2016 Cup of China Free Dance

[yuna13]

the shibs: beautiful skating, no mistakes (as always), great lifts, perfect twizzles. They deserved to win. but i don't think this program would win against P/C or V/M. the only moment the music change is during the twizzles, they need more change in the music .

W/P: no mistake (yeah!!!) beautiful but again this program isn't enough not just to beat the french and V/M but i'm affraid it won't be enough to beat G/P at canadian nationals. i think a lot of people love W/P. We all want them to succeed but this year the competion is really good they need a better program.

S/B i can't... this program the position in the spin and the lifts her posture

next week nhk P/C vs V/M :hap85:

 

[Blades of Passion]

Just asking this because he's your avatar, but what do you think of the exhibition that Stephane did for the Shibs this season?

I don't feel like it really fits them. That's a very "sexual tension" kind of song.

 

[auser]

You know Charlie White said a few years ago that people should really look at the music of Philip Glass for programs. And Mr Glass is probably the most well-known minimalist composer of all. But there are TONS of pieces that have real potential as skating fodder. Not the early, really academic stuff (lord, early Philip Glass is a chore to sit through). But I love a really quirky new age group called Penguin Cafe Orchestra, and they have some pieces which would really work for program music. John Adams' Chairman Mao Dances. WePo used Steve Reich last year (in a very interesting mashup). There's certainly possibilities to explore.

But abstract is a hard sell with ice dance. Look at Piper and Paul's FD last year. That was even more abstract than the Shibs. And it killed them at Worlds.

Then again, I always remember the beeyutchy "tres moderne" choreographer in The Turning Point, a movie I really love, simpering and seething to the young prima ballerina in training, "You're not playing some uptight village virgin like Giselle. You're just a body. Moving to music." And that can be just as exciting to watch as any traditional ballet. It's just that it doesn't rely on an obvious storyline. And people like clear narratives, even if that narrative is "puffy fluffy fun."

And why not? Why shouldn't Ice Dance include as many forms of dance as it can?

I love this post . I have seen Phillip Glass and Steve Reich perform live. The aural experience minimalist music can provide is amazing in the right concert hall. Its funny, I was thinking about Baryshnikov's performance of Le Corsaire from The Turning Point while watching Nathan Chen's program at Trophee de France last week. One of the things I love about watching ice dance is that it can spur me to experience musical pieces in new ways. So of course I love your statement about expanding ice dance forms :luv17:. By the way, do you remember the young prima ballerina's response "I don't count.. I feel the music and I make it fit". And somewhere between they made a compelling ballet.

 

[Mathman]

Thanks to all the dance enthusiasts who contributed to this excellent and informative thread.

 

[peepsquick]

My opinion, as well. The Shibutanis have a very exacting skate, it looks even soulful but there is a stiff quality to their skating that leaves me on the outside. I vastly prefer W/P (even though I feel that their lifts are somewhat too "engineered" this season) and even Stepanova/Bukin.

 

[peepsquick]

P/C has very sharp, pointed movements -- much more modern dance-style. There's a sense of abandon in their dancing that is not present in the Shibs dance. Their dance is very much passion-driven, and about creating a moment.

I think the Shibutanis approach is thoughtful and cerebral. Their dance is about purity of technique. Just watch their FD and only look at Maia's arms. There isn't anything out of place and each position has a purpose. There is not a lot of extra stuff to up the difficulty. In fact, it looks easy that people probably don't realize how difficult the dance is. So yeah, perhaps I agree they're going for a minimalistic approach.

I actually like both dances for different reasons. I've surprised myself at how much I've watched P/C's FD this season. In hindsight, I probably will end up liking this one better than either of their two previously World champion FDs.

GPF I think will be very exciting.

Exactly!
To me Shibutani's work is like a haiku poem: condensed and bound by strict rules. Haikus are beautiful and serene. It is not a universe you can access without some background knowledge. Extremly cerebral. In term of ice dance, there is a rigidity to their posture that breaks the spell for me.

I think Papadakis/Cizeorn's music for their FD has some similarities to the Shibs -- but yeah, that's about the only thing. The key difference is what they do with the music.

