How important is costuming?

[cheerknithanson]

I long for some simple and classical costume which has no jem (or almost). Any suggestion?

Alaine Chartrand's 2014-2015 SP. It looked lacey but no gems.

 

[Meoima]

Alaine Chartrand's 2014-2015 SP. It looked lacey but no gems.

But she has tendency to cover her arms with... Whatever too long.

 

[cheerknithanson]

But she has tendency to cover her arms with... Whatever too long.

The gloves?

 

[Meoima]

The gloves?

Yeah.... In both SP and LP.

 

[cheerknithanson]

Yeah.... In both SP and LP.

So?

 

[Interspectator]

Here's another important question:
Frills or Lace or Sequins or Drapery or No embellishment ? --line them up on your order of preference. You know, just generalizing.

For me:
1.Sparse Frills
2.No embellishment
3.Drapery
4.Sequins
5.Lace

 

[Meoima]

So?

She will look better without it.

 

[Layback11]

Here's another important question:
Frills or Lace or Sequins or Drapery or No embellishment ? --line them up on your order of preference. You know, just generalizing.

For me:
1.Sparse Frills
2.No embellishment
3.Drapery
4.Sequins
5.Lace

1. Lace
2. Sequins
3. No embellishment
4. Frills
5. Drapery

 

[mrrice]

Good Grief Gloves!!! I was having some friends over to watch the World Championships in 2001. When Michelle won back to back for the first and only time. If ever there was a skater who needed gloves it was..........Todd Eldridge. He was fast and had great spins but, his hands!! Horrible. Good Hands......Plushy!! You know who else has good hands. Jeremy Abbott and Joshua Ferris. Now that I think of it, there has been a TON of improvement in the "Hand" department.

 

[Mathman]

If ever there was a skater who needed gloves it was..........Todd Eldridge. He was fast and had great spins but, his hands!! Horrible.

Wait, what? Would wearing gloves make Todd's hand movements more graceful?

 

[mrrice]

Wait, what? Would wearing gloves make Todd's hand movements more graceful?

Good question.....Here's my best answer. What gloves would have done for Todd was finish the "Line" from his shoulder through his fingertips. Todd had a tendency to spread his fingers almost to the point of having "Jazz Hands" even during lyrical moments. His other problem was his costume. Black, with a turtle neck, and long sleeves. It screamed for gloves.

Watch Joshua Ferris' free skate from last season. He probably has the best hands and arms I've ever seen. Watch the ending 5 seconds of his LP from 4cc last year. Brilliant. Holy cow.....I forgot Adam. Great hands!! However, Josh still wins the "Hand Off." That's the name of my best hands competition.

I just double checked to make sure I was right and yes. It's his 2001 SP from Worlds in Vancouver. Have a look and you'll see what I mean.

 

[Meoima]

Good question.....Here's my best answer. What gloves would have done for Todd was finish the "Line" from his shoulder through his fingertips. Todd had a tendency to spread his fingers almost to the point of having "Jazz Hands" even during lyrical moments. His other problem was his costume. Black, with a turtle neck, and long sleeves. It screamed for gloves.

Watch Joshua Ferris' free skate from last season. He probably has the best hands and arms I've ever seen. Watch the ending 5 seconds of his LP from 4cc last year. Brilliant. Holy cow.....I forgot Adam. Great hands!! However, Josh still wins the "Hand Off." That's the name of my best hands competition.

I just double checked to make sure I was right and yes. It's his 2001 SP from Worlds in Vancouver. Have a look and you'll see what I mean.

Well I look at their legs more than their hands, and their leg movements are counted and judged mostly, not their hand movements. For sure we can just ask any judges.

 

[mrrice]

Well I look at their legs more than their hands, and their leg movements are counted and judged mostly, not their hand movements. For sure we can just ask any judges.

This is an interesting question and I can promise you that judges have these same questions. I judge dance and I can tell you with my years of experience, it happens at every competition. "Were we watching the same team?" Is a question that goes through every judges mind at some point during every season. That's the reason there are panels of judges instead of just one. Remember when they used to throw out the high and the low score from every skater?

All Judges have their "Thing" or maybe "Peeve" is a better word. My Peeve as a judge.......Eye Contact and Posture.

"Ladies!" "I can't buy it if you're not gonna sell it to me." "Pull those shoulders down and lift those heads up so I can see your faces" are just a couple of the things I've been known to say on my judging tapes.

 

[Meoima]

This is an interesting question and I can promise you that judges have these same questions. I judge dance and I can tell you with my years of experience, it happens at every competition. "Were we watching the same team?" Is a question that goes through every judges mind at some point during every season. That's the reason there are panels of judges instead of just one. Remember when they used to throw out the high and the low score from every skater?

All Judges have their "Thing" or maybe "Peeve" is a better word. My Peeve as a judge.......Eye Contact and Posture.

"Ladies!" "I can't buy it if you're not gonna sell it to me." "Pull those shoulders down and lift those heads up so I can see your faces" are just a couple of the things I've been known to say on my judging tapes.

It's ice dance you are talking about, then certainly posture and connection to the audience are more important. But I think in singles, elements are more important. If judges give Carolina high scores because "her hands are beautiful" I don't know what to say about this.

 

[mrrice]

It's ice dance you are talking about, then certainly posture and connection to the audience are more important. But I think in singles, elements are more important. If judges give Carolina high scores because "her hands are beautiful" I don't know what to say about this.

I'm sorry Meoima, I'm a non skating dance judge for High School and College Dance Drill Teams. Like the kind you'd see on ESPN. I hope that made sense.

 

[Meoima]

I'm sorry Meoima, I'm a non skating dance judge for High School and College Dance Drill Teams. Like the kind you'd see on ESPN. I hope that made sense.

I understand. I misunderstood that you're an ince dance judge.
Anyways I often look at their feet more often. Of course good posture leaves good impression on audience overall but I remember that judges' monitors focus on skaters' feet the most.

 

[Mathman]

Todd had a tendency to spread his fingers almost to the point of having "Jazz Hands" even during lyrical moments.

Is this the same as "starfish hands"? Johnny Weir as a commentator used to criticize Patrick Chan's "starfish hands" the year that he did Phantom of the Opera. But there Patrick was trying to be melodramatic and scary, so it seemed right for that program.

http://www.windsorstar.com/cms/binary/2583629.jpg

...his costume. Black, with a turtle neck, and long sleeves.

Todd never met a cowled shirt that he didn't like. I ran into him a couple of times browsing for music at the local Border's bookstore. He was really nice.

 

[mrrice]

Is this the same as "starfish hands"? Johnny Weir as a commentator used to criticize Patrick Chan's "starfish hands" the year that he did Phantom of the Opera. But there Patrick was trying to be melodramatic and scary, so it seemed right for that program.

http://www.windsorstar.com/cms/binary/2583629.jpg

I've always thought that Patrick Chan had good everything. Except nerves. He's still one of my favorite male skaters in the last decade. Along with Plusy, Alexei Yagudin, and many of the current skaters. This is a very good era for skating.

 

[Meoima]

I've always thought that Patrick Chan had good everything. Except nerves. He's still one of my favorite male skaters in the last decade. Along with Plusy, Alexei Yagudin, and many of the current skaters. This is a very good era for skating.

So Patrick's hands are alright but Todd's hands are not?

 

[mrrice]

So Patrick's hands are alright but Todd's hands are not?

YESSSSSSSSSSS!! 100% Yes. Don't you remember when Patrick would fall twice and still win? People everywhere would freak out. Patrick is a gifted skater and maybe it's because he makes it look easy, he doesn't always get the respect he deserves. Of course, that's just my opinion.