22, 2010

ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating: NHK Trophy Short Dance

1) Dora Turoczi & Balazs Major (Hungary)
    Music: The Royal Waltz/Quickstep
  • Entrances/exits from lifts are a bit awkward
  • Positions could use more stretch
  • They lost some speed mid way through the program
  • The program has good potential but looks under-rehearsed
  • Balazs lost momentum in his twizzle sequence which affect synchronization in footwork
  • SD Score: 15.81 (Technical) + 16.87 (Presentation) = 32.68
2) Xiaoyang Yu & Chen Wang (China)
    Music: Waltz The Blue Danube, Tango
  • The speed in the opening is nice
  • They are a very expressive couple and remind me of the pair Pang & Tong
  • The raised arms in the twizzle sequence is a daring choice becuase it highlights the errors in synchronization; it did not work in their favor today
  • I really like their dynamic shifts from the waltz to tango, there is a nice attack in the later portion
  • SD Score: 22.85 (Technical) + 20.65 (Presentation) = 43.50
3) Penny Coomes & Nicholas Buckland (Great Britain)
      Music: La Valse d'Amelie, Tango de los Exilados
  • They have a great speed and overall flow over the ice
  • They have nice extension in their limbs and are very graceful together
  • I really like their musicality and its relationshp with the choreography
  • Nice attack in the tango, but like the previous teams, their twizzle sequence gave them trouble
  • The footwork sequence is starting to look sloppy, they are losing energy and momentum
  • SD Score: 22.36 (Technical) + 21.16 (Presentation) = 43.52
4) Cathy Reed & Chris Reed (Japan)
      Music: Waltz A Party for Me, The Tango
  • I like this team but Chris's mustache is just creepy
  • Their opening lift/weight share was an interesting position, it was an awkward exit but it will improve during the season
  • This routine is very "danse macabre"
  • It still seems so bizarre to me that they compete for Japan...they went to high school with a friend of mine in New Jersey
  • They seem very fluid and smooth
  • This music suits them well
  • Chris seemed very out of control in his twizzles, and then as I suspected, he fell
  •  I like their footwork choreography, it is vey interesting, but Chris looks a bit spastic
  • SD Score: 21.86 (Technical) + 23.04(Presentation) = 44.90
5) Elena Ilinykh & Nikita Katsalopov (Russia)
      Music: Waltz from Agony soundtrack, Tango
  • The best unison in twizzles that we've seen so far in this competition
  • Very good speed over the ice
  • She had a bit of a bobble but otherwise very clean so far
  • That lasso around the head lift will be lovely once they clean up the entrance/exit
  • He had a bobble in the footwork and is starting to look very sloppy in the second half while she still looks exquisite
  • Ending pose was a little rough, she looks unhappy with the performance
  • SD Score: 29.79 (Technical) + 27.10 (Presentation) = 56.89
6) Lucie Mysliveckova & Matej Novak (Czech Republic)
    Music: Waltz, Quickstep
  • This team was my pick from the C group in fantasy skating so I am pulling for them
  • This is very "folksy" and the tempo of the music seems to slow them down
  • The quickstep portion seems to suit them well and made them instantly more energetic
  • Unison is very rough in the twizzle sequence and the footwork
  • SD Score: 22.07 (Techincal) + 23.13 (Presentation) = 45.20
 7) Maia Shibutani & Alex Shibutani (USA)
    Music: The Carousel Waltz
  • I love this piece of music so much and it suits this team well
  • Bobbles in the twizzles like every team before them today
  • Beautiful lines and expressions; I can see Marina Zoueva's work with them
  • Oh wow, a fall from Alex, and on a fairly routine movement
  • There is a piece of fabric hanging from Maia's dress and its dangerously close to her skate
  • Igor is a wonderful coach, explained to Alex that the fall wasn't his fault, the skate got caught in the skirt, causing the fall
  • SD Score:  28.57 (Technical) + 26.11 (Presentation) - 1.00 (Deduction) = 53.68
8) Kaitlyn Weaver & Andrew Poje (Canada)
     Music: At Last, Cheek to Cheek
  • This is my B group selection in fantasy skating so I'm pulling for them
  • Gorgeous musical selections from an absolutely gorgeous couple
  • So elegant and graceful
  • Opening lift on his should was lovely
  • I have been a fan of their coach Shae-Lynn Bourne since the late 1990s when she skated with partner Victor Kraatz
  • This program looks completely effortless for this couple, such wonderful maturity
  • This choreography is fabulous, so elegant, yet theatrical
  • The twizzles & footwork looked like near perfect unison from my angle
  • SD Score: 31.15 (Technical) + 27.54 (Presentation) = 58.69
 9) Anna Cappellini & Luca Lanotte (Italy)
     Music: Waltz, Quickstep
  • Que Sera Sera gives this piece a very lighthearted feel
  • This team is experienced and it shows
  • The transition from Waltz to Quickstep is very awakward in this program, both thematically and musically
  • Lost some synchronization in the twizzles
  • Oh wow that hand in the crotch lift looked uncomfortable for her and was uncomfortable for me to watch
  • The synchronization issue was even more apparent on the replay, the arms seemed to flail a lot
  • SD Score: 27.57 (Technical) + 28.11 (Presentation) = 55.68
10) Meryl Davis & Charlie White (USA)
        Music: Waltz
  • This is my A group team in fantasy skating and I have no reason to think they won't finish first in this competition
  • They look more mature to me this year, I think it is Charlie's shorter hair
  • Now that his what I call a perfect twizzle sequence
  • And this is how to do a mirroring footwork sequence and make it look elegant
  • Everything about this team screams polish and elegance
  • I loved them last year but they still had that youthful air, now there is more of a maturity
  • This opera selection was a perfect choice
  • Now that lasso around the neck lift was amazing from entrance to exit
  • This program is in great shape and I can't wait to see it grow throughout the season
  • SD Score: 32.28 (Technical) + 34.69 (Presentation) = 66.97
How did my Fantasy Team picks fare?
A) Davis/White in 1st
B) Weaver/Poje in 2nd
C) Mysliveckova/Novak in 6th

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