U.S. Nationals Senior Dance Preview

The only "sure thing" at this year's nationals is that Davis and White will win their fourth consecutive national title.  They've had a historic year, becoming the first U.S. team to win an ice dance World Championship, leading the first North American sweep of the World ice dance podium and becoming only the second team to win three consecutive Grand Prix Final titles.  Their Die Fledermaus free dance is stunning and 100% captures who they are as skaters and while they've been performing it solidly, there is still potential to improve.  While the title is almost certainly theirs, don't expect them to phone in a performance here, as they'll be using the opportunity to tune up for their next competition against their rivals and training mates Virtue and Moir.

The Shibutanis are also having a historic year, becoming the first team to medal in both their Grand Prix events in their senior debut last season and becoming the first U.S. team to medal in their World's debut.  They won their first Grand Prix gold this season and earned their first trip to the Grand Prix Final.  They have great speed and personality on the ice and some of the best twizzles in the world.  However, they have received some criticism this season for their free dance, with many saying it is too similar to last season.  They've also had a slow start and were beat on the Grand Prix circuit by teams they topped at Worlds.  If last season is any indicator, they'll continue to improve and nationals will showcase where they stand and how much they've improved.

None of the other teams in this field came close to the results the top two teams had and will be battling it out for the last two spots on the podium.  Three new teams formed in the off-season and had the opportunity to compete internationally.  Hubbell and Donohue won gold at their first international event, Nebelhorn Trophy and went on to finish 6th at Skate America with a 3rd place finish in the free dance.  They already look very polished and Madison Hubbell is finally able to show off the more sensual side of her skating that she had to keep under wraps while skating with her brother.  They have a great connection on the ice and really know how to entertain.

Chock and Bates are another new team this season and train with Shpilband and Zoueva in Canton, Michigan.  They finished 4th and 5th at their two Grand Prix assignments, solid results for such a new pairing. While their free dance came across as a little dull on the Grand Prix circuit, they've had time to work on their programs and will hopefully bring a little more spark to San Jose.

Samuelson and Gilles had only been training for a few weeks before they made their Grand Prix debut at Cup of China, finishing 8th.  With additional training time, they were able to pull off a gold medal finish at Pacific Coast Sectionals, scoring 30 points higher than their international results.  They seem to really enjoy skating together, were in much better shape at Sectionals and have really shown their potential as a team.

Kriengkrairut and Giuletti-Schmitt just missed the podium last season after a disappointing fall in their free dance.  They are a lovely team to watch with great lines and expression on the ice, but their scores internationally were slightly lower than some of the newer teams.  They are gunning for a medal and a spot on the Worlds team and that fire may give them the extra push they need to land on the podium.

Lichtman and Copely are the reigning Junior Champions and World Junior bronze medalists.  While their Austin Powers Free Dance should suit them perfectly, things haven't been clicking for them this season.  They seem to be struggling more with their 1 inch height difference which puts them at a disadvantage with other teams when it comes to lifts and holds in the step sequences.  They placed 7th at their Grand Prix debut in China, just ahead of Samuelson and Gilles, but finished 14 points behind them at Sectionals.

Other teams debuting at the senior level include Junior bronze medalists Cannuscio and McManus and Junior pewter medalists Olson and Cowan.  Schmucker and Munday are making the jump to the senior level after finishing 6th as novices last season.

My podium predictions:
Gold: Davis/White
Silver: Shibutani/Shibutani
Bronze: Hubbell/Donohue
Pewter: Chock/Bates

Bios of the competitors:
Anastasia Cannuscio/Colin McManus: She is 19 and represents the University of Delaware Figure Skating Club.  He is 21 and represents the Skating Club of Boston.  They placed 7th at Junior Worlds last season.  They finished 5th at Ondrej Nepela Memorial.  They finished 10th in Juniors in 2009, 7th in Juniors in 2010 and are the reigning Junior bronze medalists.  They won silver at Eastern Sectionals to qualify for nationals.

