Saturday, December 11, 2010

2010 ISU Grand Prix Final: Free Dance


1) Ekaterina Bobrova & Dmitri Soloviev (Russia)
   Music: Melody of the White Nights by Schwartz 
  • This team is super young, but they made a huge jump this season with silver at Cup of China and gold at Cup of Russia
  • Keep in mind that they beat Faiella and Scali with these programs
  • This program is so gorgeous and romantic and they are very expressive
  • The is a well-composed twizzle sequence but Dmitri stumbles which will cost them if they want to move up
  • I would like them to pick up more speed here
  • I love that front walkover entrance that she does to the lift
  • I love that low spin position where they are almost hugging
  • This program is just so Russian and I just love it
  • I really believe they will be the next great Russian Ice Dance team since Navka & Kostomarov
  • I love the ending where she pulls away but then comes back
  • I couldn't tell if they finished after the music or if they were just having "a moment" there
  • Aside from Dmitri's twizzle error, that was simply beautiful
  • FD Score: 40.84 (TES) + 41.58 (PCS) = 82.42
  • 54.33 (SD) + 82.42 (FD) = 136.75
 2) Vanessa Crone & Paul Poirier (Canada)
   Music: Eleanor Rigby by Lennon & McCartney
  • I have been vocal about not liking this team, but I do love this choreography
  • That opening sequence should be constantly moving, like contact improvisation, but they do it like poses so it looks too choppy
  • They are big fans of the upside down lift
  • They are interesting to watch because they are so similar in height
  • I would like Vanessa to bend her knees a little more
  • Their twizzles seemed a little slow and they got dangerously close together at the end
  • They seem to be picking up speed and gaining momentum toward the end of the program
  • That should put them in first for the time being
  • FD Score: 42.78 (TES) + 42.14 (PCS) = 84.92
  • 54.82 (SD) + 84.92 (FD) = 139.74

3) Kaitlyn Weaver & Andrew Poje (Canada)
   Music: Moulin Rouge Soundtrack
  • Here comes my new favorite team of the season! 
  • I would die to see them win the bronze medal here
  • They need to pick up speed
  • They both have such long limbs that their lines are gorgeous 
  • Kaitlin just uses her arms in such a beautiful way 
  • The two of them are incredibly expressive and seem so well matched
  • I love the way they change their performance quality when the music switches into the Tango de Roxanne
  • That rotational lift at the end with Kaitlyn in the head tap position is really lovely
  • They have such amazing intensity here at the end
  • I loved that program and I would be so happy if they could take the lead right now.
  • FD Score: 39.84 (TES) + 40.99 (PCS) = 80.83
  • 55.51 (SD) + 80.83 (FD) = 136.34
4) Nora Hoffmann & Maxim Zavozin (Hungary)
   Music: Gypsy Witch Soundtrack by Experidance
  • These are new costumes for them and while I think hers is better, his is worse
  • All of this loose fabric has Faiella-Scali costume malfunction written all over it
  • I like the drama at the beginning of this program, but those cackling witches freak me out
  • They remind me of like late 1990s, early 2000s European Ice Dance with the weird music and the fabric 
  • I wish she would hit more distinct positions in her changing-position rotational lift because it just looked a bit muddy
  • Max used to skate for USA and was successful on the Junior level, but its great to see him have success as a Senior, even if he is competing for another country
  • This would be good music for Miki Ando, or Nobunari Oda
  • Did I miss something? They don't look very happy! Was there a fall or a missed element or something? 
  • FD Score: 37.13 (TES) + 38.96 (PCS) = 76.09
  • 55.98 (SD) + 76.09 (FD) = 132.07
5) Nathalie Pechalat & Fabian Bourzat (France)
   Music: Charlie Chaplin Medley
  • I just love how they take the ice in character and never  break that character throughout the piece
  • This choreography is fabuloso in that it is elegant, yet has an air of whimsy about it
  • I feel like I am watching a silent French film, they just create such beautiful images
  • They use every ounce of this music and their performance is so nuanced
  • The ending image is so lovely
  • I don't comment a lot because I wanted to watch their beautiful performance, but everything was top notch from the twizzles and spins to footwork and jumps
  • FD Score: 46.50 (TES) + 49.94 (PCS) = 96.44
  • 65.66 (SD) + 96.44 (FD) = 162.10
 6) Meryl Davis & Charlie White (USA)
   Music: Il Postino by Luis Bacalov & Payadora/Recuerdo by Lisandro Adrover
  • And here come the headliners
  • Those holds at the beginning are so fantastic, so sensual
  • I think Charlie has evolved so much this season from an athlete into an artist 
  • Wow those twizzles are simply divine
  • Its good to seem them make it cleanly through drop where they had the falls at Skate America
  • I like that double camel position in their combination spin
  • She has such strength to hold her body parallel to the ice when he is spinning her by her legs with one arm
  • This is a phenomenal program, the best I've seen them do it this season
  • FD Score: 50.15 (TES) + 52.79 (PCS) = 102.94
  • 68.64 (SD) + 102.94 (FD) = 171.58
Final Results:


1) Davis/White                             171.58
2) Pechalat/Bourzat                     162.10
3) Crone/Poirier                           139.74
4) Bobrova/Soloviev                    136.76
5) Weaver/Poje                            136.34
6) Hoffmann/Zavozin                    132.07

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