Cup of China 2024 Free Dance PBP - Dance Me to the End of the Robot

[MacMadame]

Okay, this is armography!

 

[Braulio]

Sorry Barbara but your attempt to create or emulate Chock/Bates or the Kerrs with a voidy robots/aliens theme just come wayyy short

 

[Karen-W]

Charlene's expression through this entire program just takes me completely out of it. Way too much over-emoting and O-face. That TES tracker was NOT looking kind. They may very well lose to LajLag.

 

[genevieve]

I think the reason I preferred the prior costumes is that they leaned into the camp a bit. These costumes make them look even more like your parents showing they used to pop and lock with the best of them back in the day.

 

[MacMadame]

I feel like we've had some gymnastics on ice during the second group that we missed. Thoughts?

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

When Barbara and Maurizio pass each other in the hallways at these events, do you think they say hi to each other? Are they on good terms? I’d love to be a volunteer at these events.

 

[MacMadame]

I think the reason I preferred the prior costumes is that they leaned into the camp a bit. These costumes make them look even more like your parents showing they used to pop and lock with the best of them back in the day.

Yeah but the prior costumes made them look like they were wearing diapers and that was just too distracting.

 

[Karen-W]

LOL - you know it's a trash program when even Mark's like "I enjoyed the gala version." He leaves out the rest of that sentence, but IYKYK.

 

[tony]

When Barbara and Maurizio pass each other in the hallways at these events, do you think they say hi to each other? Are they on good terms? I’d love to be a volunteer at these events.

Yes, they get along fine. I remember sitting through the videos of all of the rule changes that ISU put up a few years ago and Barbara was laughing with Maurizio at one point as he was on the technical committee and she was the coach that constantly wanted clarification on rules during one of the meetings.

 

[genevieve]

ok y'all, the pbp threads are open, have a good night, I'm gonna pop and lock my way to bed

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

I still have versluis in first place in this event. OK time to go light candles.

 

[skatfan]

So, do I try to watch the women, or go to sleep?

 

[Hedwig]

I am in no teknik if it comes to ice-dance but I LOVED the Spanish team - totally made me commited to watching the whole time.

 

[tony]

GPF:
1/ Fear & Gibson - 30 Points
2/ Chock & Bates - 28 Points
3/ Gilles & Poirier - 28 Points
4/ Guignard & Fabbri - 28 Points
5/ Lopareva & Brissaud - 26 Points
6/ Lajoie & Lagha - 26 Points
ALT1/ Carreria & Ponomarenko - 24 Points
ALT2/ Smart & Dieck - 20 Points
ALT3/ Reed & Ambrulevicius - 20 Points

 

[Karen-W]

GPF:
1/ Fear & Gibson - 30 Points
2/ Chock & Bates - 28 Points
3/ Gilles & Poirier - 28 Points
4/ Guignard & Fabbri - 28 Points
5/ Lopareva & Brissaud - 26 Points
6/ Lajoie & Lagha - 26 Points
ALT1/ Carreria & Ponomarenko - 24 Points
ALT2/ Turkkila & Versluis - 20 Points
ALT3/ Smart & Dieck - 20 Points

So, who had SmaDie as GPF Alternates on their pre-season ice dance bingo card?!

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

GPF:
1/ Fear & Gibson - 30 Points
2/ Chock & Bates - 28 Points
3/ Gilles & Poirier - 28 Points
4/ Guignard & Fabbri - 28 Points
5/ Lopareva & Brissaud - 26 Points
6/ Lajoie & Lagha - 26 Points
ALT1/ Carreria & Ponomarenko - 24 Points
ALT2/ Turkkila & Versluis - 20 Points
ALT3/ Smart & Dieck - 20 Points

ALT2 wuzzzz robbed

 

[MacMadame]

So, do I try to watch the women, or go to sleep?

I made BINGO for both Mens and Womens in case I fall asleep.

But I intend to stay up for it all.

 

[tony]

Whoops, I have the wrong math. Finns were 5th here. Editing.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

Whoops, I have the wrong math. Finns were 1st here.

Done with Justice

 

[PRlady]

Well Im happy with the GPF result.

LaLa and Smart the highlights for me: I actually love that SoS version although the choreo could do more with the music. Dune is fabulous, their performance ability deserves a great program like this. CarPon’s Carmen not quite as impactful as when first seen but still a very good FD for them.

GRE/Par a bit undermarked and they’re lagging their US rivals who scored higher in the other GPs. I hope they continue to come back.

 

[NinjaTurtles]

If Olivia Smart gets me to gush endlessly, you know this program is far and away a masterpiece

It’s really great composition. The free leg connections make sense and the shape choices in the lifts are choreographically logical without being too hokey/borderline offensive like the territory Chock/Bates’ snake dance approached.