Isabella Cannuscio/Ian Lorello: She is 21 and represents the University of Delaware Figure Skating Club.  He is 21 and represents the University of Delaware Figure Skating Club.  They placed 7th at Skate America and won silver at Ice Challenge.  They are the 2007 Novice pewter medalists, finished 9th in Juniors in 2008, 5th in Juniors in 2009, are the 2010 Junior pewter medalists and finished 6th in 2011.  They won gold at Eastern Sectionals to qualify for nationals.

Ginna Hoptman/Pavel Filchenkov: She is 22 and represents the IceWorks Skating Club.  He is 25 and represents the IceWorks Skating Club.  They placed 10th in 2011.  They won bronze at Eastern Sectionals to qualify for nationals.

Meredith Zuber/Kyle Herring: She is 21 and represents the University of Delaware Figure Skating Club.  He is 22 and represents the University of Delaware Figure Skating Club.  They placed 9th in 2011.  They won the pewter medal at Eastern Sectionals to qualify for nationals.

Carina Glastris/Kevin Allison: She is 16 and represents the DuPage Figure Skating Club.  He is 23 and represents the Skokie Valley Figure Skating Club.  They placed 11th in Juniors in 2011.  They won bronze at Midwestern Sectionals to qualify for nationals.

Madison Hubbell/Zachary Donohue: She is 20 and represents the Detroit Skating Club.  He is 21 and represents the Detroit Skating Club.  They placed 6th at Skate America and won gold at Nebelhorn Trophy.  They won gold at Midwestern Sectionals to qualify for nationals.  They have the 10th best free dance score internationally.

Charlotte Lichtman/Dean Copely: She is 18 and represents the Arctic Figure Skating Club.  He is 22 and represents the All Year Figure Skating Club.  They are the reigning World Junior bronze medalists.  They placed 7th at Cup of China.  They placed 9th in Juniors in 2009, 8th in Juniors in 2010 and are the reigning Junior Champions.  They won bronze at Pacific Coast Sectionals to qualify for nationals.

Anastasia Olson/Jordan Cowan: She is 19 and represents the Detroit Skating Club.  He is 21 and represents the All Year Figure Skating Club.  They placed 6th at Nebelhorn Trophy.  They are the 2008 Novice pewter medalists, 2009 Novice silver medalists, placed 5th in Juniors in 2010 and are the reigning Junior pewter medalists.  They won silver at Pacific Coast Sectionals to qualify for nationals.

Emily Samuelson/Todd Gilles: She is 21 and represents the Ann Arbor Figure Skating Club.  He is 25 and represents the All Year Figure Skating Club.  They placed 8th at Cup of China.  They won gold at Pacific Coast Sectionals to qualify for nationals.

Brittany Schmucker/Adam Munday: She is 19 and represents the Tulsa Figure Skating Club.  He is 24 and represents the Stars Figure Skating Club of Texas.  They placed 6th in Novice in 2011.  They won pewter at Pacific Coast Sectionals to qualify for nationals.

Madison Chock/Evan Bates: She is 19 and represents the All Year Figure Skating Club.  He is 22 and represents the Ann Arbor Figure Skating Club.  They placed 4th at Skate Canada, 5th at Trophee Eric Bompard and won bronze at Finlandia Trophy.  They have the 9th best free dance and 10th best total scores internationally.

Meryl Davis/Charlie White: She is 25 and represents the Arctic Figure Skating Club.  He is 24 and represents  the Detroit Skating Club.  They are the reigning World and Four Continents Champions.  They won gold at Skate America and Rostelecom Cup to qualify for the Grand Prix Final where they won gold.  They are the 2010 Olympic silver medalists, 2010 World silver medalists, 2009 Four Continents Champion, 2008 Four Continents silver medalists and 2006 World Junior bronze medalists.  They are the 1998 Juvenile silver medalists, 1999 Intermediate Champions, finished 6th in Novice in 2000 and 2001, are the 2002 Novice silver medalists, finished 7th in Juniors in 2003,  are the 2004 Junior silver medalists, 2006 Junior Champions, 2007 bronze medalists, 2008 silver medalists, 2009 Champions, 2010 Champions and reigning Champions  They have the best short dance, free dance and total scores internationally.

