2011 World Figure Skating Championships: Free Dance Live Blog

1) Charlene Guignard & Marco Fabbri (ITA)
 Music: March With Me

• Who decided that these costumes were necessary?
• Nice tight twizzles
• But seriously can we get a deduction for that heinous costume
• They are practically at  a standstill at some points of this program
• When in doubt, do a haircutter position in your rotational lift?
• Slight bobble by Marco on the curve lift
• Thank god Barbra Fusar-Poli created something tackier than herself

 FD Score: 37.15 (TES) + 33.07 (PCS) - (DED) = 70.22
 Combined Total: 49.80 (SD) + 70.22 (FD) = 120.02

2) Xintong Huang & Xun Zheng (CHN)

 Music: Singing In The Rain

• They have a nice light quality, a good lilt to their movements
• Simple position on the curve lift
• Not the fastest twizzles, but pretty good unison
• The straight line lift is like an homage to swing dancing, but position changes and exit could be much smoother
• I love his sweater vest
• This techno rap remix in the middle of the piece completely ruins the romantic, Old Hollywood feel
• Very nice hydroblade move

 FD Score: 36.08 (TES) + 34.76 (PCS) - (DED) = 70.84

 Combined Total: 52.17 (SD) + 70.84 (FD) = 123.01

3) Penny Coomes & Nicholas Buckland (GBR)

 Music: The Lion King

• They are carrying great speed right now, let's see if they can maintain it and stay in control
• Loss of unison in twizzles
• The lift with him in a low position and her on his upper back is interesting
• Her upside down balance on his knee is also nice
• I love this music and they seem to be able to emote with it quite well
• They have mostly maintained their energy level throughout
• They have a lot of potential and are now the top team in Great Britain

 FD Score: 38.93 (TES) + 35.61 (PCS) - (DED) = 74.54

 Combined Total: 51.75 (SD) + 74.54 (FD) = 126.29

4) Louise Walden & Owen Edwards (GBR)

 Music: Goodbye Lenin

• Decent rotational lift
• I like the tempo of this music
• That fee leg twizzle was too much for them to maintain
• That is an interesting dance spin position
• Some unique counter-balance moves
• Nice innovation, but lacked polish

 FD Score: 38.28 (TES) + 31.51 (PCS) - (DED) = 69.79

 Combined Total: 46.73 (SD) + 69.79 (FD) = 116.52

5) Allison Reed& Otar Japaridze (GEO)

 Music: The Messiah Will Come Again/Pretty Woman

• This seems like a piece of music that Lang & Tschernyshev would've skated to
• That double spread eagle movement was awkward
• Very slow and out of synch twizzles
• The age difference between them (16 & 23) is borderline awkward
• Why is she dressed as Xena warrior princess
• They have a lot of passion and energy, but lack the control and polish of better teams

 FD Score: 37.15 (TES) + 33.52 (PCS) - (DED) = 70.67

 Combined Total: 49.44 (SD) + 70.67 (FD) = 120.11

6) Siobhan Heekin-Canedy & Alexander Shakalov (UKR)

 Music: La Vie En Rose/Padam Padam/ L'Arrestation/Je Ne Regrette Rien

• Very elegant, good flow
• Positions are interesting in the dance spin but they could be more stretched
• I love Padam, Padam
• I really want them to pick up some more speed
• Good unison on twizzles but a little slow
• They use levels well
• This is an example of good music editing
• These costumes are very elegant and they really relate well to one another
• Could've used more speed on final lift

 FD Score: 40.70 (TES) + 36.69 (PCS) - 1.00 (DED) = 76.39

 Combined Total: 52.31 (SD) + 76.39 (FD) = 128.70

7) Isabella Tobias & Deividas Stagniunas (LTU)

 Music: Les Miserables

• Her hair looks a mess, did she brush it?
• Really fast twizzles like the other Zoueva & Shpilband teams
• I like the positions in the dance spin
• I think we could do without the lyrics in this piece
• The size of their movements is not living up to the power of the vocals
• These costumes also don't scream Les Miz to me
• Nice hydroblade move, I like his dramatic arm movements

 FD Score: 39.68 (TES) + 38.17 (PCS) - (DED) = 77.85

 Combined Total: 53.16 (SD) + 77.85 (FD) = 131.01

8) Cathy Reed & Chris Reed (JPN)

