#2)stepsequence

[yumotohakone]

🔪💕BAD IRENE💕🔪

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[stimwhenyourewinning]

End of Year Stimboard: Red

Credit bellow

1) vampyrestims 2) stepsequence 3) princesslime 4) pridesquishy 5) wakustim-loop 6) tartestims 7) igtv 8) ? 9) calmsmedown banner: stimmyperidot

[austerlitzborodinoleipzig]

Ranking the programs - JGPF 2019 Junior Ladies

Started doing it last year, did not finish, let’s try to be better this year. Again I want to say that the order is strictly personal. It entirely depends on my personal tastes. A program can be objectively good, and leave me entirely cold, which means he’ll be at the bottom of the list. Also in my case, music can break or make a program and is a least responsible for 50% of my enjoyment of said program. 

So let’s dive right into it with the junior ladies. This year’s crop had on average  better choreo than last season (mainly because there were only two Daniil G progs :) ). From least favorite to favorite.

THE SHORT

6 - Please don’t make me love you - Daria Usacheva

Daria is a very gifted skater who is able to pull off the atrocious program she’s given. She tries really hard to detail every single movement, she’s surprisingly polished for her age and sells the short. Unfortunately the choreo is shit, so there’s nothing to show. The music is horribly cringy, the rest is typical Gleich, with its gazillion transitions that do not match the music at all and could be transposed to any piece of music. 

What about the costume? Nice dress, but that’s also part of the typical Eteri-girl package, with lots of rhinestones. Olga Ryabenko did not knock it out of the park this time. Also I don’t like the colour she wears. I don’t care for the pastel-y grey and pink. Give me bright colours you cowards! 5/10

5 - Chopin, Nocturne in C Minor - Haein Lee

Nothing wrong with it. Nothing great about it either. A bit bland, a bit boring, a bit of a safe choice for Haein who is a wonderful skater with great lines and musicality

What about the costume? 5/10 Again, I find the colour boring. Not fan of the outline either. 

4 - Tron Legacy/The Fifth Element - Viktoria Vasilieva

I applaud Viktoria for deciding to skate to something a bit different. The choreo with its straight and angular arm moves is a good fit. She’s not the most expressive skater but has a lot of energy and is really musical. You will rarely see her missing a musical beat. 

What about the costume? I disliked her previous dress, the black one with the yellow fluo lines; but her new one is an improvement. 7/10. I like the geometric patterns. Lots of sparkles, makes for a nice effect when she spins. 

3 - Boy on a Ball - Kamila Valieva

For the life of me, I can never remember to name of the music Valieva skates to, so I just refer to the SP as the Boy on a Ball, of the Picasso SP. I absolutely adore the concept. The painting coming alive is a wonderful idea. I love the music choice. Very minimalist, delicate, and somehow fitting... The execution does not follow through. The choreo is far too busy for such a music. I actually don’t mind the leg kicks. I think they fit the program and the character she’s portraying. It also gives the program a distinc look. I like it. Otherwise... This SP had such potential and is disappointing. Mostly I can quite love it because I’m always fairly underwhelmed by Valieva’s performance. I think the girl is putting on herself an insane amount of pressure, she nearly always looks like she’s going to burst into tears at the beginning, and always rushes through. So far she has not shown any connection with the music and always rushes through. 

What about the costume tho? 10/10. Straight from Picasso’s painting. I love it.

2 - Don’t Rain on My Parade - Alysa Liu

One of my favourite programs of the season. And one I rewatch the most, just because, I know it will put me in a good mood. Never fails. This program is just pure joy. It fits Alysa like a glove. And the lyrics are so her. The music choice is deliciously tongue in check. Anyway Alysa is one hell of a performer. The choreo is great. Lots of transitions added since last season. The stepsequence is a blast! I mean how can you not love Alysa doing the fingerguns on “Eye on the target and BANG”. Also the attitude, the wink, the flying kiss during the second spin... It’s great. It just is. 

What about the costume? The pink dress, with the big blue gem is cute. Not very original but very cute. 7/10

1 - Alfonsina Y El Mar - Ksenia Sinitsyna

A masterpiece. It’s intricate. It’s mature. It’s soft and delicate. The choreo is full of details that are like small gems. And Ksenia is really the full package, and fingers crossed she will make it to the top, without being part of the Eteri team. 

