2014 Skate Canada Free Dance 11/01

[WeakAnkles]

It's not his typical reaction, on the contrary. He's missed things before and always been quick to keep going right away and compete strong. Let's cut him a break. He's been holding it together for over a year now through each of Madi's injuries, the surgery and post-recovery. Supporting your partner while having to deal with all the stresses and frustrations of not being able to train/compete like you want/need to, even though you're healthy, is a lot. I think he's allowed two seconds of weakness.

A good deal of my sense of humor is based on gross exaggeration and the like. I wouldn't take me too seriously. I certainly don't.

But the fact is, based on his reaction, you would have thought he had screwed up the entire program rather than the ending pose. And that was telegraphed to the audience. Just sayin'... LOL!

 

[whatif]

So M/K are finished after this disaster? They had no justifiable reason not to podium here. RF are going to bury them and now will have no problem to prop the "swingers". They had a chance here to prove everyone wrong. S/B showed their determination and skated their lives out with one leg at the last week's SA. No excuses anymore.

 

[Alba]

So M/K are finished after this disaster? They had no justifiable reason not to podium here. RF are going to bury them and now will have no problem to prop the "swingers". They had a chance here to prove everyone wrong. S/B showed their determination and skated their lives out with one leg at the last week's SA. No excuses anymore.

I hope not. I think they're very talented and they got potential, but they seem to have some confidence issue.
I'm sorry for them and Hurtado&Diaz too.

I'm glad for the young canadians P&X though. Love them a lot.

 

[rain]

P/O — that is a stunning FD. Clearly they need to work on their OD as it puts them well down the results board. But that FD could put them properly on the map in Canada's dance scene. That first lift is absolutely gorgeous.
H/D — this team visibly lacked speed, but I liked parts of this.
Z/G — Hated this a lot. I don't mind modern, but it has to be clean as a whistle to really work. This was not. It was messy and ugly. The choreography did nothing to highlight their long lines, in fact it looked like it was choreographed to explicitly detract from them. Just a mess.
A/E — Forgettable.
M/K — Generic ice dance program #whatever. Wow that looked dated and dull.
H/D — This program needs some more miles, but I really liked it. The music may be a tad modern for some of the ice dance judges, though. Always a bit of a concern.
G/P — Like their SD, I loved this. It looked really polished already, fast, wonderful. And so much fun.
W/P — I loved their tango from last year — the first time I've really loved one of their FDs — but this has surpassed that. I loved this program. I think this is genius choreography. I loved all the weaving in and out of each other throughout. I loved the light little bounces in the first section. This is completely stunning, stunning work. I thought the score was maybe even a little low. That said, I thought there was still some room for work on a couple of the lifts. This is a world gold medal program.

 

[Snow63]

P/O — that is a stunning FD. Clearly they need to work on their OD as it puts them well down the results board. But that FD could put them properly on the map in Canada's dance scene. That first lift is absolutely gorgeous.
H/D — this team visibly lacked speed, but I liked parts of this.
Z/G — Hated this a lot. I don't mind modern, but it has to be clean as a whistle to really work. This was not. It was messy and ugly. The choreography did nothing to highlight their long lines, in fact it looked like it was choreographed to explicitly detract from them. Just a mess.
A/E — Forgettable.
M/K — Generic ice dance program #whatever. Wow that looked dated and dull.
H/D — This program needs some more miles, but I really liked it. The music may be a tad modern for some of the ice dance judges, though. Always a bit of a concern.
G/P — Like their SD, I loved this. It looked really polished already, fast, wonderful. And so much fun.
W/P — I loved their tango from last year — the first time I've really loved one of their FDs — but this has surpassed that. I loved this program. I think this is genius choreography. I loved all the weaving in and out of each other throughout. I loved the light little bounces in the first section. This is completely stunning, stunning work. I thought the score was maybe even a little low. That said, I thought there was still some room for work on a couple of the lifts. This is a world gold medal program.