 Music: Just for a Little While/Aint No Sunshine/Think

• Nice twizzles
• Nice improvements since the last time I saw them
• This music is a little to romantic for a sibling team
• The "Think" section suits a brother and sister team better in my opinion
• The rotational lift is nice, but we've all seen that position many times before
• I enjoy watching Chris more than Cathy because he is more expressive
• Chris fell  doing a hitch kick in literally the last second of the piece

 FD Score: 41.64 (TES) + 37.83 (PCS) - 1.00 (DED) = 78.47

 Combined Total: 54.86 (SD) + 78.47 (FD) = 133.33

9) Nelli Zhiganshina & Alexander Gazsi (GER)

 Music: Liebestraum/Four Seasons

• Really nice twizzles
• Good attention to character details
• I don't love the background noise that is in this arrangement
• Small stumble by Alexander getting up from a kneel
• I like that they use true ballet-inspired movements
• They look very happy with that

 FD Score: 44.13 (TES) + 41.29 (PCS) - (DED) = 85.42

 Combined Total: 55.53 (SD) + 85.42 (FD) = 140.95

10) Pernelle Carron & Lloyd Jones (FRA)

 Music: George Gershwin Medley

• I love me some Gershwin
• Some unison issues on the twizzles
• I love the costumes
• They are a nice team but they look very young, some more experience will give them a more mature look
• They almost look like they could be a brother-sister team

 FD Score: 41.55 (TES) + 41.63 (PCS) - (DED) = 83.18

 Combined Total: 57.68 (SD) + 83.18 (FD) = 140.86

11) Anna Cappellini & Luca Lanotte (ITA)

 Music: The Umbrellas of Cherbourg

• Great unison in twizzles, they could be faster though
• Wonderful glide and flow across the ice
• This elegant music suits them oh so well
• I love how seamless everything is, it doesn't look like they are doing elements, just a great flow across the ice
• They've maintained the same speed and tempo throughout the entire piece
• They lose a lot of speed coming out of the third position of their camel spin
• That was simply gorgeous, very European

 FD Score: 44.58 (TES) + 44.07 (PCS) - (DED) = 89.65

 Combined Total: 64.12 (SD) + 89.65 (FD) = 153.77

12) Madison Chock & Greg Zuerlein (USA)

 Music: Cabaret

• Nobody pulls their faces like these two!
• This is my favorite free dance of the season, such theatrics
• Nice unison and speed in twizzles
• I love her upside down camel position in the dance spin on "The Money Song"
• They really start picking up speed during The Money Song
• Good soft knees
• Love the straight line lift
• The curve lift with Greg on one foot is very nice
• Loving the Liza moment!
• Great position and speed on rotational lift
• That's the best I've seen them do that program all year

 FD Score: 46.65 (TES) + 44.74 (PCS) - (DED) = 90.30

 Combined Total: 61.47 (SD) + 90.30 (FD) = 151.86

13) Vanessa Crone & Paul Poirier (CAN)

 Music: Eleanor Rigby

• I will never understand the appeal of this program
• He is a good strong partner but she does nothing for me and I don't find them well matched
• Unison issues on 2nd and 3rd twizzles
• Curve lift loses a lot of speed
• He has beautiful posture but her upper body is very stiff and she is wearing her shoulders as earrings
• She also needs to point her feet more
• I don't understand why the elaborate opening and closing pose is necessary

 FD Score: 45.69 (TES) + 44.43 (PCS) - (DED) = 90.12

 Combined Total: 61.01 (SD) + 90.12 (FD) = 151.13

14) Elena Ilinykh & Nikita Katsalapov (RUS)

 Music: Don Quixote

• She fully embodies this character
• I'm so happy she is wearing a real tutu
• Nice curve lift
• Nikita loses unison in the second set of twizzles, the distance between them increases
• He could have her higher off the ground in the one-arm rotational lift
• Was it really necessary for her to stop mid-program and do a heel stretch
• Awkward moment getting into the lift with her leg behind his head, awkward getting out as well
• She has gorgeous posture and upper body carriage, she mus have studied a lot of ballet
• The speed is not consistent in the dance spin
• The last lift is a very ugly position
• I've seen them do that program much better, this was not polished today

