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tutuandscoot · 2 years

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I have a query about lifts that would benefit from your experience as a dancer. I’m interested in the mechanics - Scott doesn’t seem very big to me and yet lifts Tessa with ease and grace. So if sheer muscle power is not the secret to lifting another human while travelling at speed on a thin blade on ice, what is?! I’m interested in things like the role of the partner for eg, Queen T is so strong she holds up much of her own weight, plus also how their bodies work together to make it happen?. And which body parts do all the work? S has a solid neck and shoulders, a core to die for and a (well loved) sturdy behind, all of which would help, but his arms aren’t that big. Same with many other male skaters. When I think of big arms in an athlete I guess I picture AFL/ NRL blokes whose arms are massive. Next to them, S would look like a ballerina (which, sigh. He is). So how do these relatively small skaters do it?

⭐️LONG POST AHEAD⭐️

Ohh what an interesting question!

I won’t go too much in-depth on this ask bc I have a post I’ve been working on forever about lifts that I’m finally ready to release soon.

So I’ll cover a few things.

The no. one thing with lifts is form. Correct technique. My very first pas de deux (duet) class, our teacher (who was not a small man) lay on the floor and had about 10 of us- boys and girls, try to lift him. The first time he made himself really heavy, no control in his limbs, relaxed core- he didn’t hold himself. The second time, he held himself, core, limbs, made himself lighter just through form. The first time it was impossible to lift him, the next time probably 3 of us could of. So the first thing we learned is as the girl you have to hold yourself- make yourself light, and that makes it much easier for the man to lift you.

So form is the first thing. That goes for both of them. Scott is always so well balanced on his skates- whether that’s a parallel base or turned out base. He lifts from his legs:

-not by bending at his back. That makes it easier on his upper body, using the power muscles like his quads and beautiful tushie glutes for that explosive action is guiding her upwards, along with T clearly being very aerodynamic, he is not holding the weight of her purely with his arms. I haven’t really heard him talk about it but I know he had some back issues kinda around 2014. (For a couple or years before/after this time). Since I don’t know anything else I don’t want assume false facts, it may be from lift form or something else (lord knows I could give you a thousand stories about back issues), but it does go to show how much goes into correct technique and proper strength training (I believe this all came from their trainer in the comeback). Tessa meanwhile has to make herself light, and that comes through strength- especially core strength, all that Pilaties training to keep her core so strong while having exquisite lines though her limbs. It also helps if she is good at launching herself off the ground- aka jumping, which I assume she is. I don’t mean figure skating jumping, but just jumping off the ground. This helps Scott massively when he goes to lift her is that she is able to launch herself off the ice. She suspends herself in the air so he can then easily manipulate her. This is the case for some lifts but not all depending on the mechanics of it.

I don’t want this to be confused with simply T jumping into a lift and Scott catching. That would not result in the flow they have. This is where another really important factor comes in which is coordination. In their book they talk about creating more difficult lifts and getting them to ‘pop’. What this refers to is them having the right momentum, coordination, skating action- all those physics actions coming together to make the lift happen- this is what makes all their lifts so smooth and effortless. It’s not quite the same action but think a plane lifting off. It requires the right speed, angle of attack, weight balance, connection to gravity otherwise it over speeds or stalls.

Not all lifts require the same dynamics which makes their repertoire of lifts so versatile and memorable.

Let’s look at some examples

Latch straight:

They get into that tight position, she has her right leg bent up, he holds it as well as around her waist, then T jumps/pushes off the ice in coordination with Scott rolling her over, she shoots her left leg into the air (which also makes that beautiful circular motion as they ends in the arabesque). This kind of reminds me of learning back flips (back handsprings) you dive backwards over a big round (cylindrical) squishy mat so you can get used to the motion before having no support. This is almost like that but sideways and instead of the mat, she is rolling over him. But you can also see how they use their momentum, the backwards stroking, spinning around each other, setting the rhythm so when they go into the lift the motion is there in their bodies to carry forward. But they also cleverly disguised it so you don’t see the lift or what kind of lift coming. I was coaching this girl on a ballet solo the other day and there’s this movement that repeats I think 7 times where you jump off two feet, landing on one then rising (relevé) into a held pose.. on pointe. I was explaining to her if she pauses at the end of the jump for too long, she loses the momentum to rise up. If she’s uses the rebound from the landing of the jump to rise up, it will be easier, rather than fighting the energy your body has out of the jump- same with not holding yourself in a way where momentum will work in your favour for lifts. (The same way runners use the transfer of energy out of the ground to propel each proceeding stride- the energy expenditure/return ratio).

Latch rotational:

As he grabs her leg she jumps (pushes off) into that twist, he doesn’t have to bend low down or use his back because she is getting herself almost up to his shoulder height before he manipulates her around his neck.

A different example would be the prince/MR curve lift.

This doesn’t require so much of a jumping or popping action because there isn’t really any upward lifting motion. Tessa has to be so strong to step up onto his leg (so lots of box jumps and weighted step ups in gym training) she has to be so stable and so well balanced- assisted by him holding her so steady as she kicks her left leg over his head. This all coordinated together, in place and balanced as he begins to lean back to the outside edge to create the curve. And of course they lean soo far back, T is bending nearly 90*, she would be able to see the back side of the rink, and he as well gets such a steep lean in his beautiful grandé plié position... the damn trust to do that! Also on the matter of leg strength, I don’t think people realise how hard it is to hold a flat turned out grandé plié in second on your own for a solid 8 seconds let alone HAVING A FULL ADULT HUMAN STANDING ON YOUR THIGHS IN KNIFE SHOES LEANING BACK AND YOUr WHOLE STRENGTH RESPONSIBLE FOR IF SHE FALLS BACK AND CRACKS HER HEAD OPEN….. at the end of 3:1/2 minutes of skating also..

Something I love that about them as well that they never just had go to lifts in their competitive programs. They always had such good variety and lifts you’ll remember like ‘oh that’s the latch lift or that’s from Carmen.. not just a similar version of each type of lift for every program.

Another thing is the also the way they start and end lifts. You never see them prepare for a lift or having to re organise themselves after a lift. You see a lot of other teams that brief pause before lifts, and more noticeable the exit, a lot of teams slow down to exit their lifts and have to regain speed, breaking the flow of the program. That’s shows the strength of TS transitions and dance and skating skill.

These two things- form and coordination then allow them to dance their lifts. I’ve always felt like their lifts have stood out.. for many reasons: creativity, difficulty appropriate for the dance style and character, not being hijinksy for the sake of it. But also how they just become part of the dance. Even now when I know their routines so well and can easily recognise the skating elements, I never feel ‘oh there’s a lift’, they come out of nowhere. They’ll just be dancing along and suddenly bam! She’s in the air.

On the body/physicality bit.. yes they are both very small and close in height (they aren’t ‘short’, they are just small/ petite. There’s an interview with the actor John Hamm after he met them on Ellen and he exclaimed ‘they are so much smaller irl, I guess you have to be to do what they do’- he saw them live in YVR and had remained a big fan of them through pyc). It’s so cute watching them as juniors when they were basically the exact same height, lifts especially just staring out learning and performing them. I think their closeness in height lead to a very unique lift technique, type of lifts, and in fact I think became a massive advantage to them in how their lifts are so seamless. In most situations S would need a smaller partner because he isn’t that tall himself, but they made it work it and didn’t it work out brilliantly?!! Taking nothing away from Scott but this is how I think we got such spectacular on the part of Tessa lifts bc she so freaking strong and fearless. ie the Carmen/MR rotational lift, also the goose since it doesn’t require any lifting motion, just skill and balance and T being a rockstar. Her strength also made it so they didn’t have to resort to a lot of lifts where it’s just the boy swinging the girl (I hate those lifts) the more contorted lifts (the one above) T’s so equally strong and flexible she’s not like a rag doll being thrown around.

When I say lift technique I don’t know what technique specifically- like there’s no offical name for it- it’s just what worked for them. The ‘pop’ they describe is a good way to explain it because a lot of the time with their lifts you don’t necessarily see a definitive upwards lifting motion, as I said it just becomes a highlight moment in the dance, not ‘there’s a lift’, they used their respective similar physicalities, physics, chemistry between them- trust, to lift, not just muscle strength. Lifts would definitely be tiring for Scott especially training them repetitively, but I don’t get the sense he would be getting over exhausted/fatigued/injured through drilling or performing lots of lifts because they play such equal roles, and have excellent technique. People don’t realise lifts are incredibly hard on the girls as well. Your ribs get very bruised and sore, you can get winded, sometimes you end up in or for the mechanics of the lift you’re in uncomfortable positions, you don’t have a lot of extra padding- both clothing and costumes but also.. you know.. fat to protect you, so that’s why strength and form is so important to keep yourself safe and in one piece.

Basically everything I’ve mentioned above can be trained and worked on and talented enough dancers will make it look great, but TS advantage is they had been doing it for sooo long they only know how to partner each other, so the unique technique they developed for their physicality as dancers extends deeper to them personally. (Their excellent form and understanding of their respective roles in lifts allows them to occasionally partner others to a high standard as well- but you can see the imbalance when you split ts up and put them with other people..)

