Cup of China Free Dance

The event begins at 2:30am EST.
The warmup group is on the ice.

Group 1

Lichtman/Copely, USA: 37.65 TES + 31.70 PCS = 69.35 Total: 109.61

• For their Austin Power free skate he is in the blue tux with a white ruffled shirt and she is in a neon pink, orange and yellow dress with boot covers
• He has the looks and the personality to really pull off this character
• Nice straightline lift with him down toward the ice and she works the 70s arms
• Good unison on the twizzles but slightly slow
• I'd like to see them put more character into this step sequence as right now it could be in any dance; their edge quality is nice though
• Lift over his shoulder and changing position to a hold with her standing on his boot
• A nice cartwheel entry into their curve lift with him in a spread eagle and her arched back over the ice
• They could use more speed through their dance spin and I'd like to see more flexibility from Charlotte
• 2nd step sequence seemed a little repetitive
• Nice rotational lift at the end with her in a scorpion position and he changes levels during the rotation
• I feel like they had the costumes but the story never developed--its also unclear who she is, the female lead, a fembot?

Samuelson/Gilles, USA: 34.05 TES + 32.05 PCS -3.00  = 63.10 Total: 106.74 and into 2nd place

• They are performing to Stairway to Heaven and she is in a gold Latin dress while he's in all black
• I'm confused by the smiles on their faces; I thought this was a sad song
• Nice positions in their dance spin, I love Emily's lines and toe point but it was very slow
• I like the variety of holds in their step sequence and the ease with which they change positions and they have some interesting steps in their footwork
• Backwards flip into several position changes including a hydroblade with her in a haircutter position
• Their footwork just doesn't seem completely polished and sure yet but they've only been training together 8 weeks
• Their rotational lift is very slow and the last position is a little awkward with her wrapped around him
• Lack of unison on the first set of twizzles but they get it together for the last two
• Interesting entry into their curved lift with him in a spread eagle with her legs wrapped around him and arched forward over the ice
• It seemed a little frantic in places and I don't think her dress fits the piece at all but they can take this experience and make changes for US nationals

Huang/Zheng, CHN: 38.34 TES + 36.70 PCS = 75.04 Total: 120.11 and into 1st place

• They are skating to Libertango and she is in a red and black dress
• Decent unison on their three sets of twizzles but they really slowed through each set
• Nice twist into a lift with several changes of position but ends with a slightly awkward rotational lift with  her facing him in a 180 degree split 
• I'd like to see them really attack these step sequences to show off the true tango flair and to put some tango steps in so it's not so generic
• Arabesque lift through several position changes but the exit seemed rushed
• No speed in this dance spin but the change of foot was seamless
• Rotational lift in the haircutter position
• If you're going to do the tango show me the passion in your face and the abandon in  your movements

Yu/Wang, CHN: 33.57 TES + 33.66 PCS = 67.23 Total: 115.59 and into 2nd place

• He is in a black costume with gold trim and she is in a blue and purple dress
• Good speed and unison on their twizzles but they got very close together
• One armed rotational lift very easy position for her
• I'd like to see her really use her line and stretch through her free legs and work on the height of the arabesque line as its making the step sequences seem very flat 
• Almost the same lift as Samuelson and Gilles with a flip over the head into a stand on the boot lift
• A little slow on their dance spin
• Nice entry into their combination lift with many changes of position and ending with a rotational lift
• Their step sequence feels very bouncy because they are not getting into their knees and really using their edges

Group 2

Carron/Jones, FRA: 38.19 TES + 40.37 PCS = 78.56 Total: 130.97 and into 1st place

• She is wearing a red dress with a side cutout and rouching on the opposite side and he is wearing a white jacket over a black pantsuit.
• They performed their twizzles in a circular pattern with a lot of distance between them and had several transitional steps before their second set of twizzles
• Good step sequence but I'd like to see a little more variety as it looks exactly like all the others today
• Spread eagle with her standing on his hips and bent back over the ice
• Nice stationary rotational lift with her showing great strength holding her position perpendicular to the ice
• There are a couple of places in the step sequence after turns that it looks like they're not quite right in terms of regaining their holds
• Great speed on their dance spin and right with the music
• Nice combination lift with four changes of position that ended in an rotational lift in a haircutter position for her
• They seem a little tired here at the end and I'd like to see them push through and really sell it

Coomes/Buckland, GBR: 39.92 TES + 39.58 PCS -3.00 = 76.50 Total: 130.39 and into 2nd place

