#these two are so good!! perfect junior fd

[beautifulstorms]

Darya Grimm / Michail Savitskiy The Nutcracker • Junior Grand Prix Final 2022

[sunskate]

Skate Ontario August Sectionals RD:

at the boards- Sheri Moir and Cara Moir for IAMO, Benjamin Brisebois for IAM, Mitch Islam, Carol Lane, Paul Macintosh and more

Juniors- Layla and Alex need to manifest drawing later numbers in the skate order lol at Next Gen they skated 3rd, here they skated 1st - it didn't matter that much here (it did a little - judge 7 Rhonda Vanderveen gave them 4.75 in skating skills - huh?), but in bigger competitions, skating this early can change your ranking bc judges are more conservative at the start

they look good, the reversed pattern is still a challenge like it was last season. they have beautiful skating quality but are losing points there. they're both so strong, and it shows in the elements - somehow when she's in the air - not talking the big lift, but other moments in the choreo - maybe it’s timing? but they maybe display less ease in that than other aspects. they're leading, but they probably deserve to be further ahead

Liv Corneil/Alex Emery from IAMO have progressed a lot in their skating and unison - they look like an IAMO team - their contact with the ice has more depth to it. they had T calls at the starts of both parts of the pattern, but they were one of the few teams who were truly on the beat for much of the paso. they're in 5th

the two IAMO teams were the only ones today with level 4 twizzles

i like the two Mariposa teams - Summer Homick/Nicholas Buelow are brand new and have gelled quickly. he's talented, partners well, and she's taking to dance quickly considering she was a pairs skater til earlier this year. this outing of the RD was more solid than at Next Gen. Martins/Kowalczyk had more difficulty today but rallied. looking forward to seeing their tango FD tomorrow. Mitch Islam looked like he was stalking the boards and dancing with them

Caroline Kravets/Aiden Dotzert are another new team - they made a big improvement over July sectionals, like they'd worked out the flow of the program more. they're in 3rd. Paul Macintosh is one of their coaches

Seniors- omg this was enjoyable lol Lily and Nathan!! i keep looking for the archived video because i want to see this again - this was hot. they look confident and like they attacked this. they're skating and performing bigger. what is it when these teams are carving big ice with deep edges - once they get their levels too, watch out

it's really interesting seeing them side by side with Bashynska/Beaumont - because they did get level 3s in the MiSt and PSt

but i noticed that B/B have these hitches in their program where Nadiia has to pretty much stop her flow - she's a dancer with a lot of training but loses her carriage at times. he does not lose his. i think it's a partnering issue, where she's having to compromise to follow him at her own expense, and he could be taking better care of her. that's my take on it today. because after noticing that about B/B, it looked pretty clear how Lily and Nathan skate more as one, and there are no hitches. they're more balanced and in tune with each other. so they need their levels! lol i know it's easier said than done. B/B and H/L are in 1st and 2nd

i adore Leia and Pietro's RD - it's so charming and full of details that are perfect with the music and the lyrics. i want the whole crowd to yell Tequila at the right moment for them, can we give them that? they nicked the boards and had a fall, but they're in 3rd

Alisa Korneva/Kieran MacDonald are newly senior and did great here. nice program, really good music cut - another Kitchener/Waterloo team with Paul Macintosh. i think Kieran's mom is one of their coaches. nice skating. though there was an off balance moment where it looked like her hand was going to go in front of his skates. idk maybe she wasn't that close, but oof

Alyssa Robinson/Jacob Portz - they had twizzle issues today, but they have one of the best of the many Saturday Night Fever RDs - they're capturing the 70s flavor well among all these disco programs. and i want to see their lift again

both Ritter/Brykalov and Roberts/Alis had new costumes since Lake Placid, Shilling and Baeten- i want to tell him not to stop performing before the very end. i'm so curious who did the choreo for all these programs - they all have good stuff and seem well considered for each team

[macaroni-rascal]

Okay, I only have time for a quickie this week. What in the Barry Manilow Copacabana mess was that from the Georgians? Is the 80s theme infectious so it's spreading to the pairs? It was comically atrocious, you'd think Max would have a brain cell or two to advise them against this but I guess it's too much to hope for. All the other juniors are off the hook because they were delightful. The black/teal dress has a bit too much going on but it's the best one yet, I'm glad someone is learning from Ashley Wagner.

Has Lia missed a throw before? I don't think she has. They need to lock Trennt in a room with 4 sports psychologists as soon as he lands home. I worry all the shit he went through has messed with his sense of worthiness to be here. They set a BV world record in the free in France, so they should inch ahead of at least the second Italians, and if my prayers are answered, this soulless "Hungarian" team too. Both panels took a nice little nap during this event, bless them. I'm worried that Annika and Rob will quit ☹️.

I kinda understand why Minnie and Nikita are getting the push but also kinda not, their skating is quite clinical to me? I know they're a new team still but I'm very meh on them. I also don't understand what's going on with Rebecca and Filippo, they should be better than they actually are? She has some classic pair lines and positions yet it never seems to come together, so I get why they're good friends with MT/M. The clipped forward skating into the twist is awkward as all hell. Poor Maxime was holding on for dear life out there. I can't fully get behind them because I despise their coach and everything she represents.

The men! What an event! Shoma really is That Bitch, huh? The only gripe I have is that I'd rather Kazuki were here over Kao because he's still so underdeveloped artistically, but good on him for squeezing out a combo. But omg Ilia's costume. How is the ISU supposed to market this boy when he's clearly shopping at the circus surplus store? There are two types of skating parent/coach: the likes of those of Yuma and Matteo, who know the value of a slow build and not burning out 2-3 years out of an Olympics, and the likes of Ilia's and the Mokhov's, who are clearly frozen in time and are trying to relive their glory days through their kids (yuck), and are throwing in the technical kitchen sink at a time when it doesn't matter. Adam is really testing me but I understand why he might be dead on his feet at this point.

I hate that there's no stream from Golden Spin, Amber landed two 3A in practice (check nora_bruckner on IG for the clips). S/F seem to be reusing their Charles Aznavour FD from 3 years ago (sigh). I'm curious to see how this Aussie team develops under IAMO, they've been struggling for so long and seemed to have no resources at all. It's interesting how teams' skating skills have improved at IAMO but all the MIDA teams still have basically the same ones they arrived with (and weaker material. And barely any political push). I struggle to understand what that school's selling point is and wonder what the first team to jump ship will be (prayer circle it's G/Pa).

A perfect message, Fashionista Nonny, you continue to be an icon. I agree on all accounts about all things, amen.

[jonathankatwhatever]

How long do I need to hold contrasting views of you. In one, you’re a shit, a cheat, who puts out the lamest justification I can think of, who acts like a junior high school kid with a crush, who talks about eternity and privacy but who doesn’t walk the walk. In the other, you’re the opposite: you help people grow, help them get together, act as an advisor for good. And this is fed by stuff where you can intentionally pick which side you want to believe: it came true but it didn’t come true.

I prefer the latter. When I go with the latter, I get terrific math and logic results. Like: why am I sitting here? Why am I doing this? I know I’m not a single person, though I’m in this body. I know I respond to what comes to me as those unite on the surface of my being. So, I’m not stupid: I know I’m thinking about what a manifold is versus a pseudo-manifold and I think the answer is that we describe a grid square as a Hausdorff space for certain topologies. That is, we have a separation scheme in grid squares which fits to the various ways we can describe separation, meaning 2T are 2 Things not just a branded entity called 2T. That’s basic Triangular, right? You have a third End in which those ideas join, so there is both a branded entity and 2 entities. See how at the 3rd End, the count shifts a level: we reach 3 by association of 2 into 1, which is both compression into 1 and expansion out to 3. I believe this is where we Attach the Registry, because we need to record both states to keep track of them. That’s how awareness builds, level by level.

That’s why manipulation of gs is spread among all species and indeed objects: they all use the same relatively small number of basic counts, but the structures built to attach become layered exactly as above, by generating a new level in which and across which associations occur. Thus you have a structure which is locally associative within bounds set by the enclosing structure, which translates into L-counts in D-structure.

Ah, I just got a glimmer of motive: so they can see the choice clearly once it is made clear. That is the essence of a forced choice, that it isn’t merely an upfront movement but a complete act. So that’s why the Continuum Hypothesis is independent, especially of forcing: they are always completed acts, which means they are finite, which means that whatever you can construct can’t reach the infinite. The definition is in the integers: it’s that 1-0-1 goes with 0-1-0, which generates 1-0Segments in three dimensions, which are then enclosed by a 4th which extends over the 1’s, and then the 5th, which is across the 1 in the middle. That made sense until I hit the 5th. What the? I think the idea is that this is the internal form of the IL, which is an entirely new idea, even to me.

And it’s right there, and I saw it forming because I thought about edges as the separation scheme inherent in Triangular and gs. So D5 in this sense would be the inside edge of the IL, meaning whatever next fits to within it, which makes perfect sense because that makes the IL and then above the IL to the Triangular Limit or I suppose TL. So that gives the IL two roles. One is from 0 to IL, which is D5 in this idea, I think, and then from IL and up to TL is D4. Does that make sense or is it other way around? Go with other way because internal D4 means all things within D4 and that fits. Okay. So IL to TL is D5. That maps perfectly because to the sort of visualization of a D4 system being moved around within a larger dimension of D5.

So like, look up to the top of the page, come back here, and tell me how I can separate what I see and feel about you from what I do. Because I can’t see a way. I literally took a current example being shoved at me and reached the way to describe D5 in an intuitive manner which can be rendered well.

That just connected another level: like you had an encouraging conversation about him, and this grew out of that triangle. That makes an fD. Cool. So that tries on being a grid square in a bunch of dimensions, but I can see them as basic permutations because you just label the 4 Ends and connect them in different ways. The 1Space structure allows any Triangular, which is then why we can label permutations and do transitions and movements of labels and nodes. I almost didn’t realize that because it’s so simple. That then is the way the gs write and fit, so we have a Registry and the patterns, etc. which run over them, and wow that becomes Actuality, meaning a whole bunch of Registries tied together in this exact manner. There was a scale jump in that last idea.

Back to gs write and fit. That generates different grid squares sheets for different ways they can write. That’s a big help as an idea because I was stuck on the idea of a sheet, as a somehow absolute level, which makes no sense because all grid squares are finite, meaning they generate not that they are forever.

So D4 is up to IL, meaning within our 0Space, which means the original intuition that it’s D5 within was flipped because I saw external as external within 1Space, and that is IL to TL, meaning that which relates from D4 to D5 because TL is where that flips to D6 and to D6 to D7. That says D-structure, which is clearly more than L-counts, operates both as Ends and as 1-0Segments. And we see this in reality: 3 dimensional objects exist within a time dimension, so now 4 dimensional ‘objects’ exist within a pattern dimension, which suddenly makes a whole lot more sense, doesn’t it?

Ah yes, the middle doesn’t hold when the Ends are contradictory. Ends being Starts as well, so they mean where you are coming from, what you are, over time into the present.

That’s about choice in another way. If the middle is a set that shares between two disjoint sets, then that imposes the 1 of 0-1-0 because that is the only attribute. You could write it out longer, like 0-1 or 1-0, but it’s also just plain a 1 in a string of 1-0-1 and thus of any 1. So what happens is 1’s are counted as 0’s and thus they’re compressed, which means they can be removed as a place, like in the limit at cubes being a place for 1^3. That basic mechanism evolves into choice because you 0 out all but the choice, which isn’t a choice at all but is forced.

This is difficult. This becomes an arbitrary choice because that’s a form of creating 0’s, as is any other ordering. All that depth is there, just hidden if you count 0’s and 1’s.

So there’s this infinite process which runs 1’s and 0’s and which can compress 0’s out of sight to come up with any number it wants because it can - this is interesting - it can’t define a count of say 6 without counting the square because that confirms the count of 6 is the count of 6 by showing that to you. Cubes then confirm that this continues, but it depends on squares and that link to integers and thus to 1 and 0. It’s another SBE, a count of 3 across forms.

Of course, the issue with choice is now different because grid squares are constructed. They are finite by nature. That brings in the operation of product and other phrasings of generating a new element by combination (or division). What better example than the square itself?

I think this is the best work I’ve ever done.

Oh, this is 8 May 2023.

[lgcxnoeul]

Hello, everyone! Thank you for the welcomes and making my life easier by following me first, aha. Anyways, it’s great to be back here with a new character. I was the mun behind Jude, Jina, and Won. However, I'm very excited to throw Noeul into the LGC universe and for your characters to interact with the fourth year trainee. Find more about Noeul under the read more or in the following links: 

                                                    PROFILE | TIMELINE 

MEET NOEUL 🖤

is a huge DBSD fan, but the real reason why he auditioned for Legacy Ent. was because his father dangled a PS4 in front of his face. 

Graduated from Hanlim Multi Art High School in 2020. Currently attending Kyunghee Cyber University and majoring in Post-Modern Music. He takes the bare minimum of classes to be considered full-time and procrastinates like no one else. 

He works part-time as a host at an up-scale restaurant his father manages. He had tried every position from dishwashing to being a busboy and a waiter. Let’s just say that not touching any plates is the best for everyone.

He is a typical middle child but he is very close with his older brother because of the short age difference. The two jokingly claim to be twins even though the two look nothing alike.  

