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This past weekend the Russian test skates took place. In this showing we were able to take a first look at the short dance and free dance of most Russian teams. I will be giving my opinion solely based on how the programs are looking and not so much on whether the teams are achieving great technical results by now. Some programs will have two videos, just in case you want to watch it in different perspectives. Let’s start with the short dance.
I really like the music that Bobrova and Soloviev chose for the rhumba, but they need to be smoother during this portion. They do the pattern to a samba which I don’t think was the best choice. Also, I don’t particularly like the steps they are going. The lift is to show they are good acrobats but I don’t particularly like how it looks. I am going to keep watching this program, as I hated their blues in the beginning of last season but it eventually got better. For now, I don’t think they are in their element and it is showing. Still, it is a good program.
I was really excited to see what Stepanova and Bukin had to show us. I really liked the start. They showed good attitude. But then, I hate Chandelier as a rhumba. Sorry, but it doesn’t work. The lift was great though. And they it gets worse in the third music, which does not fit with the previous ones. I read somewhere that it was “too much posing and not much dancing” and they are right. That’s what I think as well, particularly if you are looking at Alexandra. If you just pay attention to Ivan, it does not look as bad. Stepanova’s problem of not fully extending her arms, for instance, also gives the impression that the movements are not finished. They have a lot of work to do. My expectations were high and maybe that is why I was really unimpressed, but they still have time to develop the program.
Here, I had no expectations at all. Elena and Anton have been skating together for 3 months, so I did not know what I was going to see at all. They start with Daniela Mercury. Good choice! They have speed on the rhumba pattern! And the twizzles were quite in sync, which is good. “Besame Mucho” for the rhumba. Love it! The lift was gorgeous. Maybe what I did not like was the execution of the no-touch midline step sequence, in which it was more visible that he can’t keep up with her. She is a star, and is doing great. He has little experience and alongside her, it shows. But quite a nice program for a team that is together for so little time. Choreographically, I think I like this program more than the previous two. Simplicity is sometimes the key, and for them I think it worked beautifully.
Another team that I was looking forward to seeing was Tiffany and Jonathan. Hip Hip Chin Chin. Loved the twizzles. I don’t remember so many teams doing the twizzles they are doing on the second set. Only Delobel and Schoenfelder. And I know that because I absolutely loved them, so this Russian team just scored some points with me. On to the rhumba pattern: the best I have seen so far. Good job! She is a natural at this style, but he is quite good himself! Maybe the better matched team in my opinion. Really liked the finishing samba. I really hope they challenge the top teams this season. They are looking good for that. Some imprecisions which are part of being early season, but they are one of my favourite Russian teams so far.
Evdokimova and Bazin’s rhumba pattern was something that lead me to beg for it to finish as it started. Just work on that please. The lift was great, maybe a little slow. I don’t know what to say. They skated well, but I kept thinking about stopping it to watch another team. And that is not good.
World Junior Silver medalists, Alla Loboda and Pavel Drozd are moving up to seniors and showed their short dance. Great twizzles! I don’t like the placement of the pattern dance where it is. He is great on latin movements and then she is way over the top and a bit clumsy. So, I liked to watch him, but not her. Regardless, this is one of my least favourites programs. Don’t particularly like the music or the layout of the elements. I was expecting so much more.
Betina Popova and Sergey Mozgov were a question mark for me. They start with the same music that Smart and Diaz of Spain have. The twizzles were quite good. The lift is great! Latin-wise this is one of the best teams. I really liked their program. She even gives hip action occasionally. Great job! One of the teams to keep an eye on this season.
Lastly, Sinitsina and Katsalapov. This team was doing poorly last season, but they have a good ability, so another question mark team for me. First impression: get rid of that dress Victoria, please. Something with color, fringe, sparkles and not just some piece of cloth. About their short dance: it is quite different from the other teams and they did their twizzles! The music cut was a bit strange. Performance-wise I liked their interpretation. They missing some steps and the lift is weird. The program is ok. I think I will have to watch it again to form and opinion. Is not one of my favourites but it is not one of the worst either. Let’s move on to the free dance, which unfortunately did not have the presence of Alexandra Stepanova and Ivan Bukin. Bobrova and Soloviev’s free dance: she is not in black! I was so tired of seeing her in black that this is a nice change. They have nice ideas for lifts but I was not completely sold. They still need some work. I like their music choice. They kept their rotational lift, which was my least favourite. It may be hard to do it, but it does not mean it fits what you are skating to. It did remind me of some programs from Montreal, but with the gestures it gives a nod to Medvedeva. I don’t know. I liked it, in opposition to the one they had last season that I absolutely hated. However, I don’t see them winning with this. Still, it is early in the season and I want to watch this through the Challengers and the Grand Prix Series to form a more concise opinion.