Well, I don't know but the only generic dance I've seen yesterday was Hub/Don's one. And probably W/P. Two absolutely standart dances with next to zero originality and creativity (except terrible music and his street thug outfit of course). But at least W/P have an amazing execution, H/D so.. not so good.

Final placement after two dances is absolutely fair. IMO. But the gap in points between W/P and the rest should be bigger.

 

[loop9497]

I still love Hurtado/Diaz. I think their free is nice. Just needs some sharpening in performance and maybe little choreography add-ons or adjustments. Weaver/Poje were right on! So far of the handful of short dances I've seen this season, theirs is my favorite. And they were just so smooth with their free dance! Great performance. Zhiganshina/Gazsi - it almost felt like two programs in one to me. But I did like certain parts, like the hold when she was at his knees. I really hope they can rework this program and improve it greatly. I also like parts of Hubbell/Donahue's free dance, but I am not sold on it yet. I think they took a bit of a risk with this one.

 

[blancanieves]

A good deal of my sense of humor is based on gross exaggeration and the like. I wouldn't take me too seriously. I certainly don't.

But the fact is, based on his reaction, you would have thought he had screwed up the entire program rather than the ending pose. And that was telegraphed to the audience. Just sayin'... LOL!

All good Just throwing him a little love.

 

[Mao88]

FREE DANCE - VIDEOS & RESULT - updated

1. Kaitlyn WEAVER / Andrew POJE (CAN) - 171.10 Free Dance, 2nd Copy, 3rd Copy
2. Piper GILLES / Paul POIRIER (CAN) - 152.60 Free Dance, 2nd Copy, 3rd Copy
3. Madison HUBBELL / Zachary DONOHUE (USA) - 148.23 Free Dance, 2nd Copy, 3rd Copy
4. Ksenia MONKO / Kirill KHALIAVIN (RUS) - 143.48 Free Dance, 2nd Copy, 3rd Copy
5. Nelli ZHIGANSHINA / Alexander GAZSI (GER) - 140.95 Free Dance, 2nd Copy
6. Alexandra ALDRIDGE / Daniel EATON (USA) - 137.37 Free Dance, 2nd Copy
7. Elisabeth PARADIS / Francois-Xavier OUELLETTE (CAN) - 134.48 Free Dance, 2nd Copy
8. Sara HURTADO / Adria DIAZ (ESP) - 127.99 Free Dance, 2nd Copy

Medal Ceremony

 

[SHA]

W&P win the $18,000 US
G&P win the $13,000 US
H&D win the $9,000 US
M&K win the $3,000 US (Were 2nd after Short so $10,000 Loss)
Z&G win the $2,000 US (Had lowest TES in Short)

Sure this price money will come in handy helping to pay coaches fees and skating expenses

How many ISU Points do these teams win

 

[elif]

What Weaver/Poje doing? Where is all the difficult holds they do last year? This dance filled with easier holds like side by side holds and hand to hand extended holds :disapp: Last year they showed they can skate close without losing speed... Even ISU added new feature to program component scoring: ''skating close'' this year... Why do opposite of that?

 

[SHA]

Interesting
Level Fours during Skate Canada
6 H&D ($9,000) and A&E ($0)
5 W&P ($18,000) and G&P ($13,000) Host Federation
4 M&K ($2,000); P&Q ($0) and H&D ($0)
3 Z&G ($3,000)

Total Choreography Scores which seem to be tied to world standing (Pre-judged)
In Order of World Ranking Before Skate Canada
FD SD Total
W&P 8.96 8.71 17.67
G&P 7.96 7.89 15.85
Z&G 7.50 7.79 15.29
H&D 7.75 7.61 15.36
A&E 6.86 6.86 13.72
H&D 6.71 6.58 13.29
M&K 7.54 7.36 14.90
P&Q 6.82 6.25 13.07
I thought lower teams including P&Q had very nice choreography