Noeul is a very chaotic individual. He enjoys being a contrarian and debating everything and anything until the sun comes up. He loves being around people even if he’s not the center of attention. He always finds the perfect time to interject in conversations, or display his playful sense of humor. He is full of energy but having too many ideas has him unable to achieve all that he wants to do in a day. 

His first year at LGC was rocky. He didn’t take many of the lessons seriously and had a hard time focusing, but he has gradually found the lessons and workshops enjoyable to the point that he no longer stands in the back of the room and is an active participant. 

He doesn’t know if he wants to debut yet, but what he does know is that he wants to eventually be able to search up his name in KOMCA. He might be moving at a tortoise-like pace, but he wants to be an asset to the group that he debuts in rather than a weak link. 

POSSIBLE PLOTS  

Hit me up if your trainee is not in FD and needs a thread for the trainee mission! 

Friendships? He is actually a really good friend, but can be a bit insensitive at times (prioritizes rationality over emotions). So, even a friendship that is souring or has soured because of that will be fun to write. 

Calling all ‘Junior Morning Trainee Group’ trainees. Chances are Noeul either has vibed with, annoyed, or befriended your characters. 

Another fourth year trainee that Noeul can be competitive with for fun, of course! 

I’m much better at plotting organically so give this a like and I’ll come to you. 

[figure-skating-watch-party]

Russian jr. test skates - ice dance

I watched only ice dance... and while ladies and men were broadcasted on the official Channel 1 with proper camera work and sound, ice dance was streamed on a semi-official channel with poor camera work... And yeah, maybe it’s one of the reasons why I generally wasn’t very excited about the RDs. But I liked most of the FDs so it’s not that bad ;)  

I’d take all the music listed with a grain of salt (or two) it’s what my phone told me after listening to the music ;)

1. Elizaveta Shichina/Gordei Khubulov – Come get in bae / Yellow moon The first “Russian” blues. I wasn’t that excited (but that’s because I would much prefer waltz or tango as the pattern dance), however they were in synch and had a good lift in the RD.  Now that we are talking about a dance! The FD has a spirit from the beginning, nice emo feel, not everything worked out but they really have interesting lifts. 

2. Taisia Linchevskaya/Timur Babaev Smirnov – Fire / Don Quijote Ok, now I can calm down. I’ll find a way to like the RD after all. This one was great, energetic beginning, some mistakes but so cool and free. I like it. YESSSS to the FD. That was so lively. Curve lift in sitting position, I love. Also, that pause in the middle of the dance which confuses half of the spectators and they think it’s the end, basically the pause ala Stepanova/Bukin? Yes, we love hehe.

3. Alisa Ovsiankina/Matvei Samokhin – Q & A / Michael Jackson My babies are growing up so fast and they are so much fun to watch! They have such nice lines, at the beginning they had some troubles with the twizzles but at the end they go full out. Also, Matvei has a costume with a hood and at one point he puts in on his head and I just love it! Really, they show so much personality, even in the FD. Again, there were some difficulties with twizzles and Alisa skating under Matvei’s legs but the Michael Jackson character sequence is everything.

4. Margarita Svistunova/Dmitrii Studenikin – I feel like drowning / Iduna This RD is kinda standard, for me doesn’t stand out so far, thought the hip hop parts are fun. And as is the usual pattern, I really liked the FD! Drama, emotional, wistful feel, expressive and great lifts.

5. Olga Mamchenkova/Mark Volkov – Broken people / Für Elise This was a good RD, fun step sequence, good rotational lift.  I also liked the FD, everything is there, even drama (maybe too much). 

6. Irina Khavronina/Dario Cirisano – Babylon Berlin / La cumparsita I like the music for the RD, it’s gradually picking up tempo to a great finish.  In the FD they are them; wild, sharp, modern, awesome. Towards the end it gets a bit weird but they’d sell anything. 

7. Sofia Kachushkina/Oleg Muratov – Royals by Lorde / Clubbed to Death Here I think that they really show two very different programs which is always a plus. They are also growing up so fast. The RD is niiice, interesting lift, good choreography. 

8. Anna Rumak/Gleb Goncharov – Stop it Johnny / Casino, Tango noir They are just so fresh and fun. The RD wasn’t perfect, Anna fell and it also felt a bit too quick but they are showmen and I think it will be such a great program.  I LOVED the FD. I know it’s totally subjective, but I do see a bit of Cappellini/Lanotte feel in them. The FD is so cute. They are the best storytellers there, for sure. 

9. Vasilisa Kaganovskaia/Valeriy Angelopol – In the end by Linkin Park / Ave Maria Yes! There was a fall but also nice extensions and they perform and show some emotions. That’s a real rhythm dance! The FD is such a good choice for them. They can do it, they can deliver a mature performance even though they are in juniors. Such a smooth and effortless skating. 

10. Sofia Tyutyunina/Alexander Shustitskiy – Do I wanna know? / Babe I’m gonna leave you They are so taaaallll, so suddenly?! Smooth skating, quite interesting moves and choreo in the RD. I don’t know, so far I have no opinion about the FD, I didn’t feel anything so far. (But I really like them so I think it will change with time!)

11. Sofia Leonteva/Daniil Gorelkin – Stay with me / Prelude to caravan They seemed a bit slower to me but I liked the blues pattern dance part. 

12. Ekaterina Rybakova/Ivan Makhnonosov – Meant / Samson and Dalila Good RD, really good. Great twizzles at the beginning, wild moves I like it! The FD is also nice. They have interesting lifts there. I like the lifts when the lady is almost standing, the man is just holding her above the ground and spinning. 

I’m looking forward to seeing as many ice dancers as possible at JGP. (Really hoping it works out somehow because Russia can’t send skaters to the first two JGPs in Courcheval in France, because France is enforcing a 10-day quarantine for people travelling from Russia...)

[dorkylittleweirdo]

crazy shit that happened during high school

freshman year:

my favorite teacher (pe coach) ended up being a pedophile. it’s kinda scary to think about bc like,, that was my favorite teacher and i trusted him and if he tried anything with me i don’t think i would’ve stopped him and just yikes. but yeah, it was a whole thing. once the school found out they got the police involved and he fled the state. they got him in the end but i mean,, i spent a lot of time in the secretary’s office crying about it bc i really trusted that dude and i was distraught over it. that might’ve been where my trust issues started??? fun stuff

my school shut down. like i mean,, bc it was a charter school and we had to get the charter renewed. but the board at my school wasn’t using their money the way they were supposed to. it was a whole thing, like the principal left that school year bc he knew what was happening, couldn’t stop them from doing it, and didn’t want to be part of it. so they had a lot of meetings that us kids were allowed to go to so we could see what was happening and all that. i only went to one and it was A Time bc the lady who was recording everything passed tf out and of course nobody was a doctor and my pipsqueak thirteen year old ass went “i know what to do” bc i Did so i had to help her which was a trip in and of itself. but anyways, the school’s charter got denied, and everyone had to transfer, but the district promised that we could go to any school we wanted, not just the one we would have to go to by zip code

sophomore year:

i ended up going to a private christian school. big fucking mistake. absolute disaster. nothing really happened that was crazy by their standards, but it was for me

so they have a house system. think of harry potter, it’s EXACTLY like that. we have points, we have competitions, we have all that extra stuff. it was such a time, like i don’t,, i don’t even know how to explain how fucking weird that shit was

i came out in the middle of class. the principal’s daughter was our sub and she goes “okay so everyone is gonna tell us something that nobody knows about them” so when it was my turn i go “so it’s not a secret and y’all should know this but clearly y’all don’t: i’m not straight”. silence. dead silence. we could hear the class next to us it was so quiet. some girl whispers “i knew it”. another girl leans over and whispers to my friend “i’m so sorry”. principal’s daughter gives me the most threatening, condescending smile i’ve ever seen and goes “thanks for sharing”. i had to come out to my mom that same day bc i told me friends and they panicked on my behalf bc when people found out that they were gay, the principal told their parents. and i was Not about to be outed by the principal. my mom has since told me that the principal never contacted her about it so i came out for nothing but i mean i really like being out so we’re good

so instead of prom, cult school has this thing called “the ball”. sophomores, juniors, and seniors are allowed to go bc there’s less than fifty people per grade so if sophomores don’t come, there’s not enough people. so i went bc my friends were all going and i was like “yeah why not might as well”. three dance lessons. three fucking dance lessons for this stupid ball that i didn’t dance once at. i literally had three panic attacks in the span of an hour at the second one, and then i had swim practice right after. fucking exhausted. felt like i ran five marathons by the time i got home. the last lesson i didn’t do any dancing, just vibed with my friend in the corner. so at the actual ball, same friend and i vibed at the tables the whole time. we went to the bathroom for like an hour and took mirror selfies and tried to make our asses look bigger bc we’re Like That

SO AFTER THE BALL, there was apparently a massive party and there was alcohol and stuff. so my friends and i were blissfully unaware bc nobody liked us bc who tf likes the school sinners. so we walked to get ice cream after in our fucking ballgowns and suits looking like All That. so the principal thought that it was one of us who hosted the party and we were like “??? what party?”. literally almost got in trouble bc the principal thought we were LYING. i told my mom and she takes No Shit, so when the principal called her demanding to know if i went to/hosted the party, she marched her ass down to the school and was like “i know y’all have something against mexicans and people who are different from y’all, but that’s no reason to blame my daughter for something that your so called “perfect” students did”. my mom got Heated, roasted the fuck out of the principal, then LEFT. principal never fucked with my mom after that

so there was a fire like across the street from the school. the fd told us to evacuate, but noooooo the school was like “god will protect us” i’m like “okay but i’m gay and apparently your god hates that so i think we’re gonna Perish”. the fucking POWER went out and they STILL wouldn’t let us go. my mom called to sign me out so i could go wherever the fuck i wanted in the school until my friend’s dad came to pick us up bc she couldn’t get there bc of the fire. so i vibed next door to my friends’ class and i was like “heeeeey god’s trying to kill the gays” and we laughed about that until my gay ass got saved lmaoooo

okay so this is the funniest memory i have. in chemistry once, our teacher took us outside and started digging a lil hole next to the school. and keep in mind, my chem teacher used to be a hardcore atheist druggie, like fucking meth and coke and shit. took a theology course and converted. so he’s really sweet and nice but he’s also Slightly mad scientist vibes. so anyways, he puts something in this little hole, lights it on fire. i forgot why he did it, but i was standing back with him and one of the exchange students and the three of us watch in Horror as the rest of the class makes a circle around the fire and start doing some weird dance and saying something. it wasn’t like a chant, idk what to call it, but they were like counting like “and one, and two, and three, and four” and then the dance would get more intense and they’d get louder. so eventually they were screaming and going apeshit and i looked at my teacher and he’s just,, watching them do this. i’m like “and i’m satan, huh?”. like these kids really trying to summon the devil but i’m the bad one bc i like girls

junior year:

so technically this was during the summer but i’m putting it here. they have like a house party after the school year ends. i made cookies. apparently they “looked weird” so nobody ate them, two of my soon to be teachers kept insulting them. i called my mom to pick me up, took my cookies with me, got back in the car in tears. had to have a whole conversation with the principal and those two teachers so they could apologize bc i wanted to leave the school after that. dw tho, i took my cookies to the guards at my summer camp and they appreciated the hell out of them bc they were Very Good Cookies

so my ap bio teacher was an enabler. i was his favorite bc i wasn’t a religious nut and it was very obvious that i believed in science and not whatever the hell this cult was doing with their creationist bs. also he was a parasitologist and i’m super into parasitology so he had fun talking about it to someone who both understood and was extremely interested in the topic. i rolled up to class one day like “hey so i’m gonna buy hissing cockroaches from amazon, if my parents find out and don’t let me keep them do you want them??” and he’s like “yeah”. i brought them to class a few times and everyone Hated it but my teacher was like ayyyyy. and everyone thought he was either and atheist or agnostic, so when some girl asked how he thought mary conceived jesus to see what he said, he looked at me like “y’all hear somethin/hel p” and i go “parthenogenesis” and he Went With It, talking about how it was theoretically possible in humans but we ignored the fact that the baby would’ve been a girl bc the class is dumb none of them have ever heard of parthenogenesis before jesus is the true trans icon we all need

my art teacher was my favorite and she knows that i’m gay. she’s the only teacher from my school that i’m still in contact with. so every big project we did, i made it gay. and i knew, and my friends knew, and she knew, but the rest of the class had no idea. i’m like presenting my project and the class would get sus and they’re like “so are those two really good friends” and i’m like “so she has a rainbow heart on her choker and she has a lesbian symbol on her shirt”. the class was still confused and my friend yells “they’re LESBIANS”. it was iconic

my brit lit teacher was bi. she never said it, but i know she was. always talked about how much she hated men, then was like “women are very very good”. no way this woman was straight. so we read dracula and it’s got that Subtext, so one time i leaned over to my friend bc he sat next to me and i go “the Homoerotic Subtext”. and i didn’t realize that the teacher was right in front of me until she tapped my desk and goes “it gets better”, told me a page number that i flipped to, and it was Even More Gay and i was like 😏. also she assigned me a gay poet for my poetry project and i talked about that for my whole presentation in front of the class and it was the biggest paragraph in my essay and i got 100% on it even tho i choked at the beginning. also i mentioned in passing that i liked sappho and she goes “ooh i love sappho” i’m like “ma’am please leave this cult and get you a gf”

senior year:

i left the cult finally. went to the one school i actually liked. i made friends who actually like me and they were patient and they were amazing and i love them all very much even if i’ll never tell them. my classmates were great, v friendly, i had a great time. however,

so many fires. school got cancelled like five times bc of how bad the fires were

the school shooting. i don’t think i need to go further into that, it’s pretty self explanatory

covid. again, don’t need to go further into that, v self explanatory

[icedanceupstarts]

Cup of China 2019 Preview

We’re officially halfway through the Grand Prix and no closer to knowing what any of these numbers mean. There are some rather interesting head to heads this week, including the Grand Prix debut of the reigning World Silver Medalists, so maybe it will all finally make sense this week!

