Gabby Douglas gets a makeover and critics are still flipping out. Sheeeeeeeesh.
The Fierce Five become interns on The Colbert Report.
The line-up for the inaugural International Figure Skating Classic has been announced. It is a "Senior B" competition (ala Finlandia Trophy, Nebelhorn Trophy, etc) that will affect world rankings. Notable U.S. skaters include Gracie Gold, Agnes Zawadski, Ross Miner, and every announcer's nightmare - Lynn Kreingkrairut and Logan Guiletti-Schmitt.
In music news, Evgeni Plushenko is set to skate to "The Prophet" by Gary Moore for his short program. Screechy guitar + flailing arms = 9.75 interpretation score.
Agnes Zawadski will be skating to "Sex and the City 2" soundtrack. Expect a costume in lingerie.
So You Think You Can Dance and ice dance infusion? Why, yes. This season, a couple of the top ice dancers are turning to those famous in different dancing circles for their program's inspiration.
After Weaver & Poje's critically-acclaimed free dance last year, they have turned to contemporary dance for their inspiration this year. Season two So You Think You Can Dance finalist Allison Holker is helping them create a new modern dance piece unique to the ice.
I don't know about you...but I'm feeling a little fan-girlie over this:
Lynn Kriengkrairut and Logan Guillet-Schmitt are finding help from SYTCYD choreographer Stacey Tookey with their free dance this season and using the under-rated, virgin-piece of music by an artist named....Adele.
Poor quality clip of Ashley Wagner's new free skate. Samson & Delilah - overused. Yes. Good decision?
Mirai Nagasu's new programs from Glacier Falls competition (which she won).
Richard Dornbush's winning free skate:
Jason Brown's second place free skate:
That Colbert clip was the highlight of their media tour
ReplyDeleteI <3 you so for using that Friends gif.
ReplyDeleteThe music for Mirai's SP is SO cheezy but thank god, she actually looks happy to be skating in a competition and the choreography is OK so I have some hope.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, I feel like the music for her LP is terrible in terms of providing any sort of momentum or emotional through-line, which probably explains why I found the choreography boring. I wish she'd keep the Sparticus LP from last year, I think it could be pretty good if she just skated it with conviction.
Flailing arms indeed!!! I'm so not looking forward to Plushenko. He is a good jumper, but not a great skater. I hope the new code continues to leave him out of the gold medal position. His arrogance and entitlement mentality was the most grating thing about the last Winter Olympics. Evan deserved the gold without the quad because he was the better overall skater. The majority of elements graded were NOT jumps. And Mr. Jumper screwed up two of his jumps anyway. One landed quad does not a champion make. Anyway, Chan has a quad now, and he's a much better overall skater. Way too overscored by the judges, but as long as he outscores Plushenko, I'm ok with that.
ReplyDeleteAs someone who loves figure skating, I come away from Plushenko programs feeling personally insulted for the blatant contempt he seems to have for the art of it all. Some of his arrogance seems to be designed to play into fears of those who RUN FS of not wanting men to seem like 'sissies'. That is to say they reward Plushenko for projecting an image of 'masculinity' that puts a priority on 'athleticism' and sneers at artistry as a being overly feminine.
DeleteI can't say I like Chan any more than Plushenko. IMO Chan cannot hear music while skating so has to memorize programs, resulting in him skating like a robot and getting confused and stumbling/falling when he forgets steps and doesn't have the music to fall back on to find his place. It's just unpleasant to watch. Its really too bad for him they eliminated school figures from competition because he'd probably be awesome at those.
Anyway, the vote inflation for Plushenko and Chan is just depressing. If the Canadians were going to spend so much money to prop up a flawed skater - why couldn't it have been Buttle? Yeah, he had problems competing but if he had been propped up as often as Chan is maybe he could have gotten over that hump.
The sad thing about Even to me is this: early on in his career he was a kind of goofy, gangly kid and a lot of fun to watch. Then my theory is a bunch of 'masterminds' got together and decided to re-make Evan into the FS establishment's idea of a 'perfect' male skater, "artistic" yet "dynamic" and "masculine". Evan wanted to win medals so he let other people take control of his entire persona. The result? A joyless, rather grim skater flailing his arms around in a desperate desire to appear fierce'. Blah.
I still rue the day Takahahsi fell prey to the desire to prove his 'manhood' and threw that failed quad into his Olympics LP - he was so much the class of that competition and should have won the Gold medal.
that's just plushenko's style, he's not trying to offend... he just tries to be fun and entertaining
DeletePlushenko's 'style' is to have none.
DeleteDon't really understand y'all who find that fun and entertaining.
Man Gabby just can't win when it comes to that hair of hers. I thought her hair looked lovely in interviews and of course all the other gymnasts cleaned up and took their hair down but you don't see the media pouncing on that. More fodder for her inspirational book that Oprah will make her ghost write.
ReplyDeleteNow that the olympics are over, we should only talk about Marcel Nguyen from now on
ReplyDelete