Olympics 2006
Original Dance
It is very weird to sit here and review an original dance, knowing what has taken place, or certainly the major incidents… I’m even tempted to put the heading Fallapolooza for the thread heading on FSU, but that would be in bad taste. Mind you, so are some of the costumes, so I would certainly be in good company.
Nora Hoffman & Attila Elek HUN
She’s in bright orange dress with no sleeves and gloves that my TV likes not the colour of, he’s in black pants and shirt with sparkles on the middle… rumba and cha cha cha… oh my, I’m going to love this group of dances… shimmy to music used in some sort of ad over this side of the pond, as she goes under his leg… twizzles in the straight line step… good unison… though not great on those twizzles nearer the end and he definitely fell off his though Chris said no problems there… rotational lift where she leans back in his arms with skate to head… music change and into the dance spin… seems a little slow, but well centred, and Chris says good momentum… him in besti, her leaning back sitting on his hips, nice lift there… move where he hydroblades, she does splits against him… steps now to faster music… seems good use of edges… they’re certainly keeping it going anyway…very far apart on those turns… done right on the music, with her doing the splits. Simon talks up the night of skating ahead, says not a lot of people agree with Italians being in the lead… certainly Himself will never forget the look on my face on Friday night when we came home from a romantic dinner and I checked the result on the Teletext… then ran to the computer to find out what the hell happened! On the replays, Chris notices the stumble in the twizzles, loves the besti lift, talks about it not being an original dance any more, is more like prescribed program, they’ve taken the creativity out of it…
Marks TE 23.74 PCS 20.30 for 44.04 and they’re sixth in the OD and overall.
Sinéad & John Kerr GBR
As the lads wave Union Jacks, she’s in a sparkly blue dress with no back and a halter neck, very little waist to be honest… he’s all in black, showing off so much chest that I can just see his mammy ringing him to tell him to cover up before he catches a cold… swing her down and under and through legs… and to the boards, midline step… good unison, and john loses it on the twizzles gets second pass better, and it went end to end, no doubt… she slides around him holding his waist and does it again… and slide to stop with him dipping her low to the ice…slower now, lift with him in squat on two feet and she’s lying back, then he keeps position as she turns around… very nice. Step seq… and I like this… out of synch on those twizzles, but then were they meant to be done in opposition? He knee turns on the ice, and into dance spin… gets slower as it goes… music changes , there’s a samba roll in there, good turning steps, lift with her almost horizontal to the ice, and rotational, and they’re done and I loved that. Dicey moment at end of steps says Simon, Chris wonders if they attacked it too much, lost the unison… loads of energy, fast across the ice, MamaNicky greets them as they come off… we see the straight line step, and they went about half the ice length on one foot. We see the lift with the turn again… Simon calls it a Chris Dean move… well centred spin, good positions… rotational one handed lift…
Marks TE 26.03 PCS 24.25 for 50.28 and the lead, with 81.86 overall. Sinéad seems to say stop it now, i.e. the competition, so we know she looks at Eurosport…
Anastasia Grebenkina & Vasgen Azrojan ARM
She’s in bright orange/tangerine dress with no back and masses of Pasha Grischuk curls, he’s all in black with sparkly grey netting under arms and in centre… samba rumba samba… steps to begin, to get them to boards, kind of, for midline… good steps, good unison, slower than the Kerrs, but fitting the music well… he pulls her back as she shows off her extensions… of her leg, not to her hair… goes into lift where he’s in besti, she’s at chest level with leg wrapped around his neck… out of that, diagonal steps… oppositional twizzles… very open in the dance hold… he dips her back… and pose as she shimmies and the music changes while she spins in one spot, and then into dance spin, which travels, and gets no better on change of foot… rotational lift where she’s in splits with leg on his shoulder, and stop. Crowd liked it, Simon says they lost co-ordination on the end of the steps, Chris says not the level of difficulty of Kerrs, breaks out the “what they did, they did well.” Here and there, alignment of free leg and arms not all it should have been… he thinks it’s the best he’s seen them skate.