Lynn Kriengkrairut/Logan Giulietti-Schmitt: She is 23 and represents the All Year Figure Skating Club.  He is 26 and represents the Ann Arbor Figure Skating Club.  They placed 6th at NHK Trophy and won gold at Ice Challenge.  They are the 2007 Junior bronze medalists, finished 9th in 2008, 8th in 2009 and 2010 and 5th in 2011.

Maia Shibutani/Alex Shibutani: She is 17 and represents the Skating Club of New York.  He is 20 and represents the Arctic Figure Skating Club.  They are the reigning World bronze medalists and Four Continents silver medalists.  They won silver at Cup of China and gold at NHK Trophy to qualify for the Grand Prix Final where they finished 5th.  They also won silver at Finlandia Trophy.  They are the 2009 World Junior silver medalists.  They are the 2005 Juvenile silver medalists, 2006 Intermediate Champions, 2007 Novice Champions, 2008 Junior pewter medalists, 2009 Junior silver medalists, 2010 Junior Champions and reigning silver medalists.  They have the 6th best short dance, free dance and total scores internationally.

Pacific Coast Sectional Championships

Wednesday, November 16th
9:25-10:05 Novice Pairs Short Program
10:55-12:05 Novice Ladies Short Program
12:25-1:30 Novice Pattern Dance
6:30-7:45 Junior Men's Short Program
8:05-8:40 Junior Short Dance

Thursday, November 17th
11:30-1:05 Senior Men's Short Program
1:55-2:25 Junior Pairs Short Program
2:45-4:05 Novice Men's Short Program
6:00-7:20 Junior Ladies Short Program
7:40-9:20 Senior Ladies Short Program

Friday, November 18th
10:15-11:10 Novice Ladies Free Dance
11:30-12:55 Novice Ladies Free Skate
1:15-2:00 Novice Pairs Free Skate
2:20-3:50 Junior Men's Free Skate
4:10-5:10 Senior Short Dance

Saturday, November 19th
9:15-10:45 Novice Men's Free Skate
11:05-12:35 Junior Ladies Free Skate
12:55-1:35 Junior Free Dance
1:55-2:25 Junior Pairs Free Skate
2:45-4:50 Senior Ladies Free Skate
5:10-6:15 Senior Free Dance
6:35-8:30 Senior Men's Free Skate

Skaters to watch:

Novice Ladies: Karen Chen set the highest total regional score with an impressive 135.87.

Junior Ladies: Polina Edmunds and Katarina Kulgeyko competed at nationals last season and Kulgeyko took home a medal which earned her a spot on the JGP earlier this season.  Edmunds scored in the top 10 at regionals while Kulgeyko finished in the top 15.

Senior Ladies:  Caroline Zhang makes her bid for nationals after a Skate America and Ice Challenge assignment earlier this season.  Leah Keiser failed to qualify for nationals as a junior last season after winning the novice title in 2010.  She is competing as a senior this season and will be looking for a spot on the junior worlds team as she is not old enough to compete as a senior internationally.

Novice Men: Vincent Zhou and Kevin Shum set the top two regional scores with a comfortable margin.

Junior Men: Nathan Chen became the first man to win back to back novice titles and has moved to the junior level with a full repertoire of triple jumps and is working on a triple axel.  Four other skaters from this section competed on the Junior Grand Prix: Shotaro Omori, Philip Warren, Jay Yostano and David Wang.

Senior Men: Keegan Messing won Cup of Nice, Douglas Razzano finished 7th at Skate America and Jonathan Cassar finished 4th at Ondrej Nepala.

