The Dance Hall 12: Boston Tea Dance Party

[Dobre]

I've missed tons of pages in this thread, but in case it hasn't been mentioned here, apparently Bronsard & Richmond have split.

Emmy Bronsard posted tonight that she is training for Picken solo dance event -- and also looking for a new partner.

Emmy Bronsard on Instagram: "Little update! @jacobrichmond0 et moi avons décidé de mettre fin à notre partenariat. Nous souhaitons remercier @skate_canada , @patinageqc et @iceacademyofmontreal pour votre support. Actuellement, je poursuis l’entraîn

26 likes, 3 comments - emmy_bronsard2004April 19, 2024 on : "Little update! @jacobrichmond0 et moi avons décidé de mettre fin à notre partenariat. Nous souhaitons remercier @skate_canada , @patin...".

www.instagram.com

 

[Sylvia]

Emmy Bronsard, Maxine Weatherby, James Koszuta and Lucas Appel are among those scheduled to compete their Senior RD tonight at the Washington Picken Solo Dance International - link to the competition thread in Kiss & Cry: https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/th...ub-comp-in-reston-va-april-26-28-2024.111747/

 

[Belsornia]

Is the Picken International Weatherby's first competition since 2020 4CCs? If so, that's some persistence!

 

[Sylvia]

Is the Picken International Weatherby's first competition since 2020 4CCs? If so, that's some persistence!

Think so - Weatherby's IPS profile, last updated in January, says she is based in Montreal: https://icepartnersearch.com/showbio.php?i=7134
She represented the Skating Club of Florida and finished 6th at the Picken Solo Dance International - link to the Senior final standings (Kiss & Cry is currently open to all): https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/th...ston-va-april-26-28-2024.111747/#post-6591030

Lucas Appel (gold) skated to "The Show Must Go On" by Queen in his FD, Emmy Bronsard (silver) to Mozart's Fantasia No. 3 in D minor (thanks to @gkelly for the ID!) and GBR's Alana Pang (bronze) to POTO. James Koszuta (4th) skated to "Still Got the Blues"/"Walking By Myself" by Gary Moore and Shin Lei Case (5th) to "What Could Have Been" ft. Sting and violinist Ray Chen (from the series Arcane League of Legends).

 

[Sylvia]

The ISU's Junior Ice Dance Seminar is underway in Oberstdorf, Germany (April 27–May 1, 2024; Novice will be May 3-7): https://www.isu.org/inside-isu/isu-communications/communications/32782-isu-communication-2606/file

Maurizio Margaglio, ISU ID Seminars Coordinator
The Coach/Moderators are Kaitlyn Weaver (CAN) ISU IDTC Athletes representative, Rostislav Sinitsyn (CZE), Juris Razgulajevs (CAN), Elena Novak (USA).

Slovak federation’s photos (featuring Lucia Stefanova/Jacopo Boeris, 3rd in Adv. Novice at the 2024 Bavarian Open): https://www.instagram.com/p/C6Q5KUALbEg/

 

[sk9tingfan]

Phil Hersch reviews Tanith Belbin/Ben Agosto's and Meryl Davis/Charlie White's contribution to the discipline of Ice Dance. This has been due for a very long time.

They sparked two decades of U.S. ice dance excellence — Globetrotting by Philip Hersh

Not long after Ben Agosto switched from singles skating to ice dance at age 10, he faced up to the reality that winning medals on a global stage might be impossible for a U.S. ice dancer. Why wouldn’t he think that way, given the evidence? After all, one of his first coaches, Sus

www.globetrottingbyphiliphersh.com

 

[tony]

To be fair, the Americans started the push in ice dance once the system was completely reworked into IJS and the judges couldn't just throw out any score they wanted under 6.0. Punsalan and Swallow (with Shpilband) really were the team that should've been credited for 'sparking' this excellence IMO.

 

[Sylvia]

Davis/White and Belbin/Agosto will be honored next Monday (May 6) at the Ice Theatre of New York's Benefit Gala - event thread in GSD (incliudes a link to Hersh's article):

Ice Theatre of New York's 2024 Benefit Gala honoring Davis/White, Belbin/Agosto, Bezic, Blumberg (May 6) & Home Season shows (May 3-4)

The Ice Theatre of New York's 2024 Benefit Gala and Performance will take place on Monday, May 6, 2024 at 6:30 pm at Sky Rink at Chelsea Piers in NYC: https://www.icetheatre.org/2024-benefit-gala-and-performance.html Performance, Cocktails, Dinner (The Lighthouse Chelsea Piers) and Award...

www.fsuniverse.net

 

[Belsornia]

@Debbie S posted this article by Morgan Matthews Pennington in the US dance thread; commenting here since I think it applies to the partner search process beyond the US.