Laurence FOURNIER BEAUDRY / Nikolaj SORENSEN CAN

Age: 27/30

Started Skating Together: 2012

Coach: Marie-France Dubreuil, Patrice Lauzon, Romain Haguenauer

Season's Best: 201.00

Rhythm Dance: Bonnie and Clyde

Free Dance: Cry Me A River

The Canadanes have been having a wonderful season so far, winning Nebelhorn and following it up with their first ever GP medal, all while posting scores high enough to make some top teams a little nervous. Their Bonnie and Clyde rhythm dance especially has been a hit with the fans, with their commitment to the performance and characters as well as that distinctive twizzle sequence. They bring all the drama in their FD with more strong tech and well placed elements. They look good to turn their first season medaling on the Grand Prix into their first season medaling at both of their Grand Prixs, with their biggest competition for the bronze being Hawayek/Baker who they already defeated at Nebelhorn. They have the higher scores thus far, but with the unpredictable scoring trends thus far, that might not mean as much as it has in the past. The flipside of that is that if they bring the levels and the performance, they just might be able to aim higher than bronze, particularly if the top teams here have an off day. Regardless of the outcome here, they have put themselves in an excellent position looking ahead to Canadian nationals high placements at championship events.

 Hong CHEN / Zhuoming SUN CHN

Age: 25/24

Started Skating Together: 2018

Coach: Marie-France Dubreuil, Patrice Lauzon, Romain Haguenauer

Season's Best: 159.94

Rhythm Dance: It Don't Mean a Thing if it Ain't Got That Swing

Free Dance: It's All Coming Back to Me Now

YouTube has failed us, I'm sorry. Tracking down videos that don’t get pulled from existence almost immediately remains a dire struggle, but we can say these two had a solid Grand Prix debut a few weeks ago at Skate America. Particularly in the free dance, they showed off the immense progress they've made as a fairly new team. They still have a lot to learn, but they have a certain appeal to them that make them a team to keep an eye out for after a few more years of high level coaching and competitions. Plus her dresses are already gorgeous, so there's that to look forward to as well.

Yuzhu GUO / Pengkun ZHAO CHN

Age: 20/22

Started Skating Together: 2013

Coach: Hongyan Xi, Xun Zheng

Personal Best: 114.41

Rhythm Dance: Quickstep

Free Dance: A Thousand Years

Fresh off the junior circuit, the opportunity the host spot brings is invaluable to any young up and comer, and this team is no different. They’ve had some international competitive experience at both the junior and senior levels already, and now they're getting the chance to compete with some of the best teams in the world. They're probably going to be last, but there are things more important than results, especially for such a young team from a country still developing it's dance program. They actually have a really nice chemistry and emotional connection that is shown off in their lyrical, emotional free dance, as well as a good feel for the music. With more opportunities to grow their technical abilities, they may become another step forward for China's ice dance program.  

Shiyue WANG / Xinyu LIU CHN

Age: 25/25

Started Skating Together: 2010

Coach: Marie-France Dubreuil, Patrice Lauzon, Romain Haguenauer

Season's Best: 184.72

Rhythm Dance: Charlie Chaplin

Free Dance: Swan Lake

Following their silver medal at Finlandia, Wang/Liu will be starting of their Grand Prix season at home. Their Charlie Chaplin selection for the rhythm dance is honestly super cute. Just a really fun and funny concept that these two and their massive height difference pull off amazingly well. For their free dance - love both Swan Lake and a drama program, do not so much love the structuring of this Swan Lake drama program, but they skate their hearts out. While undoubtedly one of the most warhorse-y warhorses, this type of program is a departure from what Wang/Liu have done with their free dances the past few seasons. We might quibble with the placement of their twizzles but it's a rather charming touch that they're placed them to the part of the music where Odile famously does her 32 fouettes. They’ve had a number of sixth place finishes at Grand Prix events over the years, but this could be their year to break into the top five.

 Misato KOMATSUBARA / Tim KOLETO JPN

Age: 27/28

Started Skating Together: 2016

Coach: Marie-France Dubreuil, Patrice Lauzon, Romain Haguenauer

Season's Best: 142.09

Rhythm Dance: Dreamgirls

Free Dance: Lord of the Dance

Komatsubara/Koleto have had a rough few months, to say the least. In July Misato got a concussion so bad she couldn't move the lower half of her body, had issues speaking, and her life was in danger, but is competing here now for reasons beyond us?? It's hard to hype a team when all we want to do is shriek at them to GO TAKE A NAP IN THE HOSPITAL but we'll try our best. They competed at Asian Open Trophy last weekend, and while they were far from their best, they're still appealing performers. The biggest problem at the moment is that both programs were choreographed with the intention that they be skated with a certain amount of energy and sharpness that is currently beyond them, particularly in the steps which, understandably, look a little under trained at the moment. Even if it's a while before they're at full strength, it's always a delight to see them skate, even if this week that delight is undercut with concern.

 Sofia EVDOKIMOVA / Egor BAZIN RUS

Age: 22/24

Started Skating Together: 2007

Coach: Oleg Sudakov, Valentin Kuziaev, Artem Kudashev

Season's Best: 167.39

Rhythm Dance: 42nd Street

Free Dance: Schindler's List

Following a bit of a disappointing start to their Grand Prix season, Evdokimova/Bazin will be looking to improve on their results. They had decent levels at their first event but low GOEs kept them at the bottom of the field finishing ninth overall. 42nd Street is one of the more popular choices for the RD, and you can see why. It's perfect for a Finnstep and would carry the program even if their performance ever faltered. Their free dance isn't quite there for us yet-- it's fine, but the program doesn't carry itself the way their rhythm dance does, and it's very easy for this kind of program to dissolve into aimless angst. Their interpretation is evolving, though, and maybe if they hit the right notes this time the judges will see fit to reward them. Their experience together helped carry them to Europeans last season, but they’ll need to keep growing their performance and minimizing errors to try and maintain this advantage over the newer and younger teams they’ll once again be up against at Russian nationals next month.  

Victoria SINITSINA / Nikita KATSALAPOV RUS

Age: 24/28

Started Skating Together: 2014

Coach: Alexander Zhulin

Season's Best: 198.14

Rhythm Dance: Singing in the Rain

Free Dance: I Giorni/Songs My Mother Taught Me

The reigning Russian National Champions and World Silver Medalists are looking to cement their reign as Russian #1 as well as close the gap to the top of the world podium. They competed at one Challenger event this pre-season, which they won, though their seasons best from that event sits quite a bit lower than the other top world competitors. We expect to see that increase to a much more competitive number this weekend. While most of their competitors are increasingly going for more modern looks, Sinitsina/Katsalapov have thus far preferred to keep it classic. Their rhythm dance, while perhaps not quite as astoundingly perfect for them as their tango from last season, is still an excellent program and vehicle for their talents. They've excelled at dramatic programs more recently, so they surprised many fans with how light and charming they can be in this program. Their free dance plays on their classically Russian skating, elegant and stately, making great use of their long lines to hit striking positions. When they last performed it several weeks ago, their free dance lacked some narrative cohesion but they've had time to tighten up the program and rework their interpretation. Given that unlike Chock/Bates, they aren't just coming off a competition, one might tentatively declare them the favorites if they can keep their twizzles under control, often their nemesis in the past.

 Anastasia SKOPTCOVA / Kirill ALESHIN RUS

Age: 19/22

Started Skating Together: 2013

Coach: Svetlana Alexeeva, Elena Kustarova, Olga Riabinina

Personal Best: 179.78

Rhythm Dance: Bonnie and Clyde

Free Dance: Never Tear Us Apart/ Earned It

Happy Birthday Anastasia! These second year seniors have once again gotten off to a bit of a slow start this season, missing the free dance at test skates and only competing at one small domestic event prior to the Grand Prix. But fortunately their GP assignments are on the later side of things so we are excited to finally see them at a major event! It will never fail to astonish that a musical as little loved as Bonnie and Clyde has found so much traction in the figure skating community. It works pretty well for them, and we especially like the opening step sequence. Their new free dance kind of builds off last season's while still being different and feeling fresh. They already have a mature feel to them as a team, and have surprisingly acrobatic lifts for a team with a fairly small height difference. Having a good placement here could be essential to staying afloat in the crowded Russian dance field.  

Madison CHOCK / Evan BATES USA

Age: 27/30

Started Skating Together: 2011

Coach: Marie-France Dubreuil, Patrice Lauzon, Romain Haguenauer

Season's Best: 204.84

Rhythm Dance: Too Darn Hot

Free Dance: Snake Charmer

After last week Chock/Bates will be looking to clinch their place at GPF with at least a silver medal, if not the gold. Their technical display was not as strong as it was at the beginning of the season or performances they've had in the past, but they've made up for it in other ways. They have a lot of showy highlights in both programs that help keep their marks high even when their levels are low. Their lifts and performance quality especially have always been a strong point for these two. You can say a lot of things about their free dance, but it's a program that easily allows the judges to separate them from other teams and displays their growth in several areas. They're going to be fighting jetlag but they'll want to give stronger performances than last week if they want to make GPF, and especially if they want to win. More lackluster levels could even put them in danger of slipping out of the top two if they make a mistake, but Chock/Bates have been skating with more passion and confidence ever after their coaching change, and the judges seem to be responding accordingly. A strong result here and ideally doing enough to punch their ticket to the GPF would set them up very well to battle for the US national title this season.  

Kaitlin HAWAYEK / Jean-Luc BAKER USA 

Age: 23/25

Started Skating Together: 2012

Coach: Marie-France Dubreuil, Patrice Lauzon, Romain Haguenauer

Season's Best: 194.77

Rhythm Dance: Disco

Free Dance: Beethoven Flamenco

The reigning US National bronze medalists have had a bit of a bumpy road this season, and they've only had two competitions. They barely hung onto the silver medal in their season opener at Nebelhorn where they were not as competitive as they no doubt would have liked. They posted much higher scores at Skate Canada a few weeks later, but ended up slipping off the podium. They've got another shot at the bronze here, but they'll have to fight their training mates Fournier-Beaudry/Sorensen for it. Hawayek/Baker have made a noticeable effort this season to imbue both programs with their offbeat, irreverent personality that hadn't been shown off in their more lyrical programs they became so known for over the past few years. The slow section in their disco RD could use a little more sparkle, but it's a fun program even so. Their weird flamenco with Kaitlin as Marie Antoinette stands out nicely from the rest of the field, but might be a little too weird for the judges? Honestly hard to say, because what is score. If they can convince the judges of their program concept and get another GP medal, it'll put them in a better position to hang onto the National bronze and maybe even move up, especially if the top teams here falter.

[chelsanitys]

i WANT to like c/p, but i can't. I keep expecting to be blown away by them because VM stans on twitter keep raving, but I am just always like 'thats it?' after they skate.

lmao i was going to post ‘C*RREIRA/P*NOMARENKO ARE HACKS’ after the fd just 2 bathe in all the hate from vm twitter, but i decided to not be so petty

i do think they’re hacks tho. or hack-adjacent. they are just not as talented as their fans would have us believe. and i don’t think they’re improving as quickly as they need to. they are disadvantaged training all by themselves in novi as opposed to a team like lajoie/lagha who seem to improve by leaps and bounds every season training next to world and olympic champions. the rd? is trash. the pattern is awful and shaky (although….everyone’s is this season. WHERE ARE THE LINES?!?!??!?!) the fd? didn’t make me aggressively angry like h/d so i suppose that’s a win. but it’s not a mature fd. and they don’t skate it maturely. watch vm’s valse triste after watching cp’s new fd. the talent disparity is…..staggering. they are not new vm. they are skim milk vm. diet soda vm. brownies made with avocado instead of butter vm.

the difference is tessa. christina is not tessa. and she will never be tessa. christina is tanith belbin. tessa was not as good as scott when she was younger, but she was an average/above-average skater. christina is an under-average skater. and tessa had other qualities to make up for it - her dance training, her beautiful posture and arms, etc. christina doesn’t have those things. there is nothing - NOTHING! - that she does as good as anthony. she doesn’t have his edge quality, she doesn’t have his feet……but she doesn’t have his extension either, or his lines, or his carriage. the only thing she has is her beautiful face - and i’m skeptical now if even that will get them that far. HACK-ADJACENT. as for anthony, he’s what you’d get if you wanted to make the perfect male dance partner in a lab - right down to the complete absence of human personality. he’s so……uninteresting? which generally isn’t a problem - stems don’t have to be interesting to properly showcase the rose. but i don’t think he partners her properly. she can barely keep up with him, with how he’s flying through the steps - he always seems like half a beat slightly ahead of her. and he hardly ever looks at her. like i dont know why ppl keep saying they have great chemistry??? he’s literally always charlie-white-ing her and looking at a point past her head! i swear ppl just think they have good chemistry because their hair matches. the Matching Hair Theory is science (also sidenote: some of u on twitter are also WAY TOO OLD to be shipping actual children. leave them alone, freaks)

i really think they should’ve stayed in junior another year, they look underdeveloped to me. and they really don’t have the maturity and poise vm did at their age - look at valse triste which vm did around the same age. look how vm HOLD their positions and have the confidence not to rush through their steps. look how they LISTEN to music - which is another thing c/p dont have that vm did. a sensitivity to music. they’re always rushing frantically through their steps - they don’t have the grace or presence of mind yet to just let the program HOLD and BREATHE. its actually a part of their skating that is more remniscient of davis and white than vm. this completely frenzied franticness, especially in the rd and the second half of the fd, that betrays their lack of maturity

also i changed my mind after seeing their programs in hq. they are not appreciably better than their programs last year? what is pasquale even doing at novi? filing his nails? trimming his beard? because he has nothing to show for it. these two need the right program to succeed - they are not talented enough to win with bad programs. 

