BlackPack said:
opcornSisinka, Lena and Nikita owe none of us any more than what they give any other fan of figure skating. If you simply do not appreciate their offerings, do not watch them. The field of ice dance is deep. Why do you waste your time so?....There are so many more interesting things we could all be doing..
Neither of them from the start has claimed to be role models of behaviour; but they have been trying to mature. From the very beginning we were all made aware of their personal problems with each other. They have never denied it; Lena nor Nikita. Zhulin also discussed Nikita's poor attitude as a younger skater. This makes them I think more appreciated than the average Joe.
Finally, we do not know the details of Elena's upbringing, so who are we to sit in judgement of her?
I am strict to everybody, Bramweld, if you knew me you would know it.
I know that kids are young, I see that they are talented and I see a wish of winning gold medals in their eyes. By, oh my God, I can’t accept that skaters who are gifted with such scores are not able to keep the rhythm, they are not able to keep extended free leg (Lena’s problem), they are not able to express the music.
If they would get appropriate marks for simple choreo, out of the rhythm issues and not perfect body lines…around 90 because they still have great edges and are lovely to watch, it would be OK. But 102, 103, 110? For what?
I am for mature skating more then for teenage skating…I am not angry at I&K that they are not mature enough, they are young, it is normal in their age…this is Morozov’s problem that he chose such stories which they are not able to handle, so they once again skate their Hollywoodish romance. But I can’t agree with such placement and marks.
One day if they will be as great like Krylova, Domnina, Usova, Grishuk, Klimova, Bestemianova and others were, OK, let’s give them high points…but why to give them high points in moment when they are far from such dancers which were Russian leaders in past (and don’t write that they were older, I posted their videos in I&K’s age and even in that age they skated better, but got worse placement than I&K now get).
I remember how Russian dancing looked in past…I know that perfect lines, extended legs, finishing movements were sooo much important. And keeping the rhythm was essencial. You had to keep the rhythm no matter what! All dancers were training to make their programs perfect in every aspect, every minor move was trained to perfection, every finger had a placement. All dancers were pushing themselves to skate difficult programs, not just as simple as judging system allows, it was also a matter of pride to show a difficult program. This is all what I&K are missing until today. OK, let’s teach them this, maybe they will learn it one day…but why to give them high points if they don’t know to execute those basics in dancing?
If you read Russian Forum you would be surprised above such criticism that I&K’s marks were extremely high and many people thinks that undeservedly high. They were clean, yes, but they were also careful and slower then usually. But Tchaikovski is not careful, it is a drama with gradation to the end. I am not satisfied that kids were not able to show the energy and gradation of the music, but they are young and they simply were not able to put on 150% in presentation and fighting spirit like other six top couples (who are older) but I don’t agree with such points for clean but “careful“ skating out of the rhythm.
They are criticised by Russian people at Forum, people who saw Swan Lake in Bolshoi Theatre or some other theatre (I&K probably still didn’t see it live, or I can’t understand why Lena doesn’t know who is Odylie and who is Odetta and changes them). Russian people are criticising bad ballet postures, bad arm‘s work, back tutu‘s work showing back side to judges every possible time, no story connection (Lena talks about woman and men in love and fight, while Morozov is once again talking about Odylie and Rothbart family in post-Olympic interview). And any protest that this Swan Lake free program is not a ballet is immediately killed with arguments that tutu and ballet choreo means that it is a ballet, because you can’t lend a ballet dress and perform a ballet choreo while ignoring a ballet. Some Russians are pointing to fact that especially Lena’s body posture is bad, not only in Swan Lake, but overall, she is not stretched, doesn’t extends her free leg, her arms…they compare her with Pechalat who has better posture and legs work.
Many foreigners think that I&K’s style of skating is that deep Russian drama, it is not. They are as close to Russian skating presentation and style as Jeremy Abbott‘s face is similar to Asian men. I&K - it is a Hollywood and Oscar party on the ice. Nothing similar to Russian skating style. But Tchaikovski is in Russian style of music – deep drama without posing.
