2016 Worlds Short Dance

invisiblespiral said:

G/P: Someone burn their costumes. And this dance is really really weird.

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Invisiblespiral, while the costumes are not a Vera Wang original, I believe they were design/created by Piper herself as a tribute to the Fab Four and the Sargent Pepper theme. I am a fan, as it matches their unique style and personalities. As for the dance, I guess it's a matter of taste. I 'd it, and it looks like the fans in attendance and judges did too.

It is definitely on my replay list.

So now the Russian team is officially complaining about tech panel in ice dance. http://www.stadium.ru/news/31-03-20...oven-dorojek-sinitsinoi-katsalapova-do-vtoroi
Just like me, the head coach of Russian team, Karponosov thinks that had S/K's steps were called Level3 they would have been 5th. Also Zueva went on to rant about the fact that this season it only happened at the events called by Dostatni.
http://ultraimg.com/images/giphy0830f.gif

machin said:

Still ways better than your french I guess

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Maybe not, maybe not. I don't know what part of Canada 4everchan is from. (Of course, you may not consider français canadien to be french. )

Anyway, to an American there is nothing sexier than a French accent.

whatif said:

So now the Russian team is officially complaining about tech panel in ice dance. http://www.stadium.ru/news/31-03-20...oven-dorojek-sinitsinoi-katsalapova-do-vtoroi
Just like me, the head coach of Russian team, Karponosov thinks that had S/K's steps were called Level3 they would have been 5th. Also Zueva went on to rant about the fact that this season it only happened at the events called by Dostatni.
http://ultraimg.com/images/giphy0830f.gif

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Yikes. Honestly, I don't know how useful that is. I share the misgivings about Dostatni because IMO he has recognizable history of questionable calls that goes way back to the beginnings of IJS. And that he's still a tech specialist with that history tells you a lot about the ISU... But, OTOH, they got that level 2 at Cup of Russia in the SD. On that exact same step sequence. Shouldn't another reaction also have been: "Yikes, this is a super harsh caller for us. Let's try to make sure that the step sequence is as correct as possible and make necessary changes if needed." ? Or do they suggest deliberate wrong calls? Then another answer would be an official complaint to the ISU. I don't know how useful such a thing is either. OTOH, I've long said that the situation with tech specialists and constitution of tech panels in ice dance is problematic, perhaps forcing the ISU to address it might make a difference.

katha said:

Yikes. Honestly, I don't know how useful that is. I share the misgivings about Dostatni because IMO he has recognizable history of questionable calls that goes way back to the beginnings of IJS. And that he's still a tech specialist with that history tells you a lot about the ISU... But, OTOH, they got that level 2 at Cup of Russia in the SD. On that exact same step sequence. Shouldn't another reaction also have been: "Yikes, this is a super harsh caller for us. Let's try to make sure that the step sequence is as correct as possible and make necessary changes if needed." ? Or do they suggest deliberate wrong calls? Then another answer would be an official complaint to the ISU. I don't know how useful such a thing is either. OTOH, I've long said that the situation with tech specialists and constitution of tech panels in ice dance is problematic, perhaps forcing thei ISU to address it might make a difference.

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It happens the only two events were that element was called Level2 and both were judged by Dostatni as they claim. In other outings it was L3. But I could be wrong, too lazy to check.

No, they're correct. But that in itself only proves that Dostatni perceives something (whatever) wrong with the step sequence that the other callers don't. How would you prove that it's not level 2 but level 3 and Dostatni is incorrect? Or how would you prove malicious intent? Idk how something like that would work, if you would actually want to do anything about it?

invisiblespiral said:

Watching my way through the people I missed in the top 8...

P/C: They did have really messy twizzles, though. But everything else was beautiful and fluid.

G/P: Someone burn their costumes. And this dance is really really weird.

H/D: This dance has won me over.

C/B: I hope they do just as well in the FD!

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Rightbackatcha!

P/C: I'm really starting to like them. Their short dance is one of the best.

