2014 Trophée Eric Bompard Free Dance 11/22 | Page 6 | Golden Skate

2014 Trophée Eric Bompard Free Dance 11/22

MarieM

On the Ice
Joined
Mar 24, 2004
Zoueva's programs strikes me as as very commercial (bordering on cheesy). P/C's FD is more in the avant-grade territory. They're French, what can I say?

Yeah and more. She has zero imagination. She doesn't got outside what she knows of ballet, and she doesn't know much of that either IMO.
 

Marta25

Medalist
Joined
Feb 17, 2010
I think when Zueva creates a program, she always looks for the safest way. This maybe worked for V/M and D/W because of their amazing talent, but you can see how Zueva`s system is crumbling with their teams she has this year.
 

Sackie

Medalist
Joined
Jan 4, 2007
Maybe W/P should have switched it up this year and gone to Dubreuil and Lauzon for some different programs.
I guess I am worried about W/P because they are one of the few teams who are not even coming close to their PBs while others are jumping over their old PBs. And W/Ps first GP event was on home ice where they should have meant they would get bonus marks. Last year they scored really well at SC and took a big dive in their 2nd event.
 

Marta25

Medalist
Joined
Feb 17, 2010
Maybe W/P should have switched it up this year and gone to Dubreuil and Lauzon for some different programs.
I guess I am worried about W/P because they are one of the few teams who are not even coming close to their PBs while others are jumping over their old PBs. And W/Ps first GP event was on home ice where they should have meant they would get bonus marks. Last year they scored really well at SC and took a big dive in their 2nd event.

Their SD score at SC was 2 points lower than their PB and their FD score was 4 points lower. It`s only at the beginning of the season, they started late with their preparation and they changed few things on their FD after Nebelhorn. Maybe we should wait after NHK to decide if the judges are dumping them.
 

beebee51

On the Ice
Joined
Jan 19, 2005
Country
United-States
Sackie, you bring passive aggressiveness to new heights, and relentlessly, I might add. Congrats :disapp:
 
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Matt K

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 3, 2013
Kind of sad to see the "russian demise"; The French could really challenge Chock and BAtes for Gold; W andP still have a shot. I finally figured out what Ice Dance randomly was last - the only real French hope for a gold or medal I guess. Does that mean in Japan it will be the men's last? LOL

Bobrova/Soloviev might win the World title this year. Maybe. I pray P/C beats Chock/Bates at Worlds but this may not happen since C/B have politics and reputation on their side. I think everybody should be beating Chock/Bates's un-Paso Paso.

The field for this ice dance event was soo weak and predictable. And this is why the overscoring was so rampant. Just because I can outskate the Little Sisters of the Poor does not mean I should be getting 8s in PCS.

Zoueva and Shpilband do not do proper choreography, as can be witnessed by some of these programs we have seen in this Grand Prix by other actual choreographers/coaches. If I were ever acquainted with Pasquale Camerlengo I would be SCREAMING to work with him.

Papadakis skating skills are okay. Nothing worse than Chock or Weaver so I will not criticize.
 
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elif

Medalist
Joined
Jan 28, 2010
Judges ridiculously overscoring some teams it is not even funny. :disagree: Gilles/Poirier got seasons best (95 points) for that free dance (!?), better than relatively good performance in home event (being in home usually adds least 5 points to total score) Please.. :rolleye: Even Papadakis/Cizeron looks underscored next to Gilles/Poirier.:rolleye:

I see only acceptable judging in Cup of China. NHK doesn't have strong ice dance team either. So maybe judges can score what they see on ice. Program components in mens, ladies and pairs returned to normal after Olympic judging. Only in ice dance they are continue to score skaters like we are in olympic year. Please, we don't have limitless program components. If you give 7.79 skating skills to G/P now, what you will give them when they really deserve that mark? :rolleye:
 