All those Russian people should take a chill pill?…Or judges should open their eyes and judge what is really going on the ice?
I can see that I&K have a talent but with such marks which are enough for leading role even with some big mistake or destruction a whole one element, you can forget for any improvement from I&K in next seasons, why, if they already get those marks? Why to learn skate to the rhythm if they get 110 with ignoring the rhythm. Why to learn difficult programs if they get 110 for simple choreo programs. Why to learn to understand a ballroom or classical music if they get 110 for repeating Hollywood romance again and again. Can you imagine where it will take ice dancing?
What I&K have learnt since 2010? Schindler list was as simple choreographed like Swan Lake (it was a beautiful junior program, of course, nobody demanded senior difficulty). Their presentation in Schindler list was more emotional than today. Depth of their edges – it was deeper in 2010/11 season, they had more difficult programs with better lines and body postures in 2010/11 season, but they were not clean during programs. This season they were clean at the Olympics but they lost body postures and lines and their edges are less deep. All seasons they were suported by judges and by Russian Federation and this season this support after all mistakes throught season is extreme. So, what they have learnt since 2010 – better costuming and make-up? Yes, you are right that they are more mature then when they were at the age of 16 and 19…can you tell me an example of any skater who is less mature at the age of 19 in comparison with 16? Maturing is not about practising, it goes with time. Rhythm, difficult choreo, deeper edges, close holds are about hard training, understanding of ballroom rules – why I&K didn’t work on it? All other couples worked on it!
Yes, sometimes they look very mature in interviews. But you shouldn’t believe everything. Last time Lena told in Cosmopolitan or some similar journal that she never puts make-up on practise. Some days later she posts a pictures at her page with complete like-competive make-up writing that she goes to practise (and there are many such make-up practise pictures).
Once Lena says that she has Tessa and Scott like her idols, next time she admits that she has no idol. Once Lena says that she prefers inner beauty but immediately explains that it means that her hairs must be perfect. Once she says that Nikita asked her to try once again on the ice in 2008 but in different interview Nikita says that he didn’t want to skate with Lena again, but Zhulin persuaded him to try. Every year Lena admits that they changed so much and trained in completely different way and every next year she says that finally she understands what is this season free dance about while she didn’t understand a previous free dance (but she told it last year with Ghost, and two years ago with Ave Maria as well). This year they noticed to train with acrobats finally for the first time, but I remember that they talked about working with acrobats already in 2012/13 and during 2011/12 they were also so satisfied working with many specialists. This season Nikita persists on saing that they feel each other on 100 percents every time, he says such grandiose words even pointing to practise sessions (but then Lena falls during twizzles because she watches Nikita fighting in twizzles and it surprises her…but he is fighting always). In the beginning of this season Lena explains how many hours she spent in front of the mirror training ballet arms, but in the same article she says that a program is not about a ballet, and then what I see on the ice - it is not a ballet arms at all.
I really see that those two are pushes themselves to look very mature and wise in interviews but those misunderstandings are sometimes funny and sometimes leads to an opinion that they are just playing something what they are not. I think it would be much better to be just themselves without all those other things (which goes against each other) said, people wouldn’t be angry at them if Lena would be normal teenage girl and Nikita normal men who grown-up. There is nothing wrong in it.
They are only 19 and 22 and mind you they adore V/M so I don't think they want to be labelled in any one particular category. Just a feelin...but time will tell.
I love the part in Scheherazade where they cheesily run back and forth while flailing themselves toward each other like some drama queens trying to put on a show for the judges. Neither program is particular outstanding, and both are quite safe choices. IMO, the D/W's FD program that Zoueva created is a piece of ****. If that's the case, let's just give Coomes/Buckland the bronze medal then.
I think it's funny that people hate the Seasons FD, but think the Scheherazade FD is a masterpiece for the ages .
Bolero in 1984, Requiem in 1998, and Bach/Toccata & Fugue in 1992 are much more interesting and emotional winning free dances than the ones seen at these Olympic Games.
