Junior Rhythm Dance #WorldJFigure (1/2)
Thought it would be fun to share some thoughts on one of my favorite events of the year. Junior ice dance has become an increasingly international field, with smaller federations increasingly sending teams. It has some of the most diverse choreography that we see in any discipline which is always a treat. And even teams who are not at the top level bring so much creativity to the field. Here are my *very* short notes on the first 20 teams in the RD by starting order, time stamps for each team are in the heading.
My top 4 favorite rhythm dances to watch in terms of creativity and performance (not what I think they should've scored): Bordet/Gipoulou, Slatter/Ongay-Perez, Li/Wang, and the Straub siblings.
1 - Yucel / Ivanov @ 16:41
Lovely use of tango movements like ganchos and mini-lifts both into and out of their pattern. Obviously, not the highest technical level but compositionally this was an extremely difficult program for a less experienced team. Lovely timing and arch on the layback straightline.
2 - Roberts / Alis @ 22:54
Great to see Spain fielding more ice dance teams. Super interesting twizzle placement spatially, on the music, and between the two pattern sequences. Beautiful split with turnout by Alis in the rotational lift, love to see the lifted partner hit a difficult position. Really enjoyed their music choice and choreography.
3 - Straub Siblings @ 29:25
I have to say all these junior teams are hitting it out of the part with their opening choreography, great balance of difficulty and creativity with lifts and ganchos. Lovely extension out of that first set of twizzles it is such an awesome demonstration of edge control, less sync on the second set of twizzles in their second set but overall love the construction. She has lovely extension and flexibility which are so well showcased in their SlLi. Love the leaning almost slide (similar to FB/S's choreo slide) that they do as a transition out of their pattern. Loving the use of their stop and slides in the MiSt.
4 - Dovhal / Kulesza @ 35:48
Awesome use of that slide and interlocking toe steps as a segue into their pattern. Very difficult assisted back walkover entrance into their twizzles in addition to the 2 3turns between sets 1 and 2. Interesting back to back hold at the tail end of 2AT. Farrucas is incredibly hard music to live up to in a MiSt but I though the kick to twizzle entrance was very clever. Wish their curve lift had slightly fewer arm movements but very ambitious exit.
5 - Beznosikova / Leleu @ 42:18
This is one of the youngest teams skating at this worlds. You can tell at times with the disconnect between their movements, its a lot of different choreo in the midline which might be a bit too ambitious for their level. I have to say I think their tango portion is a much stronger style for them interpretively. This is a good opportunity for them to grow and they have 5 years left to improve, and will have plenty of opportunities to represent Belgium in the future.
6 - Stanley / Sosnenko @ 54:48
Super impressed with this team's edge depth in the pattern. Some very clear issues with control at times but those knees and relative ease of edge will serve them well as they continue to develop. I believe they're one of the newest teams here and I'm excited to see how they continue to improve as they represent Mexico. I think I would've had them ahead of the Belgians just because of their relative ease in the pattern, and very well executed RBI Counters in the MiSt.
7 - Benkiewicz / Shapiro @ 1:01:00
Right into the twizzles, got all their levels even with losses in sync. Better edge control in the pattern from these two, solid RFO step from B in 2AT. Vivaldi all the way through is an ambitious music choice because it is so fast pace that think it at times makes them feel a bit bogged down in the steps, absolute bummer about the fluke fall.
8 - Li / Wang @ 1:07:40
Awesome to see some Chinese juniors back on the circuit, very strong opening twizzles from them with great demonstration of running edge. Always interesting when teams choose to do 2AT vs 1AT, probably the weakest portion of the RD for me and their edge depth and control was much improved in the midline. Difficult straightline involving a lot of core strength. They are both individually such strong performers with so little international experience, cannot wait to see how they improve as they are already so well matched.
9 - Kim / Lee @ 1:13:55
K/L are one of those teams very similar in stature who have very coordinated lines, extension, and knee bend. A little farther apart in 2AT than 1AT but solid execution throughout. Great save on the twizzles with that slight dip by Lee in the first set. And fabulous execution by Kim in the midline she has very neat steps and turns. Hopefully this performance in conjunction with Lim/Quan will encourage KSF to keep investing in ice dance!
10 - Vainik / Barshak @
The first team to get the majority of the key points on one section of the pattern, big improvements in speed from the rest of the group. She had a little bobble on the XB-RFIO in KP1 which is why she missed it. Interesting straightline lift exit, like the creativity and immediate control on her skating leg. Some very obvious incorrect edges on the swing twizzle and open S-step in 2AT. IMO both of them looked much stronger to me in hold than in the MiSt.
