2015 US Nationals Senior Short Dance Jan 23

[KKonas]

Shibs really brought it tonight in the SD. They are fighting for the title. Good speed, solid, deep edge work, wonderful twizzles and great expression.

 

[ucrgirl]

Love that the Shibs weren't thrilled with their score. They aren't taking this coronation lying down. (or is it laying down?)

 

[slider11]

Yes, 3 cheers for Charlie. Informative, articulate and timely. Good qualities for a commentator!

 

[ucrgirl]

A thousand thousands thousand blessings onto you~

Yes Thank you!!! We don't have a proper t.v. or cable so I haven't actually watched a figure skating competition since the 2010 Olympics (and that over at a friends).

 

[ice coverage]

Anyone know what happened to Aronow and Brubaker?

I am wondering too about Aronow/Brubaker. They qualified for Nats (won at sectionals, IIRC), so I hope their absence is not a matter of injury.

Charlie is doing an excellent job; good detail, pleasant speaking voice and he seems conscious of not speaking too much, haha.

Compliments to Meryl too for her commentary on Skate Radio.
On a superficial level, I will add that her speaking voice came across very nicely -- sounded more "mature" and not as "girlish" than it sometimes has in the past, if you know what I mean.
And of course, her comments were perceptive and thoughtful.

 

[conga]

Anyone catch Marina's glare when Aldridge and Eaton's scores came up. They are very pleasant but I more appreciate Daniel than Alexandra. Maybe it their similar height or maybe Alexandra just doesn't have the same presence or artistic flair that Daniel brings. They just don't see to gel as a team to me. Sorry Marina!

I agree with this. I really like Eaton, but have never appreciated them as a team. I prefer C/M to A/E and am happy to see they were rewarded for that SD. I like H/B, too, but am fans of H/D, so am looking forward to the FD!

 

[sabinfire]

Here's the Ice Dance SD's:

U.S. Nationals Group #1 Dance SD (Nardozzi/Traxler, Patsis/Fast, Olson/Lorello, Zucker/Sitiks)

U.S. Nationals Group #2 Dance SD (Bynum/Deveikis, Maxwell/Devereaux, Ponomaryova/Altukhov, Hawayek/Baker)

U.S. Nationals Group #3 Dance SD (Chock/Bates, Shibs, Cannuscio/McManus, Hoptman/Filchenkov) intermittent audio issues beginning around the Shibs, but goes away after a few minutes

U.S. Nationals Group #4 Dance SD (Hubbell/Donohue, Gaughan/Lithco, Gamelin's, Reynolds', Aldridge/Eaton)

Added final group #4: Hubbell/Donohue, Gaughan/Lithco, Gamelin's, Reynolds', Aldridge/Eaton

 

[WeakAnkles]

Yes, 3 cheers for Charlie. Informative, articulate and timely. Good qualities for a commentator!

And he continues to add to his reputation as One Of The Nicest People In The United States at the same time. Impressive!

 

[Mrs. P]

Shibs really brought it tonight in the SD. They are fighting for the title. Good speed, solid, deep edge work, wonderful twizzles and great expression.

I was thrilled for them. Definitely the best I've seen from them this season.

 

[conga]

Is anyone else getting a black screen on the videos?

 

[Skategmt]

Is anyone else getting a black screen on the videos?

I am

 

[humbaba]

She waited for him for a entire season while he recover over a lession (they made a mistake and she cut her tendons on practice after 2010 Olympics)... just to tell her he got a new partner. She got late to find a new partner and coach, after one season gave up competitive skating, now she just do shows.

IIRC, Evan and Emily had two injuries from training accidents. Emily's hand was cut first, I believe, and the team weathered that. Then Emily's skate cut Evan's Achilles tendon after the 2010 Olympics. Evan had to have surgery and while he was rehabilitating, Emily waited and trained alone. When Evan was able to skate again, the team resumed their training, but had difficulties regaining their form. Reportedly, they had problems with lifts. Evan decided to skate with Madison, who's partner was retiring and who is smaller than Emily.

On the boards there are posters who lambaste Evan and bemoan the loss of Samuelson/Bates ("They would have won worlds this year!", etc.). I think this is grossly unfair. Evan suffered a horrible injury and I'm sure it was a struggle for him to recover and skate again. I believe he and Emily made a good faith effort to pick up where they left off, but it just wasn't possible. I don't think Evan strung Emily along for a year, then callously dumped her out of spite or fickleness or whatever. I think the team had problems after Evan's injury that neither of them could foresee while he was recuperating. Those problems wouldn't have magically gone away if they had stayed together. Would their fans have preferred to watch them struggle, rather than split up and try to find new partners?

