US Nationals: Senior Dance Preview

 If there is a guaranteed safe bet at U.S. Nationals it is Davis and White claiming their 5th consecutive national title.  They have been undefeated all season and hold the highest international scores across the board.  Their Giselle Short Dance is true to the ballet complete with authentic steps.  They even brought in So You Think You Can Dance contestant and ballet expert Alex Wong to work with them on their programs.  Their Notre Dame Free Dance is not one of my favorite programs from them but it is still solid and they've been showing growth all season.

The Shibutanis have had a rough few months starting at Four Continents last season and they have battled illness and injuries that have kept them from performing at their best.  They did not medal for the first time in their Grand Prix careers this season and have received some criticism for their short dance.  If they can work out the kinks and show up to Omaha healthy, they shouldn't have any problems holding on to their national silver medals.

The rest of the podium is up for grabs with several established and new teams trying to earn a spot to Worlds.

Chock and Bates were disappointed with their 5th place finish last season at nationals.  They have a striking height difference and a unique style that makes that hard to miss on the ice.  They used to train in the shadow of the other top US teams but when Zoueva and Shpilband broke up, they went with Shpilband to Novi.  This will be their first chance to show how that split has improved their technique on a national stage.

Hubbell and Donohue have had a solid sophomore season the Grand Prix.  They're flamenco free dance is refined and well choreographed but they have been losing ground on Levels and not able to hold onto their placements.  If they can get all their levels up, this could be a standout routine at nationals.  They train at the Detroit Skating Club and the DSC junior skaters have shown great improvements already at nationals, so I expect this team to come out stronger than their early season appearances.

Kriengkrairut and Giuletti-Schmitt always have some of the most unique programs and lifts.  This year, they have an Adele Free Dance and brought in acclaimed contemporary choreography Stacey Tookey to help with their programs.  They made the podium for the first time last season and are ready to take the next step to make their first World team.

Also in the hunt are A. Cannuscio and McManus who placed 6th last season and finished 7th at their Grand Prix debut at Skate America.  They were beat out at Eastern Sectionals by the new team of I. Cannuscio and Bramante.  Another new team, Olson and Hubbell will also be looking to make their mark after finding success with previous partners.  This is the first time the Hubbell siblings will compete at nationals together not as a team.

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

Bios of the competitors:
Aronow/Brubaker: She represents the Arctic Figure Skating Club and he represents the All Year Figure Skating Club.  They won gold at Midwestern Sectionals to qualify for nationals.

Cannuscio/Bramante: She is 22 and represents the University of Delaware Figure Skating Club.  He represents the Skating Club of Boston.  They won gold at Eastern Sectionals to qualify for nationals.

Cannuscio/McManus: She is 20 and represents the University of Delaware Figure Skating Club.  He is 22 and represents the Skating Club of Boston.  They finished 7th at Skate America.  They finished 10th in Juniors in 2009, 7th in Juniors in 2010, are the 2011 Junior bronze medalists and finished 6th as Seniors last season.  They won silver at Eastern Sectionals to qualify for nationals.

Chock/Bates: She is 20 and represents the All Year Figure Skating Club.  They finished 4th at Cup of China.  He is 23 and represents the Ann Arbor Figure Skating Club.  They finished 5th last season.  Internationally, they have the 10th best short program, 9th best free skate and 9th best total scores.

Davis/White: She is 26 and represents the Arctic Figure Skating Club.  He is 25 and represents the Detroit Skating Club.  They won gold at Skate America and gold at NHK Trophy to qualify for the Grand Prix Final where they won gold.  They are the 2010 Olympic silver medalists, 2010 and 2012 World silver medalists, 2009 and 2012 Four Continents Champions, 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, 2010, 2011 and 2012 Champions.  Internationally, they have the best short dance, free dance and total scores.

Donaldson/Jacobs: They represent the Wichita Figure Skating Club.  They won pewter at Midwestern Sectionals to qualify for nationals.

Gamelin/Gamelin: They are 19 and represent the Skating Club of New York.  They finished 9th in Juvenile in 2007, are the 2008 Juvenile bronze medalists, 2009 Intermediate Champions, finished 5th in Novice in 2010, 7th in Junior in 2011 and 12th in Juniors in 2012.  They won pewter at Eastern Sectionals to qualify for nationals.