11 - O'Brien / Wiederkehr @ 1:48:00
Wow, very standout music and composition choices. A little tentative in the cross roll section but nice control and spacing as well as posture in the second section. Very nice lunging slide transition out of their straightline as well. Midline is just a little frantic, you can tell they're a bit out of gas.
12 - Slatter / Ongay-Perez @ 1:54:15
Strong first section of the pattern in terms of spacing, posture, and control. They're slightly off on timing which messed up S's IO edge changes but overall well done. KP 1 and 2 of 2AT were a little messy in that 1Tw and open S-step but really amazing posture for a team with a pretty exaggerated height difference. Great in hold choreography across the rink into one of the most difficult rotational lifts in this competition, love the entrance and exit. Very nicely executed twizzles with a very difficult entrance. Teeny bit out of sync in that midline but a very demanding element. The youngest team at this competition! They have 5 years ahead of them at this level to help develop that polish in partnering and overall skills.
13 - Carhart / Horovyi @ 2:01:13
Very aggressive in the opening choreography but so much more in control and nice defined curves on the ice in the pattern with by far the best SS at this point in the competition. I think they could've used a bit more contrast in choreography and speed of movement in between the tango and flamenco sections by making the tango more tense and restrained, maybe fewer high kicks and lunges and more variety. But really lovely basics and great sync throughout the midline. Slightly scary moment on the one foot feature of the rotational lift but great skate.
14 - Tali / Frasca @ 2:07:57
A few creative hold moments throughout their pattern, she had a beautiful LFO in the lead up to her swing twizzle, showing great control in their leg movements but at times they drift apart. Great lunge to slide transition out. Overall very nice speed and the best sync so far in the midline even when doing different turns. He has a funny footwork thing he does in the RoLi which makes me slightly nervous for him catching a toepick but very well executed.
15 - Hauer / Starr @ 2:14:35
Interesting opening choreography, for a team with relatively good skating skills and power they felt a bit stiff in hold. Midline was a bit mismatched in execution and synchronicity, felt like H was maybe a bit nervous. Well executed rotational lift and performed all the way through the end of the program.
16 - Bordet / Gipoulou @ 2:27:00
Loved their take on the tango, felt distinctly different from what we've seen and more quirky. Very fast in the twizzles but felt like they were twizzling independently. Difficult CuLi with great execution, love that he is also using his hands and expressing. Loved the interplay between the two of them in the midline. She has standout edge depth to me, a little nervy on the first set but fantastic execution in remaining close in hold, matching free legs, and edge depth.
17 - Tkachenko / Kiliakov @ 2:33:25
Interesting program construction putting 2AT at the very beginning. Interesting choreography in lead up to the twizzles but minor losses of sync. I think the changes in hold and positioning they made in 1AT threw them off timing in K's 3turn. Demanding SlLi but just a little off in the midline in terms of sync.
18 - Yu / Giang @ 2:39:40
Another team coached by Wing/Lowe that is very well matched in terms of skating level and movement, free limbs are very well coordinated. Difficult jump into that first set of twizzles like the transition as well. Both a little flat in 2AT which hurt them on both levels and execution but much better in the midline with very consistent edge depth and smooth curves on the ice. Absolutely stunning split position by Y, one of my favorite RoLis at this event, I think with their lift and better sync throughout on the midline and twizzles I would've had them ahead of T/K.
19 - Karl / Hoferichter @ 2:45:40
They feel very fluid across the ice, really nice carriage and execution in 1AT, not sure if they got nervy but just much sloppier in 2AT given their skating ability. Nice speed and sync in the twizzles and very difficult curve lift with great choreography on exit. Slightly out of sync on the choreo in the diagonal step, which showed in the late ending but overall very nice skate and they have fantastic basics with knees and power.
20 - Gauthier / Thieren @ 2:52:00
Good ice coverage in the twizzles, but not a ton of choreography into or out of them connecting the elements. MiSt3 felt high to me given their brackets and counters being pretty flat. Fun She looks slightly off balance at times in the pattern where her free leg and arm is off to the side compensating for her CoM. Her LBO to RFO step in KP3 of 1AT is pretty shallow. Very flat in 2AT as well, I think I would've given them a basic level. They clearly have quite a lot of power and soft knees but not fantastic edge depth and their choreography both between elements and in element complexity is much lower than choreography attempted by teams who scored much lower. I'm not sure I would've scored them in the top 13.
Overall a fantastic event and let me know what you think!
Part 2 with the last 10 skaters will be up tomorrow!
