2015 Nebelhorn Trophy SD and FD

[semosk8tfan]

Doris I will be sure and watch both programs when they show up on youtube. It is not often we disagree.

And to be honest after flipping back and forth between Poland and Germany all week I am suffering from "skate-lag" and it is making me slap-happy. All I could think about during C/B's skate was that old playground rhyme "I see London, I see France, I see Madison's underpants" because I really don't like pink panties with a burgundy dress.

 

[bramweld]

Pros: The costumes for P/I and C/B were lovely.

Cons: What's up with Mitch? Why did P/I's program seem so disjointed? P/I should have stayed with Krylova. IMHO, they would have gotten better programs.

C/B's program looked like a poor cousin of P/C's FD from last season. Are they really trying to imitate P/C? By the end of the season they will move faster and everything won't seem so forced, but as of now it doesn't grab me. Oh well let me go watch the other teams.

 

[caitie]

Cons: P/I should have stayed with Krylova. IMHO, they would have gotten better programs.

IMO they left for some other reason than programs, especially since the program they had to change last season was actually choreographed by DL. I'd guess it's because their technical scores had suffered, and they didn't feel like they were getting results based on the amount of work they were putting in. Detroit Skate Club teams in general seemed to be having tech difficulties last season when it came to getting the levels.

 

[bramweld]

IMO they left for some other reason than programs, especially since the program they had to change last season was actually choreographed by DL. I'd guess it's because their technical scores had suffered, and they didn't feel like they were getting results based on the amount of work they were putting in. Detroit Skate Club teams in general seemed to be having tech difficulties last season when it came to getting the levels.

Right, D/L did that real awful program they had a little ways back. But it strikes me as odd that ice dancers don't realize that half of the issue with getting levels are the skaters themselves.

I must say I absolutely loved P/I FD to the soundtrack of WE, that was exquisite. This program sort of reminds me of Hurtado/Diaz from last season. But the funny thing is I really thought Mitch was more balanced and relaxed in the SD while Alex looked somewhat clamped or tight. I wonder if today was just a very bad case of the nerves.

BTW, who did their Casablanca FD? That, was a gem.

 

[Mrs. P]

Doris I will be sure and watch both programs when they show up on youtube. It is not often we disagree.

And to be honest after flipping back and forth between Poland and Germany all week I am suffering from "skate-lag" and it is making me slap-happy. All I could think about during C/B's skate was that old playground rhyme "I see London, I see France, I see Madison's underpants" because I really don't like pink panties with a burgundy dress.

Yeah, totally shallow on my part, but the pink was really distracting on an otherwise really beautiful dress!

I don't feel C/B's FD yet, but can appreciate the technical improvements, namely the twizzles (the lunge was pretty cool). The lifts were great as always.

P/I = sigh. I feel like going to Montreal and the programs have made them more Virtue/Moir lite -- all the romance without the power. Why is D/L so into these soft and romantic programs?!

 

[dorispulaski]

Re Madison's panties' color, I was getting stream freezes on my tablet, and had switched to my old desktop. The display on it kind of grays things out, so I didn't even notice

 

[nocturnalis]

I didn't completely hate C/B's free dance. Maybe it's because Rach2 is one of my favorite concertos. I am grateful didn't use the first movement though. I always hate it that couples only dance in hold for required elements and do those body wrap things for the rest of the performance.

 

[Layback11]

I'm going to do a top 10 highlights/low points of the event blog recap like I did for the US Classic, but I don't have all ten picked. Anyone have suggestions for what I should include?

There are four things I will definitely, absolutely, without a doubt be including, and those are Alaine's SP, V/V-C's SP, and C/McM's SD (all highlights), and the Spoken Words In Music Epidemic will definitely be a low point. In case those were your highlights as well, I'm already using them. This is more because I didn't get to watch it all and I may have missed something awesome (or awful) that you'd like to see in my recap.

 

[Layback11]

I didn't completely hate C/B's free dance. Maybe it's because Rach2 is one of my favorite concertos. I am grateful didn't use the first movement though. I always hate it that couples only dance in hold for required elements and do those body wrap things for the rest of the performance.

:agree: I agree.

 

[nocturnalis]

:agree: I agree.