Another thing that kind of has nothing to do with it but also everything to do with it, is in slowing down lifts and watching transitions you can see the trust and care they have in each other. They never hesitate. He puts her down soooo gently, like a pin drop would be louder than T’s blade hitting the ice- she’s in skates so where as dance on the floor you would using the strength of your foot to roll through the metatarsals to make your landing soft and quiet. I’m constantly amazed at the way he manhandles her in both beautiful and deliberately ugly/confronting positions, but it’s also so gentle-or appears gentle, like he stops his grip just before it would hurt her. I love seeing her back after a program when you can see the marks, sometimes scars/scratches left because their dancing is so beautifully physical and they love to feel that physical connection with each other through movement but it also makes you realise what they do is really fucking hard and as gentle as it is they sometimes do go home feeling a little beaten up- but in the best way possible because it’s their best friend beating them up and they know the end product is worth it. Sometimes I think about that and how they hug before every skate even it seems practices on/off ice at competitions and they are making each other feel so safe and comfortable being held before they have to do it choreographically. Like they are just re-reminding each other what their touch feels like so they can re-connect with that familiar sensation every time (brb, Sobbing break 😭😭).

I would also like to speculate that their breathing aids in their lifts, just as physically they coordinate, their breath coordinates as well, so in preparing for a lift that requires that ‘pop’ action (most of them in some respect) they would breathe in together on the preparation, then out releasing that energy as they go into the lift.. idk if this is the case but I like to believe it is.

Lastly on the matter of trust, and this is clearly the case with everything they do, T just has full faith in him. I love this little clip here of them practicing the stat. lift from latch at SCI:

They get a little bit stuck, just a brief loss of momentum. While initially, only for a split second T seems to motion to help her situation- not bc she’s afraid of falling but just to help the lift get moving again, but she quickly stops and just lets him sort it out. She holds her position so strongly, so he can clearly feel where each of her limbs are and body weight is and makes the the most economical choices to continue the lift and she is fine with whatever he chooses to do to get it back on track. Look how calm they both remain. And as he puts her down they are still so in it with their expressions and focus on each other. It’s also incredibly sweet that as he’s put her down, he puts his hand on the small of her back- this happens in the program as well but it’s easier to see here bc she’s in tights, the way he has to put her down means his hand kinda gets wrapped high between her legs. There is nothing ‘suggestive/sleezy/slutty/secret coded msg through movement’ about it, it’s just the mechanics of the lift, but nevertheless its not like he needs to put his hand on her back afterwards, it just seems like a gentle little moment to centre themselves after the element, like ‘here I am, I’ve got you’ as they continue on (totally made that up I have know fkn clue if there’s any thing to that but I like the thought of it). So this all going back to everything I’ve said of their form and coordination, ease of movement they developed only for each other, their beautiful individual movement as dancers, and the trust and gentle care they have for each other in every moment of life.

So I don’t really know if all/any of that answers the question about how he’s so small but is so strong.. muscle doesn’t necessary equate to strength I guess I would say.. it’s skill, form, coordination. T plays a huggeeee role in their lifts and I think Scott would back me up on that. I love when he says things like (on the MR rotational lift) ‘that’s so cool right, she just goes for it.. she’s fearless’. He is so stable (never looks like he has a problem) he hardly ever missteps, so for T knowing she’s on such a secure base she has no reason to hesitate. Obviously the lifts aren’t perfect straight away, they would have to work for them. Practice off ice for ages then slowly move to the ice. I don’t know how they do any of this in fucking skates on ice that’s insane I don’t understand it they’re crazy daredevils and I love them for that!

TS are obviously an extremely positive example of partners supporting one another- him never giving her any reason to think to starve or diet unhealthily to become lighter for him to lift. (T had said in an interview I think this one that he only wanted the best for her and make her feel +look amazing, never giving her the crap that others did, and T herself being so strong willed and determined for both herself to be healthy and knowing she was setting an example for young girls/athletes in general QUEEN T HAS MY HEART). A not so positive example I’ve experienced is the staff in the company I use to dance in, one of them publicly saying how they tell their woman dancers they are fat and over weight (which none of them are) because they have to ‘protect their boys’.. the staff had an unhealthy obsession with their male dancers and one girl in particular who they set as the gold standard for being about as thin as my pinky finger. Weight and body fat distribution has nothing to do with how easy it is for a boy to lift you, everyone’s body is different, we are all fit because we are high level athletes, your weight can fluctuate several hundred grams whether you are on your period or you’ve taken a shit that day.. form and communication with partners is far more important. If you are both applying the correct technique and working together to make the lift/partnering happen it shouldn’t matter the physicality of the partners (when it comes to specific chore it may be necessary for there to be more significant height differences). So there you have a prime example of what not to do- damaging artists based on BS ‘science’, controlling and sick obsessions with both men and women, and in contrast TS, a team who physically shouldn’t work for the type of movement they do, yet creating stunning, ground breaking skating because they did everything right and proved these bullshit mind games are just that, bs. Compared to other ID teams where the girl is relatively smaller/thinner/ lighter, their lifts appear to be much more in-equal in the roles each parter plays- it appears much harder on the guy because she thinks because she is light it will be easy to lift her.. no. When she is light but not strong/not holding herself correctly the lift is sloppy, they don’t make nice positions, and then I do start fearing for one of/both their safety.

I know I said I would just say a few things… that IS me saying a few things…

Hope this did answer but if there’s something I didn’t cover you want me to, anyone let me know..

Also ‘sturdy behind’ had me giggling for about 5 mins..

Also like the AFL guys would probs be ok with lifting a girl kinda gracefully but those NRL boys oh man.. 😬🫣

I love Scott’s physicality so so much and it changed a fair bit in the comeback but I loved how he learned to work with it. I can’t imagine having to totally retrain your body back to not only competitive but OLY gold medal shape at an “””older””” age, but didn’t he do a stunning job at it!! I can’t believe how beautifully he was moving by the last few competitions. Grace and ease but incredible strength as you put it is exactly right!

Lastly apologies this probs doesn’t flow very well and the paragraph topics are a bit miss matched.. hopefully the info makes sense even if it’s not the easiest read..

#LIFTS

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sunskate · 1 year

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VM won Junior Worlds in 2006 when their FD was Malaguena- it was their first season in Canton. Unfortunately these are the only videos i can find from this event-- no OD or CD and only these low res FDs

i can see why this is the FD music they liked the least, but they really bring the energy and pull it off here. watching an earlier performance from 4CC you can see how much they progressed to worlds

they have so much flair, especially him at this young age - the effortless sense of temperament and performance ability is 😳😮. it seems like lifts back then required fewer changes of position?

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Meryl and Charlie FD from the same event- they grew a lot too during this season (compare Nats from the same year - their footwork looks herky jerky). they have speed, but less extension, and you notice how much they're propelling themselves by taking smaller fast steps like they became infamous for. VM have lines, open carriage and more continuous flow and look clean.

so Scott is really impressive here - like who at 18 has all these elements to their skating and presentation. seeing how Christina has grown in 2 seasons at a school where she's nurtured and believed in after being with Igor for years, you have to wonder how much Tessa could have thrived at this age under different coaching🥺 she's great here, but she got herself to here somewhat in spite of their training environment that season

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here's Anna and Luca from the same event- with a Flashdance/Total Eclipse of the Heart FD - the 80s-ness is very 2023-24😅 - their fall put them behind DW. i always liked them, never saw them this young before either

#Youtube

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indefinableship · 5 years

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“Scott can really toss her like crazy.” (x)

#tessa and scott #gpf 2016 #fd #latch #practice #they're just magical #look so effortless #mine

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saucylittlesmile · 2 years

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Hello!

I’m a fan of your skating/ice dance posts. I have a couple technical questions I was wondering if you could answer.

Rewatching VM’s early senior seasons, their twizzles often looked unsteady and scary compared to what they looked like toward the end. I’m not referring to the instances like the infamous twizzle mistakes from Tessa during that second quad. But the twizzles particularly from their first 3 senior seasons. Especially scott looked wobbly during them. While they did improve the rest of their seasons with marina, even when they were executed properly, they still seemed more on the uneasy side.

I was watching TSL the other day and Dave discussed how IAM employs the British style (vs Russian) of skating which is one of the reasons VM’s twizzles are more refined and steady (especially for Tessa) during their comeback seasons. He said something about the placement on the blade over the edge is what distinguishes the skating style that IAM has adopted and honed and is used by their teams.

Do you know what he’s referring to? If so, how can you identify what technique is used? Did VM go from a more Russian style of skating to a British one?

That brought back some memories, lol - I used to hold my breath watching Scott twizzle. Of course, then leading into Sochi, I didn’t worry so much about Scott and held my breath over Tessa… and then in the comeback, I just had no worries. Okay, not true, I still held my breath, but what I mean is, any specific worries I ever had about their twizzles in the past were just gone. They were so steady and calm about them that it stopped being an element that actively worried me.

Anyway, back to your ask more specifically - I always found the “British vs Russian style” to be an interesting description, because as someone who doesn’t ice dance, I have never been 100% sure what they truly mean. I do recall, hopefully correctly, Tessa once doing an interview and saying that the British style was more “upright” but I can’t find it anymore (if anyone knows what I’m talking about, please send me a link and save my brain from the current short circuit I’m experiencing!).