G/P: weird is just a side effect of being awesome.

H/D: by far their best performance artistically this season! Also, I'm pretty sure they are trying to make me ship them...

C/B: they've had a lot of lackluster performances of this SD, so I'm glad they had a good one here, when it mattered the most! I like their SD a lot. As WeakAnkles said, it's very traditional ballroom, which I like. Very few people chose to go the traditional ballroom route, so I like that they did.

Didn't watch W/P.

S/S: *dissolves into blubbering mess*

C/L: I thought their SD was very charming and I like the effervescent feel it has. Shame about the twizzles. Also, her dress is gorgeous. (I love the "1950's wedding dress" look it has.")

I don't think I watched anyone else...

katha said:

Yikes. Honestly, I don't know how useful that is. I share the misgivings about Dostatni because IMO he has recognizable history of questionable calls that goes way back to the beginnings of IJS. And that he's still a tech specialist with that history tells you a lot about the ISU... But, OTOH, they got that level 2 at Cup of Russia in the SD. On that exact same step sequence. Shouldn't another reaction also have been: "Yikes, this is a super harsh caller for us. Let's try to make sure that the step sequence is as correct as possible and make necessary changes if needed." ? Or do they suggest deliberate wrong calls? Then another answer would be an official complaint to the ISU. I don't know how useful such a thing is either. OTOH, I've long said that the situation with tech specialists and constitution of tech panels in ice dance is problematic, perhaps forcing the ISU to address it might make a difference.

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To be honest their pattern was not their best yesterday and you could sense that based on their response to the scores in the kiss and cry. Take a look at their feet and it becomes obvious. Victoria also becomes noticeably tense in her facial expressions as well. This response won't do them any good in the free. They're good but not soup yet.

I was too tired to comment last night when I got back to my hotel, but just wanted to add a few opinions now. Please bear in mind that these are all just feelings about my general impression. I am not qualified to talk about tech, levels or scores.

In the early groups, I really enjoyed the Polish couple. Their choreo really used the music's subtleties well. The Japanese were really lovely and I couldn't believe they have been together for such a short time. I really liked the Germans, Turkish and Israeli teams too. The Danes were beautiful and I loved their costumes. I found the Russians very engaging and lovely to watch, but it seemed a bit messy at times.

In the last two groups, I was blown away by the Brits. I couldn't believe how much better they were than the last time I saw them (on screen then). I was also amazed that the judges actually put them above S/K!

Hubbell and Donahue were beautiful to watch. Their movement was haunting.

I did not like Stepanova's dress. I like orange, but this was almost fluorescent and the sparkle on top felt way too much. Their twizzles were lovely. However, she still brings her shoulders up a lot during the dance and it ruins the impression for me.

Guignard and Fabri were good, but didn't leave a lasting impression for me.

Gilles and Poirier were great. They engaged the audience well and it felt crisp and clean.

The Shibs were wonderful. It was crisp, clean and beautiful to watch. A few bits of the choreo don't come across quite as well in the big arena as on screen, but I'm sure the judges got the best impression.

Chock and Bates were very classic ballroom and they really engage the audience, but I wasn't blown away.

Similarly for Weaver and Poje, I liked them but I wasn't transported in any way.

Anna Cappellini looked absolutely stunning. Their dance was very pretty, but felt small and slow in comparison to others in the last group. I understand why they were behind the Canadians even though it shocked me that the judges went there.

And then... Papadakis and Cizeron... Honestly, this blew me away. I had tears in my eyes at one point. This was a transporting experience! We couldn't wait to get on our feet by the end. There was just something about their movement and presence on the ice that was unsurpassed. Magical. Many other performances were good or even great, but this caught my heart.

TheGrandSophy said:

And then... Papadakis and Cizeron... Honestly, this blew me away. I had tears in my eyes at one point. This was a transporting experience! We couldn't wait to get on our feet by the end. There was just something about their movement and presence on the ice that was unsurpassed. Magical. Many other performances were good or even great, but this caught my heart.

