2017 Rostelecom Cup onsite reports

[pearly]

That all makes sense of course. What I still don't get is that everyone wears regular practice outfits back home and then they pop up the competition outfits for official practice. When I skated we practiced in whatever or team practice outfits, then had our official practice dresses/outfits for official practice and dresses for the competition.

Anyway, sorry to steal the topic. I'll bring this up in one of the non-competition ice dance threads.

 

[mrrice]

Maybe because they really want to wow the judges watching the practices as soon as they can,

THIS^^^^^^ I can say from experience as a judge that you can't help but see a team rehearse. Unless there's a second practice rink, studio, or some cases, gym floor, you will end up seeing at least a portion of their costumes and programs before you judge them. Dance floors are often made of temporary planks that are fitted together and can be quite slippery. Most teams will wear their competition shoes, and head pieces during the practice sessions at the event. Sometimes, even the lighting can effect a dancers ability to spot turns, that's why hats or head pieces are usually worn during on site runs.

Here's a temporary floor picture....http://learnmore.dancedeck.com/port...nce-floors/images/dance-deck-pro-large-lp.jpg

 

[Barb]

Nathan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftN42O2P9ZU

Yuzuru https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJ85xV3I04E

 

[franco1991]

I've seen on twitter ISU planned content reports for Yuzuru and Mirai. Does anyone know where to find it these reports? I really want to know what is Caro planning, especially for the free.

 

[mrrice]

Nathan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftN42O2P9ZU

Yuzuru https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJ85xV3I04E

Is Nathan going for a quad loop???

 

[bramweld]

The Shibs really need to change their final lift in the SD. But on the plus side their costumes are beautiful and the music is COHESIVE. Rarr!! I hope its just the angle but sometimes the dance feels like a waltz rather than latin. It needs some sass and grit but who knows the video quality isn't the best. I want to see the competition so fast!!

B/S, why oh why is Bobrova's posture so AWFUL?

 

[xeyra]

Is Nathan going for a quad loop???

He's been doing a 4Lo in both his competitions this season already. It's not a surprise.

 

[mrrice]

He's been doing a 4Lo in both his competitions this season already. It's not a surprise.

Since I haven't seen Nathan yet, it will be a huge surprise to me. Has he been landing it? Holy Cow!! He could really win this event if he goes clean.

 

[NoNameFace]

just had a chance to watch Shibutanis practice of SD - for me, this is really classy, sleek piece of a good, cohesive dance and performance, with great, big potential to grow in terms of execution and expression. Choreography works nice with the flow of the music - I love how it is mixed, like one, coherent piece of music; probably one of my favourite partial step sequences: giving out the feel of the music, fanstastic details of arms work, great accentuation/bounce of the rhythm. Also, kind of unique rhythmical accentuation on non-touching step sequence - based more on a steady flow/bounce (knees bend, edge work) than hitting musical accents/stiking poses and work with just upper body part, I very much like it. The impression/reception of mine is how I imagined their SD: playful, cheeky, fun variation of traditional Latin musial theme, but served with vibrance, elegance and polish. I think that the dance will grow with each showing, there will be more attack and confidence

 

[skylark]

Is Nathan going for a quad loop???

In fact, he landed a beautiful one in his FS at SLC int'l classic. Became the first man ever to complete five different quads in competition. Not all 5 in the same comp.

Nathan has said he often doesn't decide exactly which jumps to do until the day of the competition. So who knows?

 

[VIETgrlTerifa]

The Shibs really need to change their final lift in the SD. But on the plus side their costumes are beautiful and the music is COHESIVE. Rarr!! I hope its just the angle but sometimes the dance feels like a waltz rather than latin. It needs some sass and grit but who knows the video quality isn't the best. I want to see the competition so fast!!

B/S, why oh why is Bobrova's posture so AWFUL?

They really do need a new lift. However, I guess this one is a guaranteed level 4 and they’ve received great GOEs for it in the past, Maia’s position on it has improved, and Alex seems to be covering more ice with it now. I hope their FD is full of new lifts.

 

[SkaterX]

Evgenia fell during her run through and Jackie Wong is in shock.

 

[coldblueeyes]

B/S, why oh why is Bobrova's posture so AWFUL?

Where is the video of their training? Or did you just thought fo throwing that out for fun? They weren't even on the ice while the Shibs were skating.

 

[charlotte14]

The men practiced like they still feel sleepy. The ladies practice much more seriously I think. The ladies are in better form.

 

[Sasha'sSpins]

Based on Jackie's tweets V. excited for Mirai!

I am too, especially as he said she seems more committed this time to the second half of the FS! YAY! I'm a little bit confused though - he said she had a 'solid' practice yet also reports 3 falls!

 

[NoNameFace]

The Shibs really need to change their final lift in the SD. But on the plus side their costumes are beautiful and the music is COHESIVE. Rarr!! I hope its just the angle but sometimes the dance feels like a waltz rather than latin. It needs some sass and grit but who knows the video quality isn't the best. I want to see the competition so fast!!