Their book says this:

After years informed by Russian style, they would ease toward a more traditional British carriage, while still maintaining the stylistic elements that had always made them “Tessa and Scott.” But the much bigger adjustment would come in their stroking style: the glide of the blades, the knee action, placement of the hip on circles, and other functional details. So, as they had done four years earlier with Bruce Craven reshaping their mechanics, they started to tear apart some basic skating habits in order to rebuild them. Scott and Tessa had always been taught to use a relatively harsh, quick stride to get into beautiful positions. But what Patrice envisioned was to meld that with an ease of motion, a more effortless use of the blade in working with the ice to eliminate friction and generate more speed.

Of course, that was a more generalized, non-twizzle-specific description, and it doesn’t explain the reason that they would be more steady in their twizzles, either.

There were a lot of changes, however, in the course of their senior career. Please excuse this foray in a sub-topic that I don’t especially like to address, since it is both triggering for some people, and completely speculative as it was not something that either of them has ever mentioned. But Scott went from being a, shall we say, young 18/19 year old in his first senior season, to his more mature build later; and Tessa built muscle differently after her second surgery , and as she also went from being in her late teens to her mid twenties; she also had to change her entire skating technique at that point, and Scott joined her for those sessions. I am truly not sure if the changes that they had happening during those years had any affect or not on their twizzles, but it isn’t out of the realm of possibility; and as synchronization is a key part of twizzling, whatever affects one partner will inevitably have an affect on the other as they try to anticipate and react.

Of course, the requirements of the twizzles were also greatly increased in those years. In their first senior seasons, twizzling in the step sequences in the OD was the expectation, and fewer rotations and variations were needed in the FD, and every year there seemed to be a change. And beyond that, as VM were never content to just keep the same twizzles/variations from season to season, it was a constant learning curve.

(I forgot just HOW MUCH VM would change their twizzles until I looked at this post again - some things, like a front inside edge and holding their blade, was consistent, but they didn’t do the twizzles in the same order, and there was almost always something that made the twizzle section unique to the particular program and made it fit the theme... they’re so good.)

On top of that, we’ve previously discussed that Tessa changed her catch-blade technique between Sochi and the comeback - a twizzle that had been particularly iffy for her 2013/2014. She used to twist her arm to hold the outside edge of her blade, rather than the inside, but switched to match Scott. It is possible that also helped her to keep consistent in her twizzles.

I don’t watch/listen to a lot (almost zero) of TSL, so I don’t think I’ve seen the commentary about I.Am or VM, but I do remember, I hope correctly, a comment made by Tracy Wilson. She said that VM, pre-comeback, had a tendency to get a little bit back on their heels, but that they had improved with the comeback. I’m not sure if Dave and Tracy were referring to the same thing, but it seems reasonable to assume they were. (If anyone wants to link me or transcript Dave’s discussion re: VM, that would be great, but I’m not going to go looking for it.)

As an aside, I thought of something new (to me) as I was answering this ask. Previously, I had said that I assumed that VM didn’t even realize in the Canton years, that they were holding their catch-blade differently; that however they learned they just assumed it was the ‘right’ way because they did their twizzles fine. But while the twizzle was the only time that Scott would need to do a catch-blade, Tessa did them quite often in lifts, as a way to make a pose difficult. For that, she also needed to make sure that her blade was equal to the level of her head and/or her blade was almost touching her head, to gain the level on the lift, and she positioned her hand the same way that she would in her twizzles - and probably it was easier to hold her blade in the lift in that way.

And yet, in the comeback, none of their lifts included a catch-blade (!), so there isn’t a way to see if she had altered her lift technique.

#ask #I forgot that I put this in drafts while I tried to find an interview or something #never found it but also forgot to post #😳#sorry about how ridiculously late this answer was because of that #(not that I was speedy before it)#(but it was an interesting thought process for me)

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virtuemoir-positivity · 6 years

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Tessa and Scott - the dream team

“They're a once-in-a-generation talent, that you don't see often.” - Patrice Lauzon

The dream team – Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir. A team who has weathered through it all and come out on top. They have been through time out of training and competitions for Tessa’s surgeries and the associated uncertainty. They have worked hard on themselves, their partnership and become the best…ever. The most decorated figure skaters in Olympic history.

They are the best because their skills complement each other in a way that makes them unique, no one can be like Tessa and Scott. There is Scott’s natural skating talent, his lines, his edges, the way in which he makes everything look so effortless. Combined with his love of skating, his passion and charisma, he’s the perfect partner for Tessa. Tessa is a skilled skater, there is no doubt, but her natural ability lies in dance. Scott learned to dance, and Tessa did too, but she has a natural ability. She’s a naturally gifted dancer like Scott is a naturally gifted skater. There are many things that can be taught but natural ability is hard to beat. She is powerful and ethereal at once, she glides across the ice effortlessly. Her beautiful lines and athleticism mean that she isn’t just waiting to be lifted, she plays an equal role. This makes her the best partner for Scott. And together, the gifted skater and gifted dancer create magic on the ice.

When they skate and tell a story on the ice, the audience is captivated by their performance. Their skating, their dancing, their athleticism, the complicated lifts they are known for and their chemistry. Whatever the story is being told on the ice – whether it’s the passion and jealousy of Carmen, the sweetness and innocence of Mahler or the intensity of Roxanne, followed by the romance and ultimately pain of Come What May; the audience feels it. The audience feels all of it and when it’s over they’re left wanting more. Rod Black summed it up quite simply at their first competition post-comeback. "They bring goosebumps, they bring tears, they have brought joy to skating, and guess what? They are back!"

Their connection can’t be copied, can’t be taught and is something that sets them apart from the rest. And we are not talking about chemistry. We are talking about the shared history that comes from skating together from the ages of 7 and 9, growing up together, learning how to be a team, how to communicate and work through struggles that other teams haven’t needed to face. That has made them stronger, more supportive of each other, more understanding, and has given them the drive to continually prioritize their friendship and partnership. Their post-Olympic journey led to the creation of their own show, as co-producers and stars. They were involved in every aspect of it and just like their Olympic journey, this too is a testament to their talent and how well they work together as a team.

“Simply put, there will never be another Virtue and Moir.” - Pj Kwong, CBC Sports

(x) (x) (x)

#virtuemoir #virtuemoir positivity #tessa and scott #tessa virtue #scott moir #canadian sweethearts #positivity #positive minds positive fandom #let's show vm some love again #vmpositivity #patrice lauzon #pj kwong #rod black

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luvtessascott · 6 years

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TTYCT Kitchener Write-Up

ALRIGHTY YALL my first TTYCT show. We had ice side seats to the right of the aisle where tessa starts for 4 minutes. I SAT RIGHT INFRONT OF THE FAM JAM. LIKE I CAN SEE MYSELF IN STALKER PHOTOS OF THE FAM. #famous Anyways it was Cara, Alma, and Kate! Lol tell me how I didn’t notice until I had my mom taking my pic with my Virtue Moir flag and then I looked up and saw them. Haha! No I didn’t watch them, I was trying to watch the show and stay composed despite being INCHES FROM THE ICE. During intermission, they were leaning in close talking to each other.

Anyways so I loveee the Oh Canada intro I thought that was such a nice touch. You can collectively hear the cast singing along with the crowd. My patriotic heart soared.

Scott gave his flag to three little girls that were in the stands, he ran out on his toe picks and tossed it up to them.

Opening number was super fun and dancey. Interesting choice of costume lol! Kaitlyn and Andrew skated their FD and it was so gorgeous they skated it really well. It’s nice to see them using material that suits their style. Kaetlyn totally crushed black swan—wow what a gorgeous program! I was really looking forward to With or Without you and it definitely lived up to when I saw it at Nats in Vancouver. My mom LOVED Chiddy’s Phantom number since she’s a huge POTO fan. I just love seeing Chiddy skate clean and care free.

MOULIN ROUGGGGEEEE. Okay the intro was so good. I was avoiding videos before my show so I didn’t know what was going to come up. It was SO COOL. I like seeing them come on and get into character. Scott’s jealous face during the first half is so on point— clenched jaw crazy look in his eyes. And of course Tessa just crushing it too. SCOTT SANG THE ENTIRE COME WHAT MAY. LIKE EVERY SINGLE WORD. (Cue me in my head thinking of the line from the doc ‘when I hear that music I think Tessa’). Also they have to do the hug like that after don’t they?! They’re so settled into this program I feel like they could skate it with their eyes closed.

THE WAY WE WERE. Get out the tissues friends. From the opening monologue to watching the cast stand there ARM AND ARM. I can’t. OH when they skated out from the curtains Scott was giving T a one hand neck massage. She was slotted under his arm while he was rubbing her neck and then they joined the group. My mom was telling me in the car that the whole thing made her teary eyed. Watching them skate that clip of Mahler was a true feel moment (I wish I actually had memory of watching it at SOI 2010 however my 14 year old self did not store the memory ITS NOT FAIR. Additionally my mom claims we watched their 2010 Mahler skate on tv and cried watching them on the podium AND I HAVE ZERO RECOLLECTION).

