2011-2012 SEASON PRE-REVIEW....................................... VM vs. DW - Music choices- Ending relationships and newly teamed couples-Coach wars!

I'ts another season coming up not more than a month ahead of us.. So looking foward to it because all of the teams especially Virtue / Moir and Davis / White will have a topnotch battle and will push themselves as hard as they can because a lot of talented young couples leaving junior level and becoming part of the senior competitions can be a serious and undeniable thread for them. Remember Virtue / Moir were on the podium in worlds in their second year in seniors so we never now what can occur in the events. It relies on how far they can go and how much they can force themselves to seperate their programmes from another teams. Virtue / Moir's missing the gold last season after becoming Olymic champions could cause them to work harder and go even more extreme with lifts, the area where they are tremendous and unique.Unarguably they launched a brand new era with their lifts in ice dance and since then other teams have been pushing themselves to make thriving lifts and a prominent genre of a lifting style has occured over the last couple of years. It was so diferent early in the 00's where teams were technically making much more easier and fleeting lifts. Mark my word, we will see the greatest lifts of all time this season. 

Apparently this could be the year with most of the ending relationships and re-teaming since the 90's. I can't even track anymore. Hubell's announced end of their relationship and Madison will continue her career with Zachary Donahue and his former parner Piper Gilles teamed up with Paul Poirier. Crone and Poirier ended their relationship this year either and Vannessa is still looking for a partner. Madison Chock and Greg Zuerlein's partnership also ended after Zuerlein retired from competition and Chock teamed up with Evan Bates whom also announced his ending relationship with his former partner  Emily Samuelson this year. Emily teamed up with Todd Gilles, Piper Gilles brother. Kerr's also announced their retirement from competitive skating in April 2001. There is still uncertainty between Domnina and Shabalin's partnership. They were planned to compete this season but it seems like Shabalin yet to be fully cured Oksana Domnina is probably searching for a new partner.

Hubell and Donohue will be coached by Krylo team (Anjelica Krylova, Massimo Scali, Elizabet Punsalan and Pasquale Camerlengo) and they will skate FD to "Put a Spell on you" by Nina Simone so it will definitely be a romantic and passionate. One of the programs I'm definitely looking foward to it. Piper Gilles and Poirier will be choreographed by the one and only Christopher Dean so I'm expecting a splendid, unique and post-modern programme just like Crone/Poirier's Elenor Rigby last year. They haven't revealed their choice of music so wonder continues. Music will tell us a lot about their programme. Chock and Bates will be dancing to Chopin's Prelude in E minor coached by Zueva and Shpilband. Belbin and Agosto skated to a collection of Chopin's including prelude in e minor so I'm assuming its one of Shpilband's favorites. This programme will be elegant and sophisticated. 

Samuelson and Todd Gilles will be choreographed by one and only Christopher Dean so I'm pretty excited about this couple either. They haven't revealed choice of their music yet. SD theme will be latin this year obviously because looking at the music choices of most of the teams, they all will be skating to a collection of Rhumba, Samba, ChaCha, Merengue or Bachata.. Virtue and Moir are the luckiest couple here. They will cut their last season's FD and here it is a perfect Latin medley SD performance. That programme didn't get the attention it deserved so it will be nice to see that rotational lift again. Although I have doubts about their choice for FD. Fred Astair - Funny face is a nice song but they could have chosen a better one if they really wanted to dance with a Gershwin song, there are better ones.
I don't think that its suitable for ice dancing but I believe they will exhibit a fascinating FD performance anyway. I would like to see them combining romance and port-modernizm again so much just like in "Greatest gig in the sky" performance that wish for them to skate to songs like Anyway- Genesis, Live with me-Massive Attack so I'm a little dissapointed.
Davis and White's music on the other hand is what a spectacular choice; Nino Rota's La Strada, is a very passionate, dramatic and intence piece of music. I'm sure they will perform another legendary programme this season. Pechalat and Bourzat's moving to U.S to work with Camerlengo/ Krylova so this is definely their year. So many new teams are working with them. Their FD will be an Egyptian. I have never seen an example of it on ice dance before. If you guys have any then please post it. They are working with Kader Belmoktar and Mourad Merzouki particulary on the basic egyptian routines and overall choreography whom Egyptians. I't will be unique and if they can nail this performance could be one of the most popular ones on the ice dance history.
As for the Cappellini / Lanotte  couple whom getting along very well will be dancing to Astor Piazzola's "Oblivion" very classic but good choice.But I'm very sure after seing their Requiem for a dream performance that every character suits Anna well and she is enchanted in more passionate performances. Coming to discovery team of 2010 Ilinykh and Ktsalapov, they have ended their relationship with Zhulin to start working with Morozov and Tarasova, they will be skating to Ave Maria which is a very sensual, religious and profound music. I have this feeling that they are going to be amazing on ice this season artistically as much as good they are technically. Looking at Bobrova and Soloviev, they will be performing with "Faust" I'm hoping adagio but they will probably dance with a collection from every popular part of it. So their kind.My sentimental favorites Weaver and Poje working with Bourne as well as Camerlengo and Krylova will be performing with Je Suis Malade from Lara Fabian, along with the classical choices this season I think this is the best choice among all.