[kiradurbin]

Super Short Reviews:  Spring TV part two:

Siempre Bruja (Netflix) – Spain.  The story’s not bad...  the acting’s not good... but oh that world!   The Caribbean coast of Cartegna with some scenes in the present and some scenes in the past.   And the heroine, Angely Gaviria sure is plucky!!  

Miracle Workers (TBS) – When I saw the cast list for this I was super stoked.  If Steve Buscemi was God and Karan Soni (Deadpool) was his angel executive assistant and Daniel Radcliffe’s angel ran the prayer department it would make for a pretty funny workplace comedy right?!?  Someone forgot to tell the writers.  Sad face emoji.

Workin Moms (Netflix) – Canada. There are 2 basic kinds of comedies... 1. You root for the likable people and laugh with them when trouble comes a calling... or 2. You watch messy not particularly likable people trying to wade through the trouble they bring on themselves by doing stupid things. This show is the second kind.

The Fix (ABC) – I like me some Robin Tunney.  And Adewale Akinnouye-Agbaje is awesome.  And I was so excited to see Merrin Dungey!!  BUT... created by Marcia Clark with a story line not even trying to be subtle about asking ‘what if OJ did it again?’ … a little too self-indulgent for me.  Which sucks cuz there are so many interesting actors here.  

The Village (NBC) – NBC tries valiantly to keep its THIS IS US viewers with another tear-jerker ensemble drama.  This one’s based in NYC where “Family’s where you find it, kid,” and since they’re in NYC the ensemble is far more diverse.   Lorraine Toussaint rules !!

After Life (Netflix) – UK.  It’s Ricky Gervais.  Soooooooo  If you like Ricky Gervais you’ll be disappointed as this isnt nearly as funny as his other projects … and if you don’t like Ricky Gervais you’ll be pleasantly surprised because he’s actually really enjoyable when he’s not trying super hard to be funny.  

Abby’s (NBC) – Only Boston would allow a Bar in someone’s backyard!!  Not very practical to say the least.  But really this fails because the the lead (Abby) is not likable or funny at all.   Not sure how this got green lit with her as the lead.  The excellent supporting cast cannot save this show.  

Tacoma FD (TruTv) – Kinda like The Office if it were about firefighters.   Great silliness and fun. What a treat to watch a comedy that’s FUNNY.  

Pen15 (Hulu) – Two adult (?) women play junior high characters, surrounded by young people playing junior high characters.  Feels like they (the creators) wanted to blow up all the bad stuff that happened to them in junior high so they could laugh about it now ...   I mostly felt like:  seriously its junior high, get over it, what else is on.

What We Do in the Shadows (FX) – Kinda like The Office if it were about Vampires.   Perfect for the late night tokers.  Harvey Guillén is as priceless as he was on The Magicians.  

In the Dark (CW) – Now here’s a leading lady.  Perry Mattfeld plays her drama as well as her smart ass comments.  And even when she makes bad choices, its a CW show so you know she’s gonna grow and become a better person.  Or is she?   Maybe she will stay bitchy... Im hoping so.  Anyway i’m still watching to find out.  Its hard to put this into a genre or even say why it works.  Its too old for the tweenies and too young for Gen X... but there it is.  

A Discovery of Witches (AMC / BBCA) – I read all these books so I was super skeptical.  And I was right. The story is told way too quickly and lots of things are left out… but you probably didnt read the books so just enjoy it for what it is –- witches and vampires and daemons, and genetics and history.  Its superficial at times but its still British.  Thumbs up.

[fieryrondo]

my top 25 favorite programs from the 2017-2018 season

So. We survived Olympic season. (Or did we?)

A few lessons gleaned from the past ten months: 

the season is indeed long

momentum is fleeting

in the wake of disaster there will always be skaters who shine (thank god)

eating pineapples and writing prayer fic is extremely therapeutic

Olympics hype really is all that

being an fs fan is equal parts suffering and reward, though often times it seems more of the former and less of the latter.

See below for twenty five of my favorite programs from what has been a most tumultuous season, roughly in order of enjoyment. There is no rhyme or reason to this list as it is purely subjective based on my taste, which is already questionable to begin with. To avoid cluttering the top spots with skaters I absolutely stan and would gladly die for, I have limited myself to one skater per program.

Re: performances from Olympics. It was notoriously difficult to find footage for many of these skates. Thanks ISU I’ve done my best to link to broadcast footage whenever possible but have resorted to a few fancam links for some of these performances. Please do not manipulate fancam footage without permission from the uploader; I’ve been guilty of reblogging gif-sets made from fancam footage (which 99% of the time have the watermark removed and are clearly uploaded without consent and credit to the fancam creator) and am now trying to be careful with what I reblog.

Without further ado, here are my top picks:

25. Jimmy Ma’s SP, Propaganda/Turn Down for What, 2018 US National Championships

A guilty pleasure but something this fun can’t be bad right? This is the kind of skating program I’d show to friends and family in real life who dismiss figure skating as a dated sport characterized by heavily used classical warhorse music almost everyone recognizes but can’t actually name.

24. Ross Miner’s FS, Queen Medley, 2018 US National Championships

While Nathan skated a very technically strong program at US Nationals, the free skate of the night for me went to Ross Miner, who roused the crowd into a roar when he had the skate of his career and made a convincing bid for the Olympic team. Fun and electric, this program sparkled with energy from start to finish.

23. Moa Iwano’s SP, Asturias, 2017 JGP Austria

I generally don’t pay much attention to the junior skaters (so much skating, so little time!), but this talented lady from Kobe caught my eye during the JGP series. There were quite a few tangos this season but this one was by far the best one (that’s right, the best tango this season came from a 13-year-old). While her jump technique is not the best, Moa has an impressive sense of musicality beyond most skaters her age. I’ll definitely be following her more closely in the seasons to come.

22. Keegan Messing’s FS, Chaplin Medley, 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics

Thanks to a certain Spanish skater, I’ve developed a soft spot for Chaplin programs and while Keegan didn’t manage to skate this program clean, I really enjoyed it. It’s cheeky, charming, charismatic and full of fun choreographic details that bring the program to life. With an exodus of Canadian men retiring this season, Keegan will be among the oldest. He really hit his stride this season; here’s hoping he snags his first Canadian title next season!

21. Patrick Chan’s FS, Hallelujah, 2017 Skate Canada

Enjoyed...is not quite the right word to describe my feelings when I saw this particular skate via live stream. Shocked to pieces was more like it, and perhaps an overwhelming sadness to see him struggle so much. This skate would set the tone for the rest of Patrick’s final competitive season--a mentally, physically and emotionally taxing end to a competitive career most skaters can only dream of having. While this skate was a technical disaster--he skated a total of only two clean triples--it is nonetheless beautiful in the way a withering flower is; a remnant of elegance, an echo of years of skill, a lament for what could have been.

20. Yuna Shiraiwa’s FS, Pictures at an Exhibition, 2017 Internationaux de France

I had a hard time with this one because I adore both of Yuna’s programs this season, set to two very interesting pieces of music. Her FS, “Pictures at an Exhibition” won by a slim margin mostly because I love Mussorgsky and “Pictures at an Exhibition” is one of my favorite suites of all time--I also realize now that it’s really really difficult music to skate to because of the million tempo changes, key changes and the fact that half of the movements are very slow and not at all suited to skating. It’s a highly ambitious program for a 15-year-old and choreographically there are a couple of abrupt music changes that break up the flow (it’s mostly variations of the Promenade theme with a few other movements spliced in) but I really appreciated the challenge she took with a riskier but interesting piece of music. Looking forward to more exciting programs next season!

19. Nathan Chen’s FS, Mao’s Last Dancer, 2017 US International Classic

Super early in the season when skater after skater hopped onboard the recycling train like there was no tomorrow, I was ecstatic to hear Nathan bring forth two brand new programs. While Nemesis proved to be an instant hit, I was drawn to the free, an intriguing blend of Chinese music and Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring (avant-garde eargasm!!!). Mao’s Last Dancer had the potential to become a truly memorable and complete program. While the strategy to strip down the choreography in favor of hitting the technical elements later in the season was a practical choice, alas the performance I enjoyed the most happened to be its debut. 

18. Cheng Peng/Yang Jin’s SP, Assassin’s Tango, 2017 Finlandia Trophy

What a rough season they’ve had :/ But I loved their short program, which they only managed to skate clean internationally exactly once this season. For some reason, after Finlandia, this short never really clicked for them (missing the cutoff for the free at Olympics was tragic) and they ended up returning to their tried and tested short from last season for their post-Olympics redemption in Milan. It’s a cute and fun program and they skated it best here.

17. Vanessa James/Morgan Cipres’ FS, The Sound of Silence, 2018 World Championships

After a strong start to the season led to a lackluster 4th place finish at Europeans, James/Cipres scrapped their initial free program to return to a program they were much more comfortable with, a strategic move that paid off when they rebounded at the Olympics and at Worlds with season’s bests and a shiny Worlds medal :) While it is not a technically perfect performance (see their 2017 World Team Trophy for a clean skate), there’s a lot of power and passion in it.

16. Carolina Kostner’s SP, Ne me quitte pas, 2018 World Championships

Simply divine! I have nothing else to add except that this was a breathtakingly exquisite performance, and I’m glad Carolina was able to perform this program to perfection in front of her home crowd.

15. Maia Shibutani/Alex Shibutani’s FD, Paradise, 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics

I admit I wasn’t immediately sold on the Shibutanis’ final program to their self-proclaimed “Trilogy”. “Fix You” was an amazing program, the best program of their career so far, and as with all sequels, it was tough to imagine “Paradise” could be better. But somehow things started to pull together once they made a few tweaks midway through the season and they pulled off a magical performance in Pyeongchang. Technically brilliant but also brimming with emotion, a performance absolutely worthy of Olympic bronze.

14. Elizabet Tursynbaeva’s FS, The Prayer, 2017 Internationaux de France

I fell in love with Elizabet last season (particularly her free skate to “Princess Mononoke”) and was very excited to see what programs should would do next. And she did not disappoint. Besides having the only acceptable Carmen this season, I also loved her free skate to Celine Dion’s “The Prayer”- it’s light and lyrical, a good fit for her. She still rushes through the choreography and some of her spins look really weird to me but she has made enormous strides in her presentation despite being hampered with a serious hip injury midway through the season. She’s lovely to watch, so floaty and quick over the ice.

13. Adam Rippon’s FS, Birds, 2017 NHK Trophy

What can I say? I loved this program last season and seeing it again this season was even more spectacular. The attentiveness to the music, the choreographic touches with bird movements, the meditative atmosphere. It’s just a very beautiful program. Adam has such a vibrant personality that obviously shines in his more “showy” programs, but I think I enjoy seeing his softer, lyrical programs best. 

12. Wenjing Sui/Cong Han’s FS, Turandot, 2017 NHK Trophy

As a fairly new fan, I don’t have the same level of distaste for warhorses as veteran fans do (I imagine this will change once I have more years of figure skating watching under my belt). It’s not as poignant or as memorable as “Bridge Over Troubled Waters” from last season, but I admit I still very much enjoyed this skate, if only because Sui/Han were the ones skating it. Did I wish they had picked something a little more interesting? Yes, but they’re Sui/Han. They can make anything look good.

11. Kana Muramoto/Chris Reed’s FD, The Last Emperor/Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence, 2018 World Championships

Kana is the best thing that has ever happened to Japanese ice dance (Chris, you’re cool too.) I’m so weak for this genre of music and ever since I discovered a certain tiny queen skated to Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence, I’ve been waiting to hear it again. I’m a sucker for nature imagery and you really get the sensation of the passage of time and the movement of the seasons. Watching this is like taking a breath of spring air.

10. Boyang Jin’s SP, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, 2018 Four Continents Championships

Meh movie, great music. My favorite Boyang program to date, it was really exciting to see him attempt something more serious, a heftier program that would expand the emotional range of his skating. His short program was brilliant at Olympics, but I enjoyed Four Continents a little more because it was such a comeback after an injury-filled first half of the season. Out of the new generation of rising quadsters, he’s made the most improvement and I have no doubt he’ll continue to grow over the next quad. Onwards and upwards, Boyang!

