Skate Canada Free Dance

Group 1
Ralph/Hill, CAN: 38.56 TES + 38.04 PCS = 76.60  Total: 126.60

• She could stretch through her legs more in some of the opening acrobatic moves
• A little slow and slightly off timing on the twizzles but an interesting third variation with a flying entry
• They have good matching leg lines but don't always stretch through their free legs on some of these steps; good speed maintained
• One leg lift from him and a nice toss exit with her landing horizontal to the ice on his leg
• Rotational lift with her wrapped around his shoulders
• Nice change of level one armed rotational lift
• Good centering on their dance spin but some of her positions are slightly awkward
• I like the intensity in their skating and feel that this program really suits them
• Nice highlight move with her laying on his blade as he travels on a curve
• Nice relationship with each other and variety of holds in their second step sequence with good speed and flow
• Good change of position for her in the spread eagle lift

Zlobina/Sitnikov, AZE: 40.01 TES +41.87 PCS = 81.88  Total: 132.80 and into 1st place

• Interesting story at the top here with her slapping him and then him kissing her in response
• Flip around his head into a fast rotational lift in a haircutter position
• Nice speed into their dance spin but I'm not crazy about the backwards sit position from her and she needs more stretch through her free leg
• A little bit of a bobble at the beginning of the step sequence on one of her turns
• Good timing and distance between them on the twizzles
• Lunge lift with her in a handstand on his leg 
• Great lift with him skating forward on one leg and her standing on his working leg facing him--neither were using their hands to hold the position
• A little choppy on some of these turns in the second step sequence
• Rotational lift with her curled up in a ball 
• Nice standing lift with her wrapped around his waist and him rotating on one leg
• Some nice highlight movements and some of the routine seemed a bit on the junior side in terms of the acting but it had the crowd's attention!

Carron/Jones, FRA: 37.07 TES + 42.01 PCS = 79.08 Total: 130.75 and into 2nd place

• Nice entry into an AMAZING rotational single arm lift with changes of position for her
• Nice ease on their twizzles and good timing through all three sets
• Step over his head into an arabesque resting on his shoulder while he skated backwards on one leg
• Stationary rotational lift with her parallel to the ice
• Nice connection between them on the tango step sequence but it could use a little bit more flair and difficult edges
• Nice speed in the dance spin but they have a bobble getting through the change of position and she doesn't stretch through her free leg in some of these positions
• They have great lifts in this program and I wish some of the other elements were at the same level as this could be a world class program

Gilles/Poirier, CAN: 40.93 TES + 42.10 PCS = 83.03  Total: 136.74 and into 1st place

• I lost the feed for the first half
• Difficult variations on the twizzles and they looked well timed
• Nice stationary rotational lift with her leaning back toward the ice
• Double spread eagle into a spread eagle lift with two changes of position for her
• Interesting pictures in their dance spin but it seems a little slow and there are places she could stretch through her free leg more
• Good speed and flow on the step sequence
• From what I saw of this program I'm not sure how much I loved it...it seems disjointed in places and doesn't seem to really suit them 

Group 2
Hubbell/Donohue, USA: 36.38 TES + 43.94 PCS = 80.32 Total: 135.16 and into 2nd place

• Difficult variations on their twizzles; nicely timed with each other and the music
• I love the way her skirt moves as she skates across teh ice
• Nice lift standing on his leg with a twist down exit
• Good matching leg lines, changes of hold and ease of movement in their first step sequence
• Nice speed in their combination spin with good change of direction and good stretch through her positions
• Heel stretch lift standing on his skates but I'd like to see her slightly straighter in her back for a more appealing position
• Difficult curve lift with her suspended out over the ice and he skating on one leg
• Good energy, edges and flow across teh ice in the second step sequence
• Good speed on the rotational lift 
• Great characters and carrying the feel of the piece from beginning to end and great ending pose

Riazanova/Tkachenko, RUS: 41.64 TES + 45.95 PCS = 87.59 Total: 143.39 and into 1st place

• Nice full circle in the changes of position in the first lift
• I think her dress is stunning on her and it is one of the few white dressed I think have really worked with the ice
• Some nice footwork accentuating the music in their first step sequence 
• Flip up into a fast rotational lift
• Nice stretch through her positions in the dance spin and good pictures created between them
• Good speed, distance between them and timing on the twizzles through all three sets
• Nice spread eagle lift with her upside down facing the ice
• Good flow across the ice and nice ease in the change of holds in their second step sequence
• Good speed in the rotational hair cutter lift
• Interesting straight line lift with her on his skate but she needs to arch her back slightly more
• Really nice program from them

Cappellini/Lanotte, ITA: 44.63 TES + 50.35 PCS = 94.98  Total: 160.06 and into 1st place