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many many thanks for sharing this personal impression of them - I was really curious if this 'transcendent' feeling is a myth or truth watching them

TheGrandSophy said:

I was too tired to comment last night when I got back to my hotel, but just wanted to add a few opinions now. Please bear in mind that these are all just feelings about my general impression. I am not qualified to talk about tech, levels or scores.

In the early groups, I really enjoyed the Polish couple. Their choreo really used the music's subtleties well. The Japanese were really lovely and I couldn't believe they have been together for such a short time. I really liked the Germans, Turkish and Israeli teams too. The Danes were beautiful and I loved their costumes. I found the Russians very engaging and lovely to watch, but it seemed a bit messy at times.

In the last two groups, I was blown away by the Brits. I couldn't believe how much better they were than the last time I saw them (on screen then). I was also amazed that the judges actually put them above S/K!

Hubbell and Donahue were beautiful to watch. Their movement was haunting.

I did not like Stepanova's dress. I like orange, but this was almost fluorescent and the sparkle on top felt way too much. Their twizzles were lovely. However, she still brings her shoulders up a lot during the dance and it ruins the impression for me.

Guignard and Fabri were good, but didn't leave a lasting impression for me.

Gilles and Poirier were great. They engaged the audience well and it felt crisp and clean.

The Shibs were wonderful. It was crisp, clean and beautiful to watch. A few bits of the choreo don't come across quite as well in the big arena as on screen, but I'm sure the judges got the best impression.

Chock and Bates were very classic ballroom and they really engage the audience, but I wasn't blown away.

Similarly for Weaver and Poje, I liked them but I wasn't transported in any way.

Anna Cappellini looked absolutely stunning. Their dance was very pretty, but felt small and slow in comparison to others in the last group. I understand why they were behind the Canadians even though it shocked me that the judges went there.

And then... Papadakis and Cizeron... Honestly, this blew me away. I had tears in my eyes at one point. This was a transporting experience! We couldn't wait to get on our feet by the end. There was just something about their movement and presence on the ice that was unsurpassed. Magical. Many other performances were good or even great, but this caught my heart.

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Well it is good to know that it wasn't a trick of watching it on a computer monitor--that C/L really are much slower than every other top couple. And I was right about their placement.

Thank you for your post. Live, I'm sure, is so much more emotionally engaging than seeing it on a tiny screen!

katha said:

Yikes. Honestly, I don't know how useful that is. I share the misgivings about Dostatni because IMO he has recognizable history of questionable calls that goes way back to the beginnings of IJS. And that he's still a tech specialist with that history tells you a lot about the ISU... But, OTOH, they got that level 2 at Cup of Russia in the SD. On that exact same step sequence. Shouldn't another reaction also have been: "Yikes, this is a super harsh caller for us. Let's try to make sure that the step sequence is as correct as possible and make necessary changes if needed." ? Or do they suggest deliberate wrong calls? Then another answer would be an official complaint to the ISU. I don't know how useful such a thing is either. OTOH, I've long said that the situation with tech specialists and constitution of tech panels in ice dance is problematic, perhaps forcing the ISU to address it might make a difference.

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But do you (or anyone else) have any idea of what's wrong in their step sequence? What exactly do they need to correct?

Worlds 2016 SD My Impressions
I finally got to see the final two groups of dancers. From what I watched, it was a well-skated event. I can’t argue much with the overall placements but perhaps the PCS scores were just a bit too high in some elements performed from the top dancers. P&C deserved the win here. He is just sublime. I watch him more than her because he has great depth of edge on his blade and is a natural dancer with wonderful extension. He also expresses the music from head to toe. She is not as strong as him but makes a fine partner. They look golden and (barring any accidental error) are on track to win their 2nd world title.

The Shibs clearly have the most stunning twizzles of all the dancers. Maia (in character) in this program is more expressive than I have ever seen her. I think she should continue to find a character to identify with in future programs as it makes a difference in her overall presentation. Alex presents her very well and skating in Boston with a strong FD should allow them to make the podium.

