2016 Skate America Free Dance | Page 18 | Golden Skate

2016 Skate America Free Dance

WeakAnkles

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 1, 2011
i think many of us didn't disagree with what he was saying... but mostly when and how he said it...
he spoke too much, too fast, with many hesitations (uhmmm) not sure how to make his points. He is obviously not a master of that profession and I am sure he can learn and improve very fast... however, when the feed died and I had to check another option, it changed the whole experience of the FD for me... it was much much better without so much banter.

I spent most of the time watching the Russian feed on Arena and felt they blabbed on and on and on and on and on and.. I just tuned it out.

Charlie is new at the whole commentator thang, and didn't have any prior training for it. He'll learn. He strikes me as a genuinely nice person--did you ever hear anyone ever kvetch about Charlie White during his competitive days (hell, even Scott Moir said how much he liked him!)--and a commentator sometimes has to say things that aren't, shall we say, complimentary. It's a tricky balancing act. But he'll learn. He should get tips from his wife, who is a fine commentator.
 

4everchan

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 7, 2015
Country
Martinique
I spent most of the time watching the Russian feed on Arena and felt they blabbed on and on and on and on and on and.. I just tuned it out.

Charlie is new at the whole commentator thang, and didn't have any prior training for it. He'll learn. He strikes me as a genuinely nice person--did you ever hear anyone ever kvetch about Charlie White during his competitive days (hell, even Scott Moir said how much he liked him!)--and a commentator sometimes has to say things that aren't, shall we say, complimentary. It's a tricky balancing act. But he'll learn. He should get tips from his wife, who is a fine commentator.

hehe... it's almost you didn't read what I have written... it's not the content that bothered me... he was diplomatic, insightful, intelligent, kind, knowledgeable.

It was the delivery ;) he needs to take a public speaking workshop and of course, a diction one as well if he wants to be taken seriously as a commentator.
Some people are more naturally eloquent than others.

Listen to John Coughlin : same deal.. former athlete... speaks very clearly, right tempo, right moment.

And yes : I am sure Charlie can become a wonderful analyst/commentator. He just needs more experience and skills, which he could easily develop. Will he bother? I hope he does because I prefer his diplomatic style to what we sometimes get out there...
 

Anni234

Ina Bauer
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 29, 2015
Country
Estonia
Just got around to watching the videos as well and I really really like the Shibs' FD. :love:
 

herios

Medalist
Joined
Jan 25, 2004
Sadly Russia is a hot mess with no one stepping up to the plate artistically and as per usual the three leading contenders technically always make errors or don't get their levels and at this stage that is unacceptable. BS had an outside shot at a world bronze but if they can't even beat the third American team and give a good fight to the Shibsibs they are doomed. .

IMO Bobrova and Soloviev have stopped developing technically and artistically several years ago. I do not see this result as a surprise, even last year before being banned, they just barely were defeating Hiubbell and Donohuue who are still a team in progress.
Even if they were not banned, I doubt they would have been in the top 5 at Worlds.
 

Sugarpova

#EmpressAirlines #SinKatsapologist
Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 19, 2015
How many kilograms of salt I need to make the stuff that H/D is showing more memorable? Seriously I think 100 kgs of salt is not enough. Just my personal opinion. Their FD makes me snore.
same same
FD AND SD make me snore :laugh:
Great bladework tho


SS FD isnt 'Fix you' yeah but I did like it even tho I was bit bored by the music.
B/S - you have t skate lights out if you compete in US Too bad they lost by a deduction. But close score to H/D made me a bit more optimistic. Hopefully they will be flawless next time.
G/F - lovely dance quality, not sure about the sostumes
IZ - a bit disappointed. The dance is OK but it indeeed needs to be performed lighter to really work. Rus works & works & works thats the impression Ive got. Idk if this particular dance fits him. O the otehr hands it seems to fit Lena. Agreed again with Max Stavisky commentary.

Kana/Chris was my 2nd fav after B/S :love::love: what a lovely team!!
 
Last edited:

TontoK

Hot Tonto
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 28, 2013
Country
United-States
Well, if you don't invite the two reigning Worlds champions or the last Olympic male winner, it's not that difficult to get this result.

That's a bit unfair. I think the top performers at World's get to pick which GP event they'd like. ISU spreads out the top performers among the GP's. There are six GP's, so I think the goal is for each GP to get a world medalist in each event.
 

