Virtue and Moir (Canada): Those lifts are crazy. Talk about innovation. They seem leaps ahead of the pack on choreography and technique.
Alexe Gilles (USA): What an amazing Senior Grand Prix debut. I thought she created a lovely ladylike image on the ice.
Yukari Nakano (Japan): I loved her music cut to Phantom of the Opera. She looked as if she where on a mission!
Caroline Zhang (USA): Loved the attack she began her program with, hated the jump technique.
Mao Asada (Japan): Triple axel in the short program...i think that may be a no-no...rethink.
Kim Yu-Na (S. Korea): Feels like no one else even has a shot at Olympic Gold this season...it's like she has this thing in the bag already. Slick music choice. 76.08...OMG.
Carolina Kostner (Italy): Ouch...this is becoming a reoccurring theme.
Inoue and Baldwin (USA): Only side-by-side double axels...not good enough. Pull a Beyonce and Upgrade, Upgrade! Program has good potential. Needs fiestiness and tension.
Canac and Coia (France): Fell in love with this team. Lovely program.
Mukhortova and Trankov (Russia): Amazing. The speed was incredible. Love the music...perfect for them. Once this team starts believing in themselves...watch out.
Dube and Davison (Canada): I hate this music. It lacks the depth of emotion this team is capable of...monotonous. The music ended...they didn't. Bryce Davison is handsome!
Savchenko and Szolkowy (Germany): The make-up is a bit much. It distracts from the pure beauty of this program. They need a more subtle way to represent clowns. I would have had them in 2nd...not 1st.
Ryan Bradley (USA): Never dull! Love that the quad is in the short and you can see the work he's done to improve his skating. Pesky lutz!
Vaughn Chipeur (Canada): Program seemed frantic the whole way through. I think the music choice is poor. Axel sit spin right on the music near the end was cool.
Nobunari Oda (Japan): These Japanese men are bringing it this season. Amazing program...loved the all out assault he had on the ice! Does he look fit or what!
Voronov (Russia): New found confidence is wonderful to see. Quad triple combo...spiffy! I find his skating wonderfully unique from all the other Russians. There's a finesse there...
Adam Rippon (USA): YES YES YES! His music is the best piece for a short program I've ever heard and he nailed it. Triple Axel...BINGO! That lutz with both arms over his head was sick! The pure joy that radiated from Adam as he skated this program (see video below)! I'm beyond....BEYOND impressed with this program!
Alban Preaubert (France): He reminds me of a combination of Laurent Tobel with his quirk style and Phillipe Candeloro with terrible jump technique that somehow works. I'm always left scratching my head with Preaubert...but in a good way.
Yannick Ponsero (France): Amazing tension and speed. Nailed the character of the music.
Brian Joubert (France): You can't botch all three jumping passes. I don't buy it...his skating lacks something for me. I did like the circular footwork...that seems vastly improved from last season.
Tomas Verner (Czech Republic): Nicely done. I like this program...it's not over the top but kitchy all at the same time. Beautiful quad! Nice showman. However, I felt Oda and Rippon far superior.
2 comments:
argh. somehow i didn't tivo the ladies shorts. i'll have to catch up with them online.
however, i did catch the men's and pairs.
SO great to see verner in top form, and with a triple dose of adorableness...haircut, costume, theme, etc.
i am so happy for/proud of rippon! AND, his program (as well as his skating) actually has a soul, and some heart...and, if he's on at nationals that number's going to bring down the house. i have loved that piece (by neil diamond) for years, so it's wonderful to see someone skate to it. a suggestion to most all the men...cut it with the flappy/wavy arms bit (ie: ponsero, joubert, voronov +)...it's not expressive, not dancing, and not masculine (if that's what you're going for).
muk/trankov looked beautiful. however, i didn't find them or their program as engaging as szol/sav. DITTO on getting rid of the makeup!!!! cheesy! it feels like a mask they're hiding behind. and, come-on, we know the song is about clowns. the costumes are enough. unless they're going to do a program with antics and pratfalls, the makeup doesn't even make sense. BUT, i agreed with the result.
I'm curious what people thought about Mao Asada's decision to use the music from last year's long program for her new short. I thought that it was kind of odd and I also would think she might be sick of it at this point (how many times has she heard it between run throughs last year and now this year?)
I love Yu-Na's new short program. It had the potential to be really cheesy but I thought she pulled it off. It was very hot and very mature.
And finally, I love the idea of skating to Send in the Clowns but the literal (and incorrect) interpretation kind of ruined the program for me. I think it would have been much more powerful (emotionally) if they had gone with a true interpretation.
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