Both Weaver & Poje & Chock & Bates had elegant ballroom programs. IMO Poje is the weaker of the two especially in the twizzles but they are both tall which makes for an impressive look on the ice. Chock is smaller than Bates, so their lifts are fabulous. IMO their ending lift was by far the most difficult and visually spectacular. They also skate closer together in closed holds than some of the other top teams. One of these two teams will likely make the podium.

Hubbell & Donohue also performed well. Donohue has improved his technical footwork this season which is why they are getting higher scores. Not a fan of the SD music but it was well done.

The top Italian team (and former world champs) efforts seem less impressive and because they are somewhat smaller in height than most of the other top teams, they appeared much slower in overall speed.

Gilles & Poirier’s routines are always just a little different from the pack and their SD was certainly enjoyable to watch, generating strong scores that put them in the final FD group. It will be interesting to see if they can hold this placement after the FD.

KKonas said:

Worlds 2016 SD My Impressions
I finally got to see the final two groups of dancers. From what I watched, it was a well-skated event. I can’t argue much with the overall placements but perhaps the PCS scores were just a bit too high in some elements performed from the top dancers. P&C deserved the win here. He is just sublime. I watch him more than her because he has great depth of edge on his blade and is a natural dancer with wonderful extension. He also expresses the music from head to toe. She is not as strong as him but makes a fine partner. They look golden and (barring any accidental error) are on track to win their 2nd world title.

The Shibs clearly have the most stunning twizzles of all the dancers. Maia (in character) in this program is more expressive than I have ever seen her. I think she should continue to find a character to identify with in future programs as it makes a difference in her overall presentation. Alex presents her very well and skating in Boston with a strong FD should allow them to make the podium.

Both Weaver & Poje & Chock & Bates had elegant ballroom programs. IMO Poje is the weaker of the two especially in the twizzles but they are both tall which makes for an impressive look on the ice. Chock is smaller than Bates, so their lifts are fabulous. IMO their ending lift was by far the most difficult and visually spectacular. They also skate closer together in closed holds than some of the other top teams. One of these two teams will likely make the podium.

Hubbell & Donohue also performed well. Donohue has improved his technical footwork this season which is why they are getting higher scores. Not a fan of the SD music but it was well done.

The top Italian team (and former world champs) efforts seem less impressive and because they are somewhat smaller in height than most of the other top teams, they appeared much slower in overall speed.

Gilles & Poirier’s routines are always just a little different from the pack and their SD was certainly enjoyable to watch, generating strong scores that put them in the final FD group. It will be interesting to see if they can hold this placement after the FD.

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Spot on. The only thing I would add is about Donohue. He's also improved three crucial things: his conditioning, his extension (and they are wisely choreographing to take advantage of this teams's tremendous, long limbs) and, most important of all, his attitude.

I have to agree with you on Ck/Bts final lift: it is the most spectacular of the SD lifts. The lifts as a whole were good for the entire competition, but that lift is spectacular.

Okay, going to write my live report.

The top 5:

Papadakis/Cizeron: There's much to like about this team. Their fluidity is second to none. Cizeron is a very good partner who knows how to dial it down so his partner doesn't get lost in the fold. However, while I'm OK with them winning, the score was a bit high to me. They did OK on the pattern and she had a slight issue on twizzles. I'm hoping that with hip-hop/blues as the next pattern, we'll see a different style from them, something perhaps more upbeat. I really enjoyed their exhibition today, and I'm hoping that's a taste of what's to come with the SD in 2016-2017.

Shibutanis: They looked so secure! I remember that in the past they would be so cagey about doing pattern dances, but today it was clear they had mastered the pattern where they could actually focus on performing it well and less about getting the key points. I agree with TGS that perhaps the pattern "appeared" smaller compared to TV, but I think you can appreciate more the precision they have in their edges in person. I'm hoping they'll keep working on their projection because it will continue to help them improve in their PCS scores.