 

[emdee]

Interesting
Level Fours during Skate Canada
6 H&D ($9,000) and A&E ($0)
5 W&P ($18,000) and G&P ($13,000) Host Federation
4 M&K ($2,000); P&Q ($0) and H&D ($0)
3 Z&G ($3,000)

Total Choreography Scores which seem to be tied to world standing (Pre-judged)
In Order of World Ranking Before Skate Canada
FD SD Total
W&P 8.96 8.71 17.67
G&P 7.96 7.89 15.85
Z&G 7.50 7.79 15.29
H&D 7.75 7.61 15.36
A&E 6.86 6.86 13.72
H&D 6.71 6.58 13.29
M&K 7.54 7.36 14.90
P&Q 6.82 6.25 13.07
I thought lower teams including P&Q had very nice choreography

Who are P&Q?

 

[wishonastar]

"... I also like parts of Hubbell/Donahue's free dance, but I am not sold on it yet. I think they took a bit of a risk with this one.

Isn't that what the sport should be about, being willing to try something different? To step out of that classical dance mode? Something needs to be done to get younger people interested in skating again, and seeing they can move like this on the ice rather than waltz around may show them.

 

[dorispulaski]

I think that would be Paradis & Ouellette

 

[Skategmt]

After seeing Hubbell and Donahue, i can see Hawayek and Baker placing better than them at US Nationals this year.

 

[sisinka]

Kaitlyn Weaver & Andrew Poje:

Twizzles Level 4:
…Features kept for enough rotations…
…I like it, it has very good ice coverage, but there is still a problem that Kaitlyn is maybe doing three turns sometimes. This time they were fighting in the second Set of Twizzles – watching their blades you will notice it.

Step Sequences Level 3 both:
…some very nice edges, but also some light edges, it should be improved

I like all lifts, nice positions, first lift was a little bit shaky. Kaitlyn is another long limbed lady, so lifts position where she can show it are always impressive.

Skating to classical music is always difficult. It is not about an entertainment. If you don’t have some really beautiful melody like in Scheherazade or Swan Lake which will bring tears into audience’s eyes just because of the melody, than you need a lot of effort to put a strong impression using classical music. Even Tessa & Scott were loosing thanks to not best music choice in comparison with beautiful and fan‘s catching melody of Scheherazade.

Music is light and skating of Kaitlin and Andrew was light also. Nice gliding, big number of jumps and hoops which I would reduce.

But to give an opinion to people that they saw something special which took their breath away... it needs to put all soul into it and live throught the program. And it didn’t happen this time. There was not a magic this time in the dance (the magic I saw in their last season’s Tango).

Still the best dance of the night and no doubts about placements.

I expect the dance to become stronger during the season. I take this dance like the strongest from all dances I saw yet.

 

[sisinka]

Madison Hubbell & Zachary Donohue:

Spin Level 4:
…very nicely done…

Twizzles Level 4:
…Features kept for enough rotations…
…and once again Madison is fighting in the second and third Set of Twizzles going through the toe-pick in one moment, which caused that during second Set of Twizzles she did a Piruette. Where is one Level down?

Circular Step Sequences Level 3:
…all edges looked very well, many of them deep…
…enough changes of holds – Killian – short Foxtrot – Tango – Killian – short Foxtrot – Waltz hold…

Diagonal Step Sequence Level 2:
…nice edges, in the last part of steps Zachary’s Bracket was not too clean, one turn with ice spread around by Madison’s blade – so it was not clean probably, but not visibly in camera…
…change of holds – Foxtrot – short Waltz – Killian – Tango hold…
…I wouldn’t be against Level 3…

I didn’t put so much attention to difficulty of transitions or open holds during transitions, but nothing wrong catched my eyes in those things.

The couple is not overall too fast, but very good Skating Skills are visible even from 20th row.

