Gilles and Poirier Cheer Thread

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

Oh they’re free skate this to Evita? How did you like it? I had to go to work. Wish I could’ve seen it

 

[topaz]

I think they have some of the best programs of their career this season. They are definitely in the hunt for the top of the world podium. The packaging this season is gorgeous for both of them. Paul's RD costume is

 

[DFJ]

I think they have some of the best programs of their career this season. They are definitely in the hunt for the top of the world podium. The packaging this season is gorgeous for both of them. Paul's RD costume is

I agree. I was always a huge V/M fan so I'm embarrassed to admit I didn't pay much attention to anyone else on our Canadian team. What a shame.

Anyway, two gorgeous programs. I hope all goes really well for the rest of the season. And the same wish to all of our ice dance teams.

 

[Debrah]

So who besides me is very excited to see the debut of their new programs for the 23/24 season this weekend at SCI? I am breathless with anticipation! How will they top last season's programs? GO P&P! Should be a very interesting competition.

 

[Sylvia]

Re-posting from the Programs/Choreographers thread on August 30-31, 2023:

Gilles/Poirier spoke to the media at HP camp today and revealed their music (starting at 1:50) this their video: https://twitter.com/goldenskate/status/1697020039067468209
RD: “No More I Love You’s” (from wiki:"a song written by British musicians David Freeman and Joseph Hughes and originally recorded by them as the Lover Speaks. It was released in June 1986 as the lead single from their self-titled debut album."
ETA that Annie Lennox made this song famous in 1995 - love her cover!

FD: Wuthering Heights (which movie soundtrack?) - eta that Paul said "it's very classical but it has a lot of angularity and an undertone of darkness..."

Sounds like the 1992 Ryuichi Sakamoto score

Gilles/Poirier's music has been updated in the ISU App ahead of Skate Canada International - FD is listed as the 1992 film score of Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights by [the late, great] Ryuichi Sakamoto:
Main Theme and End Titles
Switching Sides
Main Theme and End Titles

RD: No More I Love You's by The Lover Speaks, David Freeman / Addicted To Love by Robert Palmer

ETA link to the GSD thread that was created after Piper revealed the news of her ovarian cancer diagnosis that she had kept private until May 2023:

Piper Gilles opens up about her frightening experience with ovarian cancer

Piper's own video today: https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cr9CEdvA4NX/ The last 6 months have been a bit of a roller coaster! I’ll be sharing a bit more of my story tomorrow on World Ovarian Cancer day. I’m so incredibly thankful for all the people who supported me throughout all of this. I’ve...

www.fsuniverse.net

Her Sept. 10 post with 3 photos+2 clips:

Piper Gilles on Instagram: "Took part in my very first @ovariancancercanada Walk of Hope today, and what an extraordinary day it was! Being surrounded by individuals, families, and friends affected by ovarian cancer and seeing them walk to make a dif

1,696 likes, 21 comments - pipergilles on September 10, 2023: "Took part in my very first @ovariancancercanada Walk of Hope today, and what an extraordinary day it was! Being surrounded by individuals, families, and friends affected by ovarian cancer and seeing them walk to make a difference was...

www.instagram.com

Took part in my very first @ovariancancercanada Walk of Hope today, and what an extraordinary day it was! Being surrounded by individuals, families, and friends affected by ovarian cancer and seeing them walk to make a difference was incredibly powerful. We all walked with or in honor of someone who inspires us to fight for a world without ovarian cancer. Really looking forward to helping make an impact in this community; we are stronger together! Huge shoutout to my amazing friends who came out to support, I love you! Another shoutout to the incredible organizing committee who did such a great job organizing this walk!

 

[Sylvia]

Breaking the Ice with Piper Gilles & Paul Poirier - fun interview by That Figure Skating Show's Asher Hill: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggbeLmtGTe8

 

[Sylvia]

Photo by Yoriko Suzuki of their Wuthering Heights free dance in Thursday's practice:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1717721169598513624

First 2:45 of their FD run through (Kaitlyn Weaver is the commentator): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMsL3O53y4w

 

[manhn]

OMG, that looks amazing!!!

 

[Sylvia]

Rob Brodie included quotes from Piper & Paul's pre-Skate Canada Int'l media call in his Oct. 20th article - I've excerpted what Piper said about her recovery from last year's surgery below: https://rwbrodiewrites.substack.com/p/skate-canada-notebook-some-early

“Any time you go through loss or illness or anything like that, there’s always a reflection period and truthfully, I feel like I really didn’t reflect on everything that I had been through until we both stopped (skating last season) and I felt like I really started to digest that severity of everything that I had been through,” she said. “You kind of have this mindset of ‘I’ve got to get back to competition, I’ve got to get back to competition’ but once it stops, you kind of go ‘oh god, that was hard.’ I even find that this off-season, I had to re-prioritize some of my strengths. I wasn’t really capable of doing workouts or a lot of core exercises again because I could reinjure my abs that had been opened up (for the surgery). I had to prioritize how to get my body ready for a competitive season again. I can’t say that it was easy. It took a lot longer than other seasons, I would say. The work has been rewarding and I can finally see and I can feel my body coming back to me.”

