Desparately seeking MINTO reviews!

[Polish]

Patiently waiting for some kind soul to post Minto reviews. Especially SENIOR DANCE!

[Blair]

I can't give you a review of Senior Dance, I can only give you partial reviews of Senior Men and Ladies. There were just way too many Senior ladies to endure, so I didn't watch all of them.


In the Ladies Short, Annie Bellmare won her flight with only a clean 2axel. She fell on the lutz (huge!) and doubled the flip. She's skating to last year's program to the Piano. Very nice. No noticable improvement in her other elements.

Marianne Dubuc came in second with a superior skate IMO. She did her lutz beautifully, then a 3turn, then her 2toe for the combo. I don't remember her flip...but she wiped out on the 2axel. She was skating to a new short to elegant music, wearing a mauve-fushia dress with beading around the top.

Lauren Wilson missed both her 3jump elements and landed only her 2axel. She's a nice skater, but still lacking a bit of power. She wore a very pretty turqoise dress.

The rest of the ladies went downhill from there if you can believe it. Some attempted lutzes, but mostly easier triples were attempted and missed. I didn't watch the other flight of senior ladies, as I was getting depressed :-P


The men's short was won by Shawn Sawyer, who is doing a middle eastern theme and attemptiong a quad toe (!) combination. He doubled the quad and did a triple on the end for his combo. He landed a two footed 3axel and a clean 3lutz from footwork. Good program. I thought he deserved to win.

Nicholas Young came in second with a bit bizarre themed program. It's generic masculine music with "trying-to-be-intense" choreagraphy. I didn't think he pulled it off. He tried the quad toe for his combo but broke out a bit soon and badly 2footed the attempt. He also tried the 3axel, but only did a double if I remember correctly, but managed the 3lutz.

Neil Wilson (GBR) came in thrid skating to Winter by Bond. Good program with nice footwork - not at all like Yagudin. He's made the program his own. He attempted the 3axel, but missed. He also missed his 3loop from steps. He did land his 3flip conbo. The spins were awesome!!! He got the crowd going. The conbo spin at the end of the program has some really cool variations in it. He was my fave that night.


Annie Bellemare won her flight for the ladies long program. She landed a 3toe and a 2axel...that's it. I don't remember her landing anything else. Her new long is to Gershwin music...I think almost entirely from Crazy for You. She's wearing a canary yellow dress with a couple of flowers. The whole program seems very Josee Chouinard-esque. It's a good program, but I prefer her long from last year to Ballet Egyptien.

(I didn't see LAuren Wilson)

(I didn't see Marie-Andree Rioux)

Marie-Luc Jodoin was good landing a couple of solid 2axels and a 3toe. Her jumping style of very powerful, and she has good flow and presence on the ice.


Marianne Dubuc won her flight. She's skating the Rondo Capriciosso again this year, and it's looking much better than last year! She's obviously not gifted in the artistic part of skating, but clearly works very hard to make up for her deficiencies, and that was noticiable over last year. I can't remember every jump element, but she landed a 3flip, a 3lutz at the end of the program and a 3toe. I don't think she landed anything else.

My biggest surprise came from this young lady. Shannique Ollivier-Lake came in second with a surprisingly mature program with intricate choreagraphy. She landed a gorgeous 3lutz and a gorgeous 3toe. She didn't land a thing in warm-up!!!! I think she has potential.

(I don't remember the rest of this flight)


The mens long was good. Fedor Andreev won the long skating to last year's Friebird with the same hideous costume. She missed his opening 3axel, but then landed everything else. He had a second 3axel planned and landed it. Maybe things are turning around for Fedor?

Shawn Sawyer came in second, but I missed him

Nicholas young in third, I missed

Keegan Murphy came in 4th and was skating to a medley of Led Zepplin and Rolling Stones, and other bands. He had a great skate, but didn't do his 3axel. He landed nearly everything and had great speed and superior landing position on his jumps.

Neil Wilson came in 5th with awesome spins again. He's skating to a more standard classical music for his long. I couldn't identify it. Again, jumps were a problem, but managed his 3flip without difficulty. His closing spin freaked everyone out again.


That's all I remember for now. If you have any specific questions, I might be able to jog my memory.

Blair

[NAdancefan]

Did anyone see any of the dance? I'm particularly interested in hearing about the new OD and FD of Flynn & Gislason, and also about some of the Junior teams - Karam & McGrath, Nino & Poje and Piperno & Dougherty, specifically.

[GEM21]

Thanks for the review Blair!!

Does anyone know how Jessica Dubé and Cynthia Phaneuf skated? What about Dubé/Tétrault?

Thanks!!
Laura

[shutterbug]

No review, but the Senior & Junior Free Dance results are up on the Minto site. Flynn & Gisalason 1st in the Senior event :D and Piperno & Dougherty 1st in Junior.

[Polish]

Anyone know what Flynn & Gislason's OD and freedance music is this year?