Hoptman/Filchenkov: She is 23 and he is 26 and they represent the IceWorks Skating Club.  They placed 10th in 2011 and 11th in 2012.  They won bronze at Eastern Sectionals to qualify for nationals.

Hubbell/Donohue: She is 21 and he is 22 and they represent the Detroit Skating Club.  They placed 5th at Skate Canada and 4th at Trophee Eric Bompard.  They are the reigning bronze medalists.  Internationally, they have the 10th best free dance score.

Kriengkrairut/Giuletti-Schmitt: She is 24 and represents the All Year Figure Skating Club.  He is 27 and represents the Ann Arbor Figure Skating Club.  They finished 4th at Skate America.  They are the 2007 Junior bronze medalists, finished 9th as Seniors in 2008, 8th in 2009 and 2010, 5th in 2011 and are the reigning pewter medalists.

Nardozzi/Traxler: They represent the Stars Figure Skating Club of Dallas.  They won silver at Midwestern Sectionals to qualify for nationals.

Olson/Hubbell: She is 20 and represents the Detroit Skating Club.

Ponomaryova/Altukhov: She is an Individual Member and he represents the Escondido Figure Skating Club.  They won bronze at Midwestern Sectionals to qualify for nationals.

Shibutani/Shibutani: She is 18 and represents the Skating Club of New York.  He is 21 and represents the Arctic Figure Skating Club.  They finished 4th at Rostelecom Cup and won bronze at NHK Trophy.  They are the 2011 World bronze medalists, 2011 Four Continents silver medalists and 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 2011 and 2012 silver medalists.  Internationally, they have the 9th best short dance, 7th best free dance and 8th best total scores.

Tran/Kaplun: He is 21 and represents the All Year Figure Skating Club.

Eastern Sectionals Senior Dance Results

Place	Start No.	Name	Short Dance		Free Dance		Total Score
			Place	Score	Place	Score
1	4	Isabella Cannuscio, University of Delaware FSC Michael Bramante, SC Of Boston	1	56.91	2	83.01	139.92
2	5	Anastasia Cannuscio, University of Delaware FSC Colin McManus, SC Of Boston	2	51.18	1	85.23	136.41
3	6	Ginna Hoptman, IceWorks SC Pavel Filchenkov, IceWorks SC	3	42.90	3	74.47	117.37
4	7	Danielle Gamelin, SC of New York Alexander Gamelin, SC of New York	4	41.97	4	66.83	108.80
5	3	Elicia Reynolds, IceWorks SC Stephen Reynolds, IceWorks SC	5	37.70	5	62.98	100.68
6	1	Katherine Pilgrim, All Year FSC Alexander Lorello, University of Delaware FSC	6	34.13	7	52.99	87.12
7	2	Gabriela Morrell Zucker, Washington FSC Andrejs Sitiks, Gardens FSC of Maryland	7	30.97	6	53.44	84.41

U.S. Nationals Junior Dance Preview

This event features the reigning Junior medalists as well as all the novice medalists from last season.  Six of these teams are returning to nationals as juniors and seven of the teams competed on the Junior Grand Prix with one team qualifying for the Final.  With the Latin short dance requirement, the older teams will have an advantage as they will better be able to understand and capture the feeling of a Latin dance.  If a younger team can capture that flavor they'll also have a great shot at the podium.

Aldridge and Eaton won two medals on the Junior Grand Prix to qualify for the Junior Grand Prix Final.  Their claim to fame all season has been their River Dance Free Dance.  Their Short Dance almost kept them from the podium at their first JGP event, but it has steadily improved throughout the season.  They've really improved this season and taken their skating to another level and are one of best junior teams in the world.

Bonacorsi and Mager are the reigning Junior silver medalists and competed at Junior Worlds last season.  They just missed the Junior Grand Prix Final after winning two medals on the Junior Grand Prix.  They have a very fluid style and nice expression on the ice.  They set the highest sectional score this season.

Pogrebinsky and Gudis won the pewter medal as novices last season and didn't get a chance to compete on the Junior Grand Prix, however they won gold at their sectional event with the 2nd highest score overall.  They're also a very young team with several years of Junior eligibility ahead of them and with a good placement here, they'll likely receive Junior Grand Prix assignments next season.

Heritage and Fast finished just behind Pogrebinsky and Gudis at Sectionals and finished 5th at their Junior Grand Prix assignment.  They train in San Jose, so they'll have the home town crowd behind them at this event which gives them a big advantage but can also be added pressure.

