Internationaux de France 2017 - The Easy Guess (Ice Dance FD)
The ice dance final in Grenoble will likely follow the lead of all the other ice dance finals we've seen this season. This means the gold is reserved for one couple only, while the rest of them can only fight for the remaining two positions of the podium. This will help determine some of the couples who can attend the Grand Prix Final. So let's get started:
Natalia Kaliszek/Maksym Spodyriev are first to go. They have a lovely style, but there's not as much storytelling as there is dancing to the soundtrack of The Great Gatsby. They're the second ice dance couple I've seen to do what I call the Sui/Han combo spin position. Their score: 89.19. Overall: 147.77.
Lorenza Alessandrini/Pierre Souquet have chosen a modern medley for the free. The contemporary style comes through in the simple costumes as well. A lot of their lifts are quite basic, compared to those of the other couples in Grenoble, but I find their straight-line lift quite daring. They lose a bit of synchronicity in the twizzles though. They earn 80.21 points. Overall: 134.28.
Alla Loboda/Pavel Drozd chose a very difficult theme - Chicago. It's a story that needs a lot of actual acting in order to be properly portrayed, and unfortunately this is what lacks almost throughout their performance. They also look tired in the second half, almost struggling to catch up with the pace of the music. Alla loses her balance during the second position of the twizzles. Their score: 85.42. Overall: 145.85.
Angelique Abachkina/Louis Thauron skate to Marriage d'Amour and Je Suis Malade. I like the impression of softness and ease they transmit in both the step sequences, but particularly in the circular one. Her communication with the audience also shows a lot of maturity. They earn 95.74 points. Overall: 155.55.
Elliana Pogrebinski/Alex Benoit always seem to add an edge to their lifts to make them a bit different from those of the rest. The curved lift is jaw-dropping, while the first rotational lift is really fast. The combo spin is also great - love the original position. I'm becoming a fan of these two. Their score: 93.50. Overall: 154.14.
Charlene Guignard/Marco Fabbri's specialty is storytelling, which is why Exogenesis Symphony looks to me like a new style for them. It's a style that definitely suits them. I always feel I can count on them for solid elements, and they don't disappoint today. Their twizzles have difficult positions, but the long, detailed transitions between each position is what makes them extraordinary. They earn 101.28 points. Overall: 171.01.
Kaitlyn Weaver/Andrew Poje had an awful day yesterday, but things are much better today. There are no more mistakes. They've gone back to the routine that made them famous (in a way), Je Suis Malade. Unfortunately, the song is taking quite a literal meaning as they're both experiencing health issues at the moment, which I think is making them look less driven than normally. Their score: 108.03. Overall: 176.97.
Alexandra Stepanova/Ivan Bukin skate to Love Story. They still have the most amazing twizzles ice dance has ever seen. The fact they're paired with a difficult transition can only help. Nice use of the lovers theme in the transitions to keep the story consistent. They earn 107.22 points. Overall: 177.24.
Gabriella Papadakis/Guillaume Cizeron are the definition of more is less when it comes to ice dance. All the little details - costume, musical choice, theme - are always so simple, but then the choreography, the relationship between them, the expressivity are breathtakingly complex. I'm often amazed by them, and that's how I feel today. Their score: 120.58. Overall: 201.98.
It can't be easy to skate after a couple who have just broken their own world record, but Madison Chock/Evan Bates hold their own. They skate to Imagine and they do it without any mistakes, but of course that's not enough against the French. Still, amazing job here! They earn 108.30 points. Overall: 181.85.
Well, as I predicted, the podium turned out exactly as I'm sure most of us expected it. I'm happy Kaitlyn Weaver & Andrew Poje managed to move up a spot, but sad at the same time that injuries have had to hold them back from the podium. As for the rest of the top couples, congratulations and we'll see you in the Grand Prix Final.
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| France's Angelique Abachkina & Louis Thauron made a great impression in Grenoble |
Lorenza Alessandrini/Pierre Souquet have chosen a modern medley for the free. The contemporary style comes through in the simple costumes as well. A lot of their lifts are quite basic, compared to those of the other couples in Grenoble, but I find their straight-line lift quite daring. They lose a bit of synchronicity in the twizzles though. They earn 80.21 points. Overall: 134.28.
Alla Loboda/Pavel Drozd chose a very difficult theme - Chicago. It's a story that needs a lot of actual acting in order to be properly portrayed, and unfortunately this is what lacks almost throughout their performance. They also look tired in the second half, almost struggling to catch up with the pace of the music. Alla loses her balance during the second position of the twizzles. Their score: 85.42. Overall: 145.85.
Angelique Abachkina/Louis Thauron skate to Marriage d'Amour and Je Suis Malade. I like the impression of softness and ease they transmit in both the step sequences, but particularly in the circular one. Her communication with the audience also shows a lot of maturity. They earn 95.74 points. Overall: 155.55.
Elliana Pogrebinski/Alex Benoit always seem to add an edge to their lifts to make them a bit different from those of the rest. The curved lift is jaw-dropping, while the first rotational lift is really fast. The combo spin is also great - love the original position. I'm becoming a fan of these two. Their score: 93.50. Overall: 154.14.
Charlene Guignard/Marco Fabbri's specialty is storytelling, which is why Exogenesis Symphony looks to me like a new style for them. It's a style that definitely suits them. I always feel I can count on them for solid elements, and they don't disappoint today. Their twizzles have difficult positions, but the long, detailed transitions between each position is what makes them extraordinary. They earn 101.28 points. Overall: 171.01.
Kaitlyn Weaver/Andrew Poje had an awful day yesterday, but things are much better today. There are no more mistakes. They've gone back to the routine that made them famous (in a way), Je Suis Malade. Unfortunately, the song is taking quite a literal meaning as they're both experiencing health issues at the moment, which I think is making them look less driven than normally. Their score: 108.03. Overall: 176.97.
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| Madison Chock & Evan Bates' routine was set to John Lennon's Imagine Photo: www.dailyworld.in |
Alexandra Stepanova/Ivan Bukin skate to Love Story. They still have the most amazing twizzles ice dance has ever seen. The fact they're paired with a difficult transition can only help. Nice use of the lovers theme in the transitions to keep the story consistent. They earn 107.22 points. Overall: 177.24.
Gabriella Papadakis/Guillaume Cizeron are the definition of more is less when it comes to ice dance. All the little details - costume, musical choice, theme - are always so simple, but then the choreography, the relationship between them, the expressivity are breathtakingly complex. I'm often amazed by them, and that's how I feel today. Their score: 120.58. Overall: 201.98.
It can't be easy to skate after a couple who have just broken their own world record, but Madison Chock/Evan Bates hold their own. They skate to Imagine and they do it without any mistakes, but of course that's not enough against the French. Still, amazing job here! They earn 108.30 points. Overall: 181.85.
Well, as I predicted, the podium turned out exactly as I'm sure most of us expected it. I'm happy Kaitlyn Weaver & Andrew Poje managed to move up a spot, but sad at the same time that injuries have had to hold them back from the podium. As for the rest of the top couples, congratulations and we'll see you in the Grand Prix Final.
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