 FD Score: 42.47 (TES) + 46.52 (PCS) - (DED) = 88.99

 Combined Total: 65.51 (SD) + 88.99 (FD) = 154.50

15) Kaitlyn Weaver & Andrew Poje (CAN)

 Music: Moulin Rouge

• I'm praying to finally see a clean version of this free dance
• Good unison in the twizzles
• There are certain transitional moments still look sloppy to me
• This middle section fits them better because its more lyrical
• She caught her boot in the haircutter position of the rotational lift, but the exit was awkward
• Nice cartwheel entrance to the curve lift
• That horizontal lift must take amazing ab strength on Kaitlyns' part
• I don't know what it is, but this program still looks so choppy to me

 FD Score: 48.51 (TES) + 46.74 (PCS) - (DED) = 95.25

 Combined Total: 65.07 (SD) + 95.25 (FD) = 160.32

16) Nathalie Pechalat & Fabian Bourzat (FRA)

 Music: Charlie Chaplin Medley

• Just an exquisite free skate
• So true to character
• It is just perfection, and they don't seem to be working, its all so natural
• Every detail is just perfection
• They have an ease out there that the top american and Canadian teams don't have
• Wow they both took a fall out of nowhere
• That opened the door for the Shibutanis to come from behind in 4th
• I don't believe the fall was on an element so I doubt it will cost them much
• I just can't believe that, after such an amazing season
• I just feel terribly for them

 FD Score: 43.00 (TES) + 51.57 (PCS) - 2.00 (DED) = 92.57

 Combined Total: 70.97 (SD) + 92.57 (FD) = 163.54

17) Ekaterina Bobrova & Dmitri Soloviev (RUS)

 Music: Melody of the White Nights

• Slight unison issues, she does an extra rotation on the 3rd set
• Very awkward entrance to first lift
• I don't like this program at all
• The is very little drama and the costumes are very dull
• This is not a perfect skate, a few stumbles and bobbles here and there
• They did not capitalize on the mistake by the French team

 FD Score: 45.78 (TES) + 48.56 (PCS) - (DED) = 94.35

 Combined Total: 65.88 (SD) + 94.35 (FD) = 160.23

18) Maia Shibutani & Alex Shibutani (USA)

 Music: Smile/Just Face The Music and Dance

• Such amazing speed and flow across the ice
• The lifts are looking very good today
• All I want is for them to go clean
• The quicker part is where they really shine
• Their twizzles are the best in the world
• Can't wait to see what the judges will do
• The two point deduction to the French for the fall takes away their lead from the short dance
• Shibutanis should get a higher technical score, but judges could hold the French up on PCS if they want

 FD Score: 48.14 (TES) + 48.77 (PCS) - (DED) = 96.91

 Combined Total: 66.88 (SD) + 96.91 (FD) = 163.79

19) Tessa Virtue & Scott Moir (CAN)

 Music: Temptation/Mujer Latina

• This fast footwork and th hip action at the top is phenomenal
• I can't wait until we get to see the who piece
• Wonderful twizzles
• I love that little moment when she pushes Scott
• That change of position lift was phenomenal
• The upside down straight line lift is equally great
• This dance was so worth waiting for 
• These two just look so great together, they were born to dance with each other
• The eye contact is amazing
• I saw no visible mistakes; they look as though they've been competing all season
• Wow, that was electrifying

 FD Score: 51.21 (TES) + 56.29 (PCS) - (DED) = 107.50

 Combined Total: 74.29 (SD) + 107.50 (FD) = 181.79

20) Meryl Davis & Charlie White (USA)

 Music: Il Postino/Payadora/Recuerdo

• They need absolute perfection, they can't withstand even a small mistake
• Amazing speed
• Incredible twizzles with phenomenal unison & speed
• I could see Igor in the background getting very excited after the twizzles
• They are attacking this every bit as hard as they possibly can
• Great dance spin with almost no speed lost in position changes
• I love the backward entrance rotational lift, slightly clunky exit
• I love how close and intricate the holds are
• Signature Tanith Belbin lift at the end
• They did that as well as they possibly could've
• If you are the judges, how do you make that decision

 FD Score: 53.78 (TES) + 57.73 (PCS) - (DED) = 111.51

 Combined Total: 73.76 (SD) + 111.51 (FD) = 185.27