I also think it limits the program artistically. Hard to have a program be about anything other than romance when you're all ovr your partner.

 

[Snow63]

Okay. Chock and Bates free dance is so not my cup of tea. And I'll stop here

I'm glad they improved their twizzles, because last season they looked small, but overall the dance looks raw and unpolished. I can see why some judges gave them these component marks.
If they want to be world champions they need to work on their FD. I like their SD much more than this.

 

[koheikun90]

Top senior ladies are not here. And the juniors you are talking about are "top juniors".

You're right. However I might get tired of watching the Russian national championships at every competition this season.

 

[Layback11]

I also think it limits the program artistically. Hard to have a program be about anything other than romance when you're all ovr your partner.

Yes. Gergh. There were far too many almost-kisses in that program. I can't imagine Deividas will be too happy about that.

That aside, though, I really did like it. Good music can save any choreography. :agree:

 

[nocturnalis]

Oh no, was P/C's free dance D/L's chorographical zenith like Symphony No. 5 and Die Fledermaus was for Marina and we are going to see them repackage Mozart like Marina did for every couple?

The SD pattern is a waltz - keep that sappy crap in there and use the free dance to show some versatility.

 

[caitie]

Okay, having watched all the medalists now...

- I hate Chock/Bates short dance, but I actually quite like their FD. I think the end needs a bit more work. They have some cool elements that are effectively timed to the music.

- I like Paul/Islam's short dance, but I hate their FD. I really cannot believe they let DL give them that program. (It's hard for me to believe they chose the music, anyway. They seem to have better taste than that.)

- I liked C/McM's short dance, and I really really liked their FD. They have great expression and memorable elements. If they nail their twizzles (towards the end of their program, too) to that section of music, it will be an awesome moment. I think they need to add some more oomph to those final three flourishes at the very end to capture the music, but still a strong FD for them. Ugh, we have too many good teams right now! It's a good problem to have, I know, but still...

 

[nocturnalis]

Another thing about holds: a team should not look like they are about to twizzle or have a non-touching step sequence in their free dance 3 or 4 times.

 

[QuadThrow]

Not V/V-C's SP... V/B's SP

 

[Layback11]

Okay, having watched all the medalists now...

- I hate Chock/Bates short dance, but I actually quite like their FD. I think the end needs a bit more work. They have some cool elements that are effectively timed to the music.

- I like Paul/Islam's short dance, but I hate their FD. I really cannot believe they let DL give them that program. (It's hard for me to believe they chose the music, anyway. They seem to have better taste than that.)

- I liked C/McM's short dance, and I really really liked their FD. They have great expression and memorable elements. If they nail their twizzles (towards the end of their program, too) to that section of music, it will be an awesome moment. I think they need to add some more oomph to those final three flourishes at the very end to capture the music, but still a strong FD for them. Ugh, we have too many good teams right now! It's a good problem to have, I know, but still...

I agree with most of what you said, except:

1. I didn't hate C/B's SD, per se, but it wasn't my favorite.
2. I don't hate P/I's FD either, but it's kind of generic and definitely 50 (thousand) shades of D & L. It is 100% their signature Romantic Scmaltzy Filler Material That Let's Face It You Will Not Remember Or Ever Rewatch.


On the topic of the disturbingly similar FDs that D/L's teams have: just because it worked for one team, in one program (P/C's Mozart), does not mean it will work for every team and program. There are ways to do a soft, romantic FD without it being boring filler material (see H/B's R&J). But there are other styles out there that the judges will like! Soft-And-Romantic is not the only type of program that will be received well! Dubreil and Lauzon need to learn this because eventually, the P/C-type programs will go out of style and, bottom line, they are going to lose all their students if that is all they can do and the judges want something else. Like, what if dubstep became the thing in ice dance? There would be no hope for them.

Not that it would ever happen , but that is what could happen if romantic schmaltz went out of style soon. If they can't do anything else, their students will flock to somebody who can (just like H/D and P/I did).

 

[Layback11]

Not V/V-C's SP... V/B's SP

Oops...sorry. Still stuck on last season, perhaps? :

 

[Naya]

Okay, I keep seeing that phrase, parabens. What does it mean??

"Parabéns" means "congratulations" in portuguese.