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Post by Libby on Mar 5, 2014 7:07:45 GMT
Here's my figure skating thread that I promised! I'll start out by posting programs by Meryl Davis & Charlie White, the new Olympic champions in ice dance. I know Jillian will especially enjoy it.  The first one is their free dance from the 2007/2008 season, which got my sister and me hooked on them in the first place; I think you'll see why the minute their program begins: This is their Original dance from the same season. Folk dances was the theme for Original Dances that season, and they did a Russian folk dance in tribute to their outstanding Russian coaches/choreographers. Doesn't Charlie look adorable in that hat? LOL The original dances are now called the short dance. They used to do a compulsory, original dance, and free dance. In the 2010/2011 season, they did away with the compulsory dance, and instead combined it into the short dance. It's soooo much better this way, because now they all do their compulsory sections to different music, which is a huge relief to anyone attending a skating competition, as I have. LOL I sat through the compulsory routines once, and while it was exciting watching my first live competition ever, the same music and moves got a bit old after a while. I think that's one thing that used to turn people off from ice dancing. But for me, ice dancing is about the best skating there is.  I have tons of skating to share here, so I might be posting stuff everyday for a while. i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif As I said on FB during the Olympics, prepare for figure skating overload! LOL |
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Jillian
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Post by Jillian on Mar 5, 2014 7:32:15 GMT
Ooh thanks Libby! I will watch these tonight!
I think I'm hooked! I thought Id watch one routine just out of curiosity and then before I knew it the clock had gone midnight! A bit tired at work today!
I guess it's technically not cheating re DWTS as they are skaters and not dancers... But I don't think it will take much at all for Meryl and Charlie to transfer their skills from skating. Sure, they will probably need to learn the ballroom dancing footwork, but other than that they will probably find it very easy. I wonder who will do the best out of them?
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Post by Libby on Mar 5, 2014 22:12:35 GMT
The ice dancers often do take ballroom classes just to familiarize themselves with the moves and steps of the type of dance. Meryl & Charlie even took a Bollywood class! And for their Sheherazade program, they worked with an expert in Persian dancing, or something like that. I have plenty more to post, though if you've watched that much, you may have already seen everything already!  But I'll post them anyway. |
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Post by Jillian on Mar 6, 2014 3:18:59 GMT
The ice dancers often do take ballroom classes just to familiarize themselves with the moves and steps of the type of dance. Meryl & Charlie even took a Bollywood class! And for their Sheherazade program, they worked with an expert in Persian dancing, or something like that. I have plenty more to post, though if you've watched that much, you may have already seen everything already! But I'll post them anyway. Post away, Libby! I hope DWTS will be available to watch online |
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Post by Libby on Mar 6, 2014 7:45:39 GMT
There are usually youtube videos eventually. We'll just have to make a DWTS thread and post the important videos there!  I'm also somewhat interested in watching Drew Carey, since I'm a Price is Right fan as well (he replaced the original host Bob Barker in 2007). But I don't want him to win, I want Meryl & Charlie to get 1st and 2nd place, but in no particular order! LOL I imagine Charlie's boyish grin will win him lots of old lady fans.  So, did you enjoy the first 2 videos? I always loved the Eleanor Rigby routine, and I was reminded why when I watched it again. Here is one of my other all-time favorites, their Samson & Delilah program; the choreography is just so beautiful, especially that lift starting at 1:49: Their pose in the still is kind of funny, but I think they're about to do the twizzle sequence. |
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Jillian
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Post by Jillian on Mar 7, 2014 13:03:55 GMT
Hi Libby,
Yes, the Samson and Deliah is probably one of my favourites of Meryl and Charlie's (from what I've seen on Youtube). Cracking piece of music.
I've also started watching some of Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir's routines. I think they are Meryl and Charlie's biggest competitors?
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Post by Libby on Mar 8, 2014 7:36:49 GMT
Yes, it's a beautiful song, I've even considered downloading it, though I forgot the singer's name. For some reason I thought her name was Philippa (not Lusty!), but I can't seem to find the video I found originally. Oh well, I'll figure it out. It doesn't help that the video I provided lists the song as Habanera.  Yes, Tessa & Scott are M & C's long-time rivals, since both pairs have been together for almost the same length of time, and have been under the same coach, as well. They have been friends, though it sounds like in the last couple of years, not quite so much. T & S seemed to feel that ever since their win in Vancouver, their coaching team began to favor M & C, and "weren't in their corner", but I think they were imagining things and being a little jealous, if you ask me. They won the Olympics in 2010, and then get upset with their coaches because they didn't win again in Sochi? How can they be upset? M & C weren't upset when they won their silver in 2010! Very few skaters have ever won gold twice, especially not ice dancers. It's rare in any discipline, actually. Only 2 women have done it, and 1 pair, but I think that's it. My sister holds the opinion that if someone wins gold, they can only go down from there. That happened with Evgeny Plushenko of Russia. He won silver, then gold, and then silver. So anyway, I guess you could say I'm not, and have never been, a huge fan of the Canadians. Mostly because I've understandably rooted for the Americans, and I just like their style better, but now, it's because of their attitude about not winning... AGAIN. Tessa was actually crying on the podium! Reminds me of Suria Bonaly at the Worlds one year, but she always was a drama queen. And you should've seen Evgeny Plushenko's face both times he won silver! LOL After I run out of Meryl & Charlie videos, I'll post some of my favorite Canadian team... yes, I do like a Canadian team! So, at last, here's the next installment of Meryl & Charlie; the popular folk dances were brought back for the 2010 Olympic season, and so here we see Bollywood! Another all-time favorite! |
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Post by Jillian on Mar 8, 2014 10:42:15 GMT
Hi Libby,
Can't say I know much about it, but I think it would be extremely hard to share a coach with your direct rivals.