JustMe

On the Ice
Joined
Jan 10, 2014
I personally LOVED Maia & Alex's free dance, because of the music! (But I admit, I am utterly biased because that music automatically reminds of my favorite dancer of all time, Sylvie Guillem, and favorite modern dance choreographer, Mats Ek, in his 1995 dance for video work, "Smoke")
:luv17:
 
Last edited:

CoyoteChris

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 4, 2004
hehe... it's almost you didn't read what I have written... it's not the content that bothered me... he was diplomatic, insightful, intelligent, kind, knowledgeable.

It was the delivery ;) he needs to take a public speaking workshop and of course, a diction one as well if he wants to be taken seriously as a commentator.
Some people are more naturally eloquent than others.

Listen to John Coughlin : same deal.. former athlete... speaks very clearly, right tempo, right moment.

And yes : I am sure Charlie can become a wonderful analyst/commentator. He just needs more experience and skills, which he could easily develop. Will he bother? I hope he does because I prefer his diplomatic style to what we sometimes get out there...

WeakAnkles

"Charlie is new at the whole commentator thang, and didn't have any prior training for it. He'll learn. He strikes me as a genuinely nice person--did you ever hear anyone ever kvetch about Charlie White during his competitive days (hell, even Scott Moir said how much he liked him!)--and a commentator sometimes has to say things that aren't, shall we say, complimentary. It's a tricky balancing act. But he'll learn. He should get tips from his wife, who is a fine commentator."

I am now listening to CW more and I agree with both of you. He is intelligent and if he wants this gig he will grow. Its not easy if you dont have the knack..... he needs to dump the "ya know" s , shorten the comments and not ramble, and I think he already knows not to talk so much when the skaters are performing. He has the enthusiasm. While it would be great to sit down and have a beer with him after a skate and listen to him talk about it while watching it on a monitor, but you cant do that on TV where time is precious (and beers are few). I hope he keeps at it....His wife is very good at it. But she is not as outgoing as CW and is never comfortable in front of a crowd. She gave a talk to us at the FOFS breakfast one year and I was very close to her. She is very sharp and articulate but I think when she is faced with a room full of people alone its harder for her than being behind a mic or sitting at the ice desk when she has her friends beside her....and she has grown. Best wishes to both of them in every way. (Disclaimer: they are dog people too ;)
 

CoyoteChris

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 4, 2004
Well Zach is with Olivia Smart so it all worked out rather nicely ;)

Well, looks like Montreal is a hotbed of romance! Leads to some interesting double dates...
Zack /Olivia and Javi /Miki
The Rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain.
 

TontoK

Hot Tonto
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 28, 2013
Country
United-States
I think that one of the things former competitors must deal with in their careers as commentators is to keep the chatter at a technical level that the average viewer will understand.

I imagine this is harder with a discipline like dance, where the differences between a good program and a great one can be so subtle that even long-time fans don't always see. (Raising my own hand here).

Still, there is a duty of the commentator to educate. There has to be something between a step-by-step analysis of edge quality and the Scott Hamilton style of "He NAILS it!!!" commentary.

Oh, Dick Button, where are you?
 

robredo40

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 6, 2015
My thoughts, aside from a few cool lifts shibs fd didn't leave much of an impression it was cold and emotionless they seem to be copying too much the French team, I vastly preffered Hubbel and Donahue and even Bobrova and Soloviev, Marina just isn't as strong or adept at choreographing those types of programs as Marie-france is they were slow and skate small compared to other top teams when it comes to pure Skating skills they are clearly behind V&M and P&C.
 

TontoK

Hot Tonto
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 28, 2013
Country
United-States
My thoughts, aside from a few cool lifts shibs fd didn't leave much of an impression it was cold and emotionless they seem to be copying too much the French team, I vastly preffered Hubbel and Donahue and even Bobrova and Soloviev, Marina just isn't as strong or adept at choreographing those types of programs as Marie-france is they were slow and skate small compared to other top teams when it comes to pure Skating skills they are clearly behind V&M and P&C.

It's interesting... this year's Shib FD reminds me slightly of P/C last year, and I've just watched P/C FD for this season... and it reminds me slightly of the Shib's Coldplay program.
 

CAS

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 24, 2010
I find Papadakis and Shibutani's are both attempting a similar program this season. At this stage Shibutani's seem to have the choreography more set and polished whereas the French still have a lot of work to do to grow theirs. My gut feeling is I'll be bored of seeing the Shibutani's program by worlds, I don't see where they can take this to really draw me in.
 
Top