Marks TE 24.59 PCS 19.24 for 43.83 and 68.11, ninth on OD and overall at this point.
Gwendal with the Kerrs… G asks her did J do an extra turn or did you miss one? She says he did extra, said to himself at the start that he mustn’t, and he did it, but it didn’t put them off, so not too bad. J says he did same thing at Euros, did three and a half in practice, then here did the same thing, four and a half…more practice for him! She says she enjoyed this more than comp, really felt the audience, felt they enjoyed their performances, so they were happy.
Nozomi Watanabe & Aikuke Kido JPN
She was 35 yesterday? Seriously? Cha-cha, rumba, samba… he’s in white trousers, and jacket/shirt of fluorescent pink and yellow, her dress is fluorescent pink and yellow, with flowers on the chest, and it makes my eyes hurt… start of miles away from one another, he knee slides to her, and they got into twizzles in midline step.. very far apart, out of time on the twizzles, and his trousers are appalling. Music changes as they pose and shimmy a little, now into steps that have nice glide, including move where she leans into him and slides, spinning steps where she’s kneeling as he pulls her through, lift with him in squat, her leaning back and away from him, good speed… and into dance spin, okish speed, good position… and stop, change music… steps sequence… kinda slow and I mutter to myself that much like Darren Gough, some people should not samba… twizzles are out of synch, then lift with him in hydroblade position, she’s lying back on his thigh with skate blade held, and out of that, turn a little, and they’re done. A Linichuk pair… Chris says was limited as far as tech content, thinks they’ve hit brick wall, not going anywhere, not getting better, pushing themselves, he thinks they could… changes of hold in diag seq could be better, he marks travel on the spins, back spin was better. I see the hydroblade lift, I mutter point your foot woman!
Marks TE 25.67 PCS 20.92 and he nods for 46.59 and that gives them 74.54 and fifth overall and on the night.
Galit Chait & Sergei Sakhnovski ISR
She’s in white sparkles and pink on the chest, and dear God in heaven above, how many swans did she have to kill to make that skirt??? He’s all in white on the top, brown pants. She fell in the comp, cha cha rumba samba… she’s had an accident with the blusher as well, and he strikes a rather unfortunate facial expression for his opening pose; the last time I saw a mouth going like that, it was me at the orthodontist as he prepared to take dental imprints… apparently, the crowd gasped when they saw it on big screen… steps to begin, and very fast and sharp…midline step, good speed and unison, and lots on one foot… twizzles are ok, second pass I think a little better, and it went end to end. He twirls her as she’s got one knee on the ice…change music, twirl her on her toe pick… slower section now, steps in dance hold and he’s spinning her for all he’s worth… into dance spin… think it’s travelling a little but good speed, but did they change foot?… she does biellman horizontally as he does forward shoot the duck… that’s great. Steps, with good deep edges… faster now, arms a waving…and Galit a spinning… a rotational lift that’s really fast with her braceletted around him, and they’re done with her doing the splits and losing some of her feathers… the lads are raving about that, esp the rotational lift… and ending right on cue. Chris confirms that dance spin was all on one foot… talks about the fall n the comp, was on the end of section two and the momentum from it carried through… and I see on slo mos that she was losing feathers right the way through that… Zhulin greeted them as they came off…
Marks TE 28.17 PCS 27.48 for 55.65 and the lead… 86.72. in the lead on the night and overall.
Israelis with Gwendal… she says was first time she fell in 11 years, but it’s Olympics and things happen. She learned a lesson that you can’t be too relaxed, have to make sure. Tomorrow another day, she thinks they’ll move up, tomorrow another day. S says that that was good skating, that Galit was nervous, and they’ll do well tomorrow… she says that she had long wait to skate in that group, but what can you do?
