Let's kick it off with pairs!
Wenjing Sui and Cong Han (CHN)- Free Skate: "Bridge Over Troubled Water"
This program is so beautiful. They said they were skating their story, and it really showed. This performance made everyone feel what they were feeling. One of the best performances this season, no question. Their musical interpretation is superb, and they have many beautiful positions. It just goes to show that if you stay true to yourself and your story, the performance comes much more naturally, and more importantly, the audience will believe it.
Liubov Ilyushechkina and Dylan Moscovitch (CAN)- Free Skate: "When You Say You Love Me"
This program has so much potential to be great. You really can't go wrong picking Josh Groban for your program, and there is such beautiful choreography here too. I wanted them to skate this cleanly the whole season because I could see its potential. Their performance at Four Continents was their best one yet, and is finally starting to tap into that. They also have great musical timing, with a fantastic lift right at the crescendo of the music.
Vanessa James and Morgan Cipres (FRA)- Free Skate: "The Sound of Silence"
I love these British commentators! They often have insightful comments, with witty phrases thrown in like "they have got to skate a blinder here". I find their commentary just enough, as I can't stand when commentators talk through the whole damn program. Anyway, on to this program. I featured this in my Top Ten Favorite Pairs Performances. I won't rehash all of my commentary from that post, but this program is a standout. It revolutionizes how figure skating is performed by pushing the envelope. We have seen much more creativity in competitive performances that was previously saved for exhibition and show performances. This is a great development. This program has the perfect combination of technical elements and artistry, and they really get into the performance. This is their music. I can't think of another pairs team that could pull this off. I would love it if they made the podium at Worlds!
And now....shall we dance?
This year, the ISU added hip-hop to the short dances. I think this addition is one of the best things to happen to ice dance. This was also the first year I remember disco being included. The short dances have typically been restricted to ballroom dances but this new change incorporates new forms of dance. Usually, I am all about the free dances with ice dance, but I have to say that the short dances were what drew me in this time around. Here's some I have been really into, and will be excited to see again at Worlds:
Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue (USA)- Short Dance: "Feelin' Good/Hip-hop medley"
OMG all the jams are in here! "Feelin' Good" is a good standard ice dance song. A funky transition song...what's next? Push It! Can't Touch This! Ice Ice Baby/Baby Got Back mix! Turn Down for What! The ending twerk! This is iconic. If you aren't singing and dancing with this, something's wrong. Next we have another epic jazz and hip-hop mashup:
Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani (USA)- Short Dance: "That's Life"
The US national champions in ice dance! Because this is freakin' cool! They can do it all, dancing to Frank Sinatra with ease, then breakin' it down to Jay-Z. Epic. The transition part is my favorite! They transition so easily between the jazz and hip-hop parts. It's just unbelievable. The choreography here is stellar.
I also mentioned disco earlier, so here it is:
Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier (CAN)- Short Dance: "Oh, What a Night for Dancing/Disco Inferno"
This performance was quite enjoyable! You can't be in a bad mood listening to disco. I also love that Paul has a total throwback look. He looks like an extra off the Saturday Night Fever set with the hair and mustache. It is giving me life. I have also been humming singing "Disco Inferno" a lot. Walking down the hall at work, cooking dinner, doing chores around the house...it's an earworm, but in a good way. I thought this performance from Canadian Nationals was their best one. I want to get out there and dance with them! We need to have a disco night at the rink! šµBurn baby burn! š„š„š„ Disco Inferno!šµ
On that note, there is another Canadian dance duo that made their return to competition this season:
Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir (CAN)- Short Dance: Prince Medley
This is the first appearance of a Prince program in this post. This is another development I enjoy. I also loved watching this short dance because it brought out a different side for Tessa and Scott. Most of their programs are quite dramatic and emotional, and this program brought out a sassy side. This dance also showcases why they are the top in the world. They make this look so easy!
As I mentioned before, I was all about the short dances this season. However, there was one free dance I really enjoyed. Here it is:
Gabriella Papadakis and Guillame Cizeron (FRA)- Free Dance: "Stillness"
This one stood out to me as a beautiful program, and they had interesting positions that no one else was doing. These costumes are absolutely beautiful too. I love this team's flow and emotion in their dances.
Now on to some notable exhibitions:
Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani (USA)- Exhibition: "Do You Remember"
In this performance, we see a completely different side of the Shib Sibs. This program was choreographed by Stephane Lambiel, and as we have established, Stephane is awesome. This program definitely has the flair he is known for. The music has this really cool groove to it, and their dance complements it well.
Madison Chock and Evan Bates (USA)- Exhibition: "Everybody's Free To Wear Sunscreen"
A little anecdote on this one...this song came out the year I graduated from high school. My first thought on this was "What the hell? This is weird". Then the song grew on me and I came to appreciate its sage wisdom. I felt the same way watching this dance. Overall, it was an interesting and new idea. It had to be challenging to dance to something without a defined rhythm for most of the song.
Alrighty, y'all. This is the first of at least 3 installments on the 2016/2017 season. I'm working diligently to bang these out before Worlds starts! Hope everyone enjoys this!
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