Obviously I/K's performances at the Olympics were great regardless of levels or PCS received. The fact that their levels and PCS were all good is certainly not dependable yet. I wouldn't say P/B or C/L couldn't beat them and I/K would win world bronze.
Like Virtue/Moir's romantic programs, Pechalat/Bourzat always prefered comedy/funny/friendly programs. I'm not going to call that pushing boundaries. This is why I don't like ''Little Prince'' They are copying themselfs. Same idea, same movements, same lifts. Their choreography very predictable actually, If you are watch other dances from them. Squeeze all the technical elements in first 3 minutes and fill last 1 minute of the program with side by side easy holds, small jumps, running on ice...
http://youtu.be/302-syi45zg?t=3m35s (2011 FD-After the spin)
http://youtu.be/_VIXdhXcAWM?t=4m5s (2012 FD- After the spin)
http://youtu.be/zxi94RO8peY?t=3m52s (2013 FD-After the spin)
http://youtu.be/3hG_pUkPcg0?t=3m43s (2014 FD-After the spin)
Yes, at least half of their free dances are happy/comedy/funny. (Same record as Virtue/Moir's romantic programs) They didn't do anything exotic like Bollywood, anything romantic like Umbrellas of Cherbourg, anything balletic like Black Swan, anything passionate like Je Suis Malade, anything classical/lyrical or anything pure dance like Tango,Waltz,Rhumba. I didn't suprise when they choice Little Prince theme. I can remember almost all lifts, positions and transitional movements, costumes from previous programs. Even happy tunes of music (!?) sound similar. Usually ice dancers only doing one funny/happy/comedy dances in their whole career. This doesn't mean Pechalat/Bourzat's 4 or 5 dances in almost same theme is pushing the boundaries of originality.
Pechalat & Bourzat were always a couple with extraordinary programs, their style is unique. You can talk about the same lifts (every couple is repeating lifts – while not their own lift, they copy lifts of another skater’s) and music which was already used (Cirque du Soleil, Requiem for a Dream), but a concept and story line of almost each dance is original, they always concentrate on many details, use costumes and other properties (long sleeves, flower skirt, fan) to support the idea of the dance. I don’t have problems to recognize which costume is for Little Prince, Mummy, City Lights. A Little Prince costume have similar colours of Circus costume but if you look properly you will find why is the first suitable for Flower and the second for Circus.
Supporting the idea of Buttercup:
Cats FD in 2004/05 – extraordinary, feline, many inspiration from dancers in musical
Les Miserables FD in 2005/06 – better version than C&B are doing now, not about elements only.
Four Seasons FD in 2006/07 – non-classical version and non-classical choreo
Madness FD 2007/08 – two people on the edge of breakdown, a lot about imagination, abstraction… and finaly those sleeves
Circus FD 2008/09 – funny and entertaining
Time FD 2009/10 – Fabian as a clock and Natalie falls asleep and takes him into her dreams, some human movements, some mechanical movements taking us back and remind us a time and a clock
City Lights FD 2010/11 – romantic, some people here tends to think it was a comedy, but I don’t think so, a movie had a comic parts but this dance was mainly concentrating on a story of The Little Tramp and The Blind Girl – a romance of somebody who wants to bring the sight of girl back
Pharaon and Mummy FD 2011/12 – exotic, not funny and not romance
Rolling Stones FD 2012/13 – pure dance without story, just dancing to a music medley of a great musicians
Little Prince FD 2013/14 – how to take a story of book and bring it alive on the ice…ask P&B. The dance is not funny at all, it is playful and romantic partly and fresh.
If Elif means that all those dances are in P&B’s comfort zone, well, it would mean that they are comfort skating to anything except a ballet dance (please, tell me somebody who skated a ballet dance on ice – not Ilinykh, it was just ballet moves, not a ballet, and their story ignored both ballet and Swan).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYnVl6r5ws4 Tango in OD 2007, it was not the best tango of that evening and there were minor mistakes and shaky moments but it was passionate.
You can find passion in their this season OD also.
And wait a minute – Elif likes their Flamenco OD…and Flamenco is a very passionate dance, yes? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZPRencOHCw …2008 Flamenco OD
Exotic think was their Arabian FD in 2002/03 season and Pharaon and Mummy FD.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUraPozQe_k 2002 Buddha Bar FD
Romantic was City Light and partly Little Prince.
Pure dances were all those years when OD was done, probably not everybody felt it necessary to have pure dance in OD, pure dance in CD and then surprisingly pure dance in FD. But to be more exact their Rolling Stones FD was pure dance to music, not ballroom music. And Cuba dance could be called a pure dance as to some free style of some strange Latin. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufaaXgMXvvc 2004 FD
The only really funny and comic dance for me is Circus FD.
And how about inversing it…do you remember all top teams doing Time Dance, Madness dance (yes Bobrova), Cats - not only musical but portraying a cat – an animal (Yes, Bobrova with Birds)…and Circus? Who did circus from top dance couples past two or three Olympic cycles? Monko&Khaliavin went to a comedy/funny dance this season and suddenly people discovered that funny dance is not so easy. P&B did it and nobody came with idea that it would be hard for them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6D9V0WcSejA 2005 Cats FD
Pointing to happy dances…all dancers are smiling soooo much to show judges how much happy are they during the dance (and probably how much happy are they knowing that their judging will be 100% objective)…it would lead to idea that all dances of all couples are happy (except Psycho and Birds by Bobrova and Madness and Time by Pechalat).
