2015 Championnats québécois d'été Aug 6-9 Summer Champ

[Layback11]

.04 separating the top two couples? The plot thickens... #PullingOutMyDramaHands

 

[Layback11]

Also, neither of the top two teams got any negative GOEs! (Madi and Zach didn't even get any 0s!) #ThatDorkWhoReadsTheProtocols #JustBecause

 

[Sabrina]

I have a question, may be someone knows more about this. Why both K. MoreTowers/Marinaro and Liubov/Dylan Moskovics do 2 tw? At least for L.Y/D.M, their twist looks quite high. Why don't they do a 3 Tw? At least for MT/M even the 2Tw looks strained...
Is it more difficult for new pairs to do Tw? I would think side by side or throw jumps must be more difficult, but I am not a specialist in pairs...

 

[bramweld]

bramweld..

Oh, I suppose I didn't like P/O's music..does absolutely nothing for me. I like them as a couple, though, and the SD wasn't their strong suit last year either.

HD did have a sped-up, instrumental version of Hallelujah sandwiched in the middle there (supposed polka, I guess). I thought it worked for the program requirements (but made me cringe as a fan of lang's rendition) ..can't have everything.

I have quite a bit of hope for P/I's program. It's early,and I think they'll be able to get all those little nuances to look entirely natural. Some mileage and suitable costumes could make a huge difference, don't you think ?

Oh yes.

 

[Kutien]

Alexandra Paul / Mitchell Islam SD video
Madison Hubbell / Zachary Donohue SD video

 

[snowflakebeautiful]

Yes the FD will be interesting, disappointed we didn't get to see FB/S. I hope all is well with them.

Me too! I was really looking forward to seeing them. Hope we end up getting to see their FD!

And I agree. I hope that the FD's have some real personality this year.

Pairs Programs:

I think Kirsten and Michael have improved some over the summer. But, currently, I really don't like their music choice. Maybe it will grow on me. I guess I'll leave my judgements on connection and selling the piece for a later competition since the camera work didn't allow for the best view of their faces and such.

I really really like Julianne and Charlie's SP! It already had a life to it, which is exciting. I can't wait to see their long!

 

[elif]

H/D were smooth but almost too smooth, I didn't notice a transition to a march, polka or foxtrot?

Yes, that is my first thought as well. I'm sure there is some explanation about music but program also looks too clean. I watched just once, I will watch again later but they skated almost perfect short dance in August? Dance is too easy or too slow? I don't know. I'm very suprised to see they are behind Paul/Islam. I'm trying to think where they can improve this SD, so far I didn't find one.

 

[bramweld]

Yes, that is my first thought as well. I'm sure there is some explanation about music but program also looks too clean. I watched just once, I will watch again later but they skated almost perfect short dance in August? Dance is too easy or too slow? I don't know. I'm very suprised to see they are behind Paul/Islam. I'm trying to think where they can improve this SD, so far I didn't find one.

This is only the beginning though, I'm curious to see how the other top teams do. Based on performances of this CD from the 2006 Olympics, both P/I and H/D were really a tad slow and not as fluid as they're going to be, but their programs are very elegant and sophisticated. I hope this is an indication that the SD will be very interesting this year.

 

[Snow63]

I don't like H/D's short dance, it doesn't even look like a proper waltz to me. The music does not help at all. I can see why their PCS is lower than P/I's.
IMO, they should have chosen something more waltz'y.

 

[semosk8tfan]

I loved H/D's short dance and I have every confidence that as the season progresses it will evolve and get stronger. But after watching the other SD videos so far I am not a fan of this year's SD requirements.

 

[lauravvv]

Yes, that is my first thought as well. I'm sure there is some explanation about music but program also looks too clean. I watched just once, I will watch again later but they skated almost perfect short dance in August? Dance is too easy or too slow? I don't know. I'm very suprised to see they are behind Paul/Islam. I'm trying to think where they can improve this SD, so far I didn't find one.

They were not perfect, they received level 2 and 3 for their patterns. And they are behind Paul/Islam because of an extended lift, so that was not entirely perfect either, although looked good. Their technical score was higher than P/I's, and PCS also was just a bit higher, but there is a lot of room for improvement.

I don't like H/D's short dance, it doesn't even look like a proper waltz to me. The music does not help at all. I can see why their PCS is lower than P/I's.
IMO, they should have chosen something more waltz'y.

Their PCS is not lower than P/I's, it is slightly higher. True, their choreography component score was a bit lower than P/I's who have a busier choreography, but the rest of the components were either slightly higher, or equal (skating skills score). They lost to Paul/Islam due to an extended lift, not because of PCS. Their technical score itself was also higher. As for music, and the dance not looking waltzy enough, the only requirement in regard to music for this season's SD is about the rhythms. Unlike in other seasons, there is nothing in requirements about the feel of the dance (as in, it must look and feel like a "real" waltz, polka, or whatever). And it seems a lot of teams are using pop music instead of real waltz music for this SD.

 

[Layback11]

Oh my...I just hope it's better than the Paso. The paso will forever haunt my memory as The Boringest Dance Seasom Ever When Only One Team Had A Paso I Actually Liked...

 

[Snow63]

Their PCS is not lower than P/I's, it is slightly higher. True, their choreography component score was a bit lower than P/I's who have a busier choreography, but the rest of the components were either slightly higher, or equal (skating skills score). They lost to Paul/Islam due to an extended lift, not because of PCS. Their technical score itself was also higher. As for music, and the dance not looking waltzy enough, the only requirement in regard to music for this season's SD is about the rhythms. Unlike in other seasons, there is nothing in requirements about the feel of the dance (as in, it must look and feel like a "real" waltz, polka, or whatever). And it seems a lot of teams are using pop music instead of real waltz music for this SD.