How To Find an Ice Dance Partner: Then and Now

I don't think she says anything that's particularly surprising to those of us who have been following ice dance for a while, but it's both refreshing and dispiriting to see the power dynamics of the gender imbalance - and the financial consequences - set out so directly.

Also, IPS opened the possibility for prospective partners to contact one another directly, without having a coach act as broker. Though most skaters still seem to list their coaches as a primary contact on the website, I wish more skaters would opt for direct contact, since this allows for a more free, unbiased flow of communication.

As an outsider, I think this sounds right for adult skaters, but young skaters particularly need support through the process. I can imagine some ice dance girls are so desperate to find a partner they can put pressure on themselves to say yes, even if something doesn't feel right. And sometimes it takes an outside perspective to say "this isn't right for you". I guess the problem is there are no disinterested parties to advocate for the young skaters - coaches advance their careers off the success of their students, parents have invested a lot of money or may be living vicariously through their children, federations prioritise competitive results....

When I arrived at the ice dance partner audition at the 2000 U.S. Championships, I was given a number to wear on my back. As I recall, when it was time to take the ice, the event organizers played compulsory dance music and the girls skated around and performed for the boys, who stood at the boards either alone or with their coaches. When one of the boys decided that they liked one of the girls, they went over to the organizer, who announced the girls’ numbers over the speaker. The selected girl would go over to the organizer who would point her to the boy who wanted to try skating with her. She would smile, perhaps curtsy at the boys’ coaches, and listen as either the boy or his coaches told her what to do.

I know young ice dancers are accustomed to being judged in public, but And also that her mom thought that 13-year-old Morgan had blown her chance with Zavozin by not flirting with him during their first tryout.

According to Anton [Spiridonov], after his split from Lorraine McNamara prior to the 2023-24 season.
“This time around, it was exceptionally simple and fast. Having took part in the Grand Prix circuit and competing/medaling at other international events, you’re quite a bit more in the spotlight. I’ve received an overwhelming amount of offers, many of them were very interesting.”

As the apparent dumpee Spiridonov has an incentive to make his own narrative, but it seems emblematic that the less-talented male partner had his pick of proposals, while it appears Lorraine was still searching as of a few weeks ago.

Nevertheless, when it comes down to creating a successful partnership, both partners have to match in skill, style, personality, and work ethic.

The makings of a successful partnership aren’t always clear on paper. Just as many have tried and failed to boil down the elements that add up to a successful marriage, there is no exact formula for a successful ice dance partnership. Searching IcePartnerSearch for a prospective partner is a good start, and listening to coaches’ feedback after an audition is important, but ultimately ice dancers have to listen to their gut when selecting a partner. After all, if you’re going to spend 6-8 hours a day holding hands with another person, that person better be someone that you like.

The question of what makes a successful partnership is an interesting one. After all, we can all think of very successful partners who didn't always get along on a personal level. But it seems that ultimately agreement on goals and how a team is going to work together towards them can often be the make-or-break factor, more so than being a great physical or skills match. But the top competitive teams are usually well-matched on most of the dimensions.

Again as an outsider, I'd guess it also depends a bit on the stage in a skater's career, since most skaters won't make it to senior international competition, much less compete for championship medals. For younger skaters, up to most JGP competitors, skating is still kind of a hobby - albeit an intense, expensive and time-consuming one - so getting along and enjoying skating together should be at the top; you'd hope that young teams are at least friends. But at a some point skating becomes more of a job than a hobby and the 'business partner' type relationship can work well for some senior teams. Even looking through the gender dynamics, there's a very limited set of potential partners, so if they can agree on goals, training, finances, programmes, have respect for what they each bring to the partnership and look out for one another's well-being, they're doing pretty well - you don't have to be besties with your work colleagues.


(An aside, did Matthews marry her last ice dance partner, or is the Pennington just a coincidence?)

 

[ice coverage]

... As the apparent dumpee Spiridonov has an incentive to make his own narrative, but it seems emblematic that the less-talented male partner had his pick of proposals, while it appears Lorraine was still searching as of a few weeks ago. ...

I don't think the "make his own narrative" comment is fair to Spiridonov.
We do not know what is/was considered important or not as important on each former partner's wish list in the search for a new partner. Such as: a certain amount of experience; a certain citizenship; willingness to live in a certain location and/or to train with a certain coaching group; etc.??
I think it's possible that McNamara also received a slew of overtures -- but maybe(?) one or more parameters is non-negotiable for her, which absolutely would be her prerogative.
I am glad that it sounds as if Spiridonov has found a new partner. I hope that McNamara's search also will be successful.

Anyway, I thought the article was great.

 

[Belsornia]

I don't think the "make his own narrative" comment is fair to Spiridonov.

I didn't mean this as a slight on Spiridonov (at least, no more than saying he's less talented than Lorraine, which I think is just a fact) but it looks like he'll be competiting next season, and ice dance is a judged sport, so he has an incentive to make the case that he's an in-demand partner and is excited by the potential of his new partnership. I certainly hope that Lorraine has / will soon have a new partnership which she's excited about too.