Post intermission! I don’t remember the order so I’ll just say my comments in random order. The hip number was super fun. I just sat their smirking watching tessa rub her hands through his hair and hip nudge him to the ground. Also the lean part is A++ Tessa looks real comfy there.

I loved Weapo’s I Wanna Dance With Somebody, I know MF choreographed that and it was so pretty on them. Also how does Kaitlyn skate with her hair down like that. Also when she does her balance lift she just climbs him like a tree, blade one up then blade two haha it’s cool to watch up close.

Patrick skating to Eric’s piano playing was really nice. Eric is really talented! I bet that’s probably a thrill for him to get to play for a crowd. And of course just chiddy being chiddy. Gorgeous effortless skating!

4 MINUTESSS. Tessa came out to the aisle next to me, three seats over. She’s in character and walking the walk the second she steps into the floor section. Yeah, Scott tripped on the carpet and played it off. The whole routine was just great. I’m always in awe of how comfortably they can own the stage and embody the choreo. It was a bit ‘toned down’ than what I’ve seen in gif and vids. I watched extra hard for the moments people have pointed out but it wasn’t as good as the previous shows. I have two sets of videos of it because I turned my phone on and recorded it with the camera on my lap. And my mom recorded it on her phone.

The girls vs boys number! The girls won first of all. SCOTT FUCKING SKATED RIGHT AT ME WITH HIS THUMBS UNDER HIS SUSPENDERS AND HIS OPEN SHIRT AND I ALMOST DROPPED MY PHONE. If my jaw was on the floor I’m not surprised. The girls were so sassy and Tessa channeled the character so hard. She was twirling her hair when the boys came out and rolling her eyes when they started to skate. Such a performer, love her. In the end of one of the girls sets had her pausing right in front of me and I was GRACED with her sassy queen presence.

I can’t even remember what the number is called but the one with Tessa in the flowered bomber jacket. Yeah I want that jacket. Kaitlyn was skating with Scott in-front of us for a bit. Haha omg, walking out of the show my mom was like “I don’t like the way Kaitlyn looks at Scott. She’s looking a little intensely. That’s Tessa’s man”. It was cute to watch Ts do their little Latin steps and the Latin lift too. Every time I see that lift I wonder if they’ve ever hurt Scott’s neck in practice learning it. For the flashmob part Kaetlyn was the skater that came to our section and I got up right away to do the flashmob with her. It was a cute addition to the show.

I LOVED Sweet Dreams. The way they skate in sync is so aesthetically pleasing. Also the costumes were so slick and the sunglasses were great. From the side I was on, tessa was nearest to me and scott behind her and it was the perf angle to watch both of them it was great.

When Tessa came out in that Diamonds cat suit. OH MY GOSH, it’s soooo stunning. It sparkles under the lights so much. I really enjoyed the acoustic intro with Tessa and Scott it was nice and slow and intimate. To use a tessa word, it was the anthesis of what Stay was. Stay was angst and tension and longing where this is like calm and intimate and relaxing.

The voice overs of Tessa and Scott during the group diamonds was really sweet. I also like how the program was choreographed how it transitions so smoothly into each skater. I didn’t see how tessa fell I just saw her on the ice and everyone trying to avoid her. She was laughing so hard and got up quick. (I got the ask about the parents laughing. I think they did but I don’t remember).

I think that’s everything but I’m also half asleep. If you have questions, comments, want to yell at me my inbox is open.

I have to go through all my videos and my moms videos and pics and then post everything. It’ll come soon but no instant promises.

I’m also in St Cats next weekend with @makeitcountmeggy holla at me if you’re going !

#ttyct 2018 #my experiences

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philosophronia · 5 years

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Ice Fantasia 2019

My daughter has been tucked into bed and taking a shower has jolted me awake, so I figured I might as well do my Ice Fantasia 2019 write up while the show is still fresh in my mind! I thought long and hard about how I should organize this write-up (long meaning the amount of time it took me to take a bath), and I came to the conclusion that it would be better for me to talk about each skater rather than each program, so that’s what I’ll do. I apologize in advance for the rambling nature of this review -- I’ll skim through it once after I’m done, but I probably won’t end up editing it extensively.

The show was divided into Acts I and II. I have the program to the left of my laptop as I type this, but the orders did change quite a bit from the time they printed these out and the time the show was performed. I’m sure they had their reasons for the changes, though, because overall, I felt that the skaters went with their “easier,” less energy-draining programs in Act I and showed off the power and energy they had in Act II. Good plan, in my opinion; it can’t be easy skating two programs + at least two group numbers!

I believe twenty skaters participated in this show. I say “I believe” because there was a group number with what I remember to be six young Korean skaters, but it might have been eight or nine -- some of them did a solo snippet in the beginning and I’m not sure if those skaters are the same as the ones that did the short group number towards the end of that routine. The young skaters were absolutely darling and just a bundle of talent. There were maybe… three or four girls that came out in the beginning and did a bit of their program. Every single one of them landed their jumps and got a huge round of applause from the audience, which must have been such a special moment for them. Junhwan popped out at the end and did a bit of the group dance with them before disappearing backstage again. That was adorable!

According to the program, it were the junior skaters that were supposed to skate first (right after the opening), but they changed it around so that Seoyeon Ji skated first. She did a program to River by Bishop Briggs and nailed it! She’s a pretty tiny skater, but she skated big and wasn’t afraid to hit the accents. I would’ve been a nervous wreck had I been the one skating after the entire main cast’s group number, but the thirteen year old didn’t make any mistakes and was just a joy to watch.

Ok, now I’m just going to talk about the skaters in no particular order…

Jason Brown

It’s not an exaggeration to say that Jason stole the show. He came out third in Act I and gave such a charming performance to Can’t Stop the Feeling that he had the entire audience clapping and hollering in no time (kudos to everyone there for clapping on the beat). He’s the type of skater that… you know how sometimes, you see a skater that maybe doesn’t have the best technique and maybe doesn’t win the medals but always has your eyes drawn to them? That’s Jason. He’s an incredible performer, and although I knew this through watching his performances through YouTube, it was even more evident when he was skating in front of my eyes. Most of the people around me were people that were invited to the show by LG (aka folks that didn’t know any of the skaters), and the instant they sent him off backstage with a deafening applause, they turned to each other and went “That was so much fun.” Also, the way he does a little hop as he waves to the audience is endearing. You could tell that he was having a blast and appreciated the support he was receiving from the audience. Also, his split jump (I don’t know if that’s what it’s called, but there was this move that he did a ton where he jumped into the air and did a side split) had an incredible height to it. I don’t even know how he got up so high.

Evgenia Medvedeva

Zhenya did two programs: one to Million Roses and another to 7 rings. Neither program had jumps in it, which was a bit surprising, I suppose, but it didn’t take away from her performance at all. The Million Roses program was executed with such beauty that it wasn’t until she picked up her rose and left that I realized that she hadn’t jumped at all. From where I was sitting, I could see her putting in the effort to make her arms elegant but not floppy. It was beautiful! 7 rings was the second one she did, and that program really showed off her sass. The absence of jumps meant that she had more time for dance steps, which I personally enjoyed. I just hope that she didn’t take the jumps out because of an injury! D:

Peng Cheng - Jin Yang

So, I’m not a huge watcher of Pairs figure skating, simply because it makes me so darn nervous, but I really enjoyed their performance. In the first program they did, they skated with a sword, which did make me nervous but was tastefully used. Like the other skaters, their first program was the one that to me seemed like might take up less energy. Their second one was packed, though, and was a delight to watch. I believe it was the third act of Act II (after the junior kids and a group number that didn’t feature Tessa, Scott, and these two. They made every element look effortless. The audience gasped when they skated past them while executing their lifts (as did I). As I said, it seemed like many of them weren’t into figure skating and came because they got an invitation from their company, so they were in awe and shock for sure. Such a beautiful way to be introduced to pairs!

Jin Boyang

First of all, I’m fairly sure that if you look up the word ‘glide’ in the dictionary, a photo of Boyang will be right next to the definition. All of the skaters were fantastic, of course, but when Boyang skated, you couldn’t hear the sound of his blades about 80% of the time. I’m not exaggerating. His act was in the second half of Act I, and all throughout the program, I was thinking, “Wait… was it this quiet when the other skaters skated as well?” He skated with such grace, and his smile lit up the arena. His jumps were executed beautifully as well. I think he popped one, but honestly, I doubt that anyone remembered that mistake, because everything else was done really well.

Rika Kihira

Out of her two performances, I definitely enjoyed the second one (which was a routine to Sia’s The Greatest) more. I’m used to seeing Rika perform more slow and elegant programs (she might have done routines of similar styles in galas and other shows, but I’ve only watched her competing), but this one had a bit of a punch to it and a ton of dancing. I loved it! She had quite a bit of jumps in her programs, all of which she landed with no problem at all. Her costumes, too, were exquisite. I think she was the only one who had a different costume for each number (some of the skaters stayed in the costume they wore for their second solo performance for the finale, while others changed back to the costume they wore for their first solo performance). They were all beautiful, but the one she wore for her first solo act and the one she wore at the finale group number was breathtaking. They were ones she wore in competition, I believe. She was an absolute joy to watch, and I’m so glad she decided to hop over here and perform for the Korean audience!