What about the costume? Really beautiful. I like the blue colour used. I liked the cut of the dress, and the V-Line. I like the wave-like patterns in the back and along the collar. 9/10

THE FS

6 - Exogenesis Symphony part III - Kamila Valieva

That FS is a big no. How  you take Exogenesis and manage to choreograph something that does not reflect the music in any way is beyond me. Seriously nothing is choreographed according to the musical accents. Kamila skates, the music plays. Nothing to see.

I do like the costume tho. The purple grunge butterfly is interesting, and definitely a bold choice. 9/10

5 - Introduction et Rondo Capriccioso, de Camille Saint-Saëns - Viktoria Vasilieva

I adore Rondo capriccioso, and the choreo is decent. Nothing to write home about, but nice. 

What about the dress? Meh 5/10

4 - Je suis Malade - Daria Usacheva

I was really sceptic at first because I did not think a thirteen years old could pull this off. Unfortunately Daria is currently the best of Eteri’s junior at interpretation, so the team decided “LET’S GIVE HER BIG DRAMA PROGS”, instead of, I dunno, something less heavy.

Not only does Daria manage not to get drowned by the overwhelming vocals, she actually succeeds in pulling this off. I’ve read an interview where she said that she was a bit scared at first, but really feels her FS, and it really shows. She’s skating her heart out, and her performance, is not only intense, but also wonderfully sincere. She stays honest, and true to herself, does not cheat, and was able to make this beast of a FS hers. Truly outstanding. 

What about the costume? I like it. Like the heart-shaped ornementations along the neckline. I like the dégradé of red. 8/10

3 - Illumination - Alysa Liu

Alysa’s coaches makes A+++ choices in terms of packaging. This is a very nice FS, as mature as can be expected of her, and really designed to help her grow artistically. I love the music. The beginning is a bit empty, as she basically skates up and down the rink, trying to land her crazy content, but after that it goes nicely. Alysa is always very musical, focused, and gives the energy and power this piece of music requires. 

And the costume? 7/10. Very nice. 

2 - Oma Asa Toma/Dakini IV - Ksenia Sinitsyna

The choreo is a wonder. Intricate and full of interesting steps and turns. Lovely choreo for the arms. Probably because this is a demanding program, with all the combos backloaded, Ksenia tends to put aside the performance to focus on the tech. Understandable, but because of that the program does not snap like it should. 

The costume? Well there’s a discussion to be held about cultural sensitivity, on insensitivity, but Ksenia’s dress and makeup were meticulously crafted, with nothing left aside. I appreciate that commitment to details. 7/10

1 - Riverdance, Firedance - Haein Lee

The Stepseq is one of the best of the season. When all the jumps have been landed, Haein just lets it loose and sets the rink on fire. And it’s so fucking great to watch!

Costume - Haein’s dress remind me so much of Mao’s dress for her last FS, that I cannot not love it. The red suits her really well. I love the rose in her hair. I like the shape of the skirt. 9/10

[jennibeultimate]

Personal recap Skate Canada GP - Men SP

What an unexpected result in so many ways! 😱😱😱😱😱

What was unexpected???

Shoma not 1st after the SP 😱

Daniel Samohin hitting a SP (when did that ever happen?)

Jason Brown not in the 2nd group anymore and down to 11th

Alexander Majorow in the 2nd group in the FS

Congrats Keegan on first place!🎉 That was awesome! 👏👏👏

Loved the program, it suits him so well! He performed amazing and has a very deserved 1st place!

Athough obviously I would have loved a different result, because...

😭😭😭😭 OMG Shoma! That fall looked scary! I hope you are alright😢🙏🙏🙏! You can do it tomorrow, I believe in you! Go Shoma!

The 4F was stunning❤️! The GOE is 3.93!!!

I just pretend the rest did not happen😅 btw the costume is gorgeous!!! And the program is fabulous😍😍😍...just not today...

And what exactly happened to the spins??? Level 3 on 2 of 3 spins....

Junhwan Cha was fabulous! 👏 I am not really into his program but he had nice connections and great jumps...

... and it's obvious I love Shoma, but 2nd place would have been deserving as well...0.01 difference is always a bit like "tied" for same place...