 

[WeakAnkles]

I love this post . I have seen Phillip Glass and Steve Reich perform live. The aural experience minimalist music can provide is amazing in the right concert hall. Its funny, I was thinking about Baryshnikov's performance of Le Corsaire from The Turning Point while watching Nathan Chen's program at Trophee de France last week. One of the things I love about watching ice dance is that it can spur me to experience musical pieces in new ways. So of course I love your statement about expanding ice dance forms :luv17:. By the way, do you remember the young prima ballerina's response "I don't count.. I feel the music and I make it fit". And somewhere between they made a compelling ballet.

Yup. Leslei Browne getting her diva on. I do remember that the piece she dances a solo to is by Duke Ellington at his most experimental. Great piece of music that of course, I can't remember the title of!

 

[slider11]

I just watched both the Shibs and Weaver/Poje's FD and although I won't argue with the results, I did really like W/P's. That multi-position lift at the end is stunning. They do really well with this dramatic, sell your soul type skating. The Shibs are magic and I agree with the simple but poignant movements really creating a wonderful performance. Although the French and Virtue and Moir are the front runners, I am looking forward to seeing both the Shibs and W/P at the GPF.

 

[4everchan]

ohhh i like your thinking

Dreamboat Andrew, if you mess up those twizzles again I just may have to give you back to 4everchan's male skater harem.

 

[Barb]

Finally watched all the teams and wow, Viktoria and Nikita were really sloppy, same S/B, they are getting very generous scores . And Weaver lent her old dress to Viktoria or what?
I am very Sad W/P dont go to GPF, they look better than last year

 

[Sugarpova]

raw for my SinKats
hopefully they dont feel discouraged losing to SB & even if they arent meant to be @ Worlds hopefully they wont give up & work better to actually make the dance flawless, go to some B comps & obviously put health first. Such beauty has to be seen by ppl:luv17::luv17:
but some part of me hopes that they can be better at Nats & will have a chance t top2. Dont give up #4blueyes!!!

deserving scores tho I do prefer WP to SS this year

 

[Alba]

I could watch Shibs do those twizzles all day and all night. :luv17:

 

[Alba]

And why not? Why shouldn't Ice Dance include as many forms of dance as it can?

I would love to see a dance team skating to John Zorn music.

 

[katha]

This is the best FD SinKats have had so far in their career IMO, by a country mile. Nikita already looked really strong in this, Viktoria was a bit insecure today. I think this is a program that will get better the more they skate it and when it isn't marred by stumbles and hesitations like in CoC, it could be a real stunner.

 

[Meoima]

Look at her face when Morozov touched her thigh: https://twitter.com/gobuuun/status/799989452420415488

 

[amateur]

Shibs - purely excellent! beautiful! I think a worthy challenge to V/M and P/C level. I think to get the full effect they have to continue to work on the buildup/attack of the final section

Weaver/Poje - I seem to be one of few, but I am NOT particularly liking this Morozov stuff on them, I find the programs somewhat boring and a tad empty, with her over-emoting a bit to compensate. I've completely loved every FD they've done in the last 5(?) years, (including - maybe especially - last year's) - For years they've consistently had the best FDs out there, to my mind. Not so this year, at least not at this point. I will say that there is still potential for improvement in this program, and I know that Ice dance discipline can allow for this over the season - I do hope they fill it out the right way. I'm harbouring a hope that they consciously don't want to peak to early, like they seem to have done the last 2 years, and that there is still impovement to come.

 

[Barb]

Look at her face when Morozov touched her thigh: https://twitter.com/gobuuun/status/799989452420415488

meanwhile Marina seems very ok with touchy Patrick https://youtu.be/kHhz9p1U6UY?t=517

 

[Violet Bliss]

Look at her face when Morozov touched her thigh: https://twitter.com/gobuuun/status/799989452420415488

You go Kaitlyn!

 

[Violet Bliss]

I don't remember the event nor the people, but once at the K&C, the coach was talking to his female student and patted her lap. The video visual got stuck repeating the scene for a long while and someone wrote that there was way too much thigh patting.

 

[ancientpeas]

Look at her face when Morozov touched her thigh: https://twitter.com/gobuuun/status/799989452420415488

The body language there is readable from outer space. Of course it might be that she's not a touchyfeely person. I'm not. I don't like anyone touching me so.. She certainly seems okay with Andrew touching her. If those two aren't a couple they have one of the most physically comfortable, non sexual relationship I've ever seen. Which is cool. You get your snuggles in when you can.