Bertsch and Kaplun won gold at their sectional ahead of two teams that competed on the Junior Grand Prix.  They also set the 4th highest Sectionals score.

The Parsons siblings are the reigning Novice Champions and are only in their second season together after previously competing with other partners.  They finished 9th in their Junior Grand Prix debut and have the 5th highest Sectionals score.  They will be competing in the Youth Olympic Games in Austria the week before nationals and will have to fly directly to the event.  It will be a difficult schedule, but they'll be in a competitive mindset and have some additional international feedback.

Also in the hunt are Hawayek and Bramante who won a medal at nationals as novices last season and competed on the Junior Grand Prix and McNamara and Carpenter who competed as juniors at nationals last season but are still not old enough to compete as juniors internationally.

My podium predictions:
Gold: Aldridge/Eaton
Silver: Bonacorsi/Mager
Bronze: Pogrebinsky/Gudis
Pewter: Heritage/Fast

Bios of the competitors: 
Lauri Bonacorsi/Travis Mager: She is 18 and he is 21.  She represents the Peninsula Skating Club and he represents the Ice Works Skating Club.  They finished 11th at Junior Worlds last season.  They won bronze at JGP Italy and silver at JGP Australia.  They are the 2009 Novice Champions, finished 6th as Juniors in 2010 and are the reigning Junior silver medalists.  They won gold at Eastern Sectionals to qualify for nationals.    They have the 7th best short dance, 7th best free dance and 6th best total score internationally.

Danielle Gamelin/Alexander Gamelin: They are 18 and represent the Skating Club of New York.  They placed 9th at JGP Latvia.  They finished 9th in Juvenile in 2007, are the 2008 Juvenile bronze medalists, 2009 Intermediate Champions, finished 5th in Novice in 2010, and 7th in Junior in 2011.  They won pewter at Eastern Sectionals to qualify for nationals.
 
Lorraine McNamara/Quinn Carpenter: She is 12 and he is 15.  She represents the Peninsula Skating Club and he represents the Washington Figure Skating Club.  They are the 2008 Juvenile pewter medalists, 2009 Intermediate pewter medalists, finished 6th in Novice in 2010 and 9th in Junior in 2011.  They won bronze at Eastern Sectionals to qualify for nationals.

Rachel Parsons/Michael Parsons: She is 14 and he is 16.  They represent the Washington Figure Skating Club.  They finished 9th at JGP Poland.  They are the reigning Novice Champions.  They won silver at Eastern Sectionals to qualify for nationals.

Amanda Bertsch/Sam Kaplun: She is 18 and he is 21.  She represents the Ann Arbor Figure Skating Club and he represents the All Year Figure Skating Club.  They won gold at Midwestern Sectionals to qualify for nationals.

Jenna Dzierzanowski/Vinny Dispenza:  She is 18 and he is 21.  She represents the Birmingham Figure Skating Club and he represents the Panthers Figure Skating Club.  They finished 13th in Juniors in 2011.  They won pewter at Midwestern Sectionals to qualify for nationals.

Kaitlin Hawayek/Michael Bramante: She is 15 and he is 19.  She represents the Skating Club of Western New York and he represents the Detroit Skating Club.  They placed 8th at JGP Estonia and 4th at JGP Romania.  They are the reigning Novice bronze medalists.  They won silver at Midwestern Sectionals to qualify for nationals.

Jessica Mancini/Tyler Brooks: She is 15 and he is 17.  They represent the Broadmoor Skating Club.  They finished 10th at JGP Poland.  They are the reigning Novice silver medalists.  They won bronze at Midwestern Sectionals to qualify for nationals.

Madeline Heritage/Nathaniel Fast: She is 17 and he is 19.  They represent the University Ice Skating Club of San Jose.  They finished 5th at JGP Australia.  They are the 2008 Juvenile Champions, finished 8th in Intermediate in 2009, finished 9th in Novice in 2010 and 8th in Junior in 2011.  They won silver at Pacific Coast Sectionals to qualify for nationals.

Roxette Howe/Mark Jahnke: She is 18 and he is 21.  She represents the All Year Skating Club and he represents the Seattle Skating Club.  They won bronze at Pacific Coast Sectionals to qualify for nationals.