B/S, why oh why is Bobrova's posture so AWFUL?

as for Shibutanis - I think that as this is their first competition of the season, it is more about strong start and getting much-needed feedback about programs that hitting full out there with novelty; I think that they sure have something in mind and will introduce things steadily. As for 'waltz' reference - well, for me it's not everybody's style to do hips/booty shake every three seconds and call it full-on Latin dance style (first, one has to do it CORRECTLY and in the right moments/with the music to have its effect) and it's certainly not what Shibutanis are about to do. Actually, linking this with your below remark about Ekaterina's posture - Shibutanis way of movement in that SD is an example for me of a perfect 'framing' of the dance posture/stance-wise - it creates sleekness, polish and elegance watching them, but it never for me resonates 'waltz'. I think that the way of leading in that SD (especially by Alex), how their postures look like and way of partnering references Latin ballroom is a very nice way - it gives that 'clean' look as I said earlier and much-needed flow thorough the dance. Some utilize constant stops, shakes or dance figures to reference Latin, some will use ballroom framing, body actions (bounce for example) like Shibutanis did - depending on effect they are going for and choreography design.

As for Ekaterina's posture remark - I do not believe that constantly throwing this everywhere will make all people convinced to this statement. My opinion - does Ekaterina's posture is the best out there? Definitely not. Does Ekaterina's posture is that 'so AWFUL' comparing to other female ice dancers? Definitely not also, even top teams - and female parts of them - have their fair share of posture troubles, depending on skills, technique, choreography design to name only few, and looking at Ekaterina - she really improved in that area significantly during the years and their packaging (costumes, choreos etc.) got much smarter to focus things on other things than primarily posture. Does Ekaterina's posture makes her less of a great dancer/performer? Absolutely not, as every female ice dancer she has her stronger and weaker points, but in my opinion she grew and developed to highlight her best qualities and serve a good performance, engaging into it; it's a pity that some will define her partnership with Dmitri only through her posture.

 

[Tutto]

Here still hoping for some live accounts- many thanks in advance!

 

[AlexRus]

Ladies practice at Friday, before SP.
Very interesting, but need six eyes to watch all six girls sumiltaneously.
Bell skated SP without jumps.
Nagasu - 3A, 3A+3T fall (when it was at SP - "Why it repeats? Is it Groundhog Day?")
Radionova - very many jumps.
Medvedeva did not jump for long time at beginning, after that different jumps and combos, some jumps rippon.

Men.
Lazukin - predictably mistakes at FS.
Kolyada - yes, now we can tell that his mistakes are predictable.
Aliev - as for me, not so worse than Kolyada.
Hanyu - very nice skating but problems on jumps.
Natan Chen - jumps monster. Not to planned content in FS, where first was 4Lo, in fact - very good 4Lz+3T.

Dance.
Shibutani - simpler than Bobrova-Soloviev elements, but better skating skills and very clean.
Stepanova-Bukin - worse skating skills than Top2, very complicated and good elements (lifts etc).
Gilles-Pourier - nice.

Pairs.
Seguin-Bilodeau - good, but many mistakes.
Marchei-Hotarek - very nice, but mistakes.
Astakhova-Rogonov - nice and strong.
Stolbova-Klimov - the highest level of all, but bad state. As for me, they deserved 3rd place while Astakhova-Rogonov second.
Tarasova-Morosov - no doubt deserved gold. Horrible FS dress of Tarasova. I had a dream - to see her in Kiss-and-Cry in underwear and her dress in fire close to Kiss-and-Cry.

Ladies.
Caro as for me was much better in FS than in SP. Score for SP looked too high, for FS - about normal. And I don't understand her high scores for too simple spins.
Medvedeva - monster! Overscored I believe, but who cares - she was no doubt really way better than others.
Both Japanese girls - pleasure to watch, very smooth jumps. Wakaba - powerful, some minor mistakes and doubled triple. Kaori - many steps, fall after first jump (3F fall, planned 3F+3T), after that saved all that possible - landed 3F+3T (planned 3F+2T) and 2A+2T (planned 2A). Clever girl. Both made planned content point-to-point (except Kaori saved jumps while first jumps in these combos were as planned), many others changed the order.
Bell - good girl but far from "leaders of leaders".

Medal ceremony and Gala.
When Hanyu medaled - chorus "AAAAAAA!!!" of Japanese female voices. But after his Gala skating chorus of Russian "OOOOOOO!!!" was louder. And very many teddy bears and toys after his SP, FS and gala - I believe more than for all others together. Spectators love him.
Some skaters skated SP or FS of previous season (Ziegler-Kiffler SP without any change, Astakhova-Rogonov - part of FS if I am not mistaken).
Radionova has very good show programs, but skated ordinary gala program.
Nathan Chen was the only who landed quad(step-out) in Gala.
(corrected)Hanyu - very nice skating, single axel, after that good 3A (the same gala program as at World-2017 where 3A was worse).
Kolyada - show program of baba-yaga with a broom from Russian fairy tales, nice.
Marchei-Hotarek - very-very nice show program.
Two Japanese girls were the only of Ladies who performed really clean complicated jumps as in competition.
Others ordinary, Kostner - of course nice, Medvedeva too, but nothing special.

 

[Winnie_20]

Hanyu - very nice skating, tried 3A but singled it, just after that landed good 3A.

FYI, he didn't try a 3A, he jumped a planned very large single axel. It's always been like that in this exhibition program, like a flying swan. I think it's very pretty. :thumbsup:

 

[AlexRus]

FYI, he didn't try a 3A, he jumped a planned very large single axel. It's always been like that in this exhibition program, like a flying swan. I think it's very pretty. :thumbsup:

Yes. I forgot this.
Thank you, corrected.