Hmm. I got the impression that their PCS is lower because I saw that their TES is around 1 point higher (33 something vs 32 something). There was no mention of any deductions on the screen after their dance, and I can't see the protocols because the site is geo-blocked, and it was 5 a.m. when I watched the stream, so forgive me my mistake. Anyway, H/D's PCS in SD last season was about 2 points higher than P/I's. And here, they're on par. I think if their SD was more classy waltz style their PCS would have been higher. Maybe I'm wrong, it's just impression I've got after their dance.
About 'waltz feeling': maybe it's for the best, and we will see more diversity this season. It's just my taste probably, non-waltz'y interpretation of the RB waltz, I don't feel it.

 

[sequinsgalore]

Pairs FS

Camille Ruest / Samuel Morais

Two-tone blue halter dress / black sparkly shirt, pants
Music: Salome

2Tw - low
3T+2T+1T - he did 3T+2T+2T
5SLi - laboured take-off
3S - she stepout/hand down
FiDs - he almost slips on exit
5ALi - wobbly change, exit
...fall...
3FTh - fall
FCCoSp3p - unison off
4Li
ChSq
3STh - solid
PCoSp3p - very wonky change of direction, maybe invalid

39.06+36.24-2 = 73.30, 1/1

--

Natasha Purich / Drew Wolfe

Dark red one-sleeve sparkly dress / black outfit
Music: Requiem for a Dream by Jennifer Thomas

2Tw
2S - she doubles, he 3S twofoot/hand down
5ALi
3FTh
CCoSp3p - he entered way later than her, maybe invalid
5BLi
1T - she singles, he does 2T+2T
PCoSp3p - slight wonky
ChSq
3STh - she twofoot/falls, he falls afterwards (toepick)
4Li* - botched entry, aborted
FiDs

Hit ending pose way early...

Rough skate, they both seemed to forget a lot of choreography

36.72+39.76-2 = 74.48, 1/2

---

Julianne Séguin / Charlie Bilodeau

Dark blue sparkly dress / blue blouse, pants
Music: A white shade of pale by Procol Harum (vocals)

3Tw
3T+2T
4Li
3S - she stepout/hands down
FCCoSp3p
3LzTh
ChSq
FiDs
3LoTh - stepout
5SLi
5ALi
PCoSp3p

Some mistakes, but overall solid

61.66+56.08 = 117.74, 1/3

----

Vanessa Grenier / Maxime Deschamps

Black sparkly dress / red vest, white shirt, black pants
Music: Don Juan

3Tw - low catch
3TTh
5RLi
3S - she fall, he hand down
PCoSp3p
1T - she singled, he did messy 3T<<
5ALi
FCCoSp3p - unison off/on
3STh - hand down, stepout
3Li
ChSq
FiDs

48.04+46.88-1.00 = 93.92, 2/4

 

[actualrealliveanna]

Hubbell/Donohue have a stunning FD in my opinion. So elegant, the music is beautiful... just wow. Can't wait to see how it evolves.

Paul/Islam's seems a bit too busy, but it definitely has some potential! I'm sure that by the end of the season it'll be beautiful.

 

[Kutien]

Julianne Séguin / Charlie Bilodeau FD video

 

[WeakAnkles]

I don't like H/D's short dance, it doesn't even look like a proper waltz to me. The music does not help at all. I can see why their PCS is lower than P/I's.
IMO, they should have chosen something more waltz'y.

There is a wonderful poem by DH Lawrence that I love called "The English Are So Nice": http://www.blueridgejournal.com/poems/dhl-nice.htm

This sort of sums up what I feel about this SD.

Alas, I have a feeling that this is how I'm going to feel about most of the dances that come out of the Montreal school.

 

[elif]

They were not perfect, they received level 2 and 3 for their patterns. And they are behind Paul/Islam because of an extended lift, so that was not entirely perfect either, although looked good. Their technical score was higher than P/I's, and PCS also was just a bit higher, but there is a lot of room for improvement.

Of course TES score will change in season. I was talking about transitions, moving one element to another. Its looks too clean which is strange for August, that is all.

 

[bramweld]

Of course TES score will change in season. I was talking about transitions, moving one element to another. Its looks too clean which is strange for August, that is all.

If you look carefully they are cleverly working with very, very long edges for the entire dance. Their is also no change in character for the entire dance almost, hence it looks so clean. At first when I saw H/D it reminded me of V/M. I think Lauzon's group is sending a subtle message to Zueva, "Whatever you can do, we can do it better." But now I'm really curious about three SD's the Shibs, P/I and S/K. They all seem to be going for a somewhat similar theme; balletic pieces. It'll be interesting to compare in the GP season.

 

[dorispulaski]

I don't like H/D's short dance, it doesn't even look like a proper waltz to me. The music does not help at all. I can see why their PCS is lower than P/I's.
IMO, they should have chosen something more waltz'y.

I agree. It certainly was a broken Hallelujah. Practice will not fix it. The concept does not meet the given requirements Somewhere in there there has to be some music that sounds like a waltz. And there isn't.

While I don't adore Paul and Islam's program, at least the waltz section is a waltz.

I liked Tobias & Tkachenko's SD better than either of these programs.