Cassandra Jeandell/Damian Dodge: They are 17 years old.  She represents the University of Delaware and he represents the Peninsula Figure Skating Club.  They finished 7th in Juvenile Dance in 2009 and 10th in Novice in 2011.  They won pewter at Pacific Coast Sectionals to qualify for nationals.

Elliana Pogrebinsky/Ross Gudis: She is 13 and he is 16.  She represents the Peninsula Figure Skating Club and he represents the Washington Figure Skating Club.  They are the 2010 Intermediate bronze medalists and the reigning Novice pewter medalists.  They won gold at Pacific Coast Sectionals to qualify for nationals.

Alexandra Aldridge/Daniel Eaton: She is 17 and he is 19.  They represent the Detroit Skating Club.  They won bronze at JGP Latvia and silver at JGP Austria to qualify for the Junior Grand Prix Final where they finished 4th.  They are the 2010 Novice Champions and finished 5th in Juniors in 2011.  They received a bye to nationals by qualifying for the JGPF.  They have the 4th best short dance, free dance and total scores internationally.

US Nationals: Novice Recap

Mens:

Nathan Chen was able to defend his title and did so in grand fashion, winning by nearly 36 points.  Though only 11 years old, he outshone the field with his stellar performance skills and incredible jumps and spins.  He has already said that he'll be competing as a junior next season and his coach says he can do triple axels on the floor.  His jump arsenal is already impressive with a double axel-double loop-double loop and six triples in his free skate.  If he can stay with the sport (he also plays piano and does gymnastics) and survive growth spurts that throw off jumps he could easily be a top competitor in the senior division nationally and internationally in only a few years.  Luckily for the junior and senior men, he's not eligible for the Olympics until 2018.

Jordan Moeller and Nix Phengsy were separated by only .37 points to take home the silver and bronze respectively.  Moeller won intermediate gold and Phengsy silver last season and are quickly climbing the ranks.  They both had impressive elements and a few errors but overall had solid performances for an impressive level of competition for the novice level.

Ladies:

The Midwestern ladies swept the podium at nationals.  Hannah Miller skated an impressive free skate to move up from 3rd to win gold.  She has a grace on the ice far beyond her 14 years and zips through her programs with great jumps and elegant spins.  She also has a ton of personality on the ice and is enjoyable to watch.  She hit four triples in her free skate.

Barbie Long won silver with perhaps the most technically demanding free skate including a double axel-triple toe (an element that many senior ladies don't execute).  While she has great jumps, she could improve on her performance skills her spins and her transitions but she is still young and has plenty of time to develop these skills.

Mariah Bell is a bundle of cuteness and skated a flawless short program to lead going into the free skate.  She will need to up her technical ante as she only had two triples in her free skate if she wants to keep pace with Miller and Long.  All of these girls have very ambitious goals and I can't wait to see them on the Junior Grand Prix.

Pairs:

Aaron and Settlage won the Pairs title by over 14 points despite Madeline's 102 degree fever.  They've only been together six months but have the most difficult elements and look the most secure and polished in the field.  They were the only one to successfully land a throw triple and unlike other teams, their throws had height to them.  At 16 and 18 their ages are also compatible for international competition and they have a good number of years of junior eligibility ahead of them.  I think they could really make a splash on the Junior Grand Prix next season and if they stay together they could be the next big US Pairs team.

Liu and Perini won the silver.  She is just 11 years old and he's 17.  Right now their height difference is a little awkward but it does give them the advantage in completing difficult elements that other teams don't execute.  He doesn't really throw her in the throw jumps currently, but I'd love to seem them execute these when they're more secure because he could really toss her.  I'm not sure what their future plans are as she's too young to compete internationally and he only has 4 years of junior level eligibility left.

Goldberg and Dolkiewicz have already been together for three years.  They skated a fun free program to win the bronze medal.  At 14 and 18 they are another team that is close enough in age to have options for international assignments and has several years in front of them to develop and reach the top ranks of the senior level.

Dance:

The Parsons siblings have only been skating together since this season.  At 13 and 15 they were able to claim the novice dance title.  They have some very interesting elements, great flexibility, secure lifts and a nice presence on the ice.  They plan to move up to juniors and are looking forward to international assignments.  With a deep ice dance field, this team is just young enough to be ready to take over the reigns when some of the current top dance teams are ready to retire.  They were also one of the youngest teams in the field and have a lot of time to really develop on top of the good technical basics they already have.