Oh wow that stationary lift at the beginning. She is new to ice dance but he was the one that made a slight mistake on the twizzles. Honestly, she has personality and looks like a dancer. I also liked their spin. I loved the program. It is really nice. It was a great interpretation from Annabelle and Andrei (she is fantastic on that!). This is one of the teams I want to see throughout the season, as they have a lot of potential.
It is Carmen for Popova and Mozgov. The spin is great, the twizzles look good, and the lifts make sense on the music. Interpretation and commitment are there. This was probably my favourite free dance of these tests. I hope they get a grand prix assignment, they sure deserve it. I mean it is not easy when the last great Carmen was done by Virtue and Moir and you are able to give it your interpretation and succeed in having a great program yourselves. Good job! I will for sure keep an eye on this team this season. The twizzles look good. The coaching change was good in that department! What a lovely stationary lift. I also liked some of the choreographic elements. The straight line lift was also good, even though it felt a bit unpolished. This program suits them well. And I like the costumes. Much better than in the short dance. One can see where their focus has been. My only critique for Victoria & Nikita at this point is that they need to work on two things: step sequences and connection with the audience.
The end of the season has arrived for the junior teams. Junior Worlds had as main contenders to the podium the three American teams (Parsons&Parsons, McNamara&Carpenter, Carreira&Ponomarenko) and the three Russian teams (Loboda&Drozd; Shpilevaya&Smirnov; Skoptcova&Aleshin). With the possibility of surprising this more accomplished field were Canadians Lajoie&Lagha and French Abachkina/Thauron. This turned out to be a really good warm-up for the senior worlds, with some surprising results and some fantastic performances. Here are the results:
Russian Junior Nationals took place between the 1st and 5th of February. After the European Championships and while people await for the Four Continents, all eyes were on Saint Petersburg particularly for the ladies event, which is always of remarkable quality in Russia. Nevertheless, ice dance was also an interesting competition especially because of the closeness of some teams that could have made the team for Junior Worlds. Here are the results of the competition: On what concerns the review of the competition, I will comment on what went down with the main teams and will highlight the couples that I really liked. I will be talking about them by the order in which they started the short dance, with the exception of the first couple which only competed the short dance. Ekaterina Andreeva / Ivan Desyatov
Yana Buga / Georgiy Pokhilyuk
Evgeniia Lopareva / Alexey Karpushov
Eva Kuts / Dmitrii Mikhailov
Sofia Shevchenko / Igor Eremenko
Daria Rumyantseva / Dmitry Ryabchenko
Sofia Polishchuk / Alexander Vakhnov
Angelina Lazareva / Maxim Prokofiev
Elizaveta Khudaberdieva / Nikita Nazarov
Anastasia Skoptsova / Kirill Aleshini
Arina Ushakova / Maxim Nekrasov
Polina Ivanenko / Daniil Karpov
Anastasia Shpilevaya / Grigory Smirnov
Alla Loboda / Pavel Drozd
Ksenia Konkina / Grigory Yakushev
Overall, this competition was quite exciting and I think the judging was better than in the senior competition (there was not a large inflation of marks). Moreover, the fact that Shpilevaya/Smirnov earned the title with strong performances may be an indication of what will happen at Junior Worlds. One thing is certain: this is a team that next year will be on the podium. Another couple standing out was Polishchuk/Vakhnov, as they were quite close at making the team for Junior Worlds. With Lodoba/Drozd moving to the senior ranks next season, this team will be given more opportunities to gain experience.
Finally, one thing than concerns figure skating fans is which teams will probably be present at the Junior Grand Prix circuit next season. Based on the results, the teams that will make it may be: Shpilevaya/Smirnov; Skoptsova/Aleshin (I think their best bet would be to move to seniors this year, just like Pogrebinsky/Benoit of the USA did last season, but I don’t think it is going to happen); Polishchuk/Vakhnov; Konkina/Yakushev; Shevchenko/Eremenko; Khudaberdieva/Nazarov and Ushakova/Nekrasov (this couple has not been showing that great results, so maybe Lopareva/Karpushov may have a chance, while I would prefer Kuts/Mikhailov). One team I would love to see would be Ivanenko/Karpov. I guess the last spot will be decided in Test Skates between them, Lopareva/Karpushov, Ushakova/Nekrasov and Kuts/Mikhailov. Moreover, Andreeva/Desyatov may also have a say, because they did well in the short dance and did not perform the free, so if they show they are reliable they may be assigned a Grand Prix. |
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