Margarita Drobiazko & Povilas Vanagas LTU
Red dress for her, off the shoulder, sparkles on the front for gappy effect. He’s mostly in black…with deep V in the chest… samba rumba cha-cha… fast sharp dancing steps to begin, lots of turns and flails into steps seq on midline… good unison, off in the twizzles though, second set way better. Dance spin, with her with skate to the head… and dance spin where I lament his sit spin position… slow music now, she leans back over his thigh after steps, he goes under her leg after more… upside down lift with him forwards on one foot, her holding her skate towards her head as fast as she can, twizzles in steps are off a little, but Chris praises transition from lift to diag step, she falls off twizzles in it… and music changes, steppy steps… and oh! She lost her footing and took him down too…. And jump lift where she’s going the splits and he spins and that was really fast and they’re done… and oh the look on her face. I knew it was coming and it still took me by surprise! The lads sing the what a shame song, and Pov put in hop on the change of foot in the spin… she dropped right shoulder on twizzles on end of step seq… we see the fall again, looked as if she just caught her toe pick, and down he went… got caught on back turn says Chris, weight too far forward, and he holding her so down he went…
Marks TE 28.81 PCS 26.98 second place, ded of 3.00 52.79 for 88.02 and second on the OD and first overall.
Oksana Domnina & Maxim Shabalin RUS
He’s in blue trousers with sparkles on the sides, and white shirt. She’s in a really lovely dress of almost tie dyed effect, pink and red and white… rumba and salsa… and there be tassels on the dress, hello Proud Oksana… she shows her amazing leg extension in a split as he turns her… twizzles and that dress show off the speed and turns… and more twizzles in a very slow midline step… but it fits with the music, and it’s wowed Chris… lift with him in besti, her kneeling on his hip, other leg over his shoulder… and glide backways, and now into dance steps, nice steps these, she really does have amazing flexibility… music changes now, faster… into dance spin that has great entry… thought he was going to knock her over! Out of that and into steps, diagonal step is really great, lots of changes of hold and speed… rotational lift with her in horizontal biellman as he spins, and she turns like a top as he sets her down and they’re finished. Simon touts them for Olympic champions in 2010… Chris says by far and away best we’ve had so far and I’d agree with that… Simon says for sure they’re leading, Chris tempers that with he hopes the judges go with it…
Marks TE 26.66 PCS 25.70 third best on the night 52.46 and 85.73 and I don’t understand that. The Lithuanians fell for God’s sake!
Elena Grushina and Ruslan Goncharov UKR
She’s in fluorescent pink dress with large chunks of it missing, he in matching shirt with black trousers, much material of his shirt also missing, particularly around the chest area… samba rumba samba… loads of attitude to begin… running little steps… crowd are right into it… to the boards, midline step… good unison , and on the twizzles… and it goes from end to end… steps around now, and really using the music… into lift with him in two footed glide and she’s leaning back, though not right the way… dance spin with him in sit, her in biellman, and then change foot, him in sit, her with bent leg camel… steps around and into the diagonal step, seems to have lost a little speed there, and was that stumble from him near end? Rotational lift with her leaning back in biellman and they finish with her in the splits, him standing over her. Chris says tech was good, perhaps a little slow through steps seq, she sold it as well as she always does, he repeats his query about the lack of speed in some places, Morozov greets them off…
Marks TE 29.22 PCS 30.07 and 59.29 and 96.68. Simon a little mystified, says it’s subjective. And if I write my opinions on that sentence, I’ll never get this finished!
Gwendal with Rita and Pov… he says he yelled when he saw it, something that never happens. R says they didn’t warm up because all the couples were going right to them, tried step seq, skated first, and not on clean ice, so everything together came to mistake in the end. Asked P what to expect? He says to skate good tomorrow without falling (laughs) and to relax more than today.
Delobel and Schoenfelder FRA
She’s in yellow dress, he in white shirt and trousers with a yellow headband. Because that doesn’t clash with his hair at all. There is not much back to her dress. There is even less front to her dress. Mambo and rumba the music. Start facing one another on one knee, leaning away from one another… steps and runs to begin… and really hard changes of hold there… to the boards, midline step… twizzles are good and close together as are the second pass… and another little set, and that was great… slow part now, lift with him in besti, her lying back perpendicular across his thigh… Chris says fantastic control and it was wow. He remarks on depth of edges because of knee bend as they do diagonal step… into the dance spin…. Bit of travel… and no change foot. Music speeds again as they do quick steps… really selling this now, her facing him in splits as he turns really quickly… and steps to finish, both kneeling on ice and leaning away from one another, and that was great. Really like these two… Simon felt not the right rhythm for these two, not really interp the beat for him… Chris thought it was really good, as did I! He praises their smooth technical skating, get the most out of the skate, use the rocker…
Marks TE 28.91 PCS 29.43 for second place and 58.34 and 94.78 overall.