I really believe the Samuelson/Bates split was unavoidable and no one was a villain in this case. Evan was fortunate to find another compatible partner. Emily never found another partner, which makes me sad. I miss seeing her skate. Still, I'm glad one half of the team was able to salvage his skating career. I see no reason to hate on Evan because he didn't go down with the ship.

 

[meem]

Glad to know I'm not alone! I can't stand seeing Bates out on the ice...he always seems slightly bent over at the waist which IMO looks awkward. It's nice to hear that Emily's life has turned out so well...grad school and marriage. Would love to see the Shibs as our new national champs.

Yes, and I think she got married to a very wealthy guy (not that it matter that he got money), but skate fans know how to hold a grudge... ... as I said , maybe is just me. Not thta I want something wrong over Chock and Bates, just can´t bring myself to like them.

 

[WeakAnkles]

IIRC, Evan and Emily had two injuries from training accidents. Emily's hand was cut first, I believe, and the team weathered that. Then Emily's skate cut Evan's Achilles tendon after the 2010 Olympics. Evan had to have surgery and while he was rehabilitating, Emily waited and trained alone. When Evan was able to skate again, the team resumed their training, but had difficulties regaining their form. Reportedly, they had problems with lifts. Evan decided to skate with Madison, who's partner was retiring and who is smaller than Emily.

On the boards there are posters who lambaste Evan and bemoan the loss of Samuelson/Bates ("They would have won worlds this year!", etc.). I think this is grossly unfair. Evan suffered a horrible injury and I'm sure it was a struggle for him to recover and skate again. I believe he and Emily made a good faith effort to pick up where they left off, but it just wasn't possible. I don't think Evan strung Emily along for a year, then callously dumped her out of spite or fickleness or whatever. I think the team had problems after Evan's injury that neither of them could foresee while he was recuperating. Those problems wouldn't have magically gone away if they had stayed together. Would their fans have preferred to watch them struggle, rather than split up and try to find new partners?

I really believe the Samuelson/Bates split was unavoidable and no one was a villain in this case. Evan was fortunate to find another compatible partner. Emily never found another partner, which makes me sad. I miss seeing her skate. Still, I'm glad one half of the team was able to salvage his skating career. I see no reason to hate on Evan because he didn't go down with the ship.

This. :agree: Unless you are in the rink with them every day, people have no idea really why a team decides to call it quits. It always seems to me to show some kind of mean-spiritedness to point fingers and throw about harsh words when you don't know what really went down.

I'm through three of the four groups so far, and while the points are on steroids in some cases, I think the placements themselves are on the money. The Shibs done brought it in a way they haven't quite yet this season. Same with Cannuscio and McManus (he in particular has really grown as a performer this season--and the ability to perform as well as do all the steps is so crucial).

Should be a corker of a FD.

 

[Barb]

this.

Shibutani's SD, no commentary:
http://youtu.be/oDk3MHbVUW4

Thank you very much! OMG, my Shibs were fabulous :dance: and I can not believe their score is almost the same like C/B

 

[WeakAnkles]

Ok. all four groups done and yes, shockingly, correct placements. Good job judges.

One thing about Aldredge and Eaton. What I thought was interesting and revealing was Charlie's first comment about them was, Great skating skills. And they do have them. What is interesting (to me at least) is what he didn't say--which is that the performance isn't up to the level of the skating skills. And I think a good part of that is the music selections this year. Aldredge does not on the ice come across as fiery or flirty or passionate. She comes across as a quintessential American girl next door. So what music is she skating to? Carmen and Gone with the Wind, featuring two of the most fiery, flirty and passionate female characters in all of the arts. Hello? Am I the only one who sees a fundamental problem with this? Eaton has a presence on the ice, but alas she is still lacking one. I would send her to take some acting classes, to help bring her out of herself. They are a good example of the problem that even the best skating skills can only take you so far.

YMMV of course.

 

[Mrs. P]

Ok. all four groups done and yes, shockingly, correct placements. Good job judges.