9. Madison Hubbell/Zachary Donohue’s FD, Across the Sky/Caught Out in the Rain, 2018 US National Championships

My favorite free dance of the season! You can always count on Hubbell/Donohue to do something a little offbeat. Blues is a bit of an unusual choice of music for a free dance (which tend to be either lyrical or warhorsey drama) but it fits them like a glove. After building some good momentum earlier this season, a few fatal errors in the free including an invalidated choreographic sequence left them trailing in 4th, just shy of the podium at the Olympics. They rebounded to claim their first Worlds medal a month later, which was a special moment to witness but I felt their Nationals performance was the most passionately skated.

8. Tatsuki Machida’s EX, Swan Lake: Siegfried and His Destiny, 2017 Carnival on Ice

Go big or go home. The time and technical requirements of amateur competition are clearly too restrictive for Tatsuki’s genius :) Why cram the greatest hits of Swan Lake into a paltry two-minute program when you can really do it justice by skating to it for almost eight minutes instead? Tatsuki spares no expense for his epic-length programs. Every moment is meticulously thought out and is as extra af. We’re treated to almost a minute of dramatic music and a skater-less spotlight before Tatsuki appears. The star of Swan Lake is typically the swan (or the black swan) but no, that’s too conventional; let’s make Siegfried the guy everyone’s talking about instead. Drama hands! Floofy hair action! Seven straight seconds of twizzles in time with the tempo change! Dramatique feather posing because why not. Did that twenty seconds of absolute silence between movements make you uncomfortable? Good, because it’s all eyes on me! Skating so gorgeous you wouldn’t even notice there are only two jumps (both amazingly timed to the music), this is a visual and aural feast for the eyes. It’s a Swan Lake to outclass all other Swan Lakes that have been, that are, and that will be.

7. Akiko Suzuki’s EX, O, 2018 The Legends

[inserts crying emoji] A regret I have is not becoming a fan when Akiko was still skating competitively. I love this program soso much and seeing it brought back again was a real treat. The choreographic sequence still sends shivers down my spine <333

6. Tessa Virtue/Scott Moir’s FD, Moulin Rouge, 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics

Scintillating. Flawless. The pinnacle of ice dance. It’s the kind of performance that just sears into your mind for a long, long time. Though they didn’t get perfect marks here, it’s as perfect a skate you’ll find.

5. Wakaba Higuchi’s FS, Skyfall, 2018 World Championships

Such a cool and sleek program. I like the blue dress more than this one but this was easily the free skate of the ladies in Milan for me. A passionate and powerful skate, it was really nice to see Wakaba come back strong after a disappointing Nationals finish and hit it at Worlds. Reigning World Silver Medalist! (now please give her the PCS she deserves)

4. Aliona Savchenko/Bruno Massot’s FS, La terre vue du ciel, 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics

Wow. Just wow. I went in as a Sui/Han fan but wow, this free skate is gorgeous and sweeps me away every time I watch it. And they performed it to perfection at GPF, Olympics, and Worlds. The choreography is amazing and unique, and apparently full of little touches to previous programs (like the star catching moment from “The Lighthouse”, their free program last season). Dominant, majestic, and absolutely exhilarating to watch. I can watch this again and again and never tire of it.

3. Satoko Miyahara’s FS, Madame Butterfly, 2017-18 Japanese National Championships

While her short program is more loved (as it should be, it is an amazing work of art, Lori really outdid herself, you should go watch it ^^), I think I enjoyed her free skate more simply because it’s given her so many Moments this season. Coming back from a slew of injuries, including a serious hip injury from last season, it was highly questionable if she would even be able to make it to the Olympics at all. But Satoko silenced all doubters again and again, at Skate America and then at Japanese Nationals, where she gave the free skate of her career with an emotive and stunning performance that carried her to her Olympic dream on butterfly wings ^^. Triumphant, mesmeric, spectacular-it is a Madame Butterfly that rewrites the tragic ending into one of hope, a story that is entirely Satoko’s.

2. Javier Fernandez’s FS, Man of La Mancha, 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics

(password to video link: man of la mancha)

A skater from a small federation, from a country where figure skating barely exists, Javier has written history again and again. And what a journey it has been! From finishing 35th at his first Worlds appearance in 2007, Javier would go on to qualify for his first Olympics in Vancouver and become the first Spanish skater to win Europeans, to win Worlds, and ultimately, to win an Olympic medal. It feels appropriate that “Man of La Mancha”, an unapologetically Spanish program that perfectly captures the essence of Javier’s career--”to dream the impossible dream”--is to be the program to stake his Olympic dream on, And his Olympic dream truly seemed almost impossible in the months leading up to Pyeongchang. An uncharacteristically disastrous free at the Cup of China disqualified him from making the Grand Prix Final for the first time since 2013. And while his Chaplin short clicked for him (also excellent, highly recommended), he struggled with the free all season long. Unabashedly romantic, with just the right amount of earnest cheese (the best kind) and aged whimsy, “Man of La Mancha” is my favorite Javier free skate and I’m so glad he was able to skate it to its fullest potential at the competition that mattered most.

1. Yuzuru Hanyu’s FS, Seimei, 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics

What makes a skate great? Legendary? Memorable? It’s easy to jump to the pristine “Seimei” in Barcelona, the ethereal cleanliness of “Hope & Legacy” in Helsinki, or even the world-record breaking (again) “Ballade No.1″ in Montreal. While all of these skates are indeed great, legendary, and certainly memorable, I find my thoughts turning instead to a young seventeen-year-old Romeo in Nice, unleashing his battle cry after a dramatic fall as he fought through a sprained ankle to win his first Worlds medal. Clean performances are definitely great, but great skates don’t need to be clean. At the end of the day, what makes a skate great is in the struggles overcome, hardships endured, fears mastered, doubts silenced; in spite of it all, to manage to find joy and fulfillment in not only what you have accomplished but also in the thorny path that has led you there. It’s not as perfect as Barcelona, but the Seimei in Pyeongchang offers a different kind of magnificence, a triumph in more ways than one.

[figureskatingask]

Hi again! Regarding my "best moments" question, make it personal! :) Can't wait to read your thoughts! ♥

Thanks for asking!

All right, here we go. This is the mod’s TOP 10 best moments of the season.

PLEASE NOTE HEAVILY BIASED.

10. Magic in Canada (Jason Brown, 2017 Skate Canada)

Watching Jason Brown skate is always a semi-magical experience. Even when he’s not skating well, he’s still lovely to watch. Skate Canada was probably the first clue that this season wasn’t going to end well for him, but he covered it so beautifully and magnificently that it was hard to even remember that he’d made mistakes. Though it was obvious that he still wasn’t as comfortable with the Inner Love free skate as he had been with the previous year’s The Piano, it was still a magical, incredible skate that saw him take home the silver medal.

9. Olympic Redemption (Brendan Kerry, 2018 Winter Olympics)

The enduring image out of Team Australia’s 2014 Olympic campaign was of Brendan Kerry in tears in the kiss and cry, as he waited for the score that would place him dead last and see him miss the free skate. Brendan would later admit that he wasn’t ready for it, and was too immature to handle it. Four years later in Korea he was searching for redemption, and he got it. Under pressure and under those five rings, he put together a brilliant short program that didn’t just see him qualify, but saw him qualify comfortably. The pure joy that lit up his whole body when he finished told the story. He didn’t blow it this time.

8. Qualify In Style (Kailani Craine, Katia Alexandrovskaya/Harley Windsor, 2017 Nebelhorn Trophy)

Nebelhorn Trophy. In an Olympic season, possibly the most stressful competition outside of the games themselves. Coming into 2017 Nebelhorn, Australia was looking for three disciplines, though I think everyone knew it was unlikely we could get a dance berth. With only four spots up for grabs in pairs, and Katia and Harley switching between Junior and Senior, that was the one that everyone was most freaked out about. But not only did Katia and Harley and Kailani all qualify, they did in style, the top qualifiers in their divisions, with medals to boot!

7. You Didn’t See That Coming (Max Aaron, 2017 Cup of China)

In the leadup to Cup of China, checking everyone’s predictions revealed two things: almost nobody thought Max Aaron would be in medal contention, and nearly everyone thought he would lose to his younger teammate, Vincent Zhou. The short program, at least, saw one of those things debunked: Max was three points ahead of Vincent after that section. His free skate was undoubtedly the best he ever skated: three landed, clean quads for a 175 FS, and as the night wore on, it became apparent that that score was going to hold up over all. He ended up winning the free skate and the overall bronze, and reminded everyone he had every intention of going to Korea.

6. Two Disciplines Are Better Than One (Andrew Dodds, 2018 Four Continents)

Double-dipping is not unheard of, especially for the Dodds family, who had had Jordan, Ryan and Matthew double-dipping in Pairs and Men’s for some years. But double-dipping at the ISU Championship level? It’s something that is practically unheard of. When Andrew started ice dance with Chantelle Kerry, none of us predicted how rapidly they would rise. And then Andrew came in second in the men’s event at Nationals, just seven points behind Brendan and winning the PCS, so he was named to both teams.

The day I was especially worried about was the day of the men’s SP/free dance at 4CC. The two performances for Andrew were approximately four hours apart. After setting a new PB for their FD, I was worried Andrew wouldn’t have enough energy to make the cut. I needn’t have worried - not only was he clean, he set a new PB for the SP as well!

5. How To Bounce Back From Disappointment (Jason Brown/Max Aaron, 2018 Four Continents)

When you miss out on the Olympic team and are given a consolation prize instead, there are two ways you can handle it. One is to handle it the way Ross Miner did: refuse everything and quit. The other is to handle it the way Jason Brown and Max Aaron did: light up the consolation competition with your best performances of the season. Both Jason and Max were outstanding at Four Continents, but Jason was particularly exquisite, showing a breathtaking, enchanting skate that won him the bronze, while Max had his highest PCS score ever for the SP and second-highest for the FS. Given both men’s sore disappointment at their Nationals results, and the fact that Four Continents was only two weeks later, they were remarkable performances.

4. The Announcement/The Return of Give Me Love (Joshua Farris, Skate it Forward, May 2017)

If this had come off, it would have been my number one moment for the season (as it is I’m being a bit cheeky including it on this season’s list). Like other Joshua fans I had mourned ceaselessly for the career that could have been since the first announcement in July 2016; so the second announcement in February 2017 had me incandescent with joy. However, it wasn’t until May 2017 that we finally got to see what we had all longed to see: Joshua performing on the ice once more. It came thanks to a fancam from the Skate it Forward show, and it was Give Me Love made a thousand times more special by the thought that we might never have seen it again - and perhaps we never will.

3. Australia Day at the Junior Grand Prix Final (Katia Alexandrovskaya/Harley Windsor, 2017 Junior Grand Prix Final)

As the reigning Junior World Champions, Katia and Harley were expected to qualify for the JGPF easily, which they did in due fashion. But by the time they got to JGPF in December, they had already competed a long season, including two JGPs and two Senior B events (including the Nebelhorn qualifier, after which they had only a week’s break before their second JGP) and they were starting to look a little tired. The Russian pairs, with less workload on them during the fall season, looked far fresher. But Katia and Harley held on, winning the JGPF and becoming the first Australian skaters in any discipline to do so.

Unfortunately for Australia (and Katia and Harley), out of GP, GPF, JGP, and JGPF, JGPF was the only one that didn’t count for the Team Event.

(Even more unfortunately, the actual Australia Day, during 4CC, did not go well at all.)

2. The Backup Support Dog (Max Aaron, 2018 World Championships)

Anyone who knows me knows that this would be near the top of my list. After being the third alternate, nobody (including Max) expected that he would go to Worlds. He had gone home to Arizona and even got himself a job. And then suddenly Jason Brown declined, Ross Miner declined, and Max was pressed into action. On just two weeks’ training, he managed 15th after the SP, and remarked that he was just there to support Nathan and Vincent and as “backup” for the three spots in case something went wrong. Well, it did, and Max’s 11th combined with Nathan’s 1st allowed the US to keep the three spots. If this is how it ends, it was an ending that perfectly encapsulated why I love him so much.

1. That Perfect Olympic Moment (Yuzuru Hanyu, 2018 Winter Olympics)

I went into the Olympics fairly neutral. I had no real strong desire to see any one of the men win, though I was pulling for Olympic Medallist Boyang Jin just for the fandom freakout. All I wanted was for the Olympic Champion to have two good, Olympic Champion-worthy skates.

By the end of the SP, I was firmly Camp Hanyu. As far as I was concerned, no other result would do (unless Hanyu repeated his CoC14 FS, which I thoroughly hoped he wouldn’t). And when he came out for that free skate, I was throroughly enchanted. He threw down a brilliant skate under the greatest pressure of all and while injured. It was the moment of the season for me.

[mostlytiredoffs]

My favourite programs of the season

Ok, so, just a reminder you asked for this guys XD Someone asked me to post more figure skating content and reviews, so I thought I’d do posts about different things, starting with a list of my favourite programs of the season. I have a (quite) limited amount of free time, so I won’t post that often, but I have some ideas (I’ll probably do some top five posts about my favourite skaters and I think I might do similar posts for juniors/seniors to watch etc) and if you want me to talk about something...you know where to find me. That said, it’s the first time I try to write something like this, so feedback (replies, anons, whatever you want) is much appreciated. Is this too much? Too serious? You tell me. 