I like the intensity and performance quality of silver medal winners Mancini and Brooks but they have a height difference that makes many of their holds look extremely awkward and distorts many of their frames. 

Hawayek and Bramante were one of my favorite teams in the event and I think they have a great look on the ice from their costumes to their movement and performance quality.  She needs to work on not over performing and making the movements cleaner but I think there is definite potential with this team and they took home the bronze medal.

All three of these teams have only begun skating together this season, so it will be interesting to see how they develop their partnerships and increase their connection with each other in the future.

U.S. Nationals: Novice Free Dance

1. Jeandell/Dodge: 31.37 TES + 20.31 PCS = 51.68
1. They executed a Level 3 Twizzle, Level 4 Rotational Lift, Level 2 Diagonal Step Sequence, Level 4 Dance Spin, Level 4 Combination Lift and Level 4 Straight Line Lift with only one negative GOE.
2. DeMaria/Miller: 22.35 TES + 18.30 PCS = 40.65
1. They executed Level 3 Twizzles, Level 4 Curve Lift, Level 4 Rotational Lift, Level 1 Circular Step Sequence, a Combination Lift with level 2 and 4 elements, and received no credit for their dance spin.  They had two positive GOEs.
3. Howe/Farmer: 31.10 TES + 22.06 PCS = 53.16
1. They executed a Level 4 Straight Line Lift, Level 4 Twizzles, Level 1 Circular Step Sequence, Level 4 Combination Lift, Level 3 Dance Spin and Level 4 Rotational Lift with all positive GOEs.
4. Deissroth/Mueller: 27.46 TES + 18.27 PCS = 45.73
1. They executed a Level 4 Straight Line Lift, Level 4 Rotational Lift, Level 1 Circular Step Sequence, Level 3 Twizzles, Level 3 Dance Spin and Level 4 Combination Lift with two positive GOEs.
5. Moore/Klaber: 26.17 TES + 24.21 PCS = 48.38
1. They executed Level 3 Twizzles, Level 1 Circular Step Sequence, Level 4 Rotational Lift, Level 4 Dance Spin, Level 4 and Level 2 Combination Lift and Level 1 Curve Lift with only two negative GOEs.
6. Oi/Jahnke: 33.76 TES + 23.99 PCS = 57.75
1. They executed Level 4 Twizzles, Level 4 Curve Lift, Level 4 Straight Line Lift, Level 2 Circular Step Sequence, Level 4 Serpentine Lift, and Level 4 Dance Spin with only one negative GOE. 
7. Grant/Skala: 30.65 TES + 23.43 PCS = 54.08
1. They executed a Level 4 Combination Lift, Level 3 Twizzles, Level 2 Circular Step Sequence, Level 3 Dance Spin, Level 4 Curve Lift and Level 4 Rotational Lift with only one negative GOE.
8. Schmucker/Munday: 33.90 TES + 24.86 PCS = 58.76
1. They executed Level 3 Twizzles, Level 4 Combination Lift, Level 4 Dance Spin, Level 3 Circular Step Sequence, Level 4 Curve Lift and Level 4 Rotational Lift with no negative GOEs.
9. Hawayek/Bramante: 33.26 TES + 25.50 PCS = 58.76
1. They executed a Level 4 Rotational Lift, Level 3 Circular Step Sequence, Level 2 Dance Spin, Level 4 Combination Lift, Level 4 Twizzles, and Level 4 Straight Line Lift with only one negative GOE.
10. Parsons/Parsons: 32.03 TES + 28.43 PCS = 60.46
1. They executed a Level 4 Combination Lift, Level 2 Straight Line Lift, Level 2 Circular Step Sequence, Level 4 Dance Spin, Level 1 Twizzles and Level 4 Rotational Lift with all positive GOEs.
11. Mancini/Brooks: 35.00 TES + 26.51 PCS -1.00 = 60.51
1. They executed a Level 3 Circular Step Sequence, Level 4 Rotational Lift, Level 4 Dance Spin, Level 3 Twizzles, Level 4 Straight Line Lift and Level 4 Combination Lift with only one negative GOE.  They received a deduction for an extended lift.
12. Pogrebinsky/Gudis: 33.43 TES + 25.33 PCS = 58.76
1. They executed Level 4 Twizzles, a Level 2 and 4 Combination Lift, Level 4 Dance Spin, Level 2 Circular Step Sequence, Level 4 Rotational Lift and Level 4 Straight Line Lift with all positive GOEs.