Are Tessa and Scott going to continue competing? (I've heard rumours of retirement - even though they are both so young!) I wonder if they might change coaches.
I like both C&M and T&S. They both have quite different dance styles though.
I really like that Bollywood dance!
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Post by Libby on Mar 9, 2014 7:47:04 GMT
Yes, I think Tessa & Scott are retiring. All they've said so far is that they're not going to the Worlds (very common thing right after the Olympics) but that they're still "leaving their options open". M & C have even made it sound like they're not sure whether they're done yet, either. But they had already said that this would be their last season, and they've already accomplished the ultimate goal. Both teams have now, of course. I will miss M & C desperately, especially since the remaining US ice dancers are not quite at the level that they have been. There probably won't be many medals won by US ice dancers for a while. Canada still has a chance, though. Russia has dominated for a long time, and I think they might start to do so again. Same thing in pairs; for a while it was the Chinese, and now the Russians are back again, and the Chinese will probably fade a bit. They still seem young, but mid-to late twenties is actually usually the end of most skaters' careers. It's hard on their bodies, especially if they've been doing it since they were little kids. Ice dancing isn't quite as hard, since they don't do all the jumps. Some ice dancers go into their early thirties. But I really don't see M & C going for the next Olympics, or T & S either. The deciding factor is sometimes how old they'll be for the next Olympics, since that's the main aspiration every skater has in their career. M & C are 27 & 26, about Hayley's age, and in 4 years they'll be 31 and 30... not too bad for ice dancers, but they've already won 2 medals, one of which is gold, so that could be another deciding factor. Going back to the coach thing- Thinking back on M & C's career, I'm starting to think T & S have a point about Marina Zoueva (the main coach & choreographer) favoring M & C. I was remembering back when they were still sharing coaches with their friends and former US ice dance champs (and 2006 Olympic silver medallists), Tanith Belbin & Ben Agosto). When they did their Samson & Delilah program, it was said that Marina had been saving this music for a while, and finally she felt she felt that M & C were the right ones to do it. And then the next season, the 2010 Olympic season, M & C finally beat Tanith & Ben at Nationals, as well as finishing 2nd above their 4th at the Olympics. So, I don't know if M & C really had gotten that much better than Tanith & Ben, or if Marina could have been putting special effort in for M & C. And actually, Tanith & Ben had switched coaches right before the Olympic season. So, I don't know if Tanith & Ben were starting to feel the same way as Tessa & Scott did, or what. BTW, Charlie White is dating Tanith Belbin. |
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Post by Libby on Mar 11, 2014 6:47:58 GMT
I found the song at last! It's by Filippa Giordano, and no wonder I had so much trouble... she's singing it in Italian, not French! And it's called S'apre Per Te Il Mio Cuor. |
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Post by Richard on Mar 11, 2014 8:51:37 GMT
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Post by Libby on Mar 11, 2014 20:41:21 GMT
Thanks. I removed my link above because I realized it was in violation of our forum's policy, and I'm actually quite shocked you didn't remove it, Richard. I thought of leaving it since you didn't remove it, but I decided to remove it just in case. |
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Dave
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Post by Dave on Mar 11, 2014 23:43:33 GMT
Hi Libby, I don't know which video you mean because I didn't see it but I'm sure Richard's logic on the matter is flawless. Or he used discretion. Or maybe he just forgot.  The Samson & Delilah discussion reminded me though of one of my all-time favourite pieces of piano music, and it's by, believe it or not, Nina Simone, Samson & Delilah, Carnegie Hall, 1963. It starts slowly for a couple of minutes but when she gets going, the power and contrasts she displays in this piece are astonishing and at other times, it's quite exquisite. No singing though. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sy4PqcCiPyE But now, back to the skating! Cheers, Dave |
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Post by Libby on Mar 12, 2014 4:28:01 GMT
Well, the song can be easily heard in the video of Meryl & Charlie's program above, and also in the video Richard posted, so the video is almost unnecessary, after all. Yes, back to the skating: Next up is Meryl & Charlie's Phantom of the Opera program they did at the Vancouver Olympics in 2010, earning them the silver medal; Meryl once described it as a "Ninja program", and I think you'll see why: This is their performance at the US Nationals right before the Olympics, in Spokane, Washington! Seen in the still are their 2 coaches/choreographers at the time, Marina Zoueva and Igor Shpilband. Igor Shpilband left the partnership last year, so he was not involved this season. |
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Post by Richard on Mar 12, 2014 8:17:04 GMT
Hello Libby!  I did notice your little indiscretion, but gave the video the benefit of the doubt as it wasn't by Hayley. Richard  |
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But I'll post them anyway.
