October 3
WHAT TO WATCH
1. Kaitlin Hawayek and Jean-Luc Baker, Autumn Classic International short dance (Feeling Good/How I Feel) (LINK)
Their free dance to the newly-popular Liebestraum is a lovely program in the Camerlengo lyrical mode, but it’s the hip hop short dance that shows a new side for this couple. Their blues pattern, too, is especially strong.
2. Julianne Seguin and Charlie Bilodeau, Autumn Classic International short program (Skokiaan) (LINK)
It’s another hit for Seguin and Bilodeau from the Shae + Shae Choreo Factory, and while this week’s set of performances showed their tremendous capacities as a pair, the Louis Armstrong short also highlights their dancier qualities.
3. Hannah Whitley and Elliott Graham, JGP Tallinn Cup free dance (x) (LINK)
The choreographic detail and complexity of this Bollywood remain impressive, as does the team’s ability to maintain its character throughout despite very little breathing room.
4. Haven Denney and Brandon Frazier, Ondrej Nepela Memorial long program (Somewhere in Time) (LINK)
Not quite as effective as its debut at Skate Detroit, but three events in, this free remains a great demonstration of what the lyrical pairs program can be; more than just use of romantic music and expression, movement throughout really recognizes and highlights the nuance within that music.
5. Chelsea Liu and Brian Johnson, JGP Tallinn Cup short program (The Way You Make Me Feel/Black and White) (LINK)
TFTI, however, also likes a non-traditional pairs program, and Liu and Johnson’s Michael Jackson short nicely integrates music and choreography — both elemental and transitional — with a layout you don’t see often including an opening death spiral.
THE TFTI BONUS
From my June 2015 interview with choreographer Pasquale Camerlengo for Dance International’s feature on ice dance choreography, with the extra material soon to comprise its own profile on Two for the Ice/Moving in Measure. The topic? An interesting little insight into the potential pitfalls of program selection among training mates:
“Sometimes it can even be [two teams] having the same idea, and they want to do exactly the same thing because the two teams are similar and it can become a little bit harder. Which means you make a choice — to who goes this or that?” — Pasquale Camerlengo, June 2015
October 10
WHAT TO WATCH
1. Rachel and Michael Parsons, JGP Pokal der Blauen Schwerter free dance (Singing in the Rain) (LINK)
Not a season’s best, but a strong enough performance of their contemporary-driven free to a song by indie artist Sophia Sin to notch another JGP victory and trip to the Final.
2. Evelyn Walsh and Trennt Michaud, JGP Pokal der Blauen Schwerter long program (Rise Up) (LINK)
A good skate for a very new team — Michaud only split from partner Allison Eby after July’s Skate Detroit, while Walsh comes to pairs as a singles skater — to finish an impressive fifth in this event’s field of 17.
3. Madison Hubbell and Zach Donohue, Finlandia Trophy free dance (I Wanna Dance With Somebody/Can’t Help Falling in Love/Earned It) (LINK)
It was a tough week for our Finlandia skaters, but a nice performance regardless for Hubbell and the ailing Donohue.
October 17
THE TFTI BONUS
A quick look at Skate America By the Numbers:
Times held in the greater Chicago area: 2
Hoffman Estates debuted as a host in 2014
Number of Grand Prix medals distributed across pairs field: 8
Tarasova/Morozov = 3; Seguin/Bilodeau = 2; Astakhova/Rogonov, Denney/Frazier, James/Cipres = 1
Number of Grand Prix medals distributed across dance field: 28
Shibutani/Shibutani = 11; Bobrova/Soloviev = 10; Hubbell/Donohue = 5; Ilinykh/Zhiganshin = 2
Teams making Grand Prix debuts: 3
In dance, Tobias/Tkachenko, Min/Gamelin and Pogrebinsky/Benoit. All pairs have previously competed on the GP.
Highest and lowest personal best totals among pairs:
208.30 (Seguin/Bilodeau, 2016 Autumn Classic International);
175.08 (Castelli/Tran, 2016 Four Continents Championships)
Highest and lowest personal best totals among dance teams:
188.43 (Shibutani/Shibutani, 2016 World Championships);
139.26 (Min/Gamelin, 2016 Nebelhorn Trophy)
October 24
WHAT TO WATCH
1. Maia and Alex Shibutani, Skate America free dance (Spiegel im Spiegel) (LINK)
Lyrical and intricate, the Shibutanis’ “Evolution” free dance doesn’t necessarily highlight a new direction for the team, but does shine a spotlight on pure skating ability and ease with complexity, a refreshing emphasis.
2. Julianne Seguin and Charlie Bilodeau, Skate America long program (Cinema Paradiso) (LINK)
Though their Louis Armstrong short demonstrates more of their unique performance qualities, a terrific skate of this lyrical long program well earned them their first major senior title.
3. Haven Denney and Brandon Frazier, Skate America long program (LINK)
A season lost to injury, a year-long recovery process — and it was nothing doing for Denney and Frazier to seize the moment here with two solid skates, picking up their second career Grand Prix silver.
4. Tarah Kayne and Danny O’Shea, Skate America long program (Song of India/Marche Slave) (LINK)
It’s been a tough start to the season for Kayne and O’Shea, with injury for her contributing to a few difficult outings at Finlandia Trophy and in the Skate America short. But after one glitch here, the pair were far better able to showcase the choreographic potential in this number choreographed in part by Judy Blumberg — and further able to pick up the night’s third-best score in the segment.
BONUS: Maia and Alex Shibutani, Skate America exhibition (Do You Remember) (LINK)
In 2014-15, the Shibutanis unveiled a wildly successful exhibition, choreographed by Peter Tchernyshev, to Coldplay’s “O,” a thoughtful contemporary number that led into the following season’s wildly successful free dance, choreographed by Peter Tchernyshev, to Coldplay’s “Fix You” and “The Scientist.” Last season’s exhibition moved in a more classical lyrical direction, “Clair de Lune” scoring a number reportedly choreographed by the siblings themselves — laying the groundwork, as it’s turned out, for a subtly intricate classical free. So what might this edgy modern number by Stephane Lambiel foretell for next year’s Olympic season?
THE TFTI BONUS
A quick look at Skate Canada International By the Numbers:
Years event has been held: 43
Debuted in 1973, though not held in 1979. Previously held in Mississauga in 2000, 2003 and 2011.
Number of Grand Prix medals distributed across pairs field (including GPF): 33
Kavaguti/Smirnov = 19; Duhamel/Radford = 12; Denney/Frazier = 2
Number of Grand Prix medals distributed across dance field (including GPF): 43
Virtue/Moir = 15; Cappellini/Lanotte = 13; Chock/Bates = 8; Gilles/Poirier = 4; Stepanova/Bukin = 2; Hawayek/Baker = 1
Teams making Grand Prix debuts: 2
In dance, Torn/Partanen, and in pairs, Yu/Zhang.
Highest and lowest personal best totals among pairs:
231.99 (Duhamel/Radford, 2016 World Championships);
155.48 (Jones/Reagan, 2016 U.S. International Figure Skating Classic)
Highest and lowest personal best totals among dance teams:
190.99 (Virtue/Moir, 2014 Winter Olympics);
142.31 (Wang/Liu, 2015 World Team Trophy)