Top 5 Final Scores:

1. Parsons/Parsons: 112.82
2. Mancini/Brooks: 109.19
3. Hawayek/Bramante: 106.64
4. Pogrebinsky/Gudis: 105.92
5. Oi/Jahnke: 102.16

U.S. Nationals: Novice Compulsory Dance: Paso Doble

1. Grant/Skala: 15.21 TES + 14.38 PCS = 20.71 Total 40.30
1. I'd like to see them attack this a little bit more and I'd like to see something from them facially
2. I'd like to see them have more power through their legs as well and make all the movements a little bigger
3. They have a good connection with each other and good timing
2. DeMaria/Miller: 13.34 TES + 13.08 PCS = 18.49 Total 38.01 and into 2nd place
1. I love their costumes and the attack they have entering the ice and that they're in character before the program starts
2. Their body movements nicely convey the paso feeling but her face looks a little tentative
3. Their upper body carriage is exquisite
4. They have some nice timing with each other and with the music
5. She has some nice faces at the end
3. Schmucker/Munday: 15.04 TES + 15.02 PCS = 21.04 Total: 42.41 and into 1st place
1. They have great attack and facials at the top of their program
2. They have some nice speed through the pattern dance
3. I'd like to see them keep their facials up through the whole program
4. It looks like there was a slight bobble in the middle but it didn't throw them off the steps
5. They turned on the facials again at the end through the choreography
4. Moore/Klaber: 16.78 TES + 16.42 PCS = 23.24 Total: 45.98 and into 1st place
1. I love her use of arms at the beginning of the program
2. Their movements through the pattern dance are very crisp but I'd like to see her straighten through her knees a little more
3. They've lost some of their attack and seem slow getting into their ending pose
5. Jeandell/Dodge: 14.20 TES + 13.62 PCS = 19.47 Total: 37.68 and into 5th place
1. I appreciate that they're trying something different for costumes but the hot pink is a little much
2. She seems a little tentative through the opening section
3. Their arm accents seem to be a little off the music
4. Bobble into the ending pose
6. Hawayek/Bramante: 17.44 TES + 16.54 PCS = 23.79 Total: 47.88 and into 1st place 
1. She's really a performer but I'd like to see her work on some of her arm positions especially in the beginning pose
2. Her dress is a nice color and flows really well on the ice
3. She has tons of facials at the end
7. Howe/Farmer: 13.85 TES + 14.53 PCS = 19.87 Total: 39.86 and into 5th place
1. They have some nice speed through the Pattern Dance
2. Some of her arm accents seem off the music
3. Some nice choreography at the end including a split lift into the ending pose
8. Parsons/Parsons: 20.44 TES + 18.65 PCS = 27.36 Total: 52.36 and into 1st place
1. At 13 and 15 they are probably the youngest team in this event
2. Her skirt has great movement when she skates and turns
3. They have very crisp leg movements and great timing
4. I like her head carriage throughout the Pattern Dance
5. I think this team could have a bright future considering how young they are, but I'd like them to work on their performance quality
6. Great rotational lift at the end with her in a catch foot position and nice speed
9. Mancini/Brooks: 17.58 TES + 17.43 PCS = 24.51 Total: 48.68 and into 2nd place
1. I can't decide if I like her arm fabric or not
2. This is an interesting team because she is so much shorter than him--she barely comes up to his shoulder and I think this leads to some awkward arm holds from them where neither of their arms appear to be in the right position
3. They kind of slip out of their final position
10. Oi/Jahnke: 16.69 TES + 15.98 PCS = 22.87 Total: 44.41 and into 5th place
1. I really want her to stretch her legs through all these positions
2. She looks like she's looking down through a lot of this program
3. Interesting ending pose but she has a hard time getting out of it
11. Pogrebinsky/Gudis: 18.07 TES + 16.48 PCS = 24.19 Total: 47.15 and into 4th place
1. She's only 12 years old and he's 15 so this team has a lot of time in front of them to develop and climb the ranks
2. Some of these movements off the top look a little stiff and awkward
3. I'd like to see her look up and really perform
4. They have a great rotational lift at the end that ends in their ending pose
12. Deissroth/Mueller: 12.55 TES + 12.69 PCS = 17.67 Total: 36.22 and into 12th place
1. Her costume looks like it belongs to a Firebird program
2. They have nice use of their arms and upper body
3. They have some nice choreography and really hit and hold their ending pose

