Monday, November 1, 2010

ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating: Skate Canada Free Dance

1) Rachel Tibbetts & Collin Brubaker (USA) **
    Music: Tango Para Percusion
  • Some loss of syncronization during the twizzle sequence
  • She is showing great flexibility on the dance spin
  • Very nice use of hydroblading technique in the low position
  • Collin takes a fall in a fairly routine looking move, probably a loss of concentraion
  • I like some of their lifts, but they could benefit from being held longer
  • I think we are at the point in US Ice Dance where if you aren't training with Zoueva/Shpilband, you are behind the eight ball
  • They look visibly disappointed in their performance
  • FD Score: 33.10 (Technical) + 27.88 (presentation) - 2.00 (deduction) = 58.98
  • 36.88 (SD) + 95.86 (FD) = 95.86

2) Sarah Arnold & Justin Trojek (Canada)
     Music: Amelie Poulain Soundtrack
  • Well isn't this just a popular musical choice this year
  • First lift was interesting, but very much "here I am and I'm hitting a pose"
  • Mirroring step sequence was nice, but ended very abruptly, the choreographer/coaches should work out that transition
  • I'm not sure how I feel about the costume, but they are definitely classic ice dance
  • Position change in the dance spin also a bit awkward, this program could benefit a lot from some work on transitions
  • The ending was also very abrupt, both in terms of choreography and musical
  • FD Score: 36.08 (technical) + 31.49(presentation) = 65.57
  • 40.07 (SD) + 65.57 (FD) = 107.64
3) Stefanie Frohberg & Tim Giesen (Germany)
    Music: La Maza
  • I simply do not understand the obsession with spanish themed programs this year
  • I think her costume looks tacky
  • A good Spanish routine should be sassy, sexy, and exciting, but this one really lacks flair in my opinion
  • The dance spin in the Bielman position was nice
  • FD Score: 33.39 (techincal) + 28.71 (presentation) = 62.10
  • 43.00 (SD) + 62.10 (FD) =  105.10


4) Alexandra Paul & Mitchell Islam (Canada)
    Music: As Time Goes By
  • This is starting off to be a gorgeous program, from the opening strokes, they already exude grace and elegance
  • They remind me of Tessa Virtue & Scott Moi so much
  • If Canada sends 3 dance teams to worlds, I see this team taking that 3rd spot behind Virtue/Moir & Crone/Poirier
  • They are just beautiful to watch and make everything look easy
  • Their lifts show such balance and control
  • Ps....is she not wearing tights?
  • I would love her to point her feet a bit harder though, and really straighten out those legs
  • FD Score: 45.99 (technical) + 41.68 (presentation) = 87.61
  • 50.55 (SD) + 87.61 (FD) = 138.16

5) Kristina Gorshkova & Vitali Butikov (Russia)
    Music: Cha Cha, Manana de Carnaval
  • How many peacocks died in the making of these costumes?
  • These costumes are old-school European ice dance in a big way
  • The middle part of the program is a bit slow moving
  • I hate when the program comes to a standstill during a music transition; there is no reason that the skaters need to stop mid-ice
  • A cha-cha should be fun and exciting, but they seemed to be concentrating too hard because there was little top no performance quality for me
  • FD Score: 41.85 (technical) + 34.04 (presentation) =75.89
  • 51.56 (SD) + 75.89 (FD) = 127.45
6) Madison Chock & Greg Zuerlein (USA)  **
    Music: Cabaret
  • I love the youthful, whimsical quality about this program & the costumes are very fitting
  • Marina and Igor do a great job of pairing their teams with programs that suit them well
  • I love the upside down lifts during the "Money Song"
  • When skaters do musical theatre programs, it combines two of my favorite things in the world
  • The musical cuts are very nice and I love the composition of this program, it built from a 1 to a 10 as the program progressed
  • Not only a wonderful technical piece, but also a wonderful performance
  • I see this team medaling at the US nationals this year for sure
  • FD Score: 44.27 (technical) + 40.59 (presentation) = 84.86
  • 54.19 (SD) + 84.86 (FD) = 139.05
7) Pernelle Carron & Lloyd Jones (France)
    Music: Paint It Black
  • These costumes are flashy too but I like them better than their SD costumes 
  • I like their energy and passion, but they lack the polish of some of the top teams
  • The clapping sequence reminded me of a step show, ala Stomp The Yard, but I kind of loved it
  • There is something about this program that I love, I just cannot put my finger on it
  • FD Score: 41.52 (technical) + 40.18 (presentation) = 81.70
  • 54.33 (SD) + 81.70 (FD) = 136.03


8) Vanessa Crone & Paul Poirier (Canada) 
     Music: Eleanor Rigby
  • I could never understand why teams take so long to create complicated opening poses when they are out of them in like a hot minute anyway
  • This piece is very fast and very fluid which I love
  • I thought these primary colored costumes would be distracting, but rather they are actually very streamlined and athletic
  • This work was choreographed by Christopher Dean and he, along with partner Jayne Torvill were famous for their lines and polish, which I totally see here in this program
  • The ending was very cool, I loved that walkover over the shoulder that happened
  • FD Score: 45.74 (technical) + 45.73 (presentation) =
  • 62.95 (SD) + 91.47 (FD) = 154.42
9) Sinead Kerr & John Kerr (Great Britain)  **
    Music: Exogenesis Symphony 3
  • Now this opening pose makes sense because they hold it long enough for it to really resonate
  • There lifts always look so interesting because of the height similarity 
  • I loved that move of stroking in the low hydroblading position
  • The parallel camel spin was gorgeous
  • I love the story that they are telling in this program, a memory of when they were younger; a great example of an appropriate program for a brother/sister team
  •  An unfortunate stumble on that lift; she seemed to have lost balance when she tried to stand up on his legs
  • Even with the fall, I think this a gorgeous program and absolutely the perfect free skate to close out their competitive careers
  • The closing pose was perfection
  • Even with the botched lift, I found them better than Crone/Poirier
  • FD Score: 39.36 (technical) + 47.48 (presentation) = 86.84
  • 62.96 (SD) + (FD) = 149.80

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