2011 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating: NHK Trophy Short Dance LIVE BLOG

12:55 It seems we have a pretty balanced panel between North America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, and Asia. That's always a good place to start
12:58 Warm-up Group 2 on the ice
12:59 Cathy Reed's costume is soooo over the top

1) Lynn Kriengkrairut & Logan Giulietti-Schmitt (USA)
   Music: Hielo y Fuego, La Vuelta

• This is my first time seeing their new programs so I'm very excited!
• They have a nice look together overall
• It's interesting to see how different teams make their way to center ice
• Great hip action from Logan at the beginning, Lynn is a little stiff
• Great unique twizzle positions, but a little slow
• Good speed and deep edging in the 1st Rhumba sequence
• Good character change with the music change
• Her dress is a little too "middle school dance competition," for me, I'd live it to be less costumey
• Nice position by Lynn in that straight line lift
• I kind of wish their step sequence was on a faster piece of music, but I appreciate the precision
• Great energy going into the 2nd Rhumba sequence
• Nice ending, great program overall
• They're very happy!

SD Score: 27.79 (TES) + 23.02 (PCS) = 50.81

2) Alexandra Paul & Mitchell Islam (CAN)
   Music: 2046 Main Theme, The Havana Slido

• I like the flow of this program
• I can't wait to see them mature more in terms of passion and relationship
• I really like this smooth, moderate tempo piece of music to juxtapose the warp speed pieces other teams are using
• They are beginning to lose speed in the quicker piece of music, which makes me wish they'd stuck to the smoother rhythms
• Rough transitions and position changes in the final section
• For some reason, they just lack the polish they had last season and I don't know what it is

SD Score: 26.29 (TES) + 23.07 (PCS) = 49.36

3) Lorenza Alessandrini & Simone Vaturi (ITA)
   Music: Chiquitere, mas che nada, Abrazame, Samba de rio

• They looked very rough to me in warm-up so we'll see
• Her unpointed feet really stand out to me at the beginning
• The twizzles looked a little wild, on the verge of going out of control
• Her posture could be better, but his is great
• I'd love to see more speed on each push of the blade alone with deeper edges
• The leg lines don't always match
• I don't know why, but she looks to be over-acting while he is under-acting, can't they meet in the middle?
• Nice position changes in the rotational lift, but almost no speed in the exit
• Nice musicality in the step sequence
• They are very rough around, they must work toward gaining polish and elegance to truly be competitive
• I like their energy a lot, and they were happy with the skate!

SD Score: 29.22 (TES) + 25.15 (PCS) = 54.37

4) Cathy Reed & Chris Reed (JPN)
   Music: La Llama, Whatever Happens

• One of two brother-sister teams competing in ice dance here
• Chris looked to be a hair faster on the twizzle sets
• They always seem to have a few moments in each program that are way too passionate for a sibling and this piece is no exception
• They are attempting to make this Rhumba look sensual which is creepy
• Slight slip from Chris on the circular not toughing step sequence, will drop the level
• They are really lacking speed in this 2nd Rhumba sequence
• Slow position changes in the rotational lift, awkward exit
• If I were a judge I'd deduct fro sibling creepiness

SD Score: 24.63 (TES) + 24.73 (PCS) = 49.36

5) Nelli Zhiganshina & Alexander Gazsi (GER)
   Music: Desperados, Once Upon a Time in Mexico

• I didn't like these costumes at Skate America and I don't like them now
• His shirt looks like it came from a GAP clearance bin and her shredded look is so wrong 
• They carry really nice speed and get really deep into their edges
• She has beautiful upper body carriage (albeit hidden under that flowing top) but his arms and shoulders are stiff and held too high
• Slight twizzle issue, they appeared to fall into one another at the end
• I like Russian look she has about her...very Irina Lobacheva
• Those costumes do NOT work for the 2nd piece of music

SD Score: 29.50 (TES) + 27.19 (PCS) -1.00 (DED) = 55.69

6) Elena Ilinykh & Nikita Katsalapov (RUS)
   Music: HipHip ChinChin, Mas que Nada, Mujer Latina

• I like how they are coming out of the gate with a ton of speed, though I can't hear that opening music without thinking Virtue & Moir
• I want her costume to have more color as she's such a fiery diva
• Have they learned to twizzle in the off-season? Not so much, major separation by the 3rd set and a slight unison issue
• They look to be running out of steam toward the end
• Nice debut for them, I like the program but it needs polish, it looked a little frantic to me

SD Score: 29.86 (TES) + 31.97 (PCS) = 61.83

7) Maia Shibutani & Alex Shibutani (USA)
    Music: Batuca, Skip to the Bip, Jazz Machine

• Maia is starting to pull her face in a Madison Chock-type way and I love it
• Great speed as per the usual
• Nice edging
• Did Maia's dress always have that cutout? I like it!
• They are probably the best twizzlers in the world
• I love that their take on the Rhumba is youthful and energetic, nothing awkwardly sensual
• This has smoothed out more and more each time I've seen it, but there seems to be something missing from this piece and I don't quite know what it is
• Speed is hard to see on TV, but they seem to have lost some in the step sequence
• That program seemed to go on and on and on, which isn't a good sign
• It needs some sort of added spark, I'll call Igor when I figure it out

SD Score: 29.50 (TES) + 30.52 (PCS) -1.00 (DED) = 59.02

8) Kaitlyn Weaver & Andrew Poje (CAN)
     Music: Historia de un Amor, Batacuda

• I feel bad for Kaitlyn because I can't watch her, I just stare at Andrew
• They need to soak every point than can out of this short dance and try to take a big lead
• Really nice deep knees and matching leg line
• I really appreciate that they take the time to turn out their free leg
• This piece is so smooth and each element connects to the next
• I see such a difference in them this season, they have so much added confidence after the great Worlds finish
• Bobble on the 1st twizzle set and major loss of speed on the 2nd set
• They look slightly out of sorts on this step sequence, but the choreography is great and makes fantastic use of the musical nuances
• It got a little wild toward the end, they need to know when to reign it in

SD Score: 28.51 (TES) + 31.56 (PCS) = 60.07

Pl.	Name	Nation	TSS =	TES +		PCS +	SS	TR	PE	CC	IT	Ded. -	StN.
1	Elena ILINYKH / Nikita KATSALAPOV	RUS	61.83	29.86		31.97	7.96	7.68	8.11	8.04	8.11	0.00	#6
2	Kaitlyn WEAVER / Andrew POJE	CAN	60.07	28.51		31.56	7.79	7.61	7.89	7.96	8.11	0.00	#8
3	Maia SHIBUTANI / Alex SHIBUTANI	USA	59.02	29.50		30.52	7.71	7.43	7.71	7.68	7.61	1.00	#7
4	Nelli ZHIGANSHINA / Alexander GAZSI	GER	55.69	29.50		27.19	6.93	6.57	6.82	6.82	6.82	1.00	#5
5	Lorenza ALESSANDRINI / Simone VATURI	ITA	54.37	29.22		25.15	6.11	5.93	6.46	6.36	6.50	0.00	#3
6	Lynn KRIENGKRAIRUT / Logan GIULIETTI-SCHMITT	USA	50.81	27.79		23.02	5.75	5.46	5.82	5.93	5.79	0.00	#1
7	Alexandra PAUL / Mitchell ISLAM	CAN	49.36	26.29		23.07	5.93	5.68	5.75	5.71	5.75	0.00	#2
8	Cathy REED / Chris REED	JPN	49.36	24.63		24.73	6.29	6.04	6.21	6.18	6.18	0.00	#4