Let’s get started now, cause the list is long.

Ladies’ SP:

Wakaba Higuchi - La Califfa 

Laurine Lecavelier - Experience

Gabby Daleman - Herodiade

Anna Pogorilaya - Por Una Cabeza

Others worth mentioning: Elizabet Tursynbaeva, Kaetlyn Osmond.

My n.1 would have to be Wakaba’s program. But then again you can’t expect anything short of perfection from Bourne: the program perfectly highlights how much Wakaba has grown in the last year, especially when it comes to interpretation. I do think this program allowed her to show her fantastic speed and power, but also how mature she is considering her age. The StSq is, for sure, one of my favourites of the season. Now, switching the flip would have been a nice thing, but that’s another story. I’m not sure Wakaba’s talent is in the right place as of now, but at least she got great programs this year. There were a lot of great ladies’ short programs this year, but if I had to mention another one it would be Laurine Lecavelier’s Experience. 

Ladies’ FP:

Satoko Miyahara - The Planets

Mao Asada - Firedance

Polina Tsurskaya - February

Mao’s LP would be my sentimental fave (and that step sequence is pure beauty) *this was written before she retired y.y*, but truthfully it’s impossible not to give first place to Satoko’s The Planets. Tom Dickson and Satoko are a really great combo *terrible pun intended: +3 goe!* imho: he really does know how to highlight her quiet skating, but at the same time I feel like his programs really help Satoko break out of her shell. Firedance was a little masterpiece, but in this case I really liked how they choose an unusual music and how difficult it is to skate to it. I do think this program could have been performed even better and I wouldn’t complain if Satoko kept it for next season, ditch Lori and have both SP and LP choregraphed by Dickson. Tell Yamato to fire Lori Satoko, do it.

Men’s SP:

Yuzuru Hanyu - Let’s go crazy

Jin Boyang - Spiderman (it’s so bad it’s good? XD)

This list is very short. For me LGC just stole the show. I’ve had the privilege to see it live and...as Yuzuru explained, there’s not an empty moment, and if you slip up it’s impossible to get back on track. It’s an incredibly complex program and I love how detailed it is. It’s perfect, from the 4lo sandwitched between two spread eagles and his fantastic 3A from a backcounter to little movements like the way he interacts with the crowd or upper body movements throughout the program. I’m going to receive a beating from a friend because of this but...this might my favourite among his SPs. Yeah, insane. #ChopinIStillLoveYou I remember how worried people were at the start of the season, but I think we’ve all learned two things from this: trust Buttle *all hail Jeff* and trust Yuzuru to be able to bring out the best of the music he’s skating to.

Men’s FP:

Yuzuru Hanyu - Hope and Legacy

Patrick Chan - A Journey

Jun Hwan Cha - Il Postino

I actually love all of them. I’m really attached to Hope and Legacy and how delicate and yet powerful it is, but I have to admit Chiddy’s program is fantastic. I’ve never been a fan of his, in spite of admiring his SS, but I do think he really felt this program and that it highlighted how gorgeous his skating is. (no more Eric music tho please. And choose something less...cute for the SP ‘kay?) In both cases I must note how many people underestimated these programs to be honest and how little they were “understood”. I saw a lot of people compare H&L to Seimei...and I just think not many people got how complex H&L is. The program is full of transitions, there’s not a moment to breathe and every jump is executed after difficult steps and is perfectly incorporated in the choreography. The program flows from start to finish and I’m glad Yuzuru skated to something like this, at least once. It was risky, but wonderful. Cha’s Il Postino is a little masterpiece. But I still don’t trust David Wilson :P

Pairs’ SP:

Sui/Han - Blues for klook

Savchenko/Massot - That man

Peng/Jin - My Drag

James/Cipres - Earned it

Yu/Zhang - Eternal Flame

Yeah, I don’t think I have to say Sui/Han take number 1, right? Every time I say I don’t like Lori I have to admit they make her choreos work. This SP is a masterpiece, no doubt, and they sold it. Their interpretation, their personality and charisma were astounding. They simply have that “something more”, that x factor that does set them apart in an extremely competitive field. They are excellent when it comes to pair elements, but also excellent skaters on their own. Also, synchro hair flip, damn. Shoutout to My Drag, because it is such a funny program, it was a joy to watch, especially considering what happened to chinese couples last season. 

Pairs’ FP: 

Sui/Han - Bridge over troubled water

James/Cipres - Sound of Silence

Savchenko/Massot - Lighthouse

Besides Sui/Han’s masterpiece that made me cry like a baby...can we talk about how much Vanessa and Morgan have improved? Their FP at Euros was the best thing of the entire competition. I also quite liked Aliona and Bruno, but while they’re excellent when it comes to pairs elements (that twist damn) I still feel like there’s not the right balance between them, in terms of performance. 

Ice Dance SD:

Virtue/Moir - Prince Medley

Shibutani/Shibutani - That’s Life

Chock/Bates - Bad to the bone/Uptown Funk

I’m not making surprising choices am I? xD But really, Tessa and Scott’s SD this season was incredible. They owned it, from the first to the last second. Their midline no touch is extremely sharp and perfectly fits the music. I loved the music cuts and the lift...spectacular. I must say that all the US couples made interesting choices in terms of music and that, imo, the results were really great. I’ve never been a Chock/Bates fan, but this year both their programs were A+. When the rhythms for the SD were revealed last season I was afraid we’d see horrible programs, but I’m actually quite satisfied. Many interesting music choices, some really great programs. 

Ice Dance FD:

Shibutani/Shibutani - Evolution

Chock/Bates - Under Pressure

Gilles/Poirier - Con Buena Onda

Many might be surprised not to see Papadakis/Cizeron’s FD on this list. I’m a bit surprised myself to be honest, but...after the last two seasons I had really high expectations and they weren’t exactly fullfilled. It is a good FD, but I still have fresh on my mind their last two FDs and...this isn’t as perfect imo (and I’m also a bit tired of this genre tbh). I’ve seen the Shibs’ Evolution live and, while it’s not as iconic as Fix You, imo it’s a great continuation of what they started last season. They choose a quite difficult music to skate to, because it might make the program seem flat until the very end, but it ended being a great choice and a bit of a breath of fresh air if compared to many similar FDs we’ve seen lately. Can we stop the romantic/heartbreaking FD trend? Please. 

Let’s say, if I had to do a top 10, this would be it:

Yuzuru Hanyu - Let’s Go Crazy

Yuzuru Hanyu - Hope and Legacy

Sui/Han - Blues for klook

Virtue/Moir - Prince medley

Patrick Chan - A Journey

Wakaba Higuchi - La Califfa

Satoko Miyahara - The Planets

Laurine Lecavelier - Experience

Jun Hwan Cha - Il Postino

Mao Asada - Firedance

Edit: I’ll put in here my favourite EX too, since someone asked :)

Notte Stellata is my ultimate fave (it’s too beautiful), followed by Wakaba’s Byakuyako, Satoko’s Hernando’s Hideaway, Caro’s Claire de Lune, the Shibs, Sui/Han and Jun Hwan’s Peanut Butter Jelly xD

If you want to discuss this, my chat is always open and the same goes for my inbox.

[figure-skating-watch-party]

Skate America 2020

(Pairs, Ice Dance)

I’ve already made a post about singles so it’s high time to write something about pairs and ice dance. 

Pairs 

Here are some highlights from pairs:

Audrey Lu/Misha Mitrofanov -  FP Charlie Chaplin There will simply never be enough Charlie programs for me ;) Yes, I’m biased and certain Javier Fernandez has a lot to do with it. 

Alexa Scimeca-Knierim/Brandon Frazier - Linkin Park / Fall on me I wanted to mourn for a while because of the split of Heaven/Brandon but they didn’t give me any chance. Their SP was reaaally good and the FP was amazing. Yes, I’m the biggest fan of Andrea Bocelli, so it helps ;) (Though I have to admit I was a bit afraid or unsure about this particular song because you know superstition, “falling” + pairs skating). They were awesome and to think they accomplished this in such a short time under these circumstances...

Jessica Callalang/Brian Johnson - SP Game of Thrones  I just love it. How powerful and tender they are.

Tarah Kayne/Danny O’Shea - Clair de Lune / Carmen Somewhere I read “ban warhorses from skating” onto which someone replied “Kayne/O’Shea would have nothing left to skate to”.  I don’t get this much hate for warhoses (unless it’s Moulin Rouge of course). If you skate it well, then why not. It certainly weren’t performances they wanted, going into the event as number one “on the paper” and ending up fifth... But the programs are good. I loved their interpretation. 

Ice dance

Eva Pate/Logan Bye - Motown the musical / Say something I saw them for the first time and their programs were really nice. I loved their rhythm dance. 

Emily Monahan/Ilias Fourati -  Fosse / Pet shop boys I was mainly happy that they got a chance to skate in a competition even though they were not representing the US. Their programs were a bit awkward avantgarde but ok. 

Lorraine McNamara/Anton Spiridonov - Big Spender / Pink Floyd As I said in my ISP points challenge post, first Big Spender program I liked. (I don’t want to sound preachy but Big Spender is one of the extremely small number of songs I really have a problem with because in juniors it’s inappropriate. But as a song in a senior program... no problem with that.) 

Molly Cesanek/Yehor Yehorov - Shout, Walking on Sunshine / Make it rain Also my first time seeing them and it was such a great combination of programs. A really energetic rhythm dance and what I call a “feel good” free program. We need them too. Not everything has to be dramatic. 

Caroline Green/Michael Parsons - Thoroughly modern Millie / Dance 4 me I don’t know why but I didn’t like them last season and see, it only takes one classic RD and I will be a fan. The FD is still not my cup of tea but now I’m interested in them as a team. Also Caroline is so talented so young and keeping up with all other competitors. I think their RD was my favourite dance of the event in fact. 

Christina Carreira / Anthony Ponomarenko - Too darn hot / Dr. Zhivago I was a bit worried about their third place with how good Green/Parsons were, but these two also did a great job. Their free dance is beautiful (but let me cry over their Farrucas for a moment longer)

Kaitlyn Hawayek / Jean-Luc Baker - Saturday Night Fever / Heart of glass They were perfect in the rhythm dance, so much energy, so sharp, amazing interpretation. And I’m warming up to their FD too! 

Madison Hubbell / Zachary Donohue - Burlesque / Hallelujah I can’t even describe how relieved I am that they changed both of their programs. In the rhythm dance they are speed, they are passion, they are power personified. And their FD will make you cry. Thank you, Scott Moir, for helping them. I’m just so happy they are back on track. (Also, have you seen sleevless Zach???)

[icedanceupstarts]

Junior Dance Comparison: Riga and Chelyabinsk

After two more JGPs we have our first confirmed finalist and a number of interesting debuts and showdowns.

JGPF Contenders

Shanaeva/Naryzhnyy 

RD FD

First to qualify for JGPF! Still one of our favorite RDs at any level, even in a season where we may see almost as many Bonnie and Clyde programs competed in ice dances than the number of performances the actual show had on Broadway. The structuring and choreography is just perfect and our favorite Bonnie and Clyde thus far. The free dance is still growing, but they're making huge strides and that combo lift is already amazeballs. They've got a lot of time to prepare for the final and watch their competitors, and we're sure they're going to make the most of it.

Khudaiberdieva/Filatov

RD FD

Reigning junior world silver medalist Khudaiberdieva didn't miss a beat getting into her new partnership, and she and Filatov make a wonderful match with loads of potential, plenty of that which they are already starting to reach. La La Land doesn't really spark joy for us, and we're...not sure the costuming is bang on the money? Still, they're a great new team who have adjusted quickly. Their free dance is a kind of moody, modern and a great dramatic backdrop for their developing style. They're about to go into their second event to hopefully clinch their trip to JGPF on their first try, and it's going to be a great experience for them. If they can keep progressing this quickly, they should be a major threat for titles, both domestically and internationally.

Kazakova/Reviya

RD FD

Kazakova/Reviya lost out on the gold in Riga by a nose due to their RD, but their FD has already garnered praise as being one of the best of the season, and rightfully so. From the overhead toss that's just choreography to one handed cartwheels in the choreographic steps to just their overall commitment, it's an utter delight. Their RD is great too, but they've historically been a little hit and miss with keypoints, and that's what cost them the win in Riga. Their lack of domestic competition means they can solely focus on their international rivals rather than on qualifying for junior worlds, and with any luck they'll not only be the first Georgian team to medal at junior worlds, they'll do it with Linkin Park.

Davis/Smolkin

RD FD

This team is really growing on us, even if their RD does not purrfectly fulfill our wishes of a true cat themed program. They're selling it more and more each time with so much speed and energy and FACE that grabs the audience. Their lifts have some real wow factor, we particularly like the entrance to their rotational lift in the free. It's a bluesy rock program that's very different from what their competition is doing and serves them well. Unfortunately a silly bobble on the spin reduced it to base level and cost them quite a few points that puts their JGPF spot in jeopardy, and they'll have to spend the next few weeks crossing their fingers. They shouldn't be too disappointed if they don't make it, however. Not only do they have another season in juniors, teams have made junior worlds in the past over teams that qualified for JGPF, even in Russia's tough domestic field. If they keep improving the way they have been and skate the way we know they can, without mistakes, making that team and even challenging for the podium is quite pawsible.