Vladimir Besedin - Oleksiy Polishchuk

In addition to singles, ice dance, and pairs, Ice Fantasia had two ice acrobatic routines. I wasn’t sure what I expected to see when I read their names on the program, but holy cow. They came out and did some crazy stuff. There were balancing acts (at one point, one man was balancing on top of the other man’s head), spins, and plenty of panic-inducing moments. For example, at one point, the man that was balancing on top suddenly just went limp and dropped to the ice (the other man caught him, of course, but it looked like he didn’t!), and I screeched internally. Their acts were a treat to watch and so very different from anything else I’ve watched. I don’t know if anyone had their camera on while they were performing (I think most folks were too busy gaping at them to film), but I really hope someone did!

Kaetlyn Osmond

Out of all of the ladies, Kaetlyn skated the biggest. She filled up the entire rink and seemed like one of those skaters who performs for the entire audience and not just those that are sitting in the first couple of rows. I bet audience members that were sitting up on the second floor could feel and see her performance as well as people that were sitting in the front row. I feel like I’m just repeating the same thing over and over again, but she just skates that… big. The fact that she’s got those huge, gorgeous eyes didn’t hurt. XD I feel that the height, speed, and ice coverage of the singles skaters’ jumps are better highlighted when captured on camera than when seen in person sometimes, but with Kaetlyn, that was not the case at all. Her high speed and the extraordinary height her jumps reached were visible to the naked eye. Truly a beautiful skater!

Elladj Balde

I can’t speak more highly of Elladj Balde. His two performances were absolutely extraordinary. I didn’t know of him going into this show, but the moment his first program started, I knew he was a skater that had the same star-like quality that Jason Brown has. His musicality is exquisite, and the way he carries his upper body on the ice is breathtaking. His first program was to The Sound of Silence. It got a huge round of applause from the audience. But it was his second program that I’m sure will stick with the audience members for weeks, months, years. It was the Michael Jackson medley, and it was… awesome. Elladj Balde is an amazing dancer and that strength of his shone through with this routine. At the end of the routine, the audience screamed and clapped like they were at a K-Pop concert. I think he got the loudest applause of the entire show, and no one -- literally no one -- there knew who he was. That’s how good he was. I know a lot of you will want to look for videos that people posted of Tessa and Scott (nothing wrong with that -- they were amazing), but I urge you to see if anyone posted one of Elladj Balde as well.

Now, before you start bashing the Korean audience for enjoying a performance to a Michael Jackson medley, please be aware that a lot of what goes on in the US doesn’t reach Korea. Korea’s got their own share of issues and scandals that take up their newspapers and news channels. It’s not because they don’t pay attention to the news or that they tolerate abuse that they were fine with two Michael Jackson routines being in the show. I guarantee that most of them genuinely didn’t know. I bet a lot of them didn’t even know that Tessa and Scott’s second performance was to a MJ song!

Tessa Virtue - Scott Moir

Oh boy, oh boy. Where to start with these two? Most of the people that came to the show were probably there to see Tessa and Scott skate, and I’m sure that every single one of them left satisfied and very glad that they rushed from school, work, home etc. to see them. In the group routines, the two of them just sparkled. I was trying my gosh darn hardest to pay attention to the entire group as a whole, but I always found my eyes being drawn to Tessa at some point. That’s not to say that the other skaters were bad! They were good as well, but there’s just something about Tessa that makes you pay extra attention to her. I’m fairly sure I would’ve been able to pick out Tessa from the sea of skaters even if I’d been sitting up on the third floor. In general, their programs had a lot of dancing and some beautiful lifts. For the audience members that were expecting a competitive-routine-quality routine, it might have been a tad disappointing, but I felt that they came out and gave an entertaining and strong performance. Everyone always talks about Tessa’s dancing (rightfully so -- she’s a fantastic dancer), but Scott stood out quite a bit during this show as well. He is very expressive. He had the Kaetlyn-like quality, where the quality of his performance could be enjoyed by any audience in the arena, regardless of how far back they were sitting.

Their first routine was to Dark Times and the second one was to You Rock My World. Both performances were lovely and such a joy to watch. As I said, there was a lot of dance content in both of their programs, so audience members that weren’t really into figure skating could enjoy it as well. In the program, it was stated that Elladj Balde would do his Michael Jackson routine in Act I and Tessa and Scott would do theirs in Act II, but in the end, they ended up doing theirs one after another (Elladj first, then Tessa and Scott). An odd decision (they switched up the orders quite a bit), but it didn’t take away from the experience at all. Elladj came out and nailed his program, Tessa and Scott came out and nailed theirs, and the audience was more than happy to enjoy both of them.

Junhwan Cha

And last but not least, the star of the show, Junhwan! First of all, the level of support he got from the audience -- figure skating fan or not -- was incredible. He was the front and center for the group numbers and the last solo performer of each act and every time his name was announced, the audience started clapping and cheering loudly for him. Both of his skates were phenomenal. I remember a couple of the older ladies sitting behind me kept going “Is he Korean? Is he really Korean?” because they just could not believe that such a beautiful skater could be from their country! He looked like an anime character, gliding across the ice to his Romeo and Juliet medley. His skates were probably the most jam-packed with content out of all of the performances of the evening. He was also part of all of the group numbers, which must have been incredibly tiring, but he came out and performed every single one of them with a ton of energy. He never once looked floppy or tired. His second solo act was with a singer singing live right behind him. That one was a treat to watch live in person. The singer’s voice and Junhwan’s skating complemented each other so well.

So, uh… I guess that’s about it! I could probably go on and on about the show, but I tried to keep it short and simple. I’m sorry if it sounded like I was rambling 99% of the time! I hope it helped the enthusiasm I had for the show shine through XD Overall, I was just extremely grateful that these skaters took the time to fly out all the way to Korea (especially when many of them have other shows lined up) and perform for us and that I had the financial means to purchase tickets to go watch the show. I don’t know how expensive tickets to skating shows are in general (this is the first one I’ve been to), but all things considered, it wasn’t outrageously expensive, for which I was very, very thankful for :)

Some other highlights from the show included…

Kaetlyn and Junhwan doing a little shimmying at the beginning of the opening of the 2nd act, where they were paired together.

Zhenya shaking Junhwan’s hand so hard because she was bouncing up and down in excitement at the very end of the show when they were all holding hands in a circle.

The audience squealing every time Jason skid up to them and wooed them with his charm.

#here it is!#finished it just in time #i wasn't able to proofread it extensively because i have to go to work soon but...#hopefully it's not too dreadful of a read!#ice fantasia 2019

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woodwind-sensei · 6 years

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The Program Components: An In-Depth Look

If you’re relatively new to the figure skating world, you’re probably confused as fuck about the program components. What do they mean? Where did they come from? Why are people complaining about the component marks for particular skaters? If you’re one of these people, this is the post for you.

After the judging fiasco that was the 2002 Winter Olympics, the ISU began measures to completely redo the judging system, which was the beginning of the end of the old 6.0 system that had long ruled over the sport. What emerged about a year later was what we know as the first iteration of the ISU Judging System; a new, open-ended scoring system where technical elements had base value points that were given bonuses/deductions for execution. Then the artistic impression mark was replaced what is known as program components: Skating Skills, Transitions, Performance, Composition, and Interpretation of the Music would be judged on a scale of 1-10, and combined to make a PC mark.

This post is going to be a very in-depth look at the program components. There have been many contentions to these marks in the past couple of seasons, so it’s paramount that, as fans, we educate ourselves so that we understand whether or not component marks actually make sense for a particular program or performance.

Skating Skills

“Defined by overall cleanness and sureness, edge control and flow over the ice surface demonstrated by a command of the skating vocabulary (edges, turns, steps, etc.), the clarity of technique and the use of effortless power to accelerate and vary speed.” - ISU Handbook

Skating skills is the movement component. How well a skater moves across the ice and how they achieve speed and flow is fundamental to how a program is perceived. You could have amazing edges and multi-directional skating, but if you move slow as a snail, your skating skills could still use improvement, and your other submarks could be also affected (if you have judges who actually, ya know, judge).

If I had to point at any examples of skaters with skating skills, the one I immediately think of is Guillaume Cizeron (FRA). He moves across the ice effortlessly, and has such variety and beauty in every stroke and step. The Japanese skaters in general also embody everything that is good skating skills. Satoko Miyahara and Kaori Sakamoto are the two skaters that come to mind for me: they both have an amazing knee bend that allows them to dig into the ice and really create some powerful strokes. Then we have skaters like Alina Zagitova (RUS). She has some good skating qualities, but what sets her a little bit lower than, say, Sakamoto can be seen in their back crossovers: Kaori is so smooth when she does a back crossover, and can reach max speed without restricting the flow of her body (that’s where those good knees come in). But Alina’s crossovers are a lot more jagged in motion. Her feet move rather statically, and she tends to be high in the knee. This translates into her usage of her upper body in jumps, because she doesn’t get the natural spring into the air that a deeper knee bend could help with.