It’s still a part of her life every day, she admitted.
“My whole life is different now with extra doctor’s appointments and all this kind of stuff. But again, it does make me stop and realize that I’m still so lucky to be able to skate every single day, I’m still so lucky to be with my husband and walk my dog,” said Gilles. “You look at life a bit differently, which is also great. I feel like I enjoy the small things a little bit more, so coming back to competition is going to be like a celebration. Crazy, crazy, crazy ride, but super thankful for Paul and my team who has always been there for me. It’ll be nice to continue the journey with them after all the support they gave me.”

 

[litenkyckling]

Evita just really didn't do it for me for some reason but this is very intriguing! Aside from the skating, I love the ribbon in Piper's hair - its such a clever way to make her hair move in a way that I think you need for Wuthering Heights. Looking forward to seeing this in full.

I think what I'm liking so far is that it feels like more of a dance than C/B

 

[puglover]

I love, love, love the rhythm dance!! Haven't had enough time with the freedance as of yet but I like it.

 

[~tapdancer~]

I have loved G/P since they first began skating together. This FD is just stunning. And thinking of the health issue Piper dealt with just makes me admire her strength and positiveness even more. They are special and I am thrilled for their start to the season. Honestly, I would give them all the golds!

 

[Debrah]

I am so excited to see the Program progress since 2023 SCI, where they blew my mind with their fab creativity, exciting innovation, and mature, dramatic storytelling, yet again; WH FD brought me to tears (the good kind). Go, TEAM! May they always be rewarded in gold!

 

[~tapdancer~]

Well they won COC, so on to the GPF! Skates weren't as clean as Skate Canada but China is a rough travel comp and I still really like their programs. Especially the FD. It's just inspired and I think they will have a great season with it. Wishing them all the best!

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

I think I’ve seen just about all the dances from all the teams this season I think they have the best chance of becoming world champions

 

[Sylvia]

Pre-Montreal Worlds news items...

Piper & Paul visited the CBC studios in Toronto yesterday: https://www.instagram.com/p/C36Aa4yv5Pj/

One clip they filmed: https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2318171203848

Article in French (March 13, 2024):

Gilles et Poirier sont fébriles à quelques jours des mondiaux à Montréal

Le couple de danseurs en sera à ses deuxièmes mondiaux en sol canadien, après ceux de London en 2013.

ici.radio-canada.ca

ETA link to Beverley Smith's article (March 14):

Gilles and Poirer: Ready for Gold - Bev Smith Writes

Two-time world bronze medalists Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier clearly skate for the love of it, to create shapes, to echo themes in their movements in completely artistic fashion, to leave memories few can forget. (Hitchcock, Vincent, Both Sides Now, Evita, Wuthering Heights). Those things come...

bevsmithwrites.com

 

[Judy]

TThat was an amazing program and performance today .. wow

 

[DFJ]

TThat was an amazing program and performance today .. wow

Silver!!! We'll take that. Well done...a beautiful skate.

 

[~tapdancer~]

Piper and Paul were fantastic today! What a gorgeous FD. So happy for them winning the free and taking silver! So deserving and actually in my head, they are the World Champions. I remember back when they started together and the usual snark on FSU for them...they proved themselves quite worthy. Piper is a champion on and off the ice.

 

[princeton123]

Did anyone else get a farewell vibe from them today

 

[zigzig]

Did anyone else get a farewell vibe from them today

When? Where? How so? Love them and would love to see them continue through 2026 and take home an O medal but understand that they have a lot going on.

 

[Sylvia]

From the Japan Stars on Ice tour that just ended: https://x.com/fzzt_simmons/status/1777050551974256829

https://twitter.com/x/status/1777079840702689366

ETA: Kudos to Piper for taking over Stars on Ice's "Skater Cam" to document all the fun on tour in Osaka & Yokohama/Tokyo!
Link to her photos & reel videos on her Insta account: https://www.instagram.com/pipergilles

 

[Impromptu]

In the twitter thread, there's a link to the full program on reddit (I just don't think it will link to here, or I would try). That is one gorgeous show program. I'd be really interested to see what they could do to add another minute and turn it into a competitive FD (if they continue). Love the classic ice dance holds.

 

[Sylvia]

In the twitter thread, there's a link to the full program on reddit

Thanks! https://www.reddit.com/r/FigureSkat..._gillespaul_poirier_new_ex_a_whiter_shade_of/

ETA: I don't recall the choir opening & singing of Bach's Air in Annie Lennox's cover? (mixed in, presumably) - from wiki:

The similarity between the Hammond Organ line of "A Whiter Shade of Pale" and J. S. Bach's Air from his Orchestral Suite No. 3 2. Air, BWV 1068, (the "Air on the G string"), where the sustained opening note of the main melodic line flowers into a free-flowing melody against a descending bass line, has been noted.")