I liked the dance a lot.

I know that this couple is not US Federation‘s favourite and they will have a huge problem to get into World Team, but I would wish them to get there. Not even one US couple was able to produce real Spanish dance style, so Madison & Zachary are no exception in it. But in FD Madison & Zachary are those who presents themselves like the best US dancers and I liked their dance a lot and I must say that this is the real dance, not just putting one element after another. Without any attempt to hide weaknesses, just choreography done to music style and the couple interprets it really well.

Overall I think that modern music is the style which suits this couple the most.

For me the second best presentation in FD.

 

[sisinka]

Ksenia Monko & Kirill Khaliavin:

Spin Level 2:
…Ksenia executed Camel position and Upper Layback position. Kirill executed two Sit positions – one with leg forward and second with leg crossed behind (in both cases he had thigh of skating leg parallel to the ice). All positions were kept for three rotations or more.
…four Difficult Position from three Basic Positions with enough rotation (2 Difficult positions done in the same moment) – this is Level 4, not Level 2.

Twizzles Level 3:
…Ksenia didn’t balance well the last rotation in the second Set – Level 3, fully OK.

Circular Step Sequence Level 2:
…opening Chocktaw where Kirill didn’t execute second edge, Ksenia’s Mohawk – second edge was done but shortly, because she came too close to Kirill’s boot, One Foot Section done by both of them with 4 difficult turns (at the end of Ksenia’s last difficult turn - Double Twizzle, she came of balance, but still hold full two rotations on one foot – even not counted this she would have 3 difficult turns in a row)
…being strict and not count both Ksenia’s Mohawk and one of Double Twizzles, she would still have 7 difficult turns…
…being strict and not count Kirill’s opening Mohawk, he still has 8 difficult turns…
…changes of holds – from Killian - Foxtrot - Waltz into Tango (no change of hold in this due to rules, because Waltz and Tango holds are almost the same) – Killian hold – overall 3 changes of holds
…so the couple fulfill criteria for Level 3, but got Level 2 instead

Diagonal Step Sequence Level 1:
…many deep edges, some normal edges…
…Ksenia’s Counter in the middle part of steps had slight second edge only…
…Kirill’s Counter at the end of steps had both slight edges…
…last Mohawk – kids were already behind the boards, so the second edge was not seen on the camera, but from position of body edge was there…
…being strict and not counting those not so well done turns – Ksenia would have 6 clean difficult turns, Kirill had 6 clean difficult turns…
…change of holds – Killian – short Tango – Killian – short Foxtrot - Killian hold – 3 changes of holds
…for Level 3 in Step Sequence B you need 4 difficult turns (one of them being Double Twizzle), 3 different Dance holds and 3 changes of holds…they should get Level 3

I like curved spin a lot, like in Stepanova & Bukin’s case Ksenia is tall girl with very long legs, so every lift position is difficult to execute (in comparison with smaller girls), but when it takes place – it looks greatly. I am not a fan of straight lift towards the end, I would replace it with with some more elegant lift.

Benting upper body forward was almost corrected, which is visible during Step Sequences. Some choreographic movements in the beginning are done with planned bent forward, which I find like wrong idea, because it brings last year into mind, when couple didn’t had good posture. I would replace those moment with some other transitions.

(But if Monko & Khaliavin were able to improve their upper body posture a lot since last season, I think that Bobrova & Soloviev can correct it also. And I would like to advice to biggest “upper body bent forward“ skaters – Stepanova & Bukin and Zhiganshina & Gazsi to follow this journey.)

Skating classical music means that you can’t hoop every ten seconds, you need gliding, elegant moves, fluency in skating, big moves, finished movements. It was there. Classical music is not entertaining in style of Hollywood dancy movies. This is problematic in eyes of some fans visibly.

Bigger dynamics in music towards the end was accepted. I can never get rid of a feeling that when music is strong, the couple should be strong in expression as well, and the more the music is powerful, the more the couple should be powerful as well – Monko & Khaliavin never disappoint in this.

