If You Sold Your Soul, Would You Resemble Totmianina and Marinin?

[Peter G]

Has a more lifeless, soul-less couple ever set foot on ice?? I constantly find them INCREDIBLY boring. My attention always drifts away from their skating, whether it be on TV, or live. I have never seen them do a program that made me way to see it again.

Could it be that they have sold their souls, and are now able to consistently perform everything technically required of them, yet do it as lifelessly and as void of any humanness as is possible?

Has anyone "in the know" heard of any deals that they've made??

[Justine_R]

Ummm alls I can say is that there programs are boring , they are so lifeless.
They just drag them out with no smiles or anything and alls they do is perform the elements ,they never really put any effort into there skating!

They must be very boring people.

[Mel On Ice]

I do like the intro footwork in their short program this year. Other than that, I too find them boring. Hard to believe they are the legacy of the likes of G&G, Elena & Anton.

[Intensity20]

I agree completely, this is one boring couple. Give them time. If you look at old tapes of any of the Russian pairs they had already won a championship or even several before they unlocked their artistry with the help of a good choreographer and came into their own - case and points: Mishkutenoik and Dimitriev, Shishkova and Naumov and Bechke and Petrov.

[bleu]

actually, I think their problem is not souls but concentrating too much and not skating for the audience:

- their exhibitions are more crowd friendly. At least, I think they let their hair down so to speak during the gala but are sort of business-like or stoic when skating competitively.

I also think they skate for the sake of skating rather than skate for the people.

- I am not sure who to blame here...them or their coach. But you know what, each year, their music is getting better but they just can't relate to the crowd or even project some emotions or connect with the crowd. As a result, they are not selling the program to the crowd.

[cygnus]

They are hardly my favourites - but I did REALLY like their short last year, to the Peer Gynt music- lovely. I wonder what their new long will be like? Better than the current one, I hope.

[Aussie Willy]

I agree about their SP to Peer Gynt - I really liked it, but I thought their LP to the Cotton Club just did not do it for me - it was too mechanical. They are great technicians, but they definately need an Alexei like makeover after he moved to Tarasova. The choreography just did not work for that program because it look placed, contrived and not natural. Maybe they need to do something really modern with creative choreography. But I think the problem is with whoever is guiding them.

[essence_of_soy]

If I sold my soul to the ISU,
I'd want to at least look like Josee Chouinard.

Nick
(I'll get back in my box now)

[Justine_R]

I sometimes think that Jennifer Robinson gets quite boring.....but thats just me,I like fast skaters not slow ones.

[IgglesII]

I appreciate the presence of T/M -- mostly because they make Petrova & Tikhonov look like showstoppers, and those two I like.

[Justine_R]

They are still really boring though.
They make me tres fatigue:P

[evereg]

They remind of the pair who won the 96's Worlds. I don't remember their names, but I thought that they were really dull.

[shopper]

having just seen them live at skate canada.... boring boring boring..
she doesn't smile, she doesn't point her toes....
they are just two skaters doing things on the ice at the same time but somehow they don't connect with either other or the audience...
they are very technically talented...

[manleywoman]

Just wanted to add that I skate with them occasionally and they are very sweet, nice people. Sorry nobody here likes their skating.

:( :(

[Artemis]

I actually do like their skating ... sometimes. When they have music that suits them (like this year's and last year's SPs), they come out of their shells, at least somewhat. However their decision to repeat their Cotton Club from last year was a huge mistake, IMO -- it just doesn't fit them at all. A lot of Russian skaters have problems interpreting jazz-type music, and T&M seem to have more problems than most. The result is that they appear very wooden.

[Justine_R]

Originally posted by manleywoman
Just wanted to add that I skate with them occasionally and they are very sweet, nice people. Sorry nobody here likes their skating.

:( :(
You skate with them/???KOOL!

[babyballerina]

I like them. Especially their short last year (but slightly weird costumes I'll admit.) I've seen them at Euros a few times. At practise they posed for photos with the fans and they were nice.

[Nancy]

I've shared practice ice with them also and they really are nice. He's a little more outgoing than she is, but both seem friendly enough. It really is something to be on the ice close by when they land a side-by-side triple or do one of their lifts or throws. And talk about being able to stop on a dime if they have to!!!

[catija]

Originally posted by evereg
They remind of the pair who won the 96's Worlds. I don't remember their names, but I thought that they were really dull.

totally testing me but i hope this is right. marina etsova and andre bushkov? they were SOOOO BORING no conenction...hated their skating and not too attractive too (yes i no this shoudlnt' count but i like seeing pretty skaters);p

no more g&g...who will be the next one?

[skate talker]

Eltsova/Bushkov were both in the army and their partnership was like a posting. They never were able to display any enthusiasm or passion - they were all about power & precision. The ironic thing is that the year they won the gold medal they did not skate to their usual type of power program. They tried something softer that reeeeeaaallly didn't suit them - but those judges.

[muggie]

I also find T&M's skating to be incredibly cold and lifeless. They look like they hate to skate and only do it because they have the strength and technical ability. However....I saw them at many practices at last year's worlds, and I have to say that they related to each other very well. Lots of smiles, eye contact, watching each other. I suspect that their flat personalities during performances are a matter of "putting on their game face." (On a personal note, I think Maxim is absolutely beautiful, with shoulders to die for :lol: !!).

The funny thing is....I find Volchkova's skating to the same as T&M's skating. They both had the same coach last year, but I know that Volchkova has moved back to Russia. So perhaps it is a coaching issue. Time will tell.

[loveskating]

i often find them technically awesome.