I also thought the article was great, and I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

 

[ice coverage]

Official 2024/25 RD announcement from ISU today:

The theme selected for the Rhythm Dances for both Junior and Senior for the season 2024/25 is “Social Dances and Styles of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s”. The Rhythm Dance for the 2024/2025 season takes inspiration from the high energy and entertaining dance styles from these decades. These dance styles originated as a couple dance and due to their contagious, up beat rhythms, they became an invitation for others to join along in social settings and mass gatherings, becoming crowd pleaser favorites.

Required characteristics: High energy, rooted in couple dancing, identifiable 1950’s, 1960’s, 1970’s dance styles enjoyed by large groups of people.

Examples (but not limited to): Rock n’ roll, Jitterbug, Twist, The Hustle, Disco

What this season's RD is not: This season’s dance is not based on the Classical, Contemporary, Folk and Ballroom styles of dance.

Notes:

• Remixed and/or remastered music, including cover versions, is permitted.
• The couple should demonstrate through dance movements/dance holds the feeling/essence and dance style(s) from these decades.
• The Rhythm Dance should NOT be skated in the style of a Free Dance.
• To comply with the ethical values of sports, any music chosen for Ice Dance competitions must not include aggressive and/or offending lyrics.

https://isu.org/inside-isu/isu-communications/communications/33758-isu-communication-2630/file

ETA:​

See page 3 for requirements regarding Paso Doble, and page 5 for Key Points and Key Points Features for Juniors.​

 

[Former Lurve Goddess]

​

Notes:​

• The Rhythm Dance should NOT be skated in the style of a Free Dance.

​

https://isu.org/inside-isu/isu-communications/communications/33758-isu-communication-2630/file

Won't this be an issue for fear and Gibson?

 

[BlueRidge]

The result of my reading that announcement is that I now find myself walking around getting ready for work whistling the Hustle.

IIRC the Hustle was not a couple dance, it was a line dance.

 

[Karen-W]

IIRC the Hustle was not a couple dance, it was a line dance.

Yeah... there were a bunch of dances that were more akin to group or line dances - the Mashed Potato, the Twist, the Hand Jive, etc - you didn't need a partner, you just needed to know the moves and danced with everyone in a large group.

This wording is just a bit... ehhhhh... This iteration of the IDTC would probably include "Square Dance" as an acceptable example of a Folk "couple" dance.

 

[Former Lurve Goddess]

Yeah... there were a bunch of dances that were more akin to group or line dances - the Mashed Potato, the Twist, the Hand Jive, etc - you didn't need a partner, you just needed to know the moves and danced with everyone in a large group.

This wording is just a bit... ehhhhh... This iteration of the IDTC would probably include "Square Dance" as an acceptable example of a Folk "couple" dance.

They should have used the term "social dances" instead of couples dances.

 

[Karen-W]

They should have used the term "social dances" instead of couples dances.

Well, they did in the official title of the RD. The problem is here -

Required characteristics: High energy, rooted in couple dancing, identifiable 1950’s, 1960’s, 1970’s dance styles enjoyed by large groups of people.

 

[BlueRidge]

Well, they did in the official title of the RD. The problem is here -

Required characteristics: High energy, rooted in couple dancing, identifiable 1950’s, 1960’s, 1970’s dance styles enjoyed by large groups of people.

yes and then there's also the fact that ice dance is done by couples

 

[Karen-W]

yes and then there's also the fact that ice dance is done by couples

Which is odd considering how half the RD Required elements require no dance holds or coupled dancing, lol.

 

[VALuvsMKwan]

The result of my reading that announcement is that I now find myself walking around getting ready for work whistling the Hustle.

IIRC the Hustle was not a couple dance, it was a line dance.

I only ever knew it as a couples' dance (see "Saturday Night Fever" during "More than A Woman", for example - which may have been more of the Latin Hustle).

Other sources do reference a Hustle line dance as well.

Dance Course: West-Coast Swing | Hustle – Art Is Motion

artismotion.org

 

[manhn]

• Remixed and/or remastered music, including cover versions, is permitted.

[/QUOTE]

Glee versions all over the place.

 

[skategal]

• 
  Glee versions all over the place.

at least that would be an improvement over the usual emo covers lol

 

[Frau Muller]

Bouffant/Beehive hairdos for the 1960s women, please! I’d love for them to look like those 1960s ice-dancing teams with the little skirts and tuxes. Eva & Pavel Roman or the perky Brits!
I Could’ve Danced All Night, etc: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhDpTTyJydw&pp=ygUQVG93bGVyIEZvcmQgMTk2NQ==

 

[Theatregirl1122]

at least that would be an improvement over the usual emo covers lol

True, the glee covers are usually high energy. Sometimes too high energy.