From Russia With Copyright Infringement

Tyutyunina/Shustitskiy

RD 

YouTube has been acting up a little this season and been blocking some of the JGP videos which is deeply disrespectful to Ted, and Tyutyunina/Shustitskiy were one of the victims. Their rhythm dance thankfully remains available, and is remarkably charming for a La La Land program, and in our opinion the best La La Land of the event, for whatever that's worth.

Fortunately we caught their FD live and we got a chance to see their emotional free dance with some truly gorgeous moments, like their transitions through the twizzles, and their lovely constant flow over the ice and great connection with the music. They have very mature partnering for their ages thanks to this already being their seventh season skating together. The field in Russia is so tight they might not receive a second event, but even if so they can use this time to prepare for Nationals and try to make the junior world team. They're so young despite having been together for so long, and even if they don't make it this season can set themselves up well for next season, and there's also the Youth Olympics to consider as well, for which they are the only age eligible Russian team to have competed on the JGP thus far. These young talents have a lot of opportunities ahead of them and we hope they get the chance to develop.

Zhukova/Karpov

FD

Zhukova/Karpov fell prey to lawyers, so their RD will remain one of life's many mysteries for the time being although we can confirm she's wearing Anastasia Skoptcova's old dress. Taking into account that she's also wearing Victoria Sinitsina's old FD dress for their own take on Norma, it is truly heartwarming to see a young lady so interested in recycling. Not so heartwarming to see an otherwise strong program come crashing down in a double fall on the final element but getting on the JGP at all was a great opportunity for this new team. They probably won't get another assignment, but all experiences are necessary experiences for a team to be able to develop. Looking forward to Nationals, it's going to be a tough road for them to claw their way up the ranks but they can set themselves up well for next season.

Vive La France

Dupayage/Nabais

RD FD

You can always count on the French to be a little offbeat and that was certainly seen with Dupayage/Nabais. Singin’ in the Rain May not be the most original choice for a musical rhythm dance but they’ve managed to make the program their own. Their free dance starts off with their choreographic character steps right off the top of the program, a unique choice for an element that most teams have put much later in their programs.

Terreau/Perron

RD FD

Every bit as unique and original as they were in their first JGP outing this season, they put up slightly lower scores than during their season opener in Courchevel. A lengthy delay ahead of their rhythm dance didn’t distract them at all, still coming on strong with lots of speed and energy. Their free dance is a completely different image for them but both programs feature some of the most embellished costumes of the event.

O Canada

D'Alessandro/Waddell

RD FD

Every inch the talented youngsters, and there are quite a few more inches on them than last year. Reigning junior national bronze medalists and coming into this season the on paper favorites to be the next top junior Canadian team, they have rested on their laurels, and for good reason given how fierce the domestic competition is. The foxtrot really suits them and their long, elegant, sweeping lines and upright carriage, and they have a super neat stationary lift to end the program. A Meatloaf FD seemed a bit of A Choice on paper but we found it really worked for them, although we did occasionally wish for some better angles from the camera, like on their curve lift. Any program can work if you skate with enough commitment and joy, and these two could skate with half of their infectious enthusiasm and still make it work. They're one of three Canadian junior teams to earn the nonexistent pewter medal so far this JGP season, but they'll have another crack at the podium at the final JGP in Italy. The judges clearly like them, and they can build up steam to try to take their first junior national title.

Bashynska/Beaumont

RD FD

We remembered Bashynska/Beaumont from last season, with their endlessly charming Cinderella FD with a dress change gimmick, but we have to admit we didn't initially peg them as one to watch before they started competing this summer. They've truly blossomed this off-season into a team fighting for the junior national title, quite the step up from last season where they were a distant tenth and had the lowest scores and Skate Canada Challenge results of all the teams who had qualified for the JGP last season. They're developing a nice classical elegance and have a really nice pattern in the rhythm dance. We were blown away by the maturity they displayed in the free dance-- surely these can't be the same adorable babies from last season?? Now as the first Canadian team to medal on the JGP they've got an advantage if they can keep this momentum going through their next JGP and Nationals. With their grace and power through the details of their choreography, they're going to be a top contender for the junior worlds team, and quite possibly be leading it.

Galiyanova/Lochhead

RD FD

After the disappointment of their previous outings it was really nice to see Galiyanova/Lochhead find their footing and deliver two strong performances. Their intricate programs with all their technical upgrades have kept tripping them up but this time they skated smoothly and confidently without any mishaps. They have a much more theatrical take on Bonnie and Clyde than Shanaeva/Naryzhynyy and it's delightful. Their free dance is a little unusual, and we're not entirely sure how to describe it. It's almost a Latin program at the start, but shifts gears before it can really settle into that genre into something completely different. Maybe it's their skating skills or emoting or complete commitment to this program but we find ourselves fairly willing to trust where they're taking us on this journey.

American Upstarts

Wolfkostin/Chen

RD FD

Bummer for these two in the RD again, but they're such a talented team and already quite adept at recovering from mid-program mishaps, something that can challenge even much more experience teams. It's clear that the judges are already responding to them, and for good reason. They're having some typical newbie growing pains but they have so many qualities even so. From their showy hamminess in the RD to their raw and emotional FD, they carry their speed, projection, and long lines through everything. Hopefully they've gotten the last of the jitters out and skate strong performances the rest of the season. If they can put together two solid programs going forward, they've got every chance to make an impact not just at nationals, but at junior worlds.

Brown/Brown

RD FD

These cute little fan favorites keep getting better and better. They're a really talented team with great positions and nice skating skills and a lot of charm, but they were also clearly one of the younger teams in the field. Their projection in the RD could use a little work but they give such great face and their movements are so placed. They skated even better in the free dance even though the second piece of music was...not a fave. That's how good they are, that they picked music that made our souls shrivel and still sold us on it. They need more time and experience to develop to their fullest potential, but they're really going to be a sight to behold when they do. We hope they clean up the little issues and develop their programs further. They were one step away from the junior world team and this could be their year.

Cesanek/Yehorov

RD FD

An extremely solid team that made an extremely solid JGP debut! Junior ice dance truly is ridiculous. Plenty of energy in their rhythm dance and great attention to detail in their modern FD. They teamed up last season but needed more time to get things together, especially in the depth of the American dance field. They've got a lot of maturity and nuance in their skating that should serve them well in their attempts to stand out domestically. They've got a second JGP coming up to distinguish themselves at further now that they've gotten their feet wet, and this time they won't be the only American team present. If they harness their power and maturity while gathering confidence, they could start to make their mark before Nationals.

[chelsanitys]

anon post

for all 3 of my fans

i live for ur wit and sass

thx n same

Dont fuck with the best! Kate works hard to get the craziest anons to post in her yard, and I've got nothing but respect. There's no fan in the fandom as genuine and earnest as she is. Wishing her and her cats a long and healthy life!

lmao yall need to quit

you've probably answered this already but what do you think will give vm the best shot at the OG?

a good short dance + a good free dance + gui missing the catch-foot on his twizzle again

Are you taking the bar exam this summer?

no i just finished my first yr

I will cry if T&S end up together, They would be a horrible match. Surely I'm not the only one who sees this??

i am ashamed that this is the level of trollin i get. step up ur game!!

"i hope tessa marries semple so i can see all the shippers cry tbh" Poor Alex! Marrying him would probably restore his self confidence and prompt a return to the cfl! Still holding out hope!

honestly alex was the hottest of all her bfs. fedor is balding, has a dad bod n is wearing khakis on the beach now. and semple was always fug. also rl talk i didnt know canada had its own football league until this guy came around. thats so cute for canada

"i hope tessa marries semple so i can see all the shippers cry tbh" I want her with the Bitove guy. His family looks like the type that will post tons about them on sm afterward.

lmao yall know his grandfather started the toronto raptors?? i knew this brodie’s last name sounded familiar. also apparenty he and his fam golf at trump’s resort @ mar-a-lago VOM. tessa is 500% going to end up with a smarmy, filthy rich trust fund kid like him like its not even a question

Hey now. I want shippers to get overthemselves, too, but Tessa marrying Semple, god no. Basically, Tessa, open your eyes and save yourself.

lol i actually wish she was still dating him so all this mindless speculation rn would stop

Bitter and hateful is what I come here for. Anons should just fuck off and go to the Disney website if that's what they want.

vm fans are so damn soft n sensitive about everything lol, i rly wish some of yall would stop taking everything i say so seriously

Please come back, without your snark the fandom is controlled by the most delusional shippers.

i’ll post more when there r actually things 2 talk about. being around here when nothing is happening and ur all screaming into a vacuum about the same things over and over is like being institutionalized in a loony bin

why are you always up so late?

nhf for this east coast bias, it is a perfectly reasonable time in california

Which of the current/rising juniors do you see making tbe most impact next quad?

carreira/ponomarenko are going to win a olympic medal in 2022. even if the shibs, h/d and bock don’t retire, i see them easily rising through the pack - they just have the Look and aren’t without talent. i’m iffy on the rest - mcnamara/carpenter are too creepy and weird, parsons have no height difference and are siblings, both are coached by an unproven staff, everyone else are varying levels of mediocre. hawayek/baker will go to worlds 2018 if they’re lucky and prob never again if no one else retires.

i wouldn't take h/d's music choices as an indicator of what vm will have. they are the c team and vm are the a team in that camp. look at last season... h/d got stuck with marie-france's lame ass idea of the evolution of music and vm got prince.

true..... altho i think personal taste is important too. tessa would die b4 she ever approved an ‘evolution of dance’ sd

I want Tessa to steal Fedor back from Meryl. All that drama would be hilarious. Fedor lost his looks and is butt ugly now so he is exactly Tessa's type, even more so than in 2009.

i nvr thought he was that cute but he literally looks like he goes door to door selling pool cleaner now

I noticed that when Tessa shakes hands or kisses someone on the cheek (like during medal ceremony or interviews) Scott often puts a hand on her lower back even though there had not been any physical contact between the two of them before said handshake or kiss. It just always surprises me and I'm not sure I understand why he'd do this. What's your take on it ?

lmao ik u want me 2 say its bc his subconscious is screaming out in jealousy and he wants to covertly claim her and show the world she still belongs to him but i rly think they r just touchy ppl who like to touch. or hes makin sure she doesnt lose balance and fall off the podium as she’s leanin over

moulin rouge would've been a much cooler choice in 11/12 for their musical fd instead of funny face, but i don't see them doing it for their olympic fd. it's a bit tacky and overdone. i figure they'd want to do something that's a little bit more special and unique then that.

ia it wouldnt have been a bad filler fd for an off year. i just dont see it doing it for their Last Ever and for the olympics. its such a warhorse - what could they possibly say with it thats original? and its such a character piece - they r such overly emo, earnest ppl, i dont think they’d want to do something that different from themselves for their Last Ever. 

huh what, vm don't stand a chance against moonlight sonata?? Pls... that would be a flop, such an overused piece of music everywhere, it's like Für Elise - hearing the first notes of it makes me vomit in my mouth a little

ya bc no one’s ever won a gold medal skating to a warhorse before

it sounds more believable to me than vm and moulin rouge tho

What interpretation? PC will just float around. They can do that in any key and judges will eat it up.

true, gui gui is a demon

No way. The judges will think they're watching Gordeeva/Grinkov again and just hand the gold to them immediately.

remember when pc said they didnt even know who torvill and dean and g/g were lmao

If scott doesn't cut his disgusting gutter frat boy hair I'm renouncing my Canadian citizenship and moving 2 Peru

was legit lookin @ pics from autumn classic n skate canada and i cant believe how short his hair was then, i can not believe i was complainin so much. i am honestly such a whiny bitch lmao this is my punishment

i have mixed feelings because Prince is the best short dance of VM's career so far but then Latch was one of the worst lol. It dragged in a lot of areas, especially the middle, and it never felt complete. I don't hate it by any means but considering we only had 2 free dances left and that was one of them... :| so I'm torn between trusting MF, and then thinking she's one misguided song choice away from ruining VM's swan song.

the thought of mf picking out the music for vm’s last ever fd makes me kind of sad. like yall have no ideas? at all?? ur relying on instagram suggestions and mf’s adult lite fm spotify playlists for inspiration? im surprised n disappointed tbh, like they arent kids anymore, i thought they would take more ownership of their careers. 

but idk we’ll see. whenever i complain a lot, i usually like their material later lol

why do i feel like vm are gonna come out in their sd with despacito... the justin bieber version...

ok who is this person who keeps sending me despacito questions?? you sound like you want it to happen more than anyone else and are trying to will it into existence

It's funny because Tessa is SO cautious about everything she/they say, that she comes off/is rehearsed--I don't understand why she cares so much. They are not politicians or even super famous. Plus most people who watch (excluding Tumblr fans bc they're all extra) watch during high times like Worlds and Olympics. Most people don't watch interviews and press conferences. If they do watch one, it's usually only the fun "game" interviews or the mainstream ones like etalk which they are not tons of

idk what this is in reference to but ok lol. it prob matters to her bc its her life and she cares bc its happening to her? just spitballin here

