Skate America Free Dance

Group 1

Paul/Islam, CAN: 40.21 TES + 34.99 PCS -1.00 = 74.20 Total: 111.70

• I love her dress and look again today, but it is a little too similar to her short dance costume
• They have such nice speed and flow across the ice
• Very interesting entrance to their rotational lift with her bent over and touching her foot
• Very nice synchronization on the twizzles
• Her dress moves very well through this step sequence
• They have really well matched lines and such nice edges
• Nice straightline lift with him on one foot and her arched back
• Good speed and positions in the dance spin and a nice change of leg; great speed through the second set and a nice exit
• Great rotational lift with her in a 45 degree split and held up on his neck
• This is such a nice program and everything is so seamless and smooth but there are a couple of places I wish they would take a moment and develop the connection with each other
• Nice straight line lift with her reaching down toward the ice and her legs up by his head

Cannuscio/Lorello, USA: 38.36 TES + 34.81 PCS = 73.17  Total: 115.22 and into 1st place

• A lot of attack here at the beginning of the program 
• Beginning with a lift with her upside down and a few position changes
• A little bobble for her at the beginning and end of the twizzles
• Their dance spin is really slow
• I love the expression on her face through the On My Own step sequence--they are really selling this performance
• Nice curve lift with her balancing on his head in a parallel position to the ice
•  A little bobble through a transitional move into their footwork sequence
• Nice throw over his head into a rotational lift with her in a haircutter position
• The middle section was really the strongest section of this dance and showed off their style the best

Hubbell/Donohue, USA: 43.11 TES + 39.22 PCS -1.00 = 81.33 Total: 131.04 and into 1st place

• Madison is wearing a red lace dress and I'm pretty sure I had the same costume for a dance number once
• Very dramatic opening at the beginning of their program and they're really showing off a lot of chemistry for such a new partnership
• They have nice speed and ice coverage
• Great position changes in the curve lift and she is holding on to his back with only one arm
• Great speed through their dance spin
• Great connection through their step sequence but some of their lines aren't quite matching 
• Nice twizzles with the free leg extended and great unison
• I would like to see her have more stretch through her free leg when it extends to the back in her footwork
• Nice dance break in the middle with attention to the musical accents
• Straight line lift with her standing on his blade into a rotational lift
• Nice straight line lift balancing on his blade and they are counterbalancing their weight

Tobias/Stagniunas, LTU: 41.99 TES + 38.76 PCS = 80.75 Total: 132.58 and into 1st place

• She is wearing a red halter dress with a black sparkly top underneath
• Their twizzles are really fast this season and are really improved
• They have nice ice coverage through this step section but it seems really slow for their music
• They had the awkward stop and pull in their change of foot in their dance spin
• I'd like to see them doing more of the traditional Z/S lifts with lots of position changes instead of the standard lifts that every team uses
• They have a really nice connection with each other in their step sequence
• Nice curve lift with him in a hydroblade as she holds a haircutter

Group 2

Ralph/Hill, CAN: 40.22 TES + 38.39 PCS = 78.61 Total: 131.29 and into 2nd place

• They do their twizzles going away from each other and very slowly
• The step sequence is nice with some deep edges but it's very slow and doesn't have a lot of power
• Nice position changes in the rotational lift as she starts in the front, goes around his back and come back around into the front
• Nice lift with him spinning in place and she is wrapped around his knees with her legs extending out parallel over the ice
• They look a lot better than last season but it still looks like they're trying too hard to do a tango instead of just doing a tango
• This second step sequence seems a little wobbly in places 
• Nice rotational lift with her not holding on at all and he's holding her by one arm

Zhiganshina/Gazsi, GER: 37.43 TES + 38.52 PCS = 75.95 Total: 131.61 and into 2nd place

• I like their look much better today, with her in an elegant peach dress and he is in a blue and black outfit.  
• He bobbles on their second set of twizzles and misses the last few rotations
• They are really close to the wall on their step sequence and couldn't get the full extension in their legs at the beginning
• Nice position in their dance spin but an awkward transition when they change direction
• A Nice toss into a straight line lift--the lift is a little awkward as they are almost kissing but not quite for about 6 seconds
• Nice handstand lift 
• Some of their facial expressions are a little contrived and I wish they would just relax into their performance instead of making awkward faces
• They seem to have a little difficulty getting into some of their holds in the second step sequence
• Rotational lift with her in a hair cutter position
• Nice spread eagle lift with her standing on his blades and both arching
• And the traditional Romeo and Juliet ending with the poison and the knife