• In one of the most dramatic showdowns of the event Shpilband's team and Zoueva's team are separated by just .01 after the free dance and both are skating to Carmen
• It looks like he might have stepped out a bit early on the twizzles in the 2nd set of 3
• Nice kick to an arch from her in the first lift right into a rotational lift
• Nice timing in their first step sequence and I like the little details like tango flicks to really add to the theme
• I'm not a fan of her catchfoot camel position in their dance spin 
• Nice straight line lift and a really nice rotational lift with her in a split position
• Great stretch through their free legs in this second step sequence and really nice deep edges and knees 

Virtue/Moir, CAN: 48.42 TES + 55.90 PCS = 104.32  Total: 169.41 and into 1st place

• In terms of costumes I prefer Anna's dress to Tessa's.  She looks more Morticia Addams than Carmen in her black and gray plunging neckline and shredded skirt
• Very seductive side from Tessa here in some of the opening movements
• Great lift accenting the music with a toss and nice changes of position
• Good twizzles, perfectly timed with each other and the music
• Nice stretched matching camel positions in the dance spin but her catchfoot variations in the next two positions seem a little awkward
• Nice deep edges and knees with clean changes of edge as well and good flow across the ice
• Handstand lift with him in a spread eagle into a rotational lift
• Some interesting almost hip hop arms here to coordinate with the music and a few awkward leg moves; their facial expressions also seem forced, especially considering how well they are known for performance skills
• Nice lines in the 2nd step sequence and good variety and changes of hold
• I usually LOVE Virtue and Moir but I am not really a fan of this program

Pl.	Name	Nation	TSS =	TES +		PCS +	SS	TR	PE	CC	IT	Ded. -	StN.
1	Tessa VIRTUE / Scott MOIR	CAN	104.32	48.42		55.90	9.32	9.14	9.29	9.46	9.50	0.00	#8
2	Anna CAPPELLINI / Luca LANOTTE	ITA	94.98	44.63		50.35	8.36	8.11	8.57	8.57	8.57	0.00	#7
3	Ekaterina RIAZANOVA / Ilia TKACHENKO	RUS	87.59	41.64		45.95	7.82	7.36	7.75	7.75	7.79	0.00	#6
4	Piper GILLES / Paul POIRIER	CAN	83.03	40.93		42.10	7.14	6.71	7.21	7.11	7.11	0.00	#4
5	Julia ZLOBINA / Alexei SITNIKOV	AZE	81.88	40.01		41.87	6.96	6.71	7.11	7.11	7.21	0.00	#2
6	Madison HUBBELL / Zachary DONOHUE	USA	80.32	36.38		43.94	7.43	7.11	7.46	7.39	7.36	0.00	#5
7	Pernelle CARRON / Lloyd JONES	FRA	79.08	37.07		42.01	7.11	6.82	7.04	7.07	7.07	0.00	#3
8	Kharis RALPH / Asher HILL	CAN	76.60	38.56		38.04	6.43	6.14	6.50	6.32	6.43	0.00	#1

Pl.	Name	Nation	Points	SD	FD
1	Tessa VIRTUE / Scott MOIR	CAN	169.41	1	1
2	Anna CAPPELLINI / Luca LANOTTE	ITA	160.06	2	2
3	Ekaterina RIAZANOVA / Ilia TKACHENKO	RUS	143.39	3	3
4	Piper GILLES / Paul POIRIER	CAN	136.74	5	4
5	Madison HUBBELL / Zachary DONOHUE	USA	135.16	4	6
6	Julia ZLOBINA / Alexei SITNIKOV	AZE	132.80	7	5
7	Pernelle CARRON / Lloyd JONES	FRA	130.75	6	7
8	Kharis RALPH / Asher HILL	CAN	126.60	8	8

US Figure Skating Classic Free Dance Results

Place	Start No.	Name			Free Dance		Total Score
			Place	Score	Place	Score
1	6	Piper GILLES Paul POIRIER, CAN	3	55.98	1	90.92	146.90
2	8	Alexandra PAUL Mitchell ISLAM, CAN	4	55.86	2	87.90	143.76
3	9	Lynn KRIENGKRAIRUT Logan GIULIETTI-SCHMITT, USA	2	56.49	3	84.37	140.86
4	5	Madison CHOCK Evan BATES, USA	1	62.89	5	76.95	139.84
5	7	Siobhan HEEKIN-CANEDY Dmitriy DUN, UKR	5	49.14	4	79.26	128.40
6	3	Anastasia CANNUSCIO Colin MCMANUS, USA	8	42.10	6	69.98	112.08
7	2	Danielle O'BRIEN Gregory MERRIMAN, AUS	7	42.97	7	67.65	110.62
8	4	Justyna PLUTOWSKA Peter GERBER, POL	9	41.99	8	64.50	106.49
9	1	Carter JONES Richard SHARPE, GBR	6	43.17	9	62.23	105.40