Transitions

“The varied and purposeful use of intricate footwork, positions, movements and holds that link all elements.”

How do you connect the technical elements? Transitions is the mark that covers the in-between, “moves-in-the-field” (6.0 term) kinds of movements. The mark is based on variety and difficulty of movements before and after major elements. So, if a skater uses interesting entries and exits for all the jumps, or there is a seamless quality between all the elements, the Transitions mark should be high. There is also the opposite: a problem American singles skaters have is that they often “telegraph” their jumps, meaning that they will do close to no choreography and just hold a long edge before their jumps. Even if a choreographer gives them a program with built-in transitional content, you find that by the end of the season, these moments are often removed for the sake of the jumps.

This is the mark that I have the most issue with. Of all the criteria that the ISU gives for the transitions mark, the glaring omission is “movement that matches the music/phrasing”. Nowadays, transitional content is done for the mark, and there isn’t any care to really match it to the music (????). This is extremely evident in Eteri Turberidze’s skaters’ programs. Johnny Weir said about Alina Zagitova (RUS) at the 2018-19 GPF, “she’s been choreographed within an inch of her life.” And that’s why I hate her programs this year. The transitions and movements are distracting rather than enhancing or impressive. The movements are so crammed into the program, there is no time to breathe. An unfortunately, this is rewarded: Tutberidze skaters generally get a bump in the components scores, especially in this specific mark. There needs to be more relationship between the music and transitional content. The king of the transition mark is Yuzuru Hanyu (JPN). He is able to weave the elements into the program at any point, and there’s no telling when a jump or spin will begin. For example, watch his 2018 Olympics short program, and pay close attention to the triple axel. It comes out of a series of super hard steps capped off by a left-back-outside counter turn. The counter is one of the harder figures to use in front of a jump, and Yuzu does it with complete freedom.

Performance

“Involvement of the Skater/Pair/Couple physically, emotionally and intellectually as they deliver the intent of the music and composition.”

The mark that is easiest to understand at a base level, the Performance mark is about how the skater(s) perform on a specific competition and how they project past the board of the rink. How do they carry themselves on the ice? Are the movements clear, precise, and easy to read from the rafters? If it’s a pair or an Ice Dance team, are they in unison the whole way through? Do they move as one unit? These are contributing factors to how involved a performance is. Another key factor to this mark is audience response. Does the program illicit cheers, or leave an audience breathless and captivated? If there were skaters who are the complete rulers of the Performance mark, it’s Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir (CAN). They really move together, and engage the audience in a way that few skaters can. I personally believe Papadakis and Cizeron should have won the Olympics, but I can for sure see why Virtue and Moir came away with the gold: they knew how to draw the audience in, especially in the short dance. Javier Fernandez (ESP) also excelled in this particular component mark. He was the showman of the quadrennium, and was charming and engaging in any program he performed on competition ice.

Composition

“An intentionally developed and/or original arrangement of all types of movements according to the principles of musical phrase, space, pattern, and structure.”

This mark encompasses choreography. Does the movement presented cover the ice well? Are the patterns into and out of elements clean and interesting to watch? Is there a clear arc to the choreography? Is it original material? The last Olympic cycle was the catastrophe that was Backload City, Russia. A lot of Russian skaters began placing all their jumps in the second half of the program, which garnered a 10% bonus. As former ISU judge and co-creator of the Program Components Joe Inman put it, “the program is unbalanced.” Backloaded programs should have had reduced Composition marks in the previous system, which wasn’t the case.

A good program composition evenly spreads out the technical elements, and reflects the personality of the skater. This season, my favorite program hands down is the short program from Satoko Miyahara. Known for her grace and subtleness on the ice, Lori Nichol did an absolutely amazing job bringing power to Satoko, while maintaining elegance, softness, and purity. It also helps that Satoko is one of the strongest skaters in the world in terms of pure skating skills: she is able to spin in both directions, which helps in both spins and step sequences, and is able to link very difficult steps together with ease. Every program she has done was full of variation and virtuosity.

Interpretation of the Music

“The personal, creative, and genuine translation of the rhythm, character and content of music to movement on ice.”

This component encompasses music and movement. If the other components slightly touched upon this important relationship, this final component mark has it in a stranglehold. There are some key things to think about here: does the movement match the pace of the music? Do the steps and strokes align with the emphasized beats/tempo of the music? Does the movement clearly express the emotion of the music? Does the skater match the program? This is another criticism of the Tutberidze camp. You could honestly take any Daniil G. choreography, mute the music, then put Yakkity Sax on, and the choreography would make just as much sense. The choreography is done for levels, not for presentation, which is what the components marks should be modeled for.

One of my favorite programs of recent years was Kaetlyn Osmond’s (CAN) 2017-18 short program to Edith Piaf songs. It’s sexy, age appropriate, and has a variety of beautiful movements that are tailored to the music. This season, though, has seen some great programs that use the music to enhance the skater’s qualities and strengths. Lim Eun-soo’s (KOR) short program this year is a complete stunner. Choreographer Jeffrey Buttle did a stellar job, interpreting the music of the movie Somewhere in Time, using it as a frame to make Eun-soo the consummate skater: powerful, yet delicate. Soft, yet strong.

How [I think] The Components Relate to Each Other

A lot of what I’ve said so far seems like it overlaps. Sweetie, they were designed to overlap. If a skater doesn’t have a solid grasp on one component, chances are the other marks are questionable at best. The most obvious relationship is skating skills and transitions: without good skating skills, there is no chance in hell a skater can do interesting and varied transitional content. I keep on using Kaori Sakamoto as an example for skating skills/transitions, because she really is a skater who puts two and two together. Sonoko Nakano, her coach, makes her students practice figures like counters and rockers, so they understand how those steps function in their routines. The result is that Kaori has excellent knees, speed, and flow through almost any step. Take her entrance into her first triple-triple here. Only a few sweeping crossovers and some rockers and she is able to fly across the ice. Then there’s performance, composition, and interpretation of the music. They all convey the same thing: what is the program and what does the skater do it affect the audience? Let’s take a program like Virtue and Moir’s (CAN) Free Dance at the last Olympics: it’s a clear interpretation of Moulin Rouge with excellent carriage and a composition designed to bring the house down. That energy in Gangneung Ice Arena must have been so powerful. It leaps right off your TV screen and sucks you in. Even with a program like theirs, or something more nuanced and subtle like that of Gabriella Papadakis/Guilaume Cizeron (FRA), you can’t do them without good skating skills. Everything inevitably has to relate back to the skater’s athletic ability. If a skater cannot accomplish movement on the ice, the program is going to suffer indefinitely.

This analysis of the components is far from perfect. I’m not a trained skater myself, but I really wanted to understand as many of the steps and moves myself in order make sense of a lot of the programs. Hopefully this helps you learn more about the current judging system and why sometimes, fans will speak for or against certain marks that the judges give out.

#figure skating #program components #long post #my god #alina zagitova #kaori sakamoto #satoko miyahara #yuzuru hanyu #guillaume cizeron #gabriella papadakis #tessa virtue #scott moir #skating skills #transitions #performance #composition #interpretation of the music #lim eun so #kaetlyn osmond

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starberry-08 · 6 years

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TTYCT - Grande Prairie Show - 9th Oct 2018

Ok so this post is way overdue, but better late than never right?

Last October I managed to make the trip up to Canada to finally watch some of my favourite figure skaters live...and it was definitely worth the trip! First of all, to all you Canadians, you have an amazing country and are such nice people...Canada totally stole my heart ❤️

Back to the show....it was honestly one of the best experiences of my life. As a figure skating fan since childhood, seeing figure skating live for the first time in person was a dream come true, especially considering who the skaters were. They are all such talented people, and watching them from up close left me in awe. I enjoyed every minute of the show and they are all amazing.

I don’t want to ramble on for too long, but:

- Kaitlyn/Andrew performed their RD which was so good, can’t wait to see them in competition again!

- Meagan/Eric - they make it look so effortless while doing such dangerous moves...their program was so emotional, I may have shed a tear..

- Elvis - cannot believe he is still skating to that caliber, just wow. Truly amazing.

- Kaetlyn - she is just such a graceful skater, so beautiful to watch.

- Patrick - can’t believe I got to see him skate in person...he is so talented, truly amazing to watch...again wow.

-Tessa/Scott - I may have forgotten to breathe for a bit when they started skating MR...watching that program live was an experience I’ll never forget, they are just at another level. So talented and that chemistry....just GOATs all round.

- Second half was so much fun....the dance battle was amazing, we had ice level seats and at one point the guys sat down just a couple of seats away from us and actually ate sweets from the person sitting next to them 😂. The off-ice dance was so much fun, they are amazing dancers. The finale was so amazing, and the girls’ costumes were beautiful.

We also went to the meet and greet....I was totally starstruck and didn’t manage to say most of what I wanted to say, especially to Tessa and Scott, but the skaters were all so nice. We came from pretty far away and they asked about our country and our plans for Canada etc and were so sweet. Scott asked for our whole itinerary and commented on each place, as well as apologizing for the cold weather which we found funny. Scott really is so warm and friendly in person, he makes you feel comfortable...Tessa has such a magnetic presence, when we went over to them she made eye contact with me straightaway and asked a question and I honestly could not string a sentence together till Scott jumped in... I made handmade gifts for all of the skaters which I was to starstruck to explain...I just handed them to them 😳.. but Kaitlyn, Meagan and Kaetlyn asked if I made them at least 😂 also, they are all just so attractive, just wow!