Junior Dance: Heritage/Fast and Pogrebinsky/Gudis who competed as novices last year move up to juniors this season.

Senior Dance: Reigning junior champions Lichtman/Copely face off against Olson/Cowan, Pilgrim/Lorello and Samuelson/Gilles

US Nationals: Junior Free Dance

1. Glastris/Allison: 23.43 TES + 24.38 PCS = 47.81 Total: 84.02
1. They are skating to West Side Story and are currently in 12th place
2. Their first set of twizzles were nice but the second set was slow and off unison
3. Nice fast rotation lift with her in a hair cutter position
4. A nice position for her in the backwards straight line lift but he struggles to keep his back leg up
5. The Dance spin really showed off her flexibility
6. I feel like they don't have enough connection to the music or each other and she has a huge grin on her face which is nice but doesn't convey the complexity of the story
7. A nice straight line lift with him in a spread eagle position and her held parallel to the ice
2. Wojton/Soyfer: 23.91 TES + 23.19 PCS -1.00  = 46.10 Total: 82.95 and into 2nd place
1. They are skating to Triplets of Belleville and are currently in 11th place
2. She's in a rainbow brite costume
3. Nice twizzles
4. Rotational lift with her in a hair cutter position.  I'd like to see a little more innovation in the lifts since this position has already been used 3 times in two programs
5. They both really need to stretch through their free leg in these step sequences and extend all the lines
6. They seem to have difficult with the dance spin since she's taller than him
7. On the straight line lift at the end I'd like to see more speed from him and more core strength from her
3. Dzierzanowski/Dispenza: 27.93 TES + 22.38 PCS = 50.31 Total: 75.67 and into 3rd place
1. They are skating to Lola and are currently in 13th place
2. She's skating with her shoulders hunched forward through the first section and even in the holds in the step sequence
3. She needs to really extend through her leg when its lifted in the air
4. Decent dance spin
5. Curve lift with her suspended over the ice
6. Awkward music change with a fade in the middle of a phrase
7. Interesting lift with him in a spread eagle and her with her leg over his shoulder
8. They start out very far apart on their twizzles and on the second set their free leg is barely off the ice
9. Nice one arm hold rotational lift with her held away from his body
4. Buckner/Taylor: 28.35 TES + 26.10 PCS = 54.45 Total: 93.96 and into 1st place
1. They are skating to Grease and are currently in 10th place
2. I like that they've really tried to embody their characters not only in the costumes but the hair and makeup as well
3. This step sequence seems kind of slow with this music and she has a slight bobble in one spot
4. A nice change of position in their rotational lift
5. I'd like to see her arch her back more in the two positions in the combination lift and really increae the dramatic wow value of the element
6. I'd like to see them having a lot more fun through the Greased Lighting section and really turn on the performance
7. He seems very wobbly in the twizzles
8. Really slow dance spin and in the arabesque position their legs are crossing oddly
5. Olson/Cowan: 40.01 TES + 32.91 PCS = 72.92 Total: 121.12
1. They are skating to Zoot Suit Riot and are currently in 6th place
2. Nice rotational lift with a variation on the hair cutter position
3. She is such a performer and this piece seems to really suit her
4. This is a really nice step sequence with good changes of hold and nice difficult and variation in the steps
5. A nice curve lift close to the group and she has a nice position
6. Nice fast dance spin with good changes of position
7. Nice twizzles with good speed and good positions
8. Flip into a lift that goes around his head and changes position
9. A nice variation on a swing lift at the end with her going over his head and through his legs
6. Heritage/Fast: 32.40 TES + 28.58 PCS -2.00 = 58.98 Total: 103.24
1. They are skating to Come What May and are currently in 7th place
2. There are some really nice moments at the top of the piece
3. They aren't very together on their twizzles but they were executed nicely
4. Great entrance into their first lift and he hold her by her foot and swings her around.  I like that there was no big set up for the lift and it takes you by surprise
5. She needs to really get into her knees on the step sequence and make her steps bigger so it doesn't look like shes bouncing on the ice
6. They're traveling a lot on the dance spin
7. She also has a tendency to sickle her free foot which destroys the leg line
8. Nice arch in this lift with him in a spread eagle and a nice transition into the rotational lift with one arm hold
9. I'd like to see them really connect to each other in this piece because the choreography is really nice and they have some really nice elements but they don't really portray that they're a couple in love
10. A Davis and White esque lift at the end of the program