U.S. International Figure Skating Classic Short Dance Results

Place	Start No.	Name	Score
1	2	Madison CHOCK Evan BATES, USA	62.89
2	6	Lynn KRIENGKRAIRUT Logan GIULIETTE-SCHMITT, USA	56.49
3	5	Piper GILLES Paul POIRIER, CAN	55.98
4	1	Alexandra PAUL Mitchell ISLAM, CAN	55.86
5	9	Siobhan HEEKIN-CANEDY Dmitriy DUN, UKR	49.14
6	8	Carter JONES Richard SHARPE, GBR	43.17
7	7	Danielle O'BRIEN Gregory MERRIMAN, AUS	42.97
8	3	Anastasia CANNUSCIO Colin MCMANUS, USA	42.10
9	4	Justyna PLUTOWSKA Peter GERBER, POL	41.99

Canadian Nationals Dance Results

Senior Dance

Rank	Competitor(s)	Section	SD	FD	Points
1	Tessa Virtue / Scott Moir	WO	68.41	111.61	180.02
2	Kaitlyn Weaver / Andrew Poje	NO	68.27	106.26	174.53
3	Piper Gilles / Paul Poirier	CO	62.78	100.76	163.54
4	Kharis Ralph / Asher Hill	CO	58.92	88.59	147.51
5	Alexandra Paul / Mitchell Islam	CO	57.30	89.18	146.48
6	Nicole Orford / Thomas Williams	BC/YT	56.58	88.95	145.53
7	Tarrah Harvey / Keith Gagnon	BC/YT	53.87	83.54	137.41
8	Larissa Van As / Troy Shindle	BC/YT	38.52	71.28	109.80
9	Mélissande Dumas / David Mackay Perry	QC	39.40	66.82	106.22
10	Shanna René De Cotret-Laporte / Alexandre Laliberté	QC	42.60	63.42	106.02
11	Anoushka Ritchie-Hervieux / Philippe Massé	QC	39.02	66.13	105.15
12	Olga Lioudvinevitch / Benjamin Mulder	WO	38.37	66.12	104.49
13	Helene Letourneau / Kevin Boczar	EO	37.21	59.30	96.51
14	Jazz Smyl Joly / Nicholas Jesionek	AB/NT/NU	31.60	54.75	86.35

Top Moments of 2011: May

Other

Crone and Poirier of Canada announced that they would split citing her desire to retire and set off a partner swapping craze that would last the entire off-season.

Miki Ando announced that she would sit out at least the Grand Prix and possibly the whole season after winning the World title.

Laura Lepisto, who sat out the entire season due to injury, announced that she planned to make a comeback.

Daisuke Takahashi and Nobunari Oda both had surgery to repair knee problems.

World Championships--Dance Preview

Davis and White have won every event they have entered this season.  There have been no competitors at their level, but they have continued to push themselves and they have an extremely demanding free skate.  They've struggled with the levels on their Golden Waltz sequences but the extra time should have given them the ability to tweak their technique and get in extra repetitions.  They are looking to win the first World Gold Medal in ice dance for the United States and have been working toward this goal all season.  They have the 2nd best short dance, 1st best free dance and 1st best total score of the season.

Virtue and Moir have been out all season due to injury.  They competed at Four Continents, but had to withdraw a few seconds into their free dance due to tightness in Tessa's quad.  They say they are 100% healthy now and feel like a brand new team.  Their short program is classic Virtue and Moir and is magical to watch.  Their free skate is very different than what they have done before or what other teams are doing.  It has a lot of promise but was sloppy at Four Continents.  They've had an extra month of training to add the finishing touches, but I'm not sure they can catch up to the momentum that Davis and White have created.  They have the best short dance score of the season.

Pechalat and Bourzat have made a remarkable jump this season including winning their first European title.  They are not at the class of the top two teams but they have a nice lead over the rest of the pack.  They seem to be truly enjoying their programs this season and they connection they have with each other and the story of their programs comes out on the ice.  They also have home field advantage as they practice in the rink where Worlds is being held.  They have the 3rd best short dance, and 2nd best free dance and total scores for the season.

Bobrova and Soloviev are another team that has come into their own this season as they have become the top ranked Russian dance team.  They won their first European medal earlier this year and have stated that they believe the world podium is within their grasp.  I was not a fan of their short dance and following the Grand Prix Final, they went back to the drawing board and brought a new short dance to Europeans.  Their free dance is nice but it's also forgettable and in this field, it could leave them off the podium.  They have the 4th best short dance and 3rd best free dance and total scores for the season.

The Shibutanis have made the biggest jump of the season, becoming the first team to win two medals in their first season on the Grand Prix.  They climbed into second place at US Nationals coming very close to Davis and White's scores.  They then went on to win a silver medal at Four Continents.  Their programs are both enchanting and fit them like a glove.  They've continually been climbing over teams this season, and I could see them making another big leap here.  I'm not sure they're quite ready to be on the podium, but they should be in the final group at Worlds.  They have the 8th best short dance, and 5th best free dance and total scores for the season.