Albena Denkova & Maxim Staviyski BUL
She’s in that orange/tangerine/pink colour that’s so popular this year… he’s in black, with a very deep dent on the chest, and sparkles the colour of her dress, and holy moly he’s showing the chest. Oh how cute, they’ve got almost matching haircuts. Midline step to begin… twizzles are blindingly fast and the first pass really well timed, second not so much but get it back… really liked that step… music changes… slower part now… and him in spread eagle, holding her behind him as she leans back and glides, nice… diagonal step… really liking this… lift where she’s upside down with her arms around his neck and he’s to no hands… and she lost it going into the spin… but they get it back… and music speeds again, arms flail… and steps including bestis and glides and dips and spins… rotational lift with him holding her by one arm as she swings head towards the ice, and ending pose. Oooh I really liked that, such a shame about the mistake on the spin… Chris saw 3 moments there, his twizzles at the beginning, lost synch there; combo spin a disaster; speed in R lift didn’t keep going. Says twizzles didn’t look as bad in the slo mos; I thought they looked worse! S&C have an argument over the need for slo-mo, Simon for, Chris against. Chris thinks these two were hard done by in the comps…Linichuk there…
Marks TE 26.62 PCS 29.23 there are boos 55.85 and 93.50 and third on the OD and overall.
Marie-France Dubreuil & Patrice Lauzon CAN
Lovely cream dress for her, with high neck and flesh net on the middle, and she looks fabulous. He’s in dark colours, and my stomach is sick because I know what’s going to happen… his cuffs and the middle of his shirt had matching her dress… oh gawd, you see what I put myself through for you people?? Salsa and rumba… nice opening moves, and she can shimmy! Such good unison and straight line step… twizzles are close together and fast…and Simon comments on the synch… oh so good. Turning steps now to centre ice, and pose… really creating a mood here… move like Ina Bauer but not quite,… lift with him in one foot going forwards and she’s right up there in the air… Chris goes oh yes… he dips and spins her… and into dance spin… lovely position from her and great speed, and change foot to sit-ish spins facing one another, music speeds, she spins and he kneels before her… steps around… and lovely deep edges… really good steps on the diagonal… and lift and spin her with one arm and he drops her as he spins her and I actually screamed and stopped typing until the program was finished because I knew it was a bad fall but I thought it was on steps, I had no idea it was in a lift. Christ. And she doubled over right away, and she can’t stand… oh no… oh and they were going so well… and look at her gritting her teeth… she can’t curtsey… she says she can’t walk and he lifts her and carries her to kiss and cry… we see it in slow motion and she just couldn’t keep the hold… oh god… I could cry…
Marks TE 27.47 PCS 28.89 ded of 2.00 and 54.36 for 91.80, fifth on night and fourth overall.
Federica Faella and Massimo Scali ITA
She in bright yellow dress with halter neck and no back, he in black, with yellow panel on front and back, cha-cha, rumba and samba the music… she has many raggy tassels on her skirt… steps to the boards… and down the ice, for not midline but steps nonetheless, and midline now with good steps and unison… but not there… and not there either, those both twizzle passes, better at the ones at the end of the rink. Slide to stop… music changes… slow part now, she slides between his legs and turns there while hanging onto him… lift form the back, him in besti, her holding her skate blade, very nice. Dance spin, good speed, sit to upright, change foot and he does Y spin that’s really excellent… music speeds now, and plenty of flailing, now steps along diagonal, and she stumbles in the steps and pulls him down…. Chris can’t believe it and neither can I, but they keep on going, and more steps now, rotational lift with her in splits to start then change position and out of that and ending pose. And she can’t believe it… crowd love it… Chris says Massy looked like his weight wasn’t over the skate before the fall, so it was on the cards… yeah, she caught her foot, side of hers brushed his, Simon says, and down they both went, took them a long time to get to program as well…
Marks TE 21.92 PCS 24.33 ded of 3 for 43.25 and 76.45, twelfth at the moment, eighteenth thus far on the night. There be whistles.
