SkAm18 Ice Dance Reflections
Hubbell/Donohue - I think their tango has gotten a lot better since U.S Classic. I can see the chemistry now, which is a plus. And the curve lift looks really good, it is just so simple (which isnāt that much fun). Madiās tango kicks look nice, which is a big plus. The fdā¦Look iām never going to be the biggest fan of them doing Romeo and Juliet and thatās just the way it is. That being said, I liked Madiās dress better this time, it looks smoother and they are performing it more. But Zach, holy overacting there in the end. Now get your levels this week!
Guignard/Fabbri - Of the programs of theirs I have watched, Iāve liked one, and neither of these programs are going to change that. Their variation of the twizzles is cool, but the second set of twizzles is always a nail biter with them. They also do the Weapo-Lift in both programs, whichā¦I donāt mind that you get inspired by what other teams are doing, but it really loses itās effect when you use it in every single number (and when Weapo does it with more speed).
Zagorski/Guerriero - Her hair is awesome. They are one of the teams that I think make really stunning photos, but they lose me when I see them in movement. They are both really tall, but neither of them feel like they have full control over their movement, which makes them feel gangly to me. I really dislike her tango kicks (minor pet peeve with a lot of teams for me). Also him pushing Quinn when they got of the ice after the warm-up is a big no. He is now on the same level as Paul Poirer, which you donāt want to be. This was their first outing since theyāve had injuries during the summer so there were definitely bobbles (I wouldāve had them off the podium tbh). The fd is good music for them (I love Blues for Klooks) but i feel that there were parts that they just skated through it. I remember thinking during Pyeongchang that Tiffany projects a lot to the judges but not really to other parts of the rink - Iām not sure that was the case here because of the camera angles, but it feels quite likely tbh. Currently, I think Sinitsina/Katsalapov beats them for Russian #2.
McNamara/Carpenter - I know that the camera can be deceiving when it comes to things like speed, but that was the first thing I noticed when they came on - their speed. And it seems to come from the ice, not from hopping across it. The fact that they were the first team to get all the key points in the pattern attest to that. Lorraine has lovely arms, but her posture is really distracting for me. She always seems a bit hunched over. Iām not sure if it is intentional in the lift in the rd, but it is especially glaring there. I know the fd isnāt what they usually do, and that it isnāt that unique in terms of what other teams do, but I donāt think itās that bad either. They are showing that they can handle that style/are versatile and then they will hopefully go back to doing more unique programs. I really like Quinnās attitude. I am actually really looking forward to seeing them in Helsinki - I wanna know if it feels like they are projecting when youāre in the rink with them.
Fear/Gibson - Theyāre my new favourites. Really hoping they keep beating Twydale/Buckland and get to go to Euros and Worlds this year. They didnāt get all their levels in the rd, but it was such an improvement from their challenger, where I didnāt notice them until the free dance. Their disco-fd is so much fun to me. There are so many things l like in it that Iāve already mentioned in tags before, but they bear repeating. Their slide is so good! And their lift as well. It was a shame that Lewis didnāt get that twizzle, but that means (along with other things that werenāt as smooth as they can be) that there is still room for their scores to improve.
Kaliszek/Spodyriev - I have a soft spot for them - she seems like such a sweetheart. That being said, they have really had bad luck with the patterns. Neither the latin last year nor the tango this year suits them at all. I do like the stationary lift in the rd, but the rest doesnāt really feel like a tango to me (maybe if she didnāt wear green? idk). The free is just a big no, although I appreciate that they are trying new things (itās a post-olympic year!)
MĆ¼ller/Dieck - Their tango really felt like a tango, which I appreciated. They also actually looked at each other and connected, which I also appreciated. The music with the clicks and clunks that never really built - not so much. The fd with the cancer theme isā¦just a really bad choice lmao. Voice-overs and hospital sounds is not the way to make an audience excited about you.
Nazarova/Nikitin - Black boots on the lady is always a yes from me. They were really focused on not getting anything wrong technically and you could really tell. The tango was a generic tango with some very literal choreography thrown in - i.e. āwe gonna bunny-hopā with bunny ears thrown in. The fd didnāt really have any highlights either for me. The stationary lift in the beginning was different in a quite good way. They didnāt really seem happy with their performances either.
Twydale/Buckland - He seems like a super solid partner, but is definitely focusing a lot on what needs to be done and not on performing. She doesnāt have as solid skills, but at least she is performing. The tango is very Igor. The fd isnāt really a coherent program either, and seems like a typical āIgor adjusting to the current style of ice danceā.
Manta/Johnson - Good on them that they got the host pick for Skate America. I donāt really have anything to say about the rd. The only thing that stood out to me in it is that I wished that she didnāt just hang there during the lift. The fd on the other hand had improved since U.S Classic. They have my second favourite choreographic slide of the season, just behind Fear/Gibson. They also took full advantage of the fact that the choreographic character step sequence isnāt levelled - that you donāt need to show deep edges to get the levels, you can just have fun there instead.