Last but not least, It will great to see Hoffman and Zavozin back this year after her sickness it will be intriguing  how will they perform.
See you in Skate America!

Worlds 2011 - Virtue/Moir & Davis/White Comparison

That was it.... The moment of obscurity appeared when Davis/White finished the program.. Which of them were going to win? Was it Tessa and Scott? Or Meryl and Charlie? I was confused. I bet everybody was confused. Last year you could say it, clearly it was Virtue&Moir. But this year. It was so close, that you can't say. I started to clear my mind and think of every move they made and consantrate on it. Technically I was saying Meryl&Charlie, but another part of me was saying "V/M are the Olympic champions, come on.."But there it was, with a big 111.51 on the screen it was D/W ahead 4.01 points of V/M. I'm glad to see them champions.. really.. I think they deserved it even though I'm a big Tessa&Scott fan and loved the latin medley program, D/W's improvement this season was unavoidable. This program showed how technically hard it is and how it needs to be passionate. There were twists and turns. Meryl and Charlie did it! This program was so close to perfection in the Worlds.
On the other hand if we look at the Latin Medley. Opened artistically great with cha cha moves with very unique and original twizzles then a tricky and moody midline step sequence and followed by the greatest lift of 2011 a rotational lift (RoLi4) then music schanged and I think besides how good they are this part of the choreography was not that strong. It has some gaps which are empty that neither Tessa nor Scott dances. This program is technically almost good as the Tango and V/M's posture and abilities made it brilliant. Usually they never make a mistake. Not even a little disharmony or a loss of balance. But this time. When I watched for the second time I saw Tessa leaned back a bit when she almost (!), I am saying this again you can see it only if you look carefully, lost her balance for not even a second. But it was in front of the judges. And in their partial step sequence they started wth a little disharmony. We are all used to them being identical in the sequences and footworks and I think I saw it a moment in Scotts face.
But except these they were fantastic as usual. Tessa's elegance and Scotts caring holds always takes my breath away. And this dress was one of the greatest outfits in the History of Ice. They were sexy and innocent at the same time. A jazzy style combined to latin is a eurhythmic synthesis and suits them very well. I wish that we could seen it before the worlds a seveal times and wish that they could have a lot more time to practice. Because this program is glamororus..And In my opinion they only missed the gold because of this. Every program they do, they always rule it and they have the control of it. They are always going through hundreds of times over and over again till they are perfect on a move. But they didn't have the time even though The championship reassigned to May. They lost 3 months due to Tessa's compartment syndrome and this loss of time is important.
D/W on the other hand, had their whole season to practice to improve themselves. They've become more and more passionate everyday and fulfilled all the requirements of the program. They were absolutely floating upon the surface. Charlie always makes it blowy and edgy at the same time. He is very elegant. I usually look at the girl but with this couple, my eyes are mostly on him. I just can't take them away. So tango just suited him. They did all the elements perfectly and most of them were ranked 3 always keeping the GOE above the avg. They had the time. They took it and they made it hell of a great program. Unlike the V/M's program this one is full of great moves never stoping turns and twists mostly are created in the rehersals by themselves. Because I remember seeing this for the first time in this season it just wasn't this good enough. There was not that much of good parts that filled it.
If we look at the elements starting with the lifts, straight line lift of D/W is ranked much higher than V/M's. It was unique and much harder to do than the V/M's. V/M did a different variation of it last year in their flamenco which was so much better because that lift suitted the flamenco and the way Scott held Tessa was technically so much harder. But I loved the move he did like a saturday night fever style and sliding a bit like a surfy way. Rotational lifts were similar to each other. V/M's first rotational lift GOE 1.5
because of only one judge ranked it 2. Which should have been a series of 3's. D/W's first rotational lift on the other hand is as dangerous as V/M's. The moment Charlie only holding Meryl from the under of her legs is astonishing. But I think V/M's is a glam. And its speed is incredible. Looking at the 2nd rotational lifts D/W's ranked so much higher than it should have been and V/M's ranked above the GOE it should have. These two lifts are technically in the same line. Plus, V/M's was so much faster. Looking at the curve lifts V/M gets a higher point which is something I don't agree because it is clear that D/W's is a top lift to be hard. Charlie is carying Meryl's whole body weight with his one arm. They should have ranked much higher on this particular lift. Looking at the
twizzles, even though D/W's speed and harmony is amazingly perfect V/M's synchronized twizzles with a circular "mirror" twizzle with a "following one another" twizzle, was unique. It is so hard to be the the same on trying out something new. They were making a circule with twizzles, I believe that they worked on that so many times. They were identical. Not as much as the D/W but should've been ranked higher. When we look at the spins we can see clearly that Meryl's leaning back position get the points and it deserves it. Even though V/M did 3 moves inside the spin. D/W's position eas so much hard.I believe that Tessa and Scott wasn't their best at that time because we didn't see them before performing this program we cant compare on how great they can do all of the moves but I know they could have done it better.
It just wasn't their best even though it was a great performance. They raised the bar in Ice dancing so I know that in some points if they were better, they would've won the gold. But congratulations to Meryl and Charlie they did their best and Won. Can't wait to see next year.

