2015 US Nationals Senior Free Dance Jan. 24 | Page 11 | Golden Skate

2015 US Nationals Senior Free Dance Jan. 24

bramweld

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2012
I hope you like it. I think it's a lot less cold and it shows off Maia a lot more.

It's always a smart move to show off a partner as exquisite as Maia, she is awesome. Hope they are getting their groove back. The disappointments this season seem to have really pushed them to dig deep. But boy I want video like yesterday :)
 

Scovies

Final Flight
Joined
Jan 10, 2014
This. :thumbsup: Shibs should do something about it. They need be "bigger" because their skating skills, posture are way above Chocks.

They desperately need better, more interesting FD programs (their short is FABULOUS, though). Stop letting Marina do your choreo, ShibSibs!
 

tulosai

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 21, 2011
This. :thumbsup: Shibs should do something about it. They need be "bigger" because their skating skills, posture are way above Chocks.

quite honestly, internationally, it is also as simple as they need to hit the levels. While I personally prefer C/B I think the Shibs could be competitive with them internationally if they would 'skate bigger' and hit the levels. My biggest wish for them is that they'd consult seriously with a good technical coach. They ARE capable of hitting the levels, and we all know this, but nowadays they rarely do so in international competition, whereas C/B, whether their skating skills are as good or not, are almost always on the right edge at the right time and so get everything called as a level 3 (at worst) or a 4.
 

Mrs. P

Uno, Dos, twizzle!
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 27, 2009
This. :thumbsup: Shibs should do something about it. They need be "bigger" because their skating skills, posture are way above Chocks.

Definitely. They were pretty close in TES, it was PCS that did them in.

That said, I think it's encouraging the amount of improvement made.

Let's consider at Nationals last year, Chock and Bates beat them by 11 points exactly. (Boy that 11 number keeps popping up!)
Let's consider at Skate America, Chock and Bates again beat them by nearly 11 points.
At Grand Prix Final the gap between them was a little over 8 points.

The gap at this competition was a less than 4 points. The gap is closing. They on the right track.
 
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Cleo

On the Ice
Joined
Jan 23, 2004
They desperately need better, more interesting FD programs (their short is FABULOUS, though). Stop letting Marina do your choreo, ShibSibs!

Corky Ballas did the fantastic short (or at least had input - and coached them in dance style). I'd love to see the Shibs work with someone like Chris Dean for the FD next year and do something really unique.
 

lavender

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
I figured that the rankings would go the way that it has internationally with C/B on top of the Shibs so the only suspense for me was for 3rd place.
 

ozmodiar

On the Ice
Joined
Jan 11, 2014
Shibs got the exact same levels as C/B (all level 4 except the step sequences level 3). They lost on GOE and PCE. The only GOE where they were higher was for twizzles, and only just barely.
 

willdu

On the Ice
Joined
Nov 13, 2012
I think the SD was a much better vehicle for the Shibs in terms of selling the performance and drawing the audience in. The FD was nice and really refined, but I feel like it takes a fan to really get into the program. It's just surprising that Marina keeps giving the Shibs these "safe" programs.

We know that Marina is more than capable of choreographing big and dramatic ala Davis and White (Scheherazade, Notre Dame) and V/M (Carmen). I'd like to see the Shibs do something that they can really sell. Perhaps a number from a musical where the interpretation could be more literal? It'll be interesting to see what happens at worlds and how the edited FD is received.
 

yyyskate

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 1, 2013
just watched these 2 gorgeous dance, to my very untrained eyes, I thought Shibs was great. The change made it more showy, and especially Maia is such a great dancer, I thought, this would put pressure on C/B, then they delivered too, Madison does not have as good posture as Maria, but that sinuous image of hers, and her flirt just worked, everything timed so well to music, and that lift and that cam angle, together just worked for me. Great performances from both of them and what a great competition.
 

Mrs. P

Uno, Dos, twizzle!
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 27, 2009
Let's consider the fact the Shibs considered walking away from the sport all together after last season. You got the sense after the Olympics, they felt emotionally drained and finding the motivation to keep going was tough.