Crone and Poirier started the season with a bang, earning a trip to the Grand Prix Final.  However, their scores and placements have been dropping throughout the season and their seasons best scores were set way back at Skate Canada.  Their short program doesn't seem to suit their personalities, the choreography and performance doesn't match the music, and I'm not wild about their costumes.  Their free dance has been better received all season although some of the magic seems to be wearing off.  They have the 7th best short dance and free dance and 6th best total scores of the season.

Ilinykh and Katsalapov had a slow but respectable start to their season coming off their Junior Worlds medal. They did medal at their second Grand Prix event and placed in the top 5 at Europeans.  This team hasn't made quite the same splash as the Shibutanis and they have another Russian team that came up with them at the same time.  They should do well here and have a shot at securing three spots for Russia in dance next season.  They have the 9th best short dance, 6th best free dance and 7th best total score for the season.

Weaver and Poje have one of my favorite short dances of the season.  They are an exceptionally elegant couple and have great lines on the ice.  However, their free dance has never come together for them and they seem to let nerves get in the way and make mistakes that cost them placements and medals.  They'll have to go through the qualifying round in which they'll have to perform their free dance.  If they do well it could increase their confidence going into the competition, but if errors are made it could shake their nerves and effect their short dance performance.  They have the 5th best short dance and 8th best total score of the season.

Absent from this event are Kerr/Kerr (4th best total score and European Silver Medalists) of Great Britain who withdrew due to injury and have since retired.  Riazanova/Tkachenko (9th best total score) of Russia did not receive a place on the World team.  Faiella and Scali (10th best total score) of Italy retired after Europeans and will also not be attending.

My podium predictions: 

Gold: Davis/White

Silver: Virtue/Moir

Bronze: Pechalat/Bourzat

My USFSA Fantasy Team:

A) Davis/White

B) Shibutani/Shibutani

C) Guignard/Fabbri

The competitors (a D indicates a direct entry into the short program):

O'Brien/Merriman, AUS: They finished 9th at Four Continents.  They were 25th at Worlds last season.

Geil/Eisenbauer, AUT: They finished 10th in the preliminary round at Europeans.

Valadzenkava/Vakunov, BLR: They finished 13th in the preliminary round at Europeans.

Tremasova/Lichev, BUL: They finished 24th at the World Junior Championships.  They were 15th in the preliminary round at Europeans.  They placed 13th and 16th at their two JGP assignments this season.

Crone/Poirier, CAN (D): They won bronze at Four Continents.  They finished 14th at the Olympics and 7th at the World Championships last season.  They won bronze at the Grand Prix Final after winning gold at Skate Canada and silver at Skate America.

Virtue/Moir, CAN (D): Virtue and Moir are the reigning Olympic and World Champions.  They sat out the Grand Prix season due to injury.  They are the 2006 World Junior Champions.  They are the 2006 and 2007 Four Continents Bronze medalists, 2009 silver medalists, and 2008 champions.  They are the 2009 World Bronze medalists and 2008 silver medalists.

Weaver/Poje, CAN: Weaver and Poje finished fourth at Four Continents with personal best scores across the board.  They are the 2007 World Junior Bronze Medalists.  They finished 5th at the Grand Prix Final after winning silver at NHK Trophy and finishing 4th at Skate America.

Huang/Zheng, CHN: They placed 6th at Four Continents with personal best scores across the board.  They placed 5th at Cup of China and Trophee Eric Bompard.

Mysliveckova/Novak, CZE: They placed 10th at Europeans.  They finished 6th at NHK Trophy and 5th at Cup of Russia.  They finished 16th at Worlds last season.

Good/Sorensen, DEN: They placed 24th at Worlds last season.

Carron/Jones, FRA (D): They placed 9th at Europeans.  They finished 5th at Skate Canada and 4th at Trophee Eric Bompard.  They finished 12th at Worlds last season.

Pechalat/Bourzat, FRA (D):   They are the reigning European Champions.  They won gold at Cup of China and Trophee Eric Bompard to qualify for the Grand Prix Final where they won silver.  They placed 7th at the Olympics and 4th at Worlds last season.

Reed/Japaridze, GEO: They placed 17th at Europeans.  They finished 22nd at the Olympics and 21st at Worlds last season.

Zhiganshina/Gazsi, GER: They placed 7th at Europeans.

Coomes/Buckland, GBR (D): They placed 14th at Europeans.  They finished 8th at NHK Trophy and Skate America.

Walden/Edwards, GBR: This is their first ISU competition.  They are the reigning national champions.

Hoffman/Zavozin, HUN (D):  They placed 8th at the European Championships.  Zavozin used to compete for USA and won the World Junior title in 2005.  They finished 4th in their Grand Prix debut at Cup of China, won silver at Cup of Russia, and placed 6th at the Grand Prix Final.  Hoffman and Zavozin placed 13th at the Olympics and 10th at Worlds last season.