Pechalat/Bourzat, FRA: 46.42 TES + 50.80 PCS  -1.00 = 96.22 Total: 156.29 and into 1st place

• They are a mummy and a pharaoh and she is dressed in wrappings and he has airbrushed muscles
• A very nice opening lift with her balancing upside down on his shoulders with no hands
• I'd like to see more of the story in the beginning about her coming back to life and his happiness to have her around again
• Lots of Egyptian arms in their transitional moves
• They lose their unison on the third set of twizzles, otherwise they were nice
• Nice straightline lift with her standing backwards on his legs
• She bobbles on a transitional move
• They had a few small unison issues at the beginning of their second step sequence but pulled it together
• Nice positions in their dance spin and well timed with the music with a better transition in the change of direction
• I also think he needs to have a reaction at the end when she goes back to becoming a mummy

Davis/White, USA: 51.21 TES + 56.53 PCS = 107.74 Total: 178.07

• She is in a stunning purple dress and he is in a tux
• This program starts off so joyful 
• Nice easy lift with change of positions ending in an arabesque
• This step sequence is really well timed with the music and has a nice sweeping feel to it
• Beautiful speed and extension through their dance spin with a seamless change of direction
• A nice rotational lift with her in a split on his shoulder--great speed and very stable
• Great speed on their twizzles and so well timed
• Difficult entry into a lift with her standing on his leg
• Very playful here in the middle and it is nice to see Charlie's personality really coming out
• The audience is really getting into the program and clapping along with their step sequence
• They have a super fast rotational lift with several changes of position right near the end of the program

Pl.	Name	Nation	TSS =	TES +		PCS +	SS	TR	PE	CC	IT	Ded. -	StN.
1	Meryl DAVIS / Charlie WHITE	USA	107.74	51.21		56.53	9.39	9.14	9.54	9.64	9.61	0.00	#8
2	Nathalie PECHALAT / Fabian BOURZAT	FRA	96.22	46.42		50.80	8.43	8.29	8.50	8.68	8.57	1.00	#7
3	Madison HUBBELL / Zachary DONOHUE	USA	81.33	43.11		39.22	6.54	6.25	6.82	6.64	6.64	1.00	#3
4	Isabella TOBIAS / Deividas STAGNIUNAS	LTU	80.75	41.99		38.76	6.43	6.25	6.64	6.57	6.57	0.00	#4
5	Kharis RALPH / Asher HILL	CAN	78.61	40.22		38.39	6.54	6.14	6.39	6.57	6.50	0.00	#5
6	Nelli ZHIGANSHINA / Alexander GAZSI	GER	75.95	37.43		38.52	6.64	6.18	6.68	6.54	6.18	0.00	#6
7	Alexandra PAUL / Mitchell ISLAM	CAN	74.20	40.21		34.99	5.86	5.54	5.96	6.04	5.96	1.00	#1
8	Isabella CANNUSCIO / Ian LORELLO	USA	73.17	38.36		34.81	5.89	5.54	5.89	6.00	5.86	0.00	#2

Pl.	Name	Nation	Points	SD	FD
1	Meryl DAVIS / Charlie WHITE	USA	178.07	1	1
2	Nathalie PECHALAT / Fabian BOURZAT	FRA	156.29	2	2
3	Isabella TOBIAS / Deividas STAGNIUNAS	LTU	132.58	5	4
4	Nelli ZHIGANSHINA / Alexander GAZSI	GER	131.61	3	6
5	Kharis RALPH / Asher HILL	CAN	131.29	4	5
6	Madison HUBBELL / Zachary DONOHUE	USA	131.04	6	3
7	Isabella CANNUSCIO / Ian LORELLO	USA	115.22	7	8
8	Alexandra PAUL / Mitchell ISLAM	CAN	111.70	8	7