One thing about Aldredge and Eaton. What I thought was interesting and revealing was Charlie's first comment about them was, Great skating skills. And they do have them. What is interesting (to me at least) is what he didn't say--which is that the performance isn't up to the level of the skating skills. And I think a good part of that is the music selections this year. Aldredge does not on the ice come across as fiery or flirty or passionate. She comes across as a quintessential American girl next door. So what music is she skating to? Carmen and Gone with the Wind, featuring two of the most fiery, flirty and passionate female characters in all of the arts. Hello? Am I the only one who sees a fundamental problem with this? Eaton has a presence on the ice, but alas she is still lacking one. I would send her to take some acting classes, to help bring her out of herself. They are a good example of the problem that even the best skating skills can only take you so far.

YMMV of course.

I totally agree. My fave FDs from them was when they did Fiddler on the Roof and the Irish Dance where her personality shines.

 

[missysays]

Compliments to Meryl too for her commentary on Skate Radio.
On a superficial level, I will add that her speaking voice came across very nicely -- sounded more "mature" and not as "girlish" than it sometimes has in the past, if you know what I mean.
And of course, her comments were perceptive and thoughtful.

Dang it! I didn't know you could listen to Meryl's commentary on the Backstage channel. I would totally have listened to her live rather than listen to Charlie since I think that the video ones are recorded and you can always re-watch for his commentary while I think hers might be gone into the ether-- unless someone awesome recorded it?!!!! BTW, Charlie's commentary on ice dance is the best commentary that I've heard on ice dance. He's able to comment on the technical but he also speaks so knowledgeably about how the skaters are using or not using music well in their programs. His commentary on the wrap-up on IceDesk was also good.

Too bad that they aren't doing the commentary for the FD. They are leaving to attend the Sundance Film Festival.

 

[cruzceleste]

Kristen Nardozzi / Nick Traxler - I´m spoiled with Meryl and Charlie, that looked slow, and twizzles were miles apart
2 Tory Patsis/ Nathaniel Fast- *** with that skirt? he looks really young. Poor guy on the twizzles, the lift was nice. That skirt is horrible. He is 5 years older?
3 Anastasia Olson/ Ian Lorello -I like this two, they really look good. Nice speed at this point, shame about the twizzles, nice rotating lift. Camerlango is their coach, oh!!
4 Gabriela Morrell Zucker / Andrejs Sitiks- she looked so nervous. Poor guy with the fall. And the twizzles.
5 Pauline Bynum/ Jason Deveikis - pretty dress. Her face says nerves! Bad twizzles.Nice Paso. (And nice explination Charlie )
6 Charlotte Maxwell / Ryan Devereaux-Nice dress, and nice routine!!!!
7 Kseniya Ponomaryova / Oleg Altukhov-Hate the color. Kind of like the steps sequence.
8 Kaitlin Hawayek / Jean-Luc Baker- NICE!!!, don´t like the dress, looks like lingerie.
9 Madison Chock/ Evan Bates - Don´t like the music. They did well. I miss Davis/ White.
10 Maia Shibutani / Alex Shibutani -Like the music. I agree with Charlie, don´t know if is the costumes but their necks look short. I loved the twizzles. Face needs to be more Paso, and not so I´m having fun!
11 Stasia Cannuscio / Colin McManus- Super, don´t know if it is the music, but I really like them.
12 Ginna Hoptman/ Pavel Filchenkov- Love the arms during the no touch steps. Great job- *** is their coach wearing.
13 Madison Hubbell / Zachary Donohue- Love her and her dress. AWESOME!!!! HOT!!!!! THIS WAS AN ADULT PASO DOBLE!!! SEXY! SEXY! VERY SPANISH!!!! OLE!!!! I would have give them about 70
14 Ashlyn Gaughan / Cody Lithco- She is tall!!!! don´t like her dress, does her back look clunched? maybe she feel concious of being so tall...
15 Danielle Gamelin / Alexander Gamelin- nice lift. Maybe I´m tired, feel disconnected to them...
16 Elicia Reynolds / Stephen Reynolds- yes I´m tired. Nicely done, I feel like some arms and movement could be better, but nice.
17 Alexandra Aldridge / Daniel Eaton- I liked this. Bad luck bears!!!!

I´m amazed at how many of this guys are getting bald
I love Charlie!!!

And thank you sabinfire for the videos

 

[auser]

Confessing my undying love for sabinfire!

Sending my love and admiration for sabinfire too. Videos look good!