2011 World Championships !

It was the most unpredictable, heart beating fast world championship ever! But I I'll come to Davis/White and Virtue/Moir comparison later. First, lets talk about the Short Dance section beause it decomposes the couples and the rates between the programs. It was a huge shock to see Crone/Poirier 10th ater the Short dance. I personally think that their Short dance was very elegant and unique but if well look technically to see them behind other many programs is nothing they deserved. They were strong and kept the harmony, they were incredibly fast. Untill the end in the twizzles, they were technically almost perfect. Only missed a second in the end so they should have been ranked at least 35 for their executed elements. Given -1 mostly for their twizzle made their GOE -0.43 which is very low.

As we look at Weaver and Poje they were fantastic. Really don't know how their program component score was that low.They should have been 5th in front of Ilınykh/Katsalapov and even Dobrov/Soloviev. Kaitlyn's beautiful smile and their positive energy always reflects the ıce. So this program was even more beautiful. They didn't made and mistake. Not even a miss. When Kaitlyn's hair opened in the perfect time it was one of the highlights of the event. Its something that they can't even do on purpose ieven if they've wanted to. So it was great. Pechalat/Bourzat presented the greatest SD program in this season. They were confident and everything just went well. In  executed elements they were so close to Davis/White almost the same. Virtue/Moir got the highest technical scores butDavis/White got the highest program components. Last year it was the same. Virtue/Moir were ahead of Davis/White,after the FD even though Davis/White were better but it wasn't enough to reach the top at the podium unlike this year.
In SD, Davis/White had something that can't be seen but kept them a bit slow and unsure. They were a bit exited either. Virtue/Moir's step sequence was exquisite. They were really back. They were confident. Tessa was smiling. But to be off the ice for the whole season always makes the perception of estrangement for the audience. So its a very big success.

