BackStage Barbie: shibutani

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

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