A shoutout to Nam Ngyuen who had a splendid performance! Too bad about the underrotation...

Another shoutout to Kevin Aymoz who stands out with unique style and performance level!

Daniel Samohin was unexpectedly great! Jumps working, spins fabulous, nice interpretation... Wow (I know he is not everyone's cup of tea but I like him a lot and he is often so frustrating to watch, so I am glad about today!)

Also great was Alexander Majorow. He may not be the most elegant skater, but he has his own style in a good way. When his jumps work he is fun to watch. (I did not know he was bone marrow donator for his ill father that caused him trouble in his skating for a while)

Talking about unexpected....Jason Brown sits in 11th place 😱😱😱 his flexibility is admirable as always, the 3F was really good but then he lost it...there was just no flare... I don't like the program and I am not sure this is the right direction for him...

It was so much fun to see a SP with working quads, not many falls (only 3 and 2 were on non-quads!) and so many amazing performances!

What I learned again today about the new rules? You can easily loose levels in the StepSequence (only 3 managed a Level 4 Majorow!!!, Brown and Aymoz) and spins! Many level 2s and 3s! And also mistakes cost you dearly, much more than ever!

Wishing everyone a great FS!

(I will keep doing the personal recap stuff, although my opinion is just one among others, but some seem to like it (thanks!) and I like to order my thoughts 😉)

[austerlitzborodinoleipzig]

Ranking the programs - GPF Men’s FS

6 - Alexander Samarin - Good News

Is that even a program? There’s only jumps to watch, and when they go wrong, there’s nothing left. I do like the music. It’s really edgy, but I think it suits Samarin. There’s potential somewhere is what I’m saying.

5 - Dmitri Aliev - Sound of Silence

That Disturbed cover is becoming a warhorse and I don’t like it. I do think more often that not, Dima gets drowned by the music. The choreo is decent, it’s just unremarkable. 

4 - Boyang Jin - The Path of Silence/Yellow Moon

Less good than his SP, but imo the best FS he’s had yet. The beginning is empty, him being busy to land his quads, but middle section gives him the opportunity to emote. And the StepSeq is good. Nice music. 

3 - Kevin Aymoz - The Lighthouse 

A very good program that somehow does not touch me the way it should. 

Two reasons for that: 

1- contrary to his SP, I do find that some of the choreo moves are a there for the sake of being there and showing off. They do not feel organic to the program. 

2 - not Kevin’s fault at all, but Savchenko/Massot used the same music for their 2016/2017 FS, and every time I watch Kevin skate, I remember how much I miss them, and get distracted. 

2 - Yuzuru Hanyu - Origin

Ooof, this one’s a tricky one. Okay, so by no means, my favorite program from Yuzuru. It falls in the category of “masterpieces I fail to connect to”, like Hope and Legacy. Except that I like H&L’s music. (Joe Hisaichi rules!). There’s energy in Origin. The construction is nice... But to me something is lacking. A spark. I don’t know. Maybe the fact that he has rarely skated it clean, and most of the time has to fight with the technical content, because of the difficulty of this FS, all this makes it so that he has a harder time to sell it?

Also some choreo touches really annoy me. Like the violin mime, or when he moves to represent the beats just at the beginning... I do find it a bit cheap, and it spoils a bit the picture. This is nitpicking, but mostly, if you’re pretending to skate to masterpieces, everything must be on point. 

Finally can I just say that his costume for Origin this season is a thing of beauty. I know it was inspired by Nijinski’s Spectre à la Rose, and it’s a thing of beauty. Best costume of the field by a mile. 

1 - Nathan Chen - Rocketman

Okay so here, for comparison is a FS I would never call a masterpiece... But i love it to bits. It’s a decent program elevated by the fact that it’s skated clean almost always, and by that gonzo Choreo Sequence at the end. 

The construction of this program is very clever. There are lots of nice touches. It’s not the most intricate and well-crafted thing, but it’s not empty as well. I do love the transitions between the three songs. The stepsequence is nice. And most importantly, Nathan really sells it all the way, not just during the choreo sequence. 

And that choreo sequence is iconic. I love everything about it. One of the best things this season has brought us. 

Yellow shirt is okay. It’s not a total mismatch here, and it’s nice to see Nathan wearing colour at last.