U.S. Nationals: Novice Compulsory Dance: Blues

1. Howe/Farmer: 14.12 TES + 14.44 PCS = 19.99
1. I really like the look of this team and they have great lines and make nice use of their long limbs by stretching through all of their movements
2. I think her dress is really elegant and is a nice color on her
3. They have good control over all their edge changes
4. The ending pose was a little awkward, but other than that it was nicely skated
2. Parsons/Parsons: 18.14 TES + 17.57 PCS = 25.00 and into 1st place
1. This team lacks some of the maturity of the first team but they also look younger.  The teams today range in age from 10 to 22.
2. I'd like to really see her stretch through her knee more in all these leg lifts
3. They have good speed and flow and good edge control on the ice
4. I really like his leg positions and his upper body carriage
3. Mancini/Brooks: 17.93 TES + 16.60 PCS = 24.17 and into 2nd place
1. I really like her dress and the way it moves when she skates.  It also is the most bluesy of the costumes we've seen so far
2. This team has great speed but I'd like to see her really straighten through her knees on all these leg lifts
3. This team gets really deep into their edges
4. Oi/Jahnke: 15.46 TES + 15.31 PCS = 21.54 and into 3rd place
1. This is one of the older teams in this field
2. They get great extension on their leg lifts and have great control over their positions
5. Pogrebinsky/Gudis: 16.73 TES + 16.07 PCS = 22.96 and into 3rd place 
1. I like how much she's using her arms in in the into to this dance but I'd like it to be more natural and not be so stiff and placed
2. They have great extension and control through all these leg lifts
3. There are a few places where she needs more extension through her knee and their legs are at different heights
4. Nice rotational lift at the end of their program
6. Deissroth/Mueller: 13.47 TES + 13.03 PCS = 18.55 and into 6th place
1. I'm not a fan of his pairs-esque costume
2. She really needs to straighten her knees through all of these leg lifts
3. They both look very tall but they're not really pushing through these steps and covering the ice surface they could and some of their moves are very small
4. She really throws in the personality here at the end of the program into their ending pose
7. Grant/Skala: 14.34 TES + 13.65 PCS = 19.59 and into 6th place
1. Good extension and control of their lifting leg
2. They have nice use of their arms even within the dance holds
3. There are spots when their legs are not the same height in the leg lifts
4. Nice rotational lift at the end of the program but I'd like to see them hold their ending pose a beat longer
8. DeMaria/Miller: 14.10 TES + 13.78 PCS = 19.52 and into 7th place
1. I'd like to see her have more of a real smile than the fake stage smile here at the top of the program
2. They have some nice use of their arms
3. They both have nice upper body carriage
4. Nice rotational lift at the end of their program and a good exit out of it
5. I like that they were one of the few teams to actually take bows at the end of their program
9. Schmucker/Munday: 15.34 TES + 15.19 PCS = 21.37 and into 5th place
1. It's nice to see one of the guys really getting into the performance
2. They both have nice height in their extensions but sometimes her leg gets above his
10. Moore/Klaber: 16.37 TES + 16.11 PCS = 22.74 and into 4th place
1. I like the way her dress moves on the ice but the pastel pink and orange colors don't really say blues to me
2. I love the way they skate with their whole body in the introduction to this dance
3. I'd like to see her stretch through her knees more in the extensions
4. I'd like to see them really push through some of these steps to cover more of the ice surface and get a little more speed and power
11. Jeandell/Dodge: 12.63 TES + 13.38 PCS = 18.21 and into 11th place
1. I'd like to see him work on his hands because he has a claw position in his beginning pose
2. They both were really into this program in the introduction to the pattern dance
3. They have great height on these leg lifts and nice control
4. I like the way they're using their arms in the holds
5. They have some height matching and timing issues through some of these leg lifts
6. She takes a stumble but he's able to pull her back into the program and they get right back into it
7. They can't sustain their ending pose and come right out of it
12. Hawayek/Bramante: 17.66 TES + 16.76 PCS = 24.09 and into 3rd place
1. I'm kind of in love with her costume and think the cut and color really suit her
2. For being one of the younger girls here, she skates with a lot of maturity
3. They have great control and extension through their leg lifts