Nagy/Fejes, HUN: They finished 11th in the preliminary round at Europeans.

Frieling/Rumi, ISR (D): They placed 20th at Europeans.

Cappellini/Lanotte, ITA (D):  They finished 5th at NHK Trophy.  They placed 11th at Worlds last season.

Guignard/Fabbri, ITA (D): This is their first ISU competition.  They are the reigning national silver medalists.

Reed/Reed, JPN (D): They finished 7th at NHK and Skate America.  They placed 15th at Worlds last season.

Tobias/Stagniunas, LTU: They placed 12th at Europeans.

Bruhns/Westenberger, MEX: They finished 10th at Four Continents.

Bobrova/Soloviev, RUS (D): They are the reigning European Bronze Medalists.  They are the 2007 World Junior Champions.  They won silver at Cup of China and gold at Cup of Russia to qualify for the Grand Prix Final where they finished 4th.  They placed 15th at the Olympics and 8th at Worlds last season.

Ilinykh/Katsalapov, RUS (D): They placed 4th at Europeans.  They are the 2010 World Junior champions.  They placed 4th at NHK Trophy and won bronze at Cup of Russia.

Hurtado/Diaz, ESP: They finished 9th at Junior Worlds and 15th at Europeans.  They placed 10th and 5th at their two JGP assignments this season.

Elsener/Roost, SUI: They finished 19th at Europeans and 14th at the World Junior Championships.  They finished 7th and 13th at their two JGP assignments.

Heekin-Canedy/Shakalov, UKR: They placed 11th at Europeans.

Chock/Zuerlein, USA (D): Chock and Zuerlein finished 5th at Four Continents.  They are the 2009 World Junior Champions.  They won bronze at Skate Canada and Trophee Eric Bompard.

Davis/White, USA (D): They are the reigning Olympic and Worlds Silver Medalists.  They are the reigning Four Continents Champions.  They are the 2009 Four Continents champions and 2008 silver medalists.  They are the 2006 World Junior bronze medalists.  They won gold at NHK Trophy and Skate America to qualify for the Grand Prix Final where they won gold.

Shibutani/Shibutani, USA (D): They won silver at Four Continents.  They are the 2009 World Junior Silver Medalists.  They won bronze at the NHK Trophy and Skate America.

Four Continents Championships: Free Dance

Group 1
1. O'Brien/Merriman, AUS: 35.72 TES + 26.30 PCS = 62.02 Total: 104.69

• They are in 10th place after the short dance
• A very different costume for her than most ice dance dresses but I really like and it looks good on the ice--silver sequined top and three layers of a ruffled skirt in different colors
• Nice curve lift with her over his knee and leaning back
• I'd like to see more extension from both of them through their free leg in this first step sequence and for her to use her arms more naturally instead of placing them
• This step sequence is also really bouncy, especially from her and they don't get very deep into their knees or edges
• They come really close to each other in the first set of twizzles, she seems to be bouncing instead of spinning through the second set and has to put her foot down early
• A really interesting lift in which he spins on one leg while she's in an arched position, very unique
• A nice rotational lift--flip into the entry with her on his shoulder and a change of position
• Good positions in their dance spin and decent speed
• She has a little bobble on some footwork
• Nice entry into the lift near the end but messy exit
• Overall they have some nice qualities to work with but they have some things they need to work on as well

2. Borounov/Borounov, AUS: 24.66 TES + 19.05 PCS = 43.71 Total: 72.23 and into 2nd place

•  They are currently in 12th place
• She is wearing a very long skirt and with all the skirt problems this season, I hope she doesn't get tripped up by it
• Nice positions in the dance spin, not a lo of speed, slightly awkward exit out of the element
• She really needs to straighten her free leg through this footwork sequence--it also seems like she's looking toward the ground and is skating very cautiously
• Straightline lift with her leaning back toward the ice
• Simple rotational lift with one arm and she catches her back foot
• He gets a little out of control on his twizzles, loss of unison, she puts her foot down early in the second set
• I'd like to see her work on her carriage as well, it looks like she's slightly hunched over in all of the holds
• It just seems like this team is lacking a lot of their basic technique and it makes a lot of the program a struggle for them
• A straight line lift with her bent back and him on one foot
• An interesting curve lift with her in a haircutter position but wrapped around his back

