- Joined
- Mar 21, 2005
I hope Akiko's LP would be uploaded soon, I want to see a full copy since I missed half of it.
I don't think Mirai necessarily deserved such low PCS as she received tonight. Sure, she didn't skate with a lot of energy but neither did Phaneuf nor Lacoste and they got much higher PCS. (Also, her SS is WAY better than Leonova's)
I posted this on another board, but I thought her movements were out of sync with the music, i mean Lori can be a bit iffy but surely she's not that bad!! So I decide to compare her performance side by side with her Nebelhorn performance to see if I am right about rushing a bar of music. I think Mirai was rightfully slammed for her PCS mark.
She rushed many elements at the GP performance. Being too nervous or intense, she neglected listing listen to the music which threw her elements out of whack, surely that would affect muscle memory which would explain what we saw.
Play both clips at 36 seconds mark and see for yourself.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52mq1HV1L_4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSAMlDUTipg
I agree. For some reason (I watched the streaming practices) Mirai was completely off the music there as well, doing the raising the arm part off in the same way she did it today. She was incredibly tight overall, and it showed.
However, the thing is, there is no PCS mark for being on time with the music. There's at least SS and TR which have nothing whatsoever to do with music and Mirai shouldn't be lower than Leonova in those areas. CH shouldn't have been good anyways because the placement of the elements are weird (that climax of the music is just asking for a spiral, note that Mirai got miniscule GOE today on her spiral, she DEFINITELY would have gotten at least +1 across the board if she did the spiral on that climax).
Well how else is she suppose to interpret the work if it is not relate to the music? Music is the spine that hold everything together between the performer, the required elements, the choreography. I think the missing beat for majority of the first half and second half is huge for a sport like figure skating where choreography and required elements must be timed with resting periods in between for impact and effect. She did manage to reclaim some of her key elements during the climax section (though I'd argue she's still behind by half a beat).
I think my gripe about rushing the music by a bar is how it would affect the rest of her performances particularly regarding to muscle memory which would explain for weird mistakes like her spins etc. If she spend half of the time confused about what she is doing, and spend most of her performance trying to catch up and retune to the music, it would obviously have a rippling effect affect the rest of her performances like transitions, interpretation, choreography etc.
She kind of caught up after the spiral (the music change definitely -- well hopefully -- cued her in as to where she should be in the choreo, but the thing is -- since she was practicing this program in the exact same way that she produced, did she purposely change? Interpretation is also a part of the PCS, but it is directly correlated to CH and PE. I'd still say that SS and TR are pretty separate but PCS tends to be the same, i.e. we see people with great interpretation still get lowballed on that aspect because the rest of the PCS is lower.
I'm completely agreeing with you that the performance was not good because of how off she was from the music - that probably contributed to how cold and sullen the performance seemed to be...not very Mirai at all. A lot of people are saying this isn't a good vehicle for her, but I think it sort of resembles her LPs.. Coppelia, Caprice Fantastique, and Memoirs all had slow sections, grandiose sections, and playful sections, just like this LP. She just needs to inject her personality into it.
Mirai needs a new choreographer, a new costume designer and some oomph. This strategy is just not right .
I agree that Mirai needs to do something different. I would like to see her repeat her pirates program. That was exciting!
Well i think its time to sweep the US ladies from 2007-2008 cycle and hope the younger girls can get it together. Rachael, Mirai, Ashley and Caroline have had their chances and haven't got it done.
Do you really think any of those four are going to be factors by Sochi? Caroline is beyond history and so is Rachael judging by the last year and now this performance. And if Mrai can't skate under pressure she will always be a "what if" skater. Ashley looked better here then she has for a long time but i'm not sure about her either. And Alissa will be 27 and how will her weak jumps hold up against the younger girls coming up?
I am sadly coming to the conclusion that Mirai does not have the mindset of a champion. A champion is relentless, regardless of falls or bobbles in a program, and just doesn't quit. A champion, when technical mistakes esp on jumps happen, can keep things rolling and still make magic with presentation and musical connection..even if if not ending up on the podium. A champion could take program material based on the telephone directory and make it work. Usually by the age Mirai is now, you either see this innate quality or you don't.
I'm not sure Frank Carroll is the problem here. I definitely think Mirai should be looking at other choreographers.