11. Not really sure what happened but they both fall to the ice at the end of their program and it takes them a little bit to get up
7. Gamelin/Gamelin: 34.28 TES + 35.44 PCS -1.00 = 64.72 Tota: 108.67 and into 2nd place
1. They are skating to Smooth and are currently in 8th place
2. Nice opening lift with her upside down and he in a spread eagle and I like that she adds a little personality to the lift with a shimmy
3. Nice fast twizzles with some difficult, interesting positions
4. Interesting dance spin variatiojns with good speed and centering
5. They tend to not have the cleanest transitions out of elements and I'd like to see them work on these
6. Nice split rotational lift
7. She needs to really stretch through her free leg to get it all the way straight
8. This program seems to really suit her as she performs it well and her body looks very natrual executing the elements
9. A very fun program and nicely done
8. McNamara/Carpenter: 32.59 TES + 30.60 PCS = 63.19 Total: 102.99 and into 4th place
1. They are skating to Charlie Chaplin and are currently in 9th place
2. They start off with their twizzles, both sets done on the same foot and good unison
3. Their first lift is a straight line with her extended out over his legs
4. Rotational lift in the hair cutter position
5. Some nice positions from them in the dance spin
6. They will be 12 and 15 next month--their programs lack a little of the polish of some of the older teams but they are very advanced for their age
9. Bonacorsi/Mager: 38.72 TES + 36.28 PCS = 75.00 Total: 127.39 and into 1st place
1. They are skating to Cuban Pete and Business of Love and are currently in 3rd place
2. Really great speed in their dance spin and nice positions
3. Good unison on their twizzles, they do 3 sets for the level
4. Good speed and flow through their step sequence
5. Nice one arm hold rotational lift
6. Great lift with her on one of his skates and almost laying on the ice
10. Aldridge/Eaton: 35.78 TES + 33.95 PCS -1.00 = 68.74 Total: 120.64 and into 3rd place
1. They are skating to Dramatico and are currently in 5th place
2. I love her dress and I like that their costumes match each other in terms of time period but aren't matchy matchy
3. Really nice lift with her over his shoulder and leaning back and he skating on one foot
4. They hop into thier twizzles and are very close together and have very fast rotations
5. She takes a fall on some transition movements and he has trouble getting her back up
6. They recover nicely into their next lift with him in a spread eagle
7. A nice one arm hold rotational lift
8. Some nice positions in their dance spin
9. They have some really nice edge work in their step sequences
11. Cannuscio/McManus: 35.36 TES + 35.25 PCS = 70.61 Total: 122.86 and into 2nd place
1. They are skating to Carmen and currently in 4th place
2. Nice opening lift with a good position change
3. Their step sequence goes really well with their music and they have some nice arm nuances that accent the character of their piece
4. Nice upside down variation of the hair cutter position for their second lift
5. Nice positions in their dance spin but they're a little slow, they have some really unique variations that are lovely
6. I love the contrast between the two step sequences and how well each one shows off the nature of the music
7. A nice one arm hold rotational lift near the end of their program
12. Lichtman/Copely: 39.57 TES + 37.48 PCS = 77.05 Total: 132.28 and into 1st place
1. They are skating to Beetlejuice and are currently in 2nd place
2. Really unique first position in their dance spin and I like that there's not a huge break before the change of direction
3. They have nice speed through their first step sequence
4. He stumbles out of the second set of twizzles
5. Flip into their first lift with a nice exit--one of the things I like most about Zoueva/Shpilband teams is that the entrances and exits to the lifts are always innovative and a highlight
6. This step sequence is really intresting in that they have varied steps
7. She's doing a needle in this lift
8. Haircutter variation around his body with fast rotations
9. This lift at the end is really neat and looks very difficult
13. Yang/Baker: 29.86 TES + 34.04 PCS -1.00 = 62.90 Total: 118.99 and into 6th place
1. They are skating to Windmills of Your Mind and are currently in 1st place
2. They have nice positions in their dance spin
3. She falls on their twizzles halfway through their first set and can't get up in time to do the second set, they'll lose major points on that
4. Flip into a nice spread eagle lift with change of position
5. One armed rotational lift
6. I find this music distracting--I almost wish they would cut the speaking voice and just use the instrumental
7. Nice attitude position in their next lift for her
8. She has really nice quality of movement and a very lyrical expression
9. I didn't really love this program but they have so much potential and so much talent that I think if they can find the right vehicle they could be pheonomenal