Chock/Bates: Much, much better than 4CC! However, you got the sense that they still don't absolutely LOVE this dance. Maybe that's just my personal perception. In any case, it was nice for them to go strict ballroom rather than something drama/character driven, which seems to be more in their wheelhouse. Lifts are the best in the business. Twizzles improved, though I still hold my breath.

Weaver/Poje - Weaver and Poje had improved in their speed, when compared to 2012, when I saw them at Skate America. And I appreciate their desire for more complex choreography. However, I think at times the execution was a bit sloppy, which is why they lost levels. I think complexity is great, but execution is key.

Gilles/Poirier: The music change was definitely a positive thing and I have to give them props for their willingness to change it at the last minute. I appreciate the creativity but sometimes you just need to go straightforward with a concept and make it work, which they did.

Notes from the rest of the field:

Hubbell and Donahue improved so much since 2014 Nationals. Yes, Hubbell was coming off an injury, but I think it's more than being healed, I really do thing they have been able to work more on their skating skills and speed since moving to Montreal.

Cappellini/Lanotte - They are well packaged for sure, but I agree with others they seem relatively slower compared to the others.

Katslapov/Sinitsina is much better live than on TV -- though opinions seem to differ here. I (speaking for myself) think they had good speed. I think Nikita is working hard to present Viktoria and I think she has improved greatly since last year. The twizzles when done well, like here, are really good. It's sort of like Anna P's falls -- it's either really good or total diaster because Nikita EXPLODES into the twizzles.

Kaliszek/Spodirev of Poland were my new love. They had a ton of personality and really peformed the dance well.

Muramoto/Reed was also impressive. So amazing that Muramoto has picked this up. They have nice presence.

Overall, a great and well-skated event. I probably will post with more notes, but this is what I got now.

I enjoyed being able to watch this whole event live! I don't have much to add to what the others have said. Among the lower ranked couples, I really liked the Polish team. They really caught the character of the dances they portrayed, and have a very nice sense of timing. I also liked Chris Reed and his new partner. They showed a great chemistry, and she is so expressive!

I was glad that Nazarova and Nikitin have recovered from injury enough to put in a good enough performance to qualify for the FD. I love their quirky style.

Re Sinitsina & Katsalapov:
Nikita's twizzles were much more in control here than previous years! Good on him! And on their coach Marina! They had wonderful speed and a huge pattern.

Evan got called for a slight hitch in rotation in the twizzles.. Madison and Evan have improved their ice coverage especially in their second set of twizzles this season, but as in any team that is working to fix a technique problem, consistency is the last thing to achieve in the improved technique. I agree with Mrs. P that they did not seem to have the enthusiasm for this SD that they did for their Gypsy Waltz at SA. But I wonder how much was carefulness rather than lack of enthusiasm.

I really liked Piper and Paul's new version of their SD. I loved their quickness, and the dance was more coherent with all Beatles! I hope they will continue to surprise us with different programs!

The Shibutani's appropriately slapstick Coppelia comes across better on TV where you can really see their facial expressions, but their twizzles are more amazing than on tv.

Meanwhile, Gabriella Papdakis did not get called for a similar twizzle hitch to Evan Bates'. However, it is possible the tech panel just watches Guillaume like almost everyone else However, in dance I tend to watch the woman more than the man, so consequently, I saw it. And thus I do not find the French team to be as wonderful and transcendent as everyone else, particularly in the SD, where character of the dance and timing should be more important. They deserved to win, but watching them live was not like watching Klimova & Ponomarenko's 1987 Golden Waltz or Torville & Dean's 1984 Paso Doble (both of which I was lucky enough to see live).

SDs should not be DWTS contemporary exercises IMO. The waltz should waltz, the foxtrot/march whatever should show a clear change not just of rhythm, but of character. Yes I am an old fogey about this.

I found the tech panels calls mostly rather generous in retrospect. But the calling in the FD was totally ridiculously generous.