Sunday, January 16, 2011

This and That



A great feature on Mariinsky Ballerina Ekaterina Kondaurova.


Fabian Hambuchen tore his achilles yesterday on his tumbling run on floor exercise.  It was the first time he was training floor in a long time.  He will be out for six months, but still hopes to compete at the 2012 Olympic Games.

The Canadian press interviewed the code-master and worn out choreographer named Lori Nichol.  It discusses Frank Carroll and Michelle Kwan, but winds up being an interview to really talk up Patrick Chan.  Even the interviewer is praising Chan.  It is such a hallmark of fabulous journalism these days.

A feature on the horribly tacky Artur Gachinski.

Michael Phelps has pulled himself away from the bevy of strippers and call girls he associates with to actually compete.  He defeated Ryan Lochte twice at this weekend's Austin Grand Prix.  Of course, Ryan is coming off being in peak form and having a tremendous year, while Phelps is working to gain his mojo back.  He certainly doesn't appear to have used his money wisely and visited a dentist or orthodontist to correct that smile with some Invisiline.

An update on Samuelson and Bates.

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Southern Utah fans were treated to a performance by Talia Kushynski, even though they didn't get to see UCLA's top lineup.



Paul Ruggeri won his first All-Around title of 2011 at the Windy City Invitational.  Gymnastike covered the event.


Brandon Wynn won Still Rings.


Daniel Ribeiro, reigning national champion on Pommel Horse, finished second on the event due to breaking form near the end of the routine.  It was another consistent effort for him on the event despite an up-and-down day.

5 comments:

  1. do you by any chance have a copy of wells/lyons program at the 1998 nationals exibition?

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  2. FYI, Katya Kondaurova looks very different now than she did in that profile in '02-'03 when she was just out of school. Dancers tend to be more hung up on their weight when they're in their teens or while in school. When they get accepted to a company with high standards like the Mariinsky, there is NO FUCKING WAY that they can carry on an eating disorder while dancing soloist or principal roles AND not have it affect their dancing and career.

    It's a myth that ballet dancers have eating disorders. Most are naturally thin, just as a process of natural, self-selection seem to be in place for serious ballet training. To explain, someone without natural turnout and other physical demands would find it difficult to progress to intermediate and advanced technique. Then she gets bored with ballet and moves on to other interests. Only those with natural facilities coupled with ability to absorb rigorous training become professional dancers. Even only a handful of that bunch will ever become soloists or principals. It is a very disciplined career and life.

    It's ridiculous that the general public only gets a certain view of life of dancers, and a very skewed one at that.

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  3. What is anorexia to one is simply immense self-discipline to another...

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  4. I love how they play "Ballet" by Anna Pugacheva at the beginning (0.30-1.00).
    Which was also Ksenia Afanasyeva's 2009 floor music!

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  5. I saw Emily Samuelson at the Tower of London right after New Years. The Yeoman warder was making fun of the skating rink outside and complaining about the historical inaccuracy of it and one of her friends told him that she was an Olympic skater. He made her stand up in front of the group and she told everyone about slicing Bates's achilles.
    She seemed nice, posed with some kids for pictures, but didn't look close to competition shape. She was with a very Euro-trashy looking guy- would have guessed he was tapping that, but he looked like he plays for the other team. Although, Europeans, you never can tell.

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