I appreciate as well that they’re using more of the Dune 2 music compared to the other Dune programs we’ve seen this year. Having said that, I’m not convinced by the switch to The Feeling Begins…


I quite like Green/Parsons’ FD. Michael really shines as the star and has lovely upper body control and port de bras. They’re in hold for a lot of the program, but some sloppy edge work here and there.

 

[Karen-W]

GRE/Par a bit undermarked and they’re lagging their US rivals who scored higher in the other GPs. I hope they continue to come back.

No, they're not. Go check out my most recent post in the US Ice Dance thread. They're neck-and-neck with ZingKol. By GP high score, they're ahead; by GP avg score, they're just a smidge behind.

 

[tony]

Probably was already known but surprise, surprise that Zak Lagha did not like the free dance music in the beginning and had to be convinced that it would be good. Isn't that a similar story every season?

 

[MacMadame]

I'm starting to change my mind about Christina's dress. I guess it depends on what your line is for when normal decoration turns into whickety-whack

 

[Karen-W]

I'm starting to change my mind about Christina's dress. I guess it depends on what your line is for when normal decoration turns into whickety-whack

I don't mind it because I think the inspiration is late 19th century evening dress, which fits the era when Carmen was written and first staged. Plus, the appliques aren't really three-dimensional, which is a pretty defining characteristic of FS whickety-whack.

 

[MacMadame]

I don't mind it because I think the inspiration is late 19th century evening dress, which fits the era when Carmen was written and first staged. Plus, the appliques aren't really three-dimensional, which is a pretty defining characteristic of FS whickety-whack.

That was what I was thinking but sometimes they do look 3D.

I consider Isabeau to be the standard for whickety-whack. But maybe that's too high a bar.

 

[Karen-W]

That was what I was thinking but sometimes they do look 3D.

I consider Isabeau to be the standard for whickety-whack. But maybe that's too high a bar.

Of the current crop of women - her FS dress is definitely the gold standard, lol.

 

[peibeck]

Impressions:

Guignard/Fabbri: costume change helps show their shapes, but the program is just a theme in search of a plot. Far and away, this is the weakest program they've ever has for a FD.

Lajoie/Lagha: The first two thirds are mesmerizing, after the music change ends and it goes back into the bombastic part of "Sound of Silence," it loses me. I want something in the choreography (not the performance, they are doing all they can) to reflect the elevated angst in the volume and timbre of the music whereas now it's very much on the same level as the rest of the piece. The rotational lift is the climax, but to an unsatisfactory (to me) denouement.

Carriera/Pomomarenko: Sorry fans, the more I see this the less I enjoy it. She sells the sultry, but it all seems tortuously overworked. That being said, I do think the caller was really harsh on Anthony's levels.

Smart /Dieck: I've decided the "Dune" section is fabulous for them because it's really just a mood. Throughout most of it, it defies the ISU rules of having a distinct beat, so it allows images to unfold at whatever tempo. Once "The Feeling Begins" at the end and a distinct tempo is drumming away, the lack in precision is a LOT more evident. Still... the lifts are the most eye catching of everyone this season. And if they can clean up the RD, these two are gunning for Euro bronze.

Turkkila/Versluis: after S/D their superior skating skills are obvious. But they weren't as clean as last week and a more intimate dance piece like this, moody and introspective, is a tough follow up after the showy "Dune" spectacle that preceeded it. Errors and all, I'd have put this in 3rd though, based on the actual skating.

Despite finishing 6th here, I still think Green/Parsons have the edge for the 3rd slot in Boston. I'm not blown away by this FD, I just feel like I've seen them do this before and better and they are getting in a Disco Brit rut with these "modern dance" frees.

Marie-France and Patch must have had a lot of red wine and maybe strawberry cake when they came up with Davis/Smolkin's hot mess of a dance. Even Alison Reed's crazy tutu-clad marionette dance makes more sense than this "Medusa" debacle.

 

[Colonel Green]

Probably was already known but surprise, surprise that Zak Lagha did not like the free dance music in the beginning and had to be convinced that it would be good. Isn't that a similar story every season?

I believe he chose the free dance music last season. Granted, that doesn't necessarily mean he liked it, knowing him.

 

[Skate Talker]

LOL - you know it's a trash program when even Mark's like "I enjoyed the gala version." He leaves out the rest of that sentence, but IYKYK.

Sadly I took an instant dislike to the gala robot program so was not at all happy they chose to turn it into a competitive routine. Ditching the original costumes helps a smidge, but I don't think anything can really save this free dance for me.

I can't say I've actually ever enjoyed their programs but I had at least started to appreciate their skating. Now they've lost me again. (The one big improvement this year is Charlene's hair cut. That super thin and wispy ponytail was always so distracting.)