Tatiana Navka & Roman Kostomarov RUS
Him in black shirt and pants with blue sparkles, she in blue leopard print with matching headband… cha-cha, rumba, samba… long hold of start pose… good steps and good speed, really sharp... midline step to begin… and he out of synch on twizzles… seocncd set near the end better, and they go off again on second pass of those… setps now, and still lots of speed… really selling it well… slow part now. Into dance spin, well centred… change foot and position, bit of travel but nothing huge… lunge slide back… diagonal step… lift with him in besti, she holds skate blade to head… or maybe this the diagonal step… twizzles are good… glide… and running steps… twirl her under the arm… samba roll… and rotational lift with her tucked up and him holding her by one arm, finish dead on the music, and that was great. Lord knows, I am not a fan, but that was great. Chris can’t say enough good things about them… he thinks it was better than at Euros, which could be crucial here… I tend to agree… (and certainly on Monday night, in the free, I did too. Sidebar, ain’t it funny to be going back in time like this?) We see Tatiana praying before the dance… and the midline we see the part where they were really good in unison…
Marks TE 30.39 PCS 30.68 for 61.07, they lead on the night and overall. 99.27.
Barbara Fusar-Poli & Maurizio Margaglio
She in backless dress of pinks and greens
and flowers, he in black pants, shirt has dots on it…Simon has just said
N&K left door open for them… and listen to the roar as they come out… they
lead after compulsories… they take their time… there is a whacking great flower
on the left side of his chest…cha-cha rumba samba… start with her knee on his
back… oh I’m not saying a thing… steps on the spot, now they’re off… midline
steps… twizzles aren’t so bad, except for second set, and the second set of
those, and you can see her keeping good eye on him… not saying that either… and
slide to stop… slower part now… she kicks over his head… another self edit… she
leans back in his arms and glides… lift with him in squat and her facing him…
into the dance spin, he needs to point his toe and stop travelling, sit to
upright but no change foot… and music speeds now, as they sell for all they are
worth… diagonal step… they’re miles apart, and some dodgy moments here… she’s
doing most of the work… and lift and down they go! And only up and done again…
and she doesn’t know what happened! And they just standing looking at one
another, hands on hips… oh my god the look on her face… Simon says you sense a
little bit of recrimination… yes, little, like
Marks TE 24.33 PCS 29.40 ded of 2, for 51.73 and 90.51, 9 on the OD and 6 overall…
Belbin & Agosto
She in red dress, with cut outs on the sides, he’s all in black. There are sparkles on her dress… and some kind of net design on his sleeves… steps and spins to begin, loads of speed and flow…. Diagonal step with twizzles that are great… and right from end to end… music changes with glide from them… slower now, and she does the splits… steps, really picking character of music, good edges, and into lift with drop change of position… dance spin with her in lovely layback position change foot with her in bent leg camel, but of travel there… midline step starts with lean back and kick and little shimmies… good footwork… turns great... twizzles he comes out before she does, second set are better. Rotational lift with her leg on his shoulder and then out of that, and down, and she spins in front of him and they’re done, with her leaning back, leg on his shoulder. I enjoyed that. Chris loved it, nice and fast, beautiful control, says they skated it as a team, and there’s been very little of that tonight… Simon says only a minute ago, the Italians left and for the whole time that B&A were skating, Babs had her head in her hands… we see the lift at the end, good change of position…
Marks TE 30.54 PCS 29.99 for second place, 60.53 and 97.89 and they’re happy with that.
We see Roman waving to camera… Tatiana hugging someone that I can’t see, Russian girl by the tracksuit top… dark hair. And shot of the ice rink as the lads marvel…