 

[sisinka]

Piper Gilles & Paul Poirier:

Twizzles Level 4:
…very well done with difficult positions…

Serpentine Steps Level 3:
…some very light edges from Piper, an invisible opening edge in Counter close to the board in front of the judges, no opening edge in Rocker in the middle of the ice, in the last part of the Step Sequence very very light opening edge (if any) in Chocktaw and no second edge in the same turn – this edge was the opening edge for next turn – a Bracket – so another turn not counted…
…in Piper’s case I counted 5 clean turns, but even in those turns some edges were so light that it was so so, strict Technical panel wouldn‘t count her more than 3-4 clean turns…
…Paul and his turns – well, I would count most of them, Bracket in the last part of the steps didn’t look too well as to second edge, but I didn’t see any major problem, but frankly I watched repeatedly his blades and I saw only one deeper edge and all other edges were soo light and not always clearly recognizable…if anybody says that at least Paul is good technician in this couple, please, watch his blades and realise that deep edges are a measure of great technique, not light edges…
…changes of holds – Killian – short Tango – Waltz – short Killian – Foxtrot – Waltz hold…OK.

After SD I had an opinion that a couple is good technically, but after watching their technique in FD – Piper is very poor in both Transition‘s technique and Step Sequences and Paul is very very average technician watching quality of his production of steps. (He was better with Vanessa Crone, but skating with technically weak partner means always a danger that you will slowly loose your skills – in Paul’s case it really happened.)

Watch Hurtado & Diaz – even such couple which is weaker in technique has much deeper and better edges than Piper & Paul. How G&P Skating Skills could get over both H&D and M&K, that is a real nonsense.

How the couple met Level 3 in Serpentine Step Sequences – oh, I forgot, Technical specialist is a Canadian.

Midline Step Sequences Level 3:
…changes of holds – Foxtrot – Killian – Foxtrot – short Waltz - short Tango
…once again many light edges, unsure edges, some almost invisible edges…
…why Level 3, really all “problematic“ edges were done correctly and properly?

For some moment I had an idea that low Levels for Monko & Khaliavin could be caused by some dance hold which was kept for a short time, but visibly Piper & Paul had also very short dance holds and it was counted into change of holds because they got Level 3. So there can’t be a problem.

Number of jumps: 3
Number of hoops plus toe steps: 31 (plus two steps at the end should be two footed change of direction, but in execution of Piper it were another two hoops)

If somebody will continue saying that judges love fast couples, it is completely wrong, because if they did, they wouldn’t be able to give high marks to Piper & Paul, who are rather slower, and getting speed mainly from cross-overs only.

I liked a lot curved lift, it was original and well done. Not positive about opening lift, where lack of elegancy hit the eyes.

Piper’s no knee action in transitions is warning, it puts the overall average technique level of the couple down about another level. She very often doesn’t finish her arm and leg moves, she is way to relaxed and lax sometimes.

Nice choreography which tries to hide lack of high level technique.

The music is light and positive, the couple dances in light and positive mood, it is nice, entertaining, sometimes funny. And figure skating definitely needs such routines which will bring smile on face. But looking at skating quality, there is a long journey in front of the couple.

 

[sisinka]

Nelli Zhiganshina & Alex Gazsi:

Spin Level 4:
…well performed…

Step Sequences Level 3 and 3:
…this was probably one of the best edge work I saw from them since last few years…
…changes of holds in Circular Step Sequence – Tango – Foxtrot – Killian – short Tango – Killian hold…
…and once again – to get Level 3 Germans needed short Tango hold counted – and it was, because they got Level 3 (so another case when short hold was counted, so Monko & Khaliavin couldn’t be punished by panel for something what other couples were not punished for)…

Overall in Step Sequences even Nelli & Alex were better then Piper & Paul today.