2012 US Figure Skating Championships: Junior Free Dance (Final Group) LIVE Commentary

Will we see some body checking from the top two teams like we did in the short dance?
Will the Parsons sibs be technically proficient again and win the TES mark?
Can Bonacorsi/Mager make up the 1-point difference and win the Gold?
Making the top 3 is crucial, because they will most likely comprise the World team.

9) Lauri Bonacorsi & Travis Mager

   Music: Close to You

•  Spot on 3-twizzle set with really interesting arms
• They've grown a lot this season, particularly in the performance quality
• Nice deep edging and great extension
• Lauri's posture is better in this dance than in the short
• Feed froze for about 30 seconds
• This music is very high drama, very early 2000s ice dance
• They are a very well matched team, they relate to one another well
• Nice speed in the curve lift
• Very wild on that rotational lift, he almost lost her, that was almost disastrous
• Good save, solid finish
• Very mature program, they're ready to move up to senior

 41.07 (TES) + 39.27 (PCS) = 80.34

 53.39 (SD) + 80.34 (FD) = 133.73

10) Rachel Parsons & Michael Parsons

   Music: To Glory, Enigmatic Soul

•  Great upside down lift
• I just love Michael's posture and extension
• I'd love to see her relax her upper body a little more 
• Nice set of twizzles, lacked a little bit of speed
• I'd love to see them make top 3 and get to go to Jr. Worlds
• Nice toe point on the dance spin
• A little slow on the spin
• Really nice positions in the curve lift
• They seem to be running out of speed, but they're picking it up here in this musical change
• They have some really acrobatic lifts
• That final one-arm lift was very cool
• Very strong finish, good program overall for them
• Some of the lift exits need work, but a ton of potential
• They'll be a team to watch next year at this level

 36.22 (TES) + 36.24 (PCS) = 72.46

 50.80 (SD) + 72.46 (FD) = 123.26

11) Alexandra Aldridge & Daniel Eaton

   Music: Lord of the Dance

•  I'm obsessed with this piece
• This music is beautiful
• Great show of strength in that upside down lift
• Perfect unison on those twizzles
• They look so polished this season, like a completely different team from last season
• They have the attitude of this piece down pat
• Fantastic costuming
• I love how they relate to one another
• They look like they get so much joy from skating
• I love the Lord of the Dance part, it's absolutely rapturous
• Fantastic, I wouldn't change a thing about that

 42.93 (TES) + 44.75 (PCS) = 87.68

 54.42 (SD) + 87.68 (FD) = 142.10

12) Madeline Heritage & Nathaniel Fast

   Music: Big Bad Voodoo Daddy Medley

• Nice Tanith Belbin lift 
• Oh no what happened there, some kind of misstep or slip, they lost their footing and rhythm
• I am obsessed with her costume
• They have a very mature look about them
• Very nice flexibility on that spinning lift
• This piece should make me want to get up and dance, but it's not doing much for me really
• It seemed like a little bit of a struggle in places
• I love their look so much, a well matched team

  (TES) +  (PCS) = 69.35

 48.82 (SD) + 69.35 (FD) = 118.17

13) Lorraine McNamara & Quinn Carpenter

   Music:

• They are such a lovely team, they are younger than a lot of novice teams
• A little bit rough on the exits from some of the lifts
• This music sounds a little bit muddled to me
• Nice speed on the rotational lift, but the positions were a little muddled together
• A bit of a unison issue
• This team is going to be one to watch next year
• I wish they would have stuck with the lyrical elegance, I could do without the techno beat, but that's not their fault
• Very strong Jr. debut from them, they are definitely going places! 

 41.21 (TES) + 35.78 (PCS) = 76.99

 49.11 (SD) + 76.99 (FD) = 126.10