I'm really glad they didn't. I hope this keeps the fire in them to keep improving and growing.
 
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100yen

You can't explain witchcraft
Medalist
Joined
Jan 8, 2009
Let's consider the fact the Shibs considered walking away from the sport all together after last season. You got the sense after the Olympics, they felt emotionally drained and finding the motivation to keep going was tough.

I'm really glad they didn't. I hope this keeps the fire in them to keep improving and growing.

I hope it doesn't do the opposite and discourage them...
 

Mrs. P

Uno, Dos, twizzle!
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 27, 2009
I hope it doesn't do the opposite and discourage them...

I don't think it will. They are at a much better place this time than they were a year ago when they barely got the third Olympic spot. This time, they were securely in 2nd and even was within distance of 1st.
 

tulosai

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 21, 2011
I hope it doesn't do the opposite and discourage them...

I don't know why it would. I actually think the gap between them and C/B is VERY encouraging to anyone who is approaching this realistically- and the Shibs strike me as realistic.

ETA: Mrs P great minds again...
 

matcha

Medalist
Joined
Feb 25, 2014
Let's consider the fact the Shibs considered walking away from the sport all together after last season. You got the sense after the Olympics, they felt emotionally drained and finding the motivation to keep going was tough.

I'm really glad they didn't. I hope this keeps the fire in them to keep improving and growing.

I literally had no idea about this, and I thought I followed them pretty closely? (Not enough, apparently haha)
 

Mrs. P

Uno, Dos, twizzle!
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 27, 2009
I literally had no idea about this, and I thought I followed them pretty closely? (Not enough, apparently haha)

They mentioned it during the broadcast.

But here's the reference: http://archive.freep.com/article/20.../meryl-davis-and-charlie-white-sochi-olympics
Which brings us to Alex and Maia Shibutani, who train in Canton and took ninth in Sochi.

They said they are not certain whether they will return next season.

When they said this, in the mixed zone after the competition, I was stunned.

The Shib Sibs not coming back? These two, young, happy, funkids?

You can’t go, all the plants are gonna die!

The Shib Sibs are fascinating. They are competing in a sport that is athletic, to be sure, but it has a strong sexual undercurrent. Obviously, as a brother and sister, they can’t play that card like all the other teams. They can’t go anywhere near that, or else everybody would fall down and throw up.

Which gives all the other dance teams a huge advantage over the Shib Sibs.
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
what a great competition! All of the top four were outstanding. Nice crowd in the arena, too. I can't fault the judging, although my favorites were the lyrical Maia/Alex and Hawayek/Baker over the jazzy Chock/Bates and Hubble/Donahue. All were outstanding, though.
 

TontoK

Hot Tonto
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 28, 2013
Country
United-States
Even if H/D make the World team they will really have to improve to keep H/B from passing them in the future.

I'm a big H/D fan, but to be honest, I think H/B should have beaten them tonight.

They were really, really polished. Well done for first year seniors... or for anyone, for that matter.
 

Mrs. P

Uno, Dos, twizzle!
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 27, 2009
what a great competition! All of the top four were outstanding. Nice crowd in the arena, too. I can't fault the judging, although my favorites were the lyrical Maia/Alex and Hawayek/Baker over the jazzy Chock/Bates and Hubble/Donahue. All were outstanding, though.

I'm with you MM.

I have to give a shout out to Statsia and Colin as well! Love the Dance Macabre program!

As a ShibSibs fan, I actually feel encouraged by all this, despite that they didn't win. I mean I'm disappointed they didn't win, of course. But there were times this season where I just really felt discouraged about their prospects. I came away with a more positive outlook going forward. My hope is the momentum keeps going.

It's like the Seattle Seahawks when they were 3-3 early in the season....Now they're going to the Super Bowl! (Sorry Patriots fans, got to represent my PNW.)
 
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yyyskate

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 1, 2013
i happened to prefer the jazzy/hiphop Chock/Bates and Hubble/Donahue than lyrical/emotional Maia/Alex and Hawayek/Baker this time. :D
 
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