3. Guan/Wang, CHN: 35.10 TES + 28.39 PCS = 63.49 Total: 106.26 and into 1st place

•  They are in 9th place after the short dance
• She is in an all white dress with long sleeves and a long skirt--makes it harder to really see her positions with the white ice and white boards
• First set of twizzles is done with leg extended and seems a little wild but they stay in unison through all sets
• Some nice changes of holds through this first step sequence but they're very stiff with their hands and it destroys their arm line
• Flip into the first lift over his shoulder and some position changes into a nice stretched out arabesque on his foot with good extension
• Really good speed and extension through the dance spins and it's nice to see the male partner execute one of the more difficult positions on one of the variations
• Their straight line lift with her standing on his boot seems to zig zag a little bit at the beginning
• Awkward hold in the beginning of the step sequence with them facing different directions and having their hands on each others backs--they seem to have trouble holding it
• One arm rotational lift in a pretty simple position
• There isn't really a connection to each other or their music but they're doing a lot of nice elements
• A good rotational lift with him dipping her up and down through the rotation

4. Bruhns/Westenberger, MEX: 24.95 TES + 22.92 PCS = 47.87 Total: 88.55 and into 3rd place

• They are in 11th place after the short program
• Nice entry into their twizzles but they're really off unison--she's one or two twizzles ahead
• This footwork sequence seems really slow 
• They seem to kick their free leg into position instead of flowing through the movements 
• A nice lift with three changes of position for her 
• Problem centering the entry of the backward camel for their dance spin and the whole sequence is really slow
• They need to really use their free arm more throughout the step sequence and really extend their lines through these holds
• Simple one armed rotational lift
• An interesting hydroblade move ith her hand on his foot 
• One footed curve lift with her standing on his boot and leaning back
• I like the abandon they're showing through this choreography at the end--this is the most free they've been the whole dance and it really brings up their performance level

Group 2
5. Chock/Zuerlein, USA: 44.15 TES + 41.15 PCS = 85.30 Total: 142.44 and into 1st place

•  They are in 6th place after the short dance
• There program is Cabaret and both of the characters suit their personalities so perfectly and this is a true performance
• They make the twizzles look so easy, are well timed with the music, but get a little far apart
• Nice step sequence
• Good positions in their dance spin and good speed
• Great speed going into this footwork
• Great entry into their lift, it happens so fast and she's right in the upside down position with a nice change of position
• Nice lift with her hanging upside by only her leg and he skating backward on one leg
• Easy one armed rotational lift
• Madison could stretch through her leg more in a few places in the second step sequence and really get into her edges
• Good fast rotation in their final lift
• Little bobble getting into their ending pose
• They're getting a standing ovation from the American Pairs teams watching in the stands
• There are so many little details in the choreography of this program and it's just put together so well

6. Crone/Poirier, CAN: 47.27 TES + 42.90 PCS = 90.17 Total: 151.83 and into 1st place

• They are in 5th place after the short dance
• Really interesting choreography at the beginning and a nice languid feeling to their opening movements
• Good speed throughout the dance spin and there wasn't a huge pause during their change of foot
• Lift with her upside down and he one one leg and she's hanging on with just her arm over his shoulder
• This footwork seems a little slow, but I think they could use that to their advantage and get into their knees a little more
• Twizzles were really well done and they were right on time for all three sets
• Nice cartwheels over his extended leg
• Curve lift with him in a spread eagle and leaning back with changes of position as she spirals up to standing on his leg
• Good speed through this second step sequence but I'd like to see a little more connection with each other instead of the focus out the whole time
• Flip into a rotational lift with her wrapped around his body
• Nice rotational lift with her hanging down and holding on by one arm
• This program has really improved since I last saw it at the Grand Prix Final

7. Huang/Zheng, CHN: 40.01 TES + 37.35 PCS = 77.36 Total: 130.29 and into 3rd place

• They are in 7th place after the short dance
• She really needs to straighten her leg, it never seems to get all the way straight through any of these steps
• Curve lift with him in a spread eagle and holding her in an arch
• Good timing on their twizzles with good variations
• A full turn jump into a lift with variations of position--reminds me of one of Davis and White's POTO lifts.
• Nice positions in the dance spin, but slow and he could have a better free arm position
• We started with Singing in the Rain but now seem to be in some kind of techno remix of the song--kind of breaks up the charm and easy flow of their program
• Nice curve lift with him in a hydroblade position and she's leaning on him in an arched position
• I've really seen an improvement in the Chinese teams as a whole--they've become more expressive in their performances and are really working on emulating the American style lifts with lots of position changes and difficulty.  I think this might be the next field with China might have a big breakthrough.

