2018-19 Junior Grand Prix Final Free Dance

[WeakAnkles]

Arina USHAKOVA / Maxim NEKRASOV
Country: Russia
Music: Black Cat, White Cat (soundtrack) by Goran Bregovic [I smell a short term Junior Warhorse trying to get into the stable. Next season will be telling...]
Choreography by: Natalia Yanovskaia, Elena Maslennikova
Costumes: A psychedelic confection of rainbow extravaganza for both! C'mon, it's BLACK cat, WHITE cat. What do you think they're wearing??? And what happens if you pull his shirt tassle?

Program Layout:

Choreo Char Step Seq - a smart opening. Lots of mime. The program demands you establish distinct characters from the git go. And this is probably what TPTB had in mind for the ChSt. 2.70 goe
Twizzles - huge speed but also hige distance issues. Level 4 for both, 2.18 goe. That's mighty generous given the truck you could have driven between them.
Diag Step Seq - Level 3, 2.58 goe
SL Lift - very steady Level 4, 1.10 goe
Choreo Spin - with her holding his leg by one hand. Nice position. 2.82 goe
NT Step Seq - with tempo change. Level 3 for both 1.94 goe
Dance Spin - Level 4, 1.20 goe
Rotational Lift - again huge speed. Level 4, 1.38 goe

That was what I would call a "Hard Sell" performance. She in particular is just PUSHING PUSHING PUSHING the character. They certainly have the tech. But it's all so frantic. I know I'm supposed to be charmed by this but mostly I was like Stop Trying So Hard.

The judges will lap it up. Like cream. I'd rather have an espresso.

Score: 103.16

 

[s_parks]

Super thrilled for S/E!

 

[Metis]

They won the FD? The overall placement is right, but I don’t understand them winning the FD. They just weren’t as strong as they can be today. S/E should have won the FD.

 

[flanker]

Oh my, 0.01???

 

[moriel]

Ok the judges of this event should be awarded the "judging drama of the year" plastic star made in france
they deserve it

 

[tabsy]

Sofia and Igor so happy

But poor Arina and Maxim - so near!

 

[gonewiththewind25]

Sofia and Igor's reaction after realising they won was so sweet

 

[anonymoose_au]

Omg .01

OMG that's gotta hurt!

Didn't that happen once at Senior Worlds in Ice Dance?

 

[BillNeal]

Margin reminds me of Worlds 2014 Free Dance C/L vs. W/P vs. P/B

 

[cheerknithanson]

OMG that's gotta hurt!

Didn't that happen once at Senior Worlds in Ice Dance?

0.02. But 1-4 was only separated by 1.0something.

 

[s_parks]

They won the FD? The overall placement is right, but I don’t understand them winning the FD. They just weren’t as strong as they can be today. S/E should have won the FD.

Agree. S/E were smoother.

 

[BillNeal]

S/E deserved it. So glad they finally get rewarded at the big events after being passed at JWC last season.

 

[lichi]

These margins

.01 between 1 & 2, .03 between 3 & 4

In all honesty, liked the second Russian pair better, but still so close.

Welp, my predictions.

 

[vitamintea]

That interview was so adorable! Quick question though—what was the diminuitive she used for Bukin? Sasha I got, but what was his?

 

[anonymoose_au]

Arina USHAKOVA / Maxim NEKRASOV
Country: Russia
Costumes: A psychedelic confection of rainbow extravaganza for both! C'mon, it's BLACK cat, WHITE cat. What do you think they're wearing??? And what happens if you pull his shirt tassle?

I would pay good money to see someone come out in a costume like that for Paint it Black, everybody's brains would break!

And at the shirt tassel, I feel like if you pull it, Maxim's tongue will poke out!

 

[Colonel Green]

Canadian dance teams' bad luck at the JGP Final continues; none have won anything there since Tessa and Scott won the title in 2005, despite four other teams winning Junior Worlds medals in the same span.

 

[Metis]

Agree. S/E were smoother.

Didn’t have the unison issue on the twizzles, either. I thought S/E’s elements were stronger today.

 

[hanyuufan5]

Wow, two sets of couples with scores that in my profession are the same dang number. What a special competition. And they're not even seniors yet! Such a pleasure to watch. Congratulations, everyone!

 

[Metis]

This was a good way to start tonight’s skating. Also, we got to talk about cats. So straight 10s in PCS for all of us, and now, the junior men!

 

[s_parks]

Didn’t have the unison issue on the twizzles, either. I thought S/E’s elements were stronger today.

There's been quite a few Russian ID pairs the past few years where the guy is a considerably stronger skater than the girl, so I'm impressed to see S/E both have nice edges and knees. Hope they go far.