U.S. Nationals: Junior Dance Preview

Like pairs, these teams almost all have international experience this season.  Lichtman and Copely won two medals on the JGP circuit to qualify for the JGP Final.  They have really come into their own this season and have surpassed teams that performed better than them at nationals last season.  They are coached by Zoueva and Shpilband which has given them a leg up.  All the novice medalists from last season qualifed (except the Phams withdrew due to injury) and are in a position to medal at the junior level.  Yang and Baker have a 5 point lead over the others in terms of sectionals scores but the next 4 teams are right on their tail.  This will be a tight race for the podium and the 3 spots on the Junior Worlds team.

The teams:

Lichtman/Copely: They won gold at JGP Austria and bronze at Germany to qualify for the Junior Grand Prix Final where they finished 5th.  They finished 8th at nationals last season as juniors. 

Yang/Baker: They finished 7th at JGP Japan and 10th at Czech Republic.  They qualified with a 1st place finish at Pacific Coast sectionals.  They are the reigning national silver medalists at the novice level.

Olson/Cowan: They finished 6th at JGP Austria and 8th at Czech Republic.  They qualified with a 1st place finish at Midwestern sectionals.  They finished 5th at nationals last season as juniors.

Bonacorsi/Mager: They won bronze at JGP Romania and finished 5th at Great Britain.  They qualified with a 1st place finish at Eastern sectionals.  They finished 6th at nationals last season as juniors.

Aldridge/Eaton: They finished 6th at JGP France and 4th at Great Britain.  They qualified with a 2nd place finish at Midwestern sectionals.  They are the reigning national champions at the novice level.

Cannuscio/McManus: They won silver at JGP France and finished 4th at JGP Japan.  They qualfied with a 2nd place finish at Eastern sectionals.  They finished 7th at nationals last season as juniors. 

Gamelin/Gamelin: They finished 16th at JGP Germany.  They qualified with a 3rd place finish at Eastern sectionals.  They finished 5th at nationals last season as novices.

McNamara/Carpenter: They qualified with a 2nd place finish at Pacific Coast sectionals.  They finished 6th at nationals last season as novices. 

Heritage/Fast: They qualified with a 3rd place finish at Pacific Coast sectionals.  They finished 9th at nationals last season as novices. 

Wojton/Soyfer: They qualified with a 4th place finish at Pacific Coast sectionals.  They finished 11th at nationals last season as juniors. 

Buckner/Taylor: They qualified with a 3rd place finish at Midwestern sectionals.  They finished 7th at nationals last season as novices. 

Glastris/Allison: They qualified with a 4th place finish at Midwestern sectionals.

Dzierzanowski/Dispenza: They qualified with a 5th place finish at Eastern sectionals.

Pham/Pham had qualified but have withdrawn.