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

European Championships Overview

I'm going to talk a bit about the FD..It was obvious that Pechalat and Bourzat lead FD and won the Europeans because of their progress and attidude..But Kerr's being 3rd was a big suprise because of Sinead's injury this season. I didnt think that they were going to push this hard. They were floating with speed and balance. They were so pleased with themselves. They seemed to having a good time and most of all they were feeling it. Great tricky cheorography by Platov..
 About Bobrova and Soloviev, great opening in FD a bit disharmony and loss of balance, but especially Ekaterina looks so confident. Altougha little bad luck about her skirt stuck under Dimitri's blades she is always controlled. Elena Ilynkh oh how beautiful she smiles. Whatever she does I like it I don't know why but I think after 5 years. We will be talking about them as champions... Faiella and Scali were technically ready and tried to focus but this caused them not to reflect the feeling of the dance enough.

Overview sentence: "Unpredictable in some aspects but also highly predictable?"

Virtue & Moir Withdraw From Nationals but say "Will go all the way to the Worlds!"

Well, this is my first entry so I wanted it to be about something new and about Ice Dancing.
As you all know that Tessa and Scott have been off the Grand Prix beacuse of Tessa underwnt a second surgery to alleviate chronic exertional compartment syndrome in her lower legs back in October and they have withdrawn from this weeks Canadian Nationals.
Well I thought "Thats it, they're not gonna make it to the Worlds but th couple said "The plan is to be Four Continents champions and world champions," Well.. we hope so. They say that they've talked to Zueva and Shpilband about skipping the Nationals but I think that nationals is always important for an Ice Dancing couple, to be at home, to hear those cheerful screams and to get energy for the rest of the events. So in my opinion  there should be a problem. Scott seemed down and Tessa seemed like she was trying to look like everything is fine. And I know how confident and smiley this team looks like in their interviews something just doesn't fit in this picture. 

But we all hope that everyting is fine and get to see them in the podium at the Worlds

You may know that they are preparing for a Latin Free Dance this year which is definitely hard we know that every step matters.. 

So good luck Tessa and Scott !