- Joined
- Aug 27, 2003
My comments on the Shibs FD:
They skated it well technically but there was something missing from the presentation side of the house. It was a little too proper and one note in energy. If they're going to give this FD a chance, they really need to feel it and let the music wash over them and through them- the swoony, dippy feeling of the Moonlight Serenade (this is a gorgeous romantic piece that they don't need to direct towards each other but if they could inject the energy of the music into their movement and direct it out the mood could be conveyed really well), the irreverent, goofy get off your bum and dance In the Mood piece and the Chattanooga Choo Choo (there was a part where Alex was kind of getting into it and the way he cocks his head gives it a bit of sense of humor and irreverence but Maia was only doing this smile-as-hard-as-I can and really buttoned up rendition of it). They really need to let this rip and lose some of that formality that they have like they're striving hard to be straight A students (which I'm sure they are ;-)). They have the technical foundation- now really lay into the number. This piece is more about the jazz finger snaps rather than the proper ballet port de bras. That is what will get those scores up.
Having said that for this FD, I do agree with the other posters that they miscalculated with this particular style of program. It only accentuates their youth- it feels almost a step down from last year's FD. Last year's FD was fresh but Nat King Cole has a level of sophistication and formality to it that suits their style- this year's FD really needs a slightly down and dirtier, casual approach that's not quite who they are- at least not who Maia is. (She's such a mature young lady- definitely old soul.) I'm not sure it's in their best interest to switch their FD now though - this is where they are now. They should just work through it- this FD still has potential. I think that this will give them a lesson learned and really help them come up with better program ideas for subsequent seasons and also grow as artists if they can really learn to embody the character of this music a bit more.
As for B/S, they have these beautiful long-limbed bodies that really take up that ice surface but the choreography left them looking like a mess of tangled legs and arms. There's no magic or chemistry in their pairing. I feel like they're one of those "hold the Russian place" ice dance couples. The political clout of Russia is being used to hold Russia's place in the ice dance roster until they can find a truly championship couple to push toward the gold medal position.
Great post, Missysays. I agree with all your comments. I love the Shibs, but I don't think this was the right FD for them. It is overall too similar to last year's FD; yet the differences in mood and tempo that differentiate it from last year's FD are not being well illustrated or expressed. I'm not sure if the problem is the choreography or performance; maybe both.
Overall I am somewhat surprised by the traditionalism of the Shpilband/Zoueva programs this year. None of the FDs we've seen from their teams (D/W, V/M, S/S, Lichtman/Copely, the Lithuanian team) are breaking new ground in any way at all. The Lichtman/Copely FD is just a retread of Navka/Kostomarov's much better 2007(?) Austin Powers FD, while the Lithuanian team's 50s rock-n-roll number is nothing but a dim copy of Grinkov/Platov's far superior 2004 FD. Frankly it makes me wonder if Marina is running low on inspiration (which would not be at all surprising considering the amount of choreographic "product" she's putting out right now). I know these types of programs are calculated to fit the ISU's new rules about upbeat music with a definite rhythm, however, it does seem like other dance choreographers aren't following those guidelines quite so tightly, allowing them to create programs that are still "dance" but retain some of the drama and tension that's traditionally been a part of ice dance and is sort of lacking in Shpilband/Zoueva's free dances this year. Truly outstanding teams like V/M and D/W can make even the most traditional type of program glorious. However, lesser teams often can't rise to this level and need something more innovative to help them reach and stand out a bit.
Despite my slight disappointment with the Shibs' free dance, though, I am still shocked by the wide margin of Bobrova/Soloviev's win. I thought their free dance was pretty mediocre. And yes, what's with the strange posture throughout? So odd looking. It looked like they were crouched over through half the program. And the other half was skated with bent free legs and other strange positions. Their PCS scores were ridiculous, not in any way deserved IMO. The same thing happened with them last season too--they seemed quite overscored throughout the GP series.