Astrid56

Final Flight
Joined
Oct 24, 2014
I can't comment much on the technical aspect of Ice Dancing so I'll just comment on a subject I am familiar with _ dancing and theatre acquired through training and education. I'd pick Chock and Bates as having the best Paso both in intent and choreography. Chock is clearly the cape and Bates the Matador. You can clearly see the images and suggestion in Chock's movements as a cape and Bates exhibits masterful and fiery arrogance with just enough bravura and bravado. I'd pick the Paso performed by Sara Hurtado and Adria Diaz as second best. In their case, the lady seems to be acting out the Matador's alter-ego _ strategizing and figuring out his moves to outsmart the bull. Both have very clear concepts of their dance. Too bad, H/D's skating is not that brilliant and they're kinda slow. The rest are doing a smorgasbord of Paso and Flamenco mixing/matching different moves and shapes to present a dance akin to Paso. Paso is a very tricky dance to perform - you have to have a clear concept of what you want to achieve to make a coherent presentation. Otherwise, it would be boring. Even Torvill and Dean's Paso isn't really a typical paso but it succeeded because of cleverly choreographed step-sequences, lifts, and moves. Tessa and Moir's Paso was too one-dimensional relying heavily on emotional presentation - thanks to exceptional skating-skill (very smooth). Gilles and Poirer attempted to replicate Torvill/Dean's but Poirer lacked the Matador's persona - it came out quite flat. The Shibs were wonderful - again, despite Alex's attempt to personify the Matador's persona, their performance was boring.
 
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fleeting

Queen Anissina
Medalist
Joined
Feb 19, 2014
It's very grating to watch people getting such high scores when they have yet to reach peak level. Papadakis/Cizeron were great - but free score today was only two points off of Pechalat/Bourzat's in Sochi - skaters who were twelve years older then them and went to three Olympics before reaching that level and rarely got that treatment on home ice. I suppose the French fed really needs P/C to do well, and they are doing insanely well for only moving up to senior two seasons ago, but the rate that they're being pushed it is unbelievable. The scoring for the entire event was predictable and inflated - it's not even an Olympic year, but the judges are scoring it like it is. And Gilles/Poirer got high marks for skating skills, of all things...

I liked all the teams here, but it's hard to be excited when I already feel like they're going to be unable to hit those scores again for a long time, even if they improve a ton.

(And, on a personal note... where was the French favoritism last year when it was deserved? :sarcasm: )
 

MarieM

On the Ice
Joined
Mar 24, 2004
Well for one thing, it happened with D&W or V&M who got high scores early on. V&M especially. So it can happen if you're lucky to get the number one in your country soon enough.
Chance has a lot to do here.
But the FD in itself is enough to grant those marks. I would personnaly give it a ten for CH and IN.
 

Matt K

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 3, 2013
Tessa and Moir's Paso was a Compulsory Dance, not an OD, where everyone does identical steps, so the two are not comparable at all to any of the SDs this season, whether it be to Chock/Bates un-Paso Paso or Shibutanis's limp Paso. I believe Chock/Bates compulsory Paso steps, like their compulsory Finnstep steps from last season, have no character and are the weakest part of their programs.

That being said, I just watched the compulsory steps of the Pasos of all the couples, and they are downright average.
 

bartlebooth

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 19, 2010
(And, on a personal note... where was the French favoritism last year when it was deserved? :sarcasm: )

If I had to make a guess, I'd say that last year Gailhaguet was busy politicking for himself and his nth re-election, and made some crazy underhand deal.
 

Astrid56

Final Flight
Joined
Oct 24, 2014
Tessa and Moir's Paso was a Compulsory Dance, not an OD, where everyone does identical steps, so the two are not comparable at all to any of the SDs this season, whether it be to Chock/Bates un-Paso Paso or Shibutanis's limp Paso. I believe Chock/Bates compulsory Paso steps, like their compulsory Finnstep steps from last season, have no character and are the weakest part of their programs.

That being said, I just watched the compulsory steps of the Pasos of all the couples, and they are downright average.

Thank you for correcting me about the dance not comparable which I totally agree (I didn't follow Ice dance until this year) _ one being compulsory (Virtue/Moir), the other a short Dance (Chock/Bates). However I disagree about Chock/Bates' Paso being un-Paso. The music choice for the Paso portion was unconventional but the spirit of the dance was captured beautifully and essentially. Bates was, in essence, trying to depict the matador's psyche and stance: one doesn't need to depict the 'fight' to capture the essence of dance. In Paso, you have to have a definite, clear and workable concept for it to work right. Also, Chock used a clever costume to clearly depict what she was portraying - when she did the turns (both in upright and downward positions) _ one could readily see the cape. Kudos to whoever designed her costume.

BTW, I'm merely commenting on the dance itself as an art form performed in a particular genre.
 
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