Moves of 2011 - Pechalat & Bourzat's Finale

The last 15 seconds of this program is indefinable. A playful medley of moves set to a Charlie Chaplin theme ends and then girl suddenly goes blind again with a heartfelt, elegant and affecting finale music. You can feel the sadness and then hope and love again. I have never seen a touching finale like this before. The turn in the music and feeling of the dance comes out of nowhere.
 In their 4th time presenting this program, audience still thinks the program is over after Pechalat's hop from the back of Bourzat. But after a second, you hear that sad but in the mean time hopeful music while she seeks for her lover for a moment she loses hope, but tahen a glimpse of a touch with the happy ending.
I find Natalie so succesful in this performance. She acts blindness very well. But the actual move is where she becomes blind again while the music changes she reaches foward

Moves of 2011 - Davis and White's Straight Line Lift

The other move of 2011 is Davis & White's Straight line lift. They are skating to a collection of Tango's and its been great to see this program evolve. An intricate cheorography from the beginning. The nuances and expressions really got better. Levels in the music changed and in the last program we can see that they are bringing this dance into life. And the greatest part of the music, the most intense, most passionate part of it takes place while in their straight line lift, which makes this move even more beautiful.
Technically, its base value is 4.00 which is not a very high value for a straight line lift. But I don't think that any base value or GOE should be the only qualification to a move. As much as technicality is important for an element it is also important that how it makes the audience feel, how passionate and artisticaly how good it looks like. I have seen a lot of great lifts artisticaly brilliant but technically qualified with low values.
In this particular lift he grabs her and raises her from his shoulder to his back then she passionately holds him from his back her eyes closed and final pose with a difficult position she leaning back, he only holding her from her neck while she opens her arms and she lets go...

Moves of 2011 - Crone and Poirier's "Jar"

Lets take a look at this seasons original and greatest moves. Ice dance proved in years so much that in the 70s people could not even imagine these lifts, footwork, twizzles that couples do in these years.... So every year, some couples do something maybe tiny maybe big.. but something different, a minor move that actually changes the perspective, that makes people think what a great move it is. Thats why "moves" are so important that we should locate every year what these are.
There is the first one, Crone and Poirier, correct me If I'm wrong but I have never seen a move in a program before that defines of reflects the song they are dancing by symbolic moves. In Crone & Poirier's FD performance with The Beatles legendary song Eleanor Rigby, especially Vanessa Crone makes but both of them are making "the jar" by combining their hands in front of their bodies constantly, during the program, wearing the face that she keeps in the jar by the door, Who is it for? 


all the lonely people

Four Continents Championships Free Dance Overview

As expected Virtue & Moir and Davis & White were in a close battle to claim the top on the podium but an almost injury knocked Tessa and Scott out of the competition. After a minute in their routine Tessa stumbled on a twizzle. We don't know if its from the tightness she felt but ater 30 seconds she hooked her leg around Scott's neck in their rotational lift and as he put her down she wanted to stop. Tessa had an injury in 2009 4CC so it is possible that she didn't wanted to take the risk for the World's. High performance director of Canada Michael Slipchuk told that it was nothing linked to her surgery so I hope there is nothing to be afraid of. It looked like latin really suited them as I told. Hope we can see the rest of the programme in World and see them on the podium.
Davis & White combined precision, fluency and elegance in their FD as usual. It was not a surprise they reached the top with 103.02 points. Their prog. components are 9 points higher than Shibutani's who ranks after them which is a very big gap. Crone and Poirier ranked 3rd after Shibutani's, they recieved the identical scores in some of their EC's but Shibutani's Base Value is higher, don't agree with the PCS's I think Crone & Poirier's should have been ranked higher. Although Weaver and Poje's most of their
elements ranked as level 4 except
for one, overall qualities of elements wasn't high because judges netted them negative GOE in one particular element and base vaues of the elements they have chosen are not high enough. Because of this, they were forced to change some of their elements last year in their SD to raise their base values. They can make the same decision this season for the worlds.