Oh no what has Max Trankov said I'm scared to know now. If he's a Trump fan I might have to #nopeout lol he’s russian and a male chauvinist pig. he once said he wouldnt do a quad with tati until she had a baby for him...”and then maybe we try”

still gonna stan his trash ass to the end of time tho

Speaking of bad music cuts I could not stand the way HD's music was cut this year. Like I like all the songs they used individually but it just felt so weirdly put together like the songs didn't flow well into the next. The only part I liked was the last part with earned it.

really? i thought earned it was the part that seemed completely out of step with the first 2 pieces of music. the transition was way off and the tempo was so much faster than the other 2

The Facebook q&a is the first time I felt vm are actually compatible enough to be a couple.

should’ve published this steaming hot take when u sent it a month ago bc i have no idea what this is in reference to now

what do you look like?

tired mostly

haha funny how we went from vm are in a relationship to they hate each other.

dont ‘we’ me bitch i have nothing to do with this fandom’s daily emotional yo-yo-ing

Can you explain the Tessa/Kaitlyn Weaver friendship? Are they really friends? Kaitlyn seems like the kind of girl Tessa would make fun of behind her back.

more like kaitlyn weaver is tracy flick and is trying to bring down everyone in her path tbh

I get a bit of a superiority, cold vibe with Tessa, don't you?

no but i dont have self esteem issues

I think people who find Tessa cold and snobby do not get her at all. Yes, she is far from perfect and her feminism is all (...) but to call her cold and unfeeling means you haven't been paying attention at all. Like get off her dick and/or stop following her career.

i dont think shes cold either. standoffish maybe, but i dont feel like thats from superiority or aloofness. some ppl just want to mind their own business and chill?? not everyone’s a chatty cathy like scott

Music stresses me out. The only thing I've gathered from all of the various discussions is they should be exciting but not too exciting because it's an Olympic season. But they shouldn't also be too safe. Like I know you have mentioned various choices that would be good but what would be in your mind the ideal program, both SD and FD. It's their third Olympics, so how do they build on the past while still being fresh but also them. Or do they just not and give the audience what they want?

something original thats not a warhorse but is also audience friendly and is instantly musically palatable to a lot of ppl

so basically mahler

Which songs from moulin rouge should they use?

if they were doing mr (which i doubt), the orchestral score is 500x better than the cheesy ass nonsense from the soundtrack. like come what may with nicole kidman’s tremulous bird vocals and ewan mcgregor literally straining not to pop a vein would almost be too dramatic and Too Much. i think that kind of thing only works for a v specific kitschy, performative kind of team (a la russians) and wouldnt vibe with vm’s super earnest approach at all. but the orchestral score is genuinely moving and effective in a less garish way

but i dont think they’re doing moulin rouge lol

"the movies honestly made it hard 4 me to interpret hermione’s undying loyalty and devotion to harry as anything other than latent sexual attraction tbh lmao" Hahaha, pretty much. Plus, the whole Harry and Ginny thing, even more so in the movies, seemed to come out of nowhere and was cliche as fuck.

is bonnie wright still acting? i’ve seen dead fish more alive than her on screen

LMAO someone posted a clip from VM's show when they were having dinner with WP and they were talking about how WP live together and they ask VM how they deal with one another and LOL I stg I started loling cause their reactions were #priceless. S literally just had a WTF look on his face while he said something hella awkward & T looked like she wanted to slap him. Her follow up that she doesn't think they could ever spend all their time together just cements why they'll never date for me.

lmao that whole scene is so stupid. kaitlyn n andrew r such good friends i swear

Thanks for setting that anon straight. Set some boundaries so that they don't egg on shippers?? WTF. They're fine with doing what they're doing, and if they're dating others, those others are obviously fine with it too. Besides, it's not like they're filming porn or something. If you can't handle it, stop watching them.

idek what these r in reference to anymore but it sounds dumb as hell lmao

Wow I cannot believe that people actually think VM owe fans any explanation for their relationship/partnership. Like we don't know them, we're never going to know them or be friends with them? Why the fuck do they owe fans a detailed explanation of their personal business? I stg these shippers have lost their damn minds. As long as VM continue to put out good programs and do well I couldn't care less what they're doing off ice. Whatever it is it's clearly working for them. You do you VM.

the entitlement of some fans is insane. its STILL happening now with tessa’s ig now too. why dont yall just let her live n let her white-girl post to her hearts content. she is literally doing nothing differently to what every other skater does, idg this absurd criticism

Fr tho both of them have such nice teeth and I've never seen pics of them with braces, like how??!?!

tessa’s r so nice i cant believe she’s never had braces. and they r such a natural white? like u can tell w most skaters that they get it professionally whitened but hers dont have that artificial look at all

Are you in college? Your bio says 23 but it said that last year too.

i actually turned 24 a while ago im just 2 lazy to change it. im in law school currently

I just read an ancient interview with vm where they said Mahler was about getting married or something... WHAT

ya i cant remember if it was them that said or marina that said it tho. i remember a story about a guy who wrote them saying he and his gf were watching mahler at the olympics and once it was over, he was so moved he got down on one knee and proposed to her and marina was like ‘thats what that program is meant to do’ lol

Do you think Zach is a good skater and partner? I keep changing my mind on him.....

he is such a bland, wet noodle - no taste, no flavor, just empty white carbs. its up to madi to add any spark to the team bc she’s the real star, he just stands there and is tall and can lift her

Why the fuck are so many people freaking out because Tessa did not attend a wedding with Scott. 1. They are not dating so there are no reason for Scott to bring her. 2. She has people visiting 3. I bet they don't even hang out off ice 4. I think Scott has a secret girl in Ilderton. 5. TS not dating. I wish people would claim down.

this is so far back in my inbox i have no idea whats happening

I love it that whenever Tessa posts an IG story the fandom goes crazy analyzing and speculating about Scott what there even when he is clearly not Then there there are talks about TS wedding. WTF Soon it will be TS having babies. I am wondering if maybe the fandom (new fans) are mixing reality with those fanfics.

honestly no clue

I know this has been discussed before but I don't get how Scott and Jess even communicated. Jess could barely seem to understand English back then and Scott couldn't speak French. I wonder if them not being able to speak to each other is part of why they lasted so long actually

lol bryce davison actually learned french so he could communicate w/ her. not scott tho lol

I don't think T cares too much about fs friendships the way other skaters do. Of course she's friendly with a lot of them but she's not really close with anyone except her partner, which doesn't really count lol. She has her own friend group outside of skating and that's what she seems to stick to. It's funny you mention Meryl, Brooke, Tanith, and Lauren because they're all still really good friends.

honestly i think skating stressed (stresses?) her out so much back then that she really hated being in that world for too long. i dont blame her for wanting to disconnect and not having to hang out with skaters who just talk about other skaters and skating 24/7

I don't mean this in a mean way. Watching Avatar.  If you paint Meryl's face blue she could be in the movie 

it kills me when ppl say she looks like a disney princess? ya the ant queen from a bugs life maybe

I think Tessa sometimes forget that Scott is a huge part of why they are successful and she wouldn't have all of these deals w amazing brands if they weren't so strong+didn't win everything. it's easy to put her on the pedestal bc she's gorg and can dance, but he should get/deserves just as much credit-- i mean he is the one lifting her and she could not do any of this by herself. sometimes i get the vibe that she thinks she's too good for him. maybe he's not as fancy, but he has a heart of gold

i’ve literally never gotten that she thinks she’s too good for him...? they go out of their way to pay each other compliments all the time and dont even jokingly diss on each other. its actually kind of weird that after knowing each other so long their relationship isnt just one long roast section where they talk shit about each other bc thats what my relationship w/ all my lifelong friends r like....but then again im a flinty bitch and they’re super earnest and emo like all the time. like i bet they both cry during sex

i find it kinda gross, disturbing and a bit pathetic that so many people feel the need to write erotic fan fiction about Tessa and Scott--like they are real people not characters, and it's kinda creepy that people spend so much time writing and reading them. Also, i would pay a million dollars to have someone show TS what people write about them--they would literally die and so would i--some fans are kinda extreme crazy

u know how on graham norton when he’s always showing celebs really erotic fanfic and fanart of themselves and they’re just dying of embarrassment?? i would literally pay everything in my bank account (so like....twenty dollars) for someone to do that to vm

omg it's gonna be so awk when tessa and scott have to see klawes...poor klawes, she just could not hold a candle to tessa. still don't know why klawes still follows tessa's insta--like i would unfollow and would not wanna see some of the pics t posts of TS giving each other lovey looks/touchy regardless of whether ts are together or not. also, it's never like t and klawes would actually be friends bc they're polar opposites

v disappointed that the olympic summit did not deliver on this #drama

tessa and kl were real friends tho, i think its sweet. and its nice they still keep in touch even tho scott is a dog

Are you a fan of tessa's style? She wears so much expensive yet ugly shit in my opinion.

lmao no. i think some of her casual wear is cute, but she wears some of the most hideous high fashion shit ever when she’s going out. like that blue carpet jumpsuit? yall know wht im talking about. those hideous trousers??? also she wears an unbelievable amount of boring black dresses

also gf needs to do smth with her hair. tired of her high bun and slick pony. she looks way cuter w/ her hair down imo

Do you think Tessa pays for all the Adidas stuff she wears?

no she def gets it for free. i was a walk-on my freshman yr of college for half a second and even i got a bunch of free shit from nike

How do u as an ed sheeran unstanner feel about ts doing these songs their obviously using him for the sd next season and i wouldnt be suprised if they use him for the fd as well

reading this made my cholesterol go up

really hope they're exhausting all the ed sheeran options now so they won't actually use it for comps lol

ngl i do kind of dig that embarrassing white boy rapping galway girl song but that cld prob just be my girl saorise ronan hypnotizing me like she always does

Minus the horrific man bun, do you think Scott's hot? Also, do you think Tessa finds him attractive?

no and probably yes now that hes so fug

Do you think Scott's attractive?? Also, do you think Tessa being told she's beautiful constantly on sm has made her get a big head--she often comes across as a bit cold and stuck up prancing around in her $1000 + outfits? Love her and she's gorgeous but...

some of yall need to stop projecting your shit onto tessa for real 

Power plays of the figure skating journalists. Inside Skating does a very literal interview and article with P/C which blows up and then they go to Jackie Wong so he can basically write up a damage control press release. Kind of fascinating to see both journalists doing their thing with the same content. Hard to believe Inside Skating didn't think their article would create a storm. Interesting.

speaking of jackie, skaters r really going to him for their exclusives now huh? dying that ashley gave him her big la la land fluff piece instead of tsl. pays 2 be nice and kiss ass

Doesn't look like KH/JLB will have much of a chance to advance cuzis so crowded with the current seniors not retiring and juniors moving up. KH/JLB needs to work on their twizzles, thier lines, skating skills, chemistry looks promising. Some of those junior and senior teams should consider representingif they want a chance at aCanada doesn't have any promising teams once VM-WP retire. I feel like CB, SS, HD ain't retiring till they win Wch or OG which may never with PC around.

hawayek/baker could prob skate for gb because jean-luc has citizenship and carreira/ponomarenko could prob skate for canada bc she’s from montreal but i doubt the us fed is letting either of them go. they’ve invested way too much at this point. i don’t think c/p need to move tho, i think they’re talented to rise organically through the ranks. i think they’re more likely to be us #1 instead of not tbh

I don't understand the whole David and Tessa affair; like some people say it happened after he was separated and others talk like it was a full blown affair. The only thing I do know is that her being called a "homewrecker" or anything else of that nature makes me want to punch something because it's disgusting, and it's society go-to response. Be cruel to the woman and basically give the man a free pass. But maybe he received shit, too? I just never heard about it.

i think he was basically separated but not divorced when it happened

Do you think if TS and Cappelini and Lanotte switched partners they would be a good team?

lol no. anna’s not a great skater and luca looks like he’s shorter than tessa

Wait is that Tessa's ex Semple in that photo you posted of her pre and post nose job? Cause if so damn does she lowball herself. Like she could have such better looking guys I do not understand. Girl is very pretty she needs someone to help her pick better guys.

~we accept the love we think we deserve~~

I think T is cringeworthy as a speaker bc she's sooo gd rehearsed. Not a things she says comes across like she didn't practice it in the bathroom mirror 75 times that morning. She would be pretty good if she could lose even half the pretension in her delivery and tossed out the eye rolly words she keeps littering the sentences with like privilege and journey.

they honestly both suck. she’s worse than he is, but they’re both super stiff. and they always do this forced banter bit at the start which just seems so awkward lol

That one anon pointing that some have denied the nose surgery - this is exactly what annoys me about those shipper blogs, not that they are shippers (you can want them two to be together- that by itself doesn't bother me), but their ways and how they always have to insist on vm's perfect image - they all get so upset and aggressive when you point some issue out, like why would you deny Tessa has done a nose job... so out of touch! vm are interesting exactly cause they're real people with flaws

i can not believe ppl r denying her nose job. like yo its right there. it does lend credence to my theory that all shipprs r just hallucinating n seeing things that arent there tho

If Tessa and Scott did hook up while officially with SOs I have a feeling they wouldn't consider it cheating.

ok lmao??? im sure something extremely profound i said provoked this

how rich do u think scott and tessa are???

prob millionaires by the time 2018 comes around if they get their sponsorships

-

i might do part 2 later if i can be bothered... but nothing really makes sense out of context lol, its like watching charlie kaufman do slam poetry