To conclude....it’s been over 2 months since the show and I still cannot believe I got to not only watch a lot of my favourite skaters in person, but also meet them. So happy I managed to make the trip. Will post more photos and some videos in separate posts. Apologies if they’re not the greatest, I was focusing on the show more than on my phone!

#ttyct #fanreport #grandeprairie #virtue moir #weaver poje #patrick chan #kaetlyn osmond #duhamel radford #elvis stojko

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macaroni-rascal · 5 years

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"You ever watch an old vm program that you’ve watched a thousand times and just get overwhelmed by the sheer genius and beauty of it all" Yes. I must admit that Marina was truly a choreographic genius when it came to VM. So many nuances, etc. And of course, the way VM executed that choreo. So many times when I'm just looking at the way Tessa or Scott is moving a hand, or even a finger. It all means something. Amazing.

YES! That’s one of the main things that drew me to them and something that I’ve always loved about them: every move is purposeful, meaningful, and completed. Nothing ever feels rote or even “choreographed”, it feels spontaneous and genuine, as if the music started playing, they happened to be on the ice, and then magic happens. Which is even more spectacular because of all the incredible hard work that goes into making it look that effortless and....and....instinctive, is the word that’s coming to mind, all of their movement is mind-bogglingly inherent.

#and we stan #i just #how could you not watch them skate and just be bowled over by the genius mastery and beauty #konner talks skating

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swiftbejeweled · 6 years

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I have a fun little question for you: if you could create your version of the perfect male and female ice dancer, what aspects of existing ice dancers would you use? For example, maybe a male ice dancer who has the deep edges and glide of Scott, the power of Charlie, and the effortless control of Guillaume. :)

Scott Moir and Tessa Virtue.

I know this might seem like a bit of a cop-out of an answer. But honestly, to me, imperfection is perfection. A ‘perfect’ ice dancer would take away the relatability for me. It would take away the heart. There’s a reason why VM are considered ‘the people’s ice dancers’ and why they put so much stock in ‘creating a moment’. I’ll be honest, I’m not that familiar with Charlie’s skills. But what Guillaume lacks for me is expression. He has incredible technical skills (unlike his partner), but he’s so stoic. Even the fluidity of his movements can’t capture my attention as anything more than ‘that looks good’ because he doesn’t embody enough emotion. I don’t know what story he’s trying to tell me. This is in stark contrast to Scott. He feels the music and he cares about the story he’s telling and that’s why he’s so good. As well as how naturally gifted he is technically.

Tessa outshines everyone when she’s on the ice in a group. Nobody is a better dancer than Tessa, that’s just how I see it. She may not have started off as technically gifted, but her determination and drive helped her transform herself into the best in the field. Her performing skills perfectly ebb and flow and work in harmony with Scott’s.

So, there’s my (mushy) answer. Scott and Tessa are the perfect male and female ice dancers. I can’t create a perfect pair out of other people’s attributes because they already exist.

#vmask #Anonymous

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tutuandscoot · 2 years

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Ok so I’m obsessed with VM’s Rhumba….

Here’s why…

First few things:

E D G E S (I’m not a skater but I have watched enough at this point to know what edges are and that VM have all of them..) so low down in the knees and the side of their boots nearly catching the ice. I know T got called on the edge in the Choctaw in the TE and… again… I’m not a skater but from what I could see.. and I’ve watched this event a lot I really couldn’t see any difference/ stronger edge in any of the the other girls/teams- Tessa’s seemed the same or at least very close in both the TE and IE.. but WHATEVER.. (like even all the commentators said how good it was so idk)

What Tessa does with her arm. She does like a push out movement on the side step that mirrors the movement with their legs-then keeps it beautifully extended into the first Choctaw step. It just works so beautifully with the music and the vibe of it all- she just exudes confidence and the quality of it just adds the the whole ‘sex on ice’ vibes we got.

The… kinda (I can’t think of the exact name for the movement) but on the last ‘OWW’ as the music transitions from SFTD to HC and they’ve already started the rhumba they.. well in ballet it’s like a pas de chaval- but it’s when they extend their right legs to arabesque and bend it while it’s still close to 90 degrees, and like a cat bend it back in as they go into the next step. It’s so musical and so fitting with the animalistic vibes and energy. They’ve done it in the past where on that step they would leave it extended and that was beautiful too, and most teams this year (2018) did an extended leg but it’s turned in and often the legs aren’t matching height. It doesn’t look as good. What VM did with that was just so perfect. They lift from the glute even more to give it extra stretch and height before retracting it. *chefs kiss 💋:

But here’s what I’m really obsessed with:

So I can’t really emphasise enough what a good partner Scott is. Like really I’ve never seen a male dancer partner his girl so seamlessly- make it look so effortless, while at the same time be as charismatic and engaging of a performer and equally talented dancer as their partner. There’s great male ballet partners but usually in ballet- during a pdd, the man is literally just their to support the girl- he isn’t really dancing. In most ballets the structure is the pdd, man solo, girl solo, coda. So what makes Scott so special is he is dancing and partnering her at the same time without ever compromising one of the two. He truly makes it all about her and is not at all resentful of that- he knows people watching her doesn’t mean he is bad- it means he is presenting her and matching all her lines, complementing her movements, playing off her and interacting with her. A lot of male dancers say it’s about the girl but will often compromise or risk their girls’ safety at times- not always intentionally, but they forget that the pdd is about the girl and then they can have their moment in their solos. So what makes VM so unique as dancers (notice I almost always refer to them as ‘dancers’ and not simply ‘skaters’) is in their discipline there is no ‘solos’ (even hardly ever in shows- they are always together unless it’s a boy/girl no.). There’s no chance for one of them to shine without the other- they shine together. Its not quite like you are seeing only one person, but I feel even if you are watching one of them specifically, you are still seeing the other because they’re are so connected and every movement one of them does relies on the other to match/compliment.

So: the one thing I watch on repeat over and over is Scott’s hand placement in the rhumba pattern:

(And it’s not just in the rhumba, it’s anytime he’s holding her like this)

You will notice if you look carefully how far he has his hand around to the front of her waist compared to the top teams:

You will notice of all the teams here (top teams coz there’s no point comparing to lower ranked teams, but for the record I can’t think of another team at all that partners as well as Scott partners Tessa). In the first set of screen shots (sorry.. they’re fuzzy) the guys have their hands flat-palm just sitting on the crest of the girls pelvis, or in Alex’s case on her ribs. What Scott is doing, and you can see it in motion in the top video, is he bends his fingers round and digs into the space- kinda between her abs and her obliques- the soft(er) part/muscle between her ribs and her hip bone. His arm is also bent at nearly 90 degrees which means he holding her much closer than the other guys are holding their girls. The others just have their arm curved around the girl’s back and resting their hand on her side- they aren’t ‘holding’ them, more just ‘touching’ them.

What all this means and shows (at least to me in my experience) is that Scott is actually partnering Tessa through this whole pattern, rather than what the other guys are doing is just doing the steps with their partner. Scott is actually aiding and assisting her through this entire pattern. Giving her that feeling of being lifted (through her upper body), helping her feel lifted out of her hips. The way his arm is bent- he is partnering her with his whole arm (really his whole body) but he can make minor adjustments without anyone seeing them because he is holding her so close. If she is a little off balance, or to close/far away, he can use his forearm to bring her back a bit, or give her more space if she needs it. You will see in the top video how as they step right, left (just before it cuts out) that he re adjusts his grip. He reaches his hand around a little further and digs his fingers in again and lifts in and up towards her ribs. If you go and watch every performance of this- you’ll see he does this hand movement on this exact step every time.

He isn’t helping her through this because she needs assistance- as if she’s weak and doesn’t have the strength to skate it and hold herself up, it is literally him being the perfect partner for her and making it easier for her so she can use her upper body and feel more free. You will also notice in the second set- him holding her left hand- how parallel her lower arm is to his upper arm. Again, go watch any performance of this- his left arm DOES NOT MOVE. It is so strong and ridged. He is basically acting as a ballet barre for her- screwed into the wall that doesn’t move, so Tessa and lean in an out of his hand, use it for balance and feel her whole left side stable. He is holding her so steady that there is no movement in her left arm at all- it stays so straight. This whole pattern is almost like he is driving her through it. Having his left arm so strong and ridged however, isn’t visible, that stiffness isn’t reciprocated in the rest of his body. His neck is so lose and he too is able to express through his upper body, while being so strong and supporting for Tessa.