While P&B spend time to think about choreography and like many other skaters they prefer some concept in ordering elements….
I&K’s choreographer Morozov prefers another way…just notice last three free dances and especially notice the choregraphy. What you will see is…identical steps and even arms moves before diagonal step sequence, very very similar steps in step sequence – turns, open holds, all those “waiting for my turns“ moments, after steps the same concept - cross-overs before the lift, on the same place on the ice…even Nikita’s steps and arm movements are the same…and dramatical finish with Lena towards judges or in front of them, posing for them…and Nikita turned to Lena with her arm towards her. Shame on you, Morozov. The same choreo for Ghost, Ave Maria and Swan Lake? Yes, Lena and Nikita are skating romances all the time while they can’t skate any other character yet, but choreo should reflect the story and music…all three dances have different story and music but choreo is not reflecting to it. You don’t mind this, Elif??? Copying whole choreography parts from one dance to another is a real misunderstanding in ice dance, no?
All people dreaming about perfect choreography and perfection of I&K never noticed it? Ave Maria and Ghost was a ballet too???
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxFgJz5dXSY&feature=player_detailpage#t=248
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=d9DeKi2y3Uo#t=287
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkzuwoNa5-k&feature=player_detailpage#t=259
You can be original, but the execution is just as important. P&B were never great interpreters or the best executors. I respected their attempts, but an attempt is only a partial percentage of a masterpiece. If you gave the same concept and material to other ice dancers, I'm sure many of them can do better.
Slightly different doesn't mean original either. The most I can say about P&B's style as distinct from others is quirky and playful.
Yes, at least half of their free dances are happy/comedy/funny. (Same record as Virtue/Moir's romantic programs) They didn't do anything exotic like Bollywood, anything romantic like Umbrellas of Cherbourg, anything balletic like Black Swan, anything passionate like Je Suis Malade, anything classical/lyrical or anything pure dance like Tango,Waltz,Rhumba. I didn't suprise when they choice Little Prince theme. I can remember almost all lifts, positions and transitional movements, costumes from previous programs. Even happy tunes of music (!?) sound similar. Usually ice dancers only doing one funny/happy/comedy dances in their whole career. This doesn't mean Pechalat/Bourzat's 4 or 5 dances in almost same theme is pushing the boundaries of originality.
This is their Four Seasons. You can see their style in this dance. Same like Virtue/Moir's romantic style. If peoples are criticizing Virtue/Moir, why not Pechalat/Bourzat?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-awG7RsEcE
They do have a higher base value than V&T in both programs though dont they. That is interesting to realize.
Ladies- this is the most open probably. Asada and Kostner are the favorites but either can melt down at any given time. Julia could win if those two make alot of mistakes, but unlike Russian Nationals in Sochi that is the only way she will beat those two. Wagner, Gold, Suzuki, Murakami, could all win a medal of some kind if they skate well.
I dont know much about the 3rd Russian dance team but I didnt even know much about Stolbova & Klimov before this year so I wouldnt count any Russian pair out. They seem to have a deep reserve of talent in that event, unlike their dancers. Most likely it will be a Canadian or Chinese team winning that bronze though.
I agree Kostner probably wont melt down. I dont even think Asada will but she is by far the most likely to, and she doesnt even have to melt down. She misses a couple of those triple axels and she loses a ton of points. I still am predicting a 1-2 for Kostner and Asada in either order though, and who knows for bronze, but of all the events that is the most likely an underdog like Gold or Suzuki could win. In the dance, mens, and pairs, I dont see anyone outside of maybe 2 people/teams winning.
The same for me... hwell:I see Yulia on the podium as well, if not Suzuki as a final big prize, or Gracie making her mark with the first of many potential world medals / titles. Strange that the only top-tier lady who I don't see anywhere near the podium remains Ashley, I don't know why. Even Kanako I think can finish ahead of her.
Dance- gold seems to be clearly between I&K and P&B. Cant see anyone else getting it based on the skating and scores thus far this year. Bronze would be between B&S, W&P, and C&L. If W&P skate a good short dance this time rather than the really weak SD they skated at the Olympics they should get it, but that is a big if with them
Believe me, you are not the only one who noticed it. And I am dreading their likely world title, because it signifies, to me at least, here we go again with watered down technique and choreography. Here we go again with Uber!Trauma!Drama! and Feeling!Deep!Emotions! Here we go again with Ingmar Bergman on Ice and/or Readers Digest Dumbed-Down Classics In TackyAss Costumes! Sturm und Drang As Razzmatazz!
Oh boy. Can't wait.
Comparing I&K and Morozov to Bergman is Aside from their Swan Lake and probably OD, they have yet to display that level of artistic mastery anywhere. They don't refer to dumbed-down classics either, or classics of anything.
They came up with very good programs for Sochi, but we waited years for them to pull it together.
I'm not sure I want to see P&B again after their less than gracious comments after the Dance event in Sochi.