[Catherine M]

[quote:a4506fd74d="Polish"]Anyone know what Flynn & Gislason's OD and freedance music is this year?[/quote:a4506fd74d]

I don't know what the actual music is for the freedance but I've heard it described as "slow" and "exactly like their programs from the past".

Now I love their style but I really wish they would start pushing themselves to try other things. I guess since they are doing double duty, with Jr international events and skating seniors at nationals, this wasn't the time to try something "new".


A team that got some notice in senior dance, from what I hear, was Julie MacDonald and Mark Bradshaw. I loved Mark with his previous partner so I was very happy to hear this. Here's hoping they get monitored for any senior B international assignments that might be still available.

Catherine

[Catherine M]

[quote:4424bfaa3d="NAdancefan"]Did anyone see any of the dance? I'm particularly interested in hearing about the new OD and FD of Flynn & Gislason, and also about some of the Junior teams - Karam & McGrath, Nino & Poje and Piperno & Dougherty, specifically.[/quote:4424bfaa3d]

Don't know about K&Mc but Nino & Poje's freedance is to a blues piece and Piperno & Dougherty wowed the crowd (according to my friend) with a freeskate to the Roxanne Tango from "Moulin Rouge". I personally think P&D have great personality on the ice so hopefully this freedance works well for them.


Catherine

[shutterbug]

[b:0e1027d050]Catherine M wrote:[/b:0e1027d050]

[quote:0e1027d050]I don't know what the actual music is for the freedance but I've heard it described as "slow" and "exactly like their programs from the past".

Now I love their style but I really wish they would start pushing themselves to try other things. I guess since they are doing double duty, with Jr international events and skating seniors at nationals, this wasn't the time to try something "new". [/quote:0e1027d050]

Well, that's odd. :?: After Canadians last year Leif specifically said they realized it was a mistake to do similar programs two years in a row and that they planned to do something completely different for their FD this season. I'm wondering if they're using last season's FD for the Senior events and have a new FD for the JGP comps? Does anyone know what the time difference is between Junior and Senior FD's?

[Erin F]

[quote:30be20992e="shutterbug"]
Does anyone know what the time difference is between Junior and Senior FD's?[/quote:30be20992e]

Last year it was one minute, but I believe the rules changed at the most recent ISU Congress to make the junior free dance 3:30, which would make the difference 30 seconds now.

[carsmom]

I am not at all sure on this, but I think Josee may have had something to do with Annie's long program. She may have done the choreography. She watched the program with great interest and a lot of feedback to Annie's coaches.

I may be wrong. I'll try and post more later.

[Polish]

[quote:7c9ac1d15d="shutterbug"][b:7c9ac1d15d]wrote:[/b:7c9ac1d15d]


Well, that's odd. :?: After Canadians last year Leif specifically said they realized it was a mistake to do similar programs two years in a row and that they planned to do something completely different for their FD this season. I'm wondering if they're using last season's FD for the Senior events and have a new FD for the JGP comps? Does anyone know what the time difference is between Junior and Senior FD's? [/quote:7c9ac1d15d]

I remember Leif saying that too.

The soft, edgy, flowy stuff suits them and plays to their good chemistry on the ice but I would like to see a different style. Maybe next year!

[b2tfuture]

Cynthia Phaneuf did skate. Though I did not see her I know she placed first in the short and probably the long as well. She won the "Don Jackson" award which is awarded to the skater who not necessary finishes first, but who gives it their all and does not give up.


:)

[Isabelle]

Yes, I have heard Flynn/Gislason's free dance music, and it is slow and quite like what they've done the last couple years. If I remember correctly it's a piano thing....

As for the time difference between Senior and Junior FDs, it is still a minute. I think they are changing the rules for NEXT year.

[Catherine M]

I know a little bit more about some of the music used in the jr & sr dance events.

Jr od:

Nino & Poje: Waltz from the "Nutcracker" and ????; my friend can't remember their second selection

Piperno & Dougherty: Waltz from the "King & I" (Shall we dance) and a March from the "King & I" (March of the King's children)

jr freedances:

P&D: Roxanne Tango from "Moulin Rouge"
N&P: Blues Piece

Karam & MacGrath: Gypsy themed program

Charpentier & Pelletier: Selections from Bond; my friend was pretty sure it was Bond

Senf & Hallam: Selections from Edith Piaf

Virtue & Moir: Latin/Caribbean

sr freedances:

MacDonald & Bradshaw: Crouching Tiger/Hidden Dragon and that piece of music that was used by Skate Canada all last season when they played that highlight video at events

Longpre & Shae Z: Blues/Guitar piece

Perreaults: Angel/Devil piece that A&B used a couple of season's ago


Catherine

[Tony Wheeler]

I can help you out with Nino/Poje's music

OD is a waltz/polka both from the Nutracker
FD starts with Creole Love Call from the Cotton Club (Gusmeroli 01 SP), and then changes to a blues piece called Shame, Shame

[Smiley]

Cynthia Phaneuf finished 1st in junior ladies long and 3rd in senior ladies short, behind Meghan Duhamel and Ashton Tessier