• She is wearing a red and white dress and he is in a black outfit with a red neck scarf
• They also perform their twizzles in a circular pattern
• Couldn't tell if that was a bobble or not in their transitional move
• Nice straightline lift with her in a handstand on his foot
• They're looking a little frantic; I'd like to see them slow down and really focusing on making all the elements polished
• I like how she really uses her free arm in this step sequence
• Toss over the head to a fish into a rotational lift
• I feel like they're skating through the music and not really skating to it
• She needs to really stretch through her free leg in the step sequence
• Upside down handstand position for her while he skates backwards on one leg
• Good speed in their dance spin with a really awkward shift into their change of foot
• A big fall for them out of their final lift but they both seem ok

Shibutani/Shibutanti, USA: 43.14 TES + 48.47 PCS -1.00 = 90.61 Total: 148.40 and into 1st place

• She is wearing a red and white dress and he is in a fetching sweater vest
• I like how much speed they have and it's clean and not frantic like the other teams
• Their signature twizzles are so fast and effortless with great unison through all three and in time to the music
• Front flip into a back flip into a Standing position and then a rotational lift
• Good speed in their dance spin with a bit of an awkward transition in their change of foot
• Nice shoot the duck from her in the step sequence; Her use of her arms is spot on and their lines match so nicely
• Curve lift with her standing on his hip and arched back toward the ice
• Really interesting use of the hold positions with several different variations in their step sequence
• Nice twist into their rotational lift with her in a haircutter position
• So effortless, fun and charming from them.  They make it look so easy.

Bobrova/Soloviev, RUS: 45.95 TES + 51.84 PCS = 97.79 Total: 163.52 and into 1st place

• She is dressed like the Queen of Darkness in a highnecked long sleeved long black dress 
• This dress is making me very nervous as it goes all the way down to her ankles in strips which makes it easy to get caught in a lift or if she's near the ice in a transitional move
• Opening lift with him on his knee and her upside down--poor guy can't see because her dress vocers his whole face
• Their unison isn't spot on on the twizzles but is pretty good
• Bielmann flip into a spread eagle lift with her bent back toward the ice
• They're really using her tendency to hunch over in hold positions to their advantage by giving them a character piece that requires her to do so
• Decent speed in the dance spin with a better change of direction than I've seen all morning
• I like the sweeping feel of their step sequence to the waltz section of their music but she needs to really stretch through that free leg
• Nice change of positions in this lift--very easy changes
• Interesting double scorpion rotational lift from her
• Botched final lift and he struggles to put her down to get into their ending pose

Pl.	Name	Nation	TSS =	TES +		PCS +	SS	TR	PE	CC	IT	Ded. -	StN.
1	Ekaterina BOBROVA / Dmitri SOLOVIEV	RUS	97.79	45.95		51.84	8.68	8.36	8.75	8.75	8.86	0.00	#8
2	Maia SHIBUTANI / Alex SHIBUTANI	USA	90.61	43.14		48.47	8.18	7.93	8.11	8.14	8.11	1.00	#7
3	Pernelle CARRON / Lloyd JONES	FRA	78.56	38.19		40.37	6.79	6.50	6.86	6.75	6.89	0.00	#5
4	Penny COOMES / Nicholas BUCKLAND	GBR	76.50	39.92		39.58	6.57	6.43	6.54	6.79	6.79	3.00	#6
5	Xintong HUANG / Xun ZHENG	CHN	75.04	38.34		36.70	6.32	5.93	6.21	6.14	6.07	0.00	#3
6	Charlotte LICHTMAN / Dean COPELY	USA	69.35	37.65		31.70	5.32	5.11	5.25	5.36	5.50	0.00	#1
7	Xiaoyang YU / Chen WANG	CHN	67.23	33.57		33.66	5.71	5.50	5.61	5.71	5.57	0.00	#4
8	Emily SAMUELSON / Todd GILLES	USA	63.10	34.05		32.05	5.46	5.21	5.32	5.46	5.32	3.00	#2

Pl.	Name	Nation	Points	SD	FD
1	Ekaterina BOBROVA / Dmitri SOLOVIEV	RUS	163.52	1	1
2	Maia SHIBUTANI / Alex SHIBUTANI	USA	148.40	2	2
3	Pernelle CARRON / Lloyd JONES	FRA	130.97	4	3
4	Penny COOMES / Nicholas BUCKLAND	GBR	130.39	3	4
5	Xintong HUANG / Xun ZHENG	CHN	120.11	6	5
6	Xiaoyang YU / Chen WANG	CHN	115.59	5	7
7	Charlotte LICHTMAN / Dean COPELY	USA	109.61	8	6
8	Emily SAMUELSON / Todd GILLES	USA	106.74	7	8