You will see compared to other teams, how this partnering allows them to match. Their lines are better because they are closer together. If you look at the second set with B/S - he is the one guy who is holding her kinda like Scott with his right hand, but his left hand is not assisting her, they are much further apart and their hips aren’t level.. in that second set with VM, their shoulders are level, her free hand extended is in a straight line with her left and his upper arm holding her. Their hips are only centimetres apart and are at the exact same level and completely square. Free legs PERFECTLY parallel and straight and POINTED with THEIR HEELS REACHING FORWARD WHICH MEANS THEY ARE TURNING OUT FROM THE TOPS OF THEIR LEGS (urrggghbb I can feel my piriformis switching on just writing this, FUCK I love them 💞).. their chests lifted without pocking their ribs out (no banana backs) and those beautiful, confident smiles. Seriously this whole pattern is perfection and like honestly, the neck kiss was a moment, but this is like satisfaction porn..

I love this slo-mo part where they (idk what it’s called in skating so I’ll just say it’s a pivot round the corner..)

But just watch his right hand. The way he shapes it, uses his fingers to direct her, the heel of his hand and his wrist/forearm to form like an arch for her to sit in where he can use each part of his hand/arm he needs so keep her on balance. Watch in the second gif how far his around his fingers are and presses into her abs as she combrés forward, he is holding her steady to give her freedom in her upper body to bend forward while staying on balance. You can see as they complete the last bit of the pivot he pulls her closer to make it round the corner. (Like pulling tight at the end of a spin to go faster- create less friction against the air). Straight after that you can see he shifts his hand as their transfer weight to their left leg, he moves it more to the back of her hip to use the heel of his hand to assist her in changing direction- as she as to step her steps out a little further- and he is more doing his on a pivot point as she goes from being in front of him facing the front to stepping in front of him facing the back in only one ‘ball change’ (sort of step).

The way he shapes his arm reminds me of how guys are to taught (at least the guys at my school) how to do partnered pirouettes: they are taught, when the girl is standing on point, or in 4th preparing to relieve to pirouette, if you are turning to the right, (which most of the time we are) to have (I think it’s this way around but I could be mixing it up) to have their left hand in an ‘L’ shape and their right hand with their fingers on the crest of our hips, the left hand in the L shape is for us to ‘sit’ in as we turn, and kind of keeps us on our axis (like a spinning top) where as the right hand does the turning, flicking our hip around, in each turn. Here’s a gif of some partnered pirouettes not that you can really see the hand technique but give you an idea: (they aren’t really doing this technique- that more for training but with multiple pirouettes like this there’s more movement to keep us spinning, btw this is Marianela Nunez for the Royal Ballet who is STUNNING and reminds me soooo much of Tessa)

So what Scott is going here in the rhumba is he is doing the job of both the left and right hand all in his right + arm.

I would really be so interested to hear about VM’s off ice training coz even tho the basis of Ice Dancing is ballroom- I see so many similarities to ballet/contemporary partnering in their programs- so I wonder if they did lots of off-ice pdd and partnering training because with don’t see this type of partnering in other teams.

You will also notice if you watch any version of this, but I especially noticed it on the olys version, he talks to her the whole way through it- up until the the end of the side step where they curve round into the Choctaw and the judges can obviously see them. I like to think the little minor squeezes and adjustments he makes with his right hand are also little communications.

Again, this has nothing to with Tessa being weak and him needing to support her. It’s literally just good partnering. It’s the tiniest little things he’s doing but it just helps her so much and makes it so easy for her. That’s his superior partnering skills and him just putting her safety and ease of movement as first priority. Like other guys probably don’t even see the difference. So many skaters are taught by the same small group of coaches at this level so I don’t really think it’s something-a style taught- I think that’s something TS mostly developed between themselves, however there are clips from when they were very young where you see he has similar hand placement, so it could be something their first coaches taught them. The big difference, just me imagining doing these steps and knowing what it feels like to be partnered well and also by weaker partners, there is so much difference and just watching all these teams, I can feel that Tessa feels so much more assured and supported in her movement than the other girls would, just by the way the guys are partnering in this killian hold. It’s the difference between doing really hard ballet steps at the barre vs in the centre, or like if you start class in the centre without barre and it takes you so much longer to find you legs (balance)-being at the barre is just inherently easier.

The other difference is Scott and Tessa are doing it together- they are connected and their partnering just as intricate and necessary as their skate placement. All the other teams- they are touching just coz it’s necessary- they aren’t actually helping each other. The guys are just resting their right hands on the girls hip. That’s not helping her in anyway. Funnily enough it’s kinda the same approach some teams have to the whole sport- only touching coz they have to. TS’s partnering is literally the core of their programs- it’s so complicated and so nuanced and they way partner is like a language of communication. They talk through their programs but I feel lots of talking also goes on just by the way he shifts his hand or squeezes her.

Everything about what they do is just crazy fascinating when you get down to the tiny details.

#this post is not to say other male partners are not good #it’s just to show Scott’s superiority #and the small things that put VM on another level #virtuemoir #tessa and scott #the greatest ice dance team the world has ever seen #sd: sftd #pyeongchang olympics #explainers #essays

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anewbeginningagain · 7 years

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A few days ago an anon asked me what my favorite of TS and got a list of some of their less known programs that are my favorite as well. After watching this year’s junior worlds I remembered another all time favorite - Tessa and Scott’s FD from 2004 Junior Worlds.

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This program is so special to me because it embodies every little thing that makes Tessa and Scott who they are - you can see every detail all the way back 14 years ago.

First you have their skating skills - their unison is out of this world, they have good speed, they truly connect with each other and make eye contact and their lifts are pretty much effortless (also can we talk about one of their lifts in 2004 being similar to H/D curve lift from the SD??) for the level they were in.

And than you have their partnership. They are basically babies here and you can see the foundation of who they are as partners from the start - from Tessa’s reassuring wink at 00:06, to Scott’s hand kiss at 03:55 followed by their crushing hug to Scott’s brother waiting for them in the stands to hug them both and show the family’s support at 04:45 (and baby Scott being a gentleman gesturing to Tessa to go first) and to their adorable hand holding in the K&C at 05:54.

This is before they moved to train with Marina and Igor, this is just the foundation of who they are. It’s amazing that looking at a program they performed in 2004 can really reaffirm just who they are and always have been.

#Tessa and Scott #I love this FD to russian melody so much #they were the cutest little buttons than #just tiny #yet so good

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spaceaudyssey · 7 years

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Can I just say

How inspiring Tessa virtue and Scott Moir are. They have the best relationship that I have ever seen in a duo before.

Like most people, I came to this fan base for their sexy ice dancing and I thought that maybe they were dating. As I did my research, I did discover that they are just friends and that kind of made me feel a little sad. But the more and more I watched videos, and listened to them talk I understood the complexity and beauty of the relationship that they have.

As someone else had pointed out before, they lie somewhere between a brother/sister and a long time married couple. Sure, they don't have sexual relations with each other, but they do have something much deeper than that.

Tessa and Scott have been ice dance partners for 20 years, and in that time they have spent most of their lives together, training, competing, and showcasing their hard work and talent. I saw one video where they said that the longest time they've spent apart was only around 2 months, right around the time that Tessa had surgery on her shins. For any average friendship, its a pretty odd circumstance for two people to be together that much. But, because they are teammates in an Olympic sport that takes years to get good at, it makes sense.

The average friendship might only last half that time and might fizzle out due to an argument or growing apart. Metphorically, all relationships are like a chemical reaction. At first it is calm-ish but then some kind of tension builds up. It can either result in an explosion, or if its not too strong of a reaction, with time, it will eventually calm itself down again and all that's left is something binding itself together.

Im sure over the many years together, they have learned everything there is to know about each other, both good and bad, like their strengths and weaknesses, hopes and fears, likes and dislikes. And despite whatever possible disagreements or irritation they may or may not have had with each other (i.e. the reaction), they still decided to continue to work together as a team.

In Tessa and Scott's case, their time and shared experiences together created a bind of respect, loyalty and unconditional love for each other.

In interviews they speak very highly of each other. On and off the ice, they always have each other's backs. Just before a performance, they always share words of encouragement towards each other. They hug each other tight at the end of a performance. All of these things that they do reenforce the bond that they hold so strongly.

I especially see Scott doing a lot of this. He even once said to Tessa before a performance "no matter what, I love you". Just the thought of him saying something like that makes me want to cry because it's such a supportive statement that goes beyond romance. It really means that, through thick and thin, he'll always be there for her, and for them as a team.

A trusting unity like that is what makes them so good at what they do. Its what makes their difficult moves look so easy and effortless. It's what gives them the ability to glide along the ice with such fluidity. It's what drives them to push the envelope and create the sexual tension that we all love to see when they hit that floor. And I am pretty sure, it's what will win them a second gold medal. And they deserve it.

And while im on the subject, I do like to think that Scott does love Tessa in a romantic way but plays it cool and doesn't fully act on it because he knows that Tessa doesn't really love him the same way and only sees him as a brother, but that's just a theory and I'm not taking it seriously. And I'm also holding out for hope that maybe they end up dating after they retire. But whatever the case, I am in envy of their relationship, and I think that it's the kind of relationship that we all should strive to have with someone.

#tessa and scott #virtue and moir #scott and tessa #tessa virtue #scott moir #olympics #peyongchang 2018 #ice dance #figure skating #friendship #relationship #unconditional love #teamwork #team canada #tessa virtue and scott moir #over analysation #shipping #inspiring

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