8. Yu/Wang, CHN: 40.92 TES + 34.25 PCS = 75.17 Total: 125.75 and into 4th place

•  They are in 8th place after the short dance
• Flip into a shoulder lift and change of position
• They have some good speed into their twizzles and have good unison, positions, and placement in relation to each other
• Most of the time she has full stretch through her free leg, but when the steps are faster, she'll bend her free leg, not point her toe and sickle her foot
• Straightline lift with him going backwards and she standing on his boot
• Nice positions in the dance spin but not a lot of speed; they have great use of their arms through the spin
• They have a very nice lyrical flow through their arms and upper body throughout the program and perform this program nicely
• She has very nice lines through these lifts and hits some great arabesque and attitude positions
• One armed rotational lift with her in a catch foot looks a little labored toward the end of the program

Group 3
9. Shibutani/Shibutani, USA: 48.76 TES + 44.58 PCS = 93.34 Total: 155.38 and into 1st place

• They just look so effortless on the ice together
• Great speed through their dance spins and really nice positions, especially her layback
• They have such nice deep edges and and knees throughout this step sequence and all of their movements are so clean and crisp
• Great entry into their first lift with great changes of position and fast rotation with her in a catchfoot position--they change positions to quickly for me to even type them!
• They have the fastest and best twizzles in the world and they executed them beautifully here
• Flip over the head and a nice twist to drop her down to hip height
• It is impossible not to watch this program and smile along with them
• Their timing and musicality is impeccable
• Simple one armed roational lift at the end of the program

10. Davis/White, USA: 50.01 TES + 53.01 PCS = 103.02 Total: 172.03 and into 1st place

• Meryl is back to her Forever 21 dress from the Grand Prix Final.  I prefer her nationals dress to this one.
• There is so much passion and performance in this program from every inch of their bodies
• Entrance into their first lift with arms crossed and a flip onto the back and he skates backwards on one leg while she balances on it
• Nice clean edges and deep knees in the step sequence and good timing 
• This transition footwork in the middle is so fast
• Really fast twizzles, looks they might have slightly lost unison on the end
• She jumps up onto his leg for the next lift with a nice side curve 
• I love these steps here with the dueling feet characteristic of a ballroom tango
• Such a difficult position for her in their dance spin but I wish she'd straighten her free leg a little more
• Rotational lift with a change of position to holding her only by the knees and letting her upper body swing free
• Nice second step sequence and great facial expressions from both
• Final rotational split lift with tons of speed

11. Virtue/Moir, CAN: Withdrawal

• They are in 1st place after the short dance
• Hello hips!  They are really working the samba feeling at the beginning of this program and look like they're doing a real ballroom routine
• Interesting twizzle sequence in a circle but I don't think they were exactly on time with each other
• Great timing on their accents and well choreographed with the music
• He tosses her up into a full twist and they do a rotational lift with her leg wrapped around his head
• They've stopped now after the lift and are talking to their coaches
• Tessa is injured and they've withdrawn.  From the part of the program they did, their program was to die for.

12. Weaver/Poje, CAN: 42.29 TES + 43.30 PCS = 85.69 Total: 151.14 and into 4th place

• They are in 3rd place after the Short Program
• This first step sequence has really nice speed and they have good use of their full body
• Good twizzles with a slight loss of unison
• He has a little bobble on a transition step and they have to abort their dance spin after one revolution but then start again--not sure what kind of credit they'll get for it--might be enough of a mistake to give the Shibs the go ahead
• He picks her up from the ice in a nice one armed rotational lift
• I'd like to see a more tender connection between them in Come What May
• A great lift where he flips her over and holds her up by the blade of her skate
• A really difficult straight line lift and they have trouble at the end and he has to set her down a little early
• Really nicely choreographed step sequence here at the end 
• Rotational lift with her in a haircutter position
• Holding her on his back and a flip around to a fish hold

Gold: Davis/White
Silver: Shibutani/Shibutani
Bronze: Crone/Poirier

Four Continents Championships: Short Dance

1. Virtue/Moir, CAN: 35.64 TES + 33.76 PCS = 69.40
2. Davis/White, USA: 34.50 TES + 34.51 PCS = 69.01
3. Weaver/Poje, CAN: 36.50 TES + 28.95 PCS = 65.45
4. Shibutani/Shibutani, USA: 34.22 TES + 27.82 PCS = 62.04
5. Crone/Poirier, CAN: 33.50 TES + 28.16 PCS = 61.66
6. Chock/Zuerlein, USA: 30.94 TES + 26.20 PCS = 57.14
7. Huang/Zheng, CHN: 28.42 TES + 24.51 PCS = 52.93
8. Yu/Wang, CHN: 27.78 TES + 22.80 PCS = 50.58
9. Guan/Wang, CHN: 24.72 TES + 18.05 PCS = 42.77
10. O'Brien/Merriman, AUS: 25.00 TES + 17.67 PCS = 42.67
11. Bruhns/Westenberger, MEX: 25.28 TES + 15.40 PCS = 40.68
12. Borounov/Borounov, AUS: 15.62 TES + 12.90 PCS = 28.52

Four Continents Championships: Dance Preview

Davis and White have not lost an event all season.  They have steadily been improving their levels in their short dance and achieved all Level 4s at nationals and their free dance is one of the most difficult in the sport but is brilliantly executed.  Their biggest rivals are their training mates Virtue and Moir who have not competed all season due to her surgery.  Davis and White should take an easy victory here and set them up with the momentum to win their first World title.  They have the best short dance, free dance and total scores for the season.

Virtue and Moir are the reigning Olympic and World Champions.  They are absolutely gorgeous to watch on the ice.  I think they'll put out solid programs here, but many teams have struggled to pick up top levels in the new short dance and it has taken them a few events to work out the kinks.  Virtue and Moir elected to skip their nationals because they felt they weren't prepared enough to compete so this will be their first competition.  I expect they'll have a few little problems but this is a warmup event for them to get their programs in order for Worlds.

Crone and Poirier's scores have been all over the board this season.  They had high marks at their first Grand Prix event but couldn't seem to match that performance the rest of the season.  Their Grand Prix Final score was almost 15 points below their seasons best largely due to their short dance.  I don't think their performance quality matches the mood of the music and I don't think its particularly well choreographed, and they were docked heavily at the GPF.  They won the national title but only by one point over Weaver and Poje.  As one of two teams here who medaled at the GPF they have an edge, but they can't afford to make any mistakes.  They have the 5th best short dance, 6th best free dance and 5th best total score of the season.

The Shibutanis have been ascending like a rocket this season.  They are the first team to win two medals in their first season on the senior Grand Prix and their scores have been steadily improving throughout the season.  They made the race for gold at nationals a tighter race than anyone expected, and even beat Davis and White on the technical element scores.  Their short dance scores are lower than some of the other teams here but they made mistakes in this segment in both their Grand Prixs, and when skated clean they can really rack up the points.  I think their talent is good enough to put them on the podium here but younger teams seem to receive lower program components than older teams which could make the difference here.  They have the 8th best free dance and 9th best total score of the season.

Weaver and Poje and Chock and Zuerlein round out the American and Canadian contingents.  Both teams did well on the Grand Prix circuit this season.  Weaver and Poje's short dance is absolutely stunning and I think they've been underscored on this segment this season.  The Golden Waltz looks like it was choreographed to their music and it is easy to lose yourself in their program.  Their free dance to Moulin Rouge has never really come together and clicked with the judges.  I think they'll have a hard time holding on to their title and finishing on the podium.  They have the 8th best short dance and 10th best total score of the season.

Chock and Zuerlein seem to have the opposite problem in that their short program is nice but doesn't seem to really wow the judges or the audience.  Their free skate to Cabaret is really well done and suits their personalities perfectly, but they made errors on the Grand Prix and didn't receive the full marks.  Their levels are not as high and their programs are not as clean as some of their training mates but they are very entertaining to watch and should give Weaver and Poje a run for their money for 5th place.  They have the 9th best short dance of the season.

My podium predictions:
Gold: Davis/White
Silver: Virtue/Moir
Bronze: Crone/Poirier

My USFSA Fantasy Team:
A) Davis/White
B) Shibutani/Shibutani
C) Huang/Zheng

The teams:
Borounov/Borounov, AUS:  They finished 12th at Four Continents last season.

O'Brien/Merriman, AUS: They finished 10th at Four Continents and 25th at Worlds last season.

Crone/Poirier, CAN: They finished 14th at the Olympics and 7th at the World Championships.  They won bronze at the Grand Prix Final after winning gold at Skate Canada and silver at Skate America.

Virtue/Moir, CAN: Virtue and Moir are the reigning Olympic and World Champions.  They sat out the Grand Prix season due to injury.  They are the 2006 World Junior Champions.  They are the 2006 and 2007 Four Continents Bronze medalists, 2009 silver medalists, and 2008 champions.  They are the 2009 World Bronze medalists and 2008 silver medalists.

Weaver/Poje, CAN: Weaver and Poje are the reigning Four Continents champions.  They are the 2007 World Junior Bronze Medalists.  They finished 5th at the Grand Prix Final after winning silver at NHK Trophy and finishing 4th at Skate America. 

Guan/Wang, CHN: They placed 9th at Four Continents last season.  They finished 9th at Cup of China.

Huang/Zheng, CHN: They placed 19th at the Olympics and 4th at Four Continents last season.  They placed 5th at Cup of China and Trophee Eric Bompard.

Yu/Wang, CHN: They placed 18th at the World Championships and 8th at Four Continents last season.  They placed 9th at the NHK Trophy and 8th at Cup of China.

Bruhns/Westenberger, MEX: This is their first season together.

Chock/Zuerlein, USA: Chock and Zuerlein finished 5th at Four Continents last season..  They are the 2009 World Junior Champions.  They won bronze at Skate Canada and Trophee Eric Bompard. 

Davis/White, USA: They won silver at Olympics and Worlds.  They are the 2009 Four Continents champions and 2008 silver medalists.  They are the 2006 World Junior bronze medalists.  They won gold at NHK Trophy and Skate America to qualify for the Grand Prix Final where they won gold.

Shibutani/Shibutani, USA: They finished 4th at World Juniors last season.  They are the 2009 World Junior Silver Medalists.  They won bronze at the NHK Trophy and Skate America.