#if Adria was in the game and had an achievement

[bunnyrosejpart]

Paint like you mean it

[rachelbethhines]

Tangled Salt Marathon - Keeper of the Spire

You wouldn’t know it upon first watch, but today’s story is one of the few non-filler episodes of season two. 

Summary:  In order to acquire the third scroll piece, Rapunzel, Eugene, Cassandra and Lance travel to the home of the Keeper of the Spire and meet Calliope who informs them the third piece is kept inside the Spire’s vault at the top of the mountain. The group begins the long journey to the Spire's vault the following day and become increasingly annoyed by Calliope’s rude, arrogant and inconsiderate behavior. Despite Calliope's treatment, Rapunzel insists they still need her help all while they being dangerously pursued by the vault's protector, the Kurlock. The group eventually reach the Spire's vault, but again encounter the Kurlock and discover Calliope is not the real Keeper of the Spire.

Once Again, ‘Destiny’ Isn’t a Goal

If you want to build up some sort of mystery with the scroll pieces and what awaits Rapunzel at the end of her quest, then that’s fine. But at some point you have to actually explain what her destiny actually is, how the scroll connects to it, and most importantly, why she needs to fulfill it. 

We’re never given a reason for why Rapunzel needs to reconnect to the moonstone, nor why she couldn’t have just stayed home and did nothing. The scroll itself doesn’t tell her anything and what it leads up to has nothing to do with ‘destiny’ and ultimately comes to nothing in the grand scheme of things.  

Indeed, much like the quest itself, things would have been better for everyone had she not found the scroll at all. 

Meet the Best Written Character In the Show

No, I’m not exaggerating. Calliope is the only recurring character in the series not to get royally screwed over by last minute rewrites and poor pacing. In fact her arc may have actually been improved by the dumb creative decisions of season three.  

Which is a problem because she’s not a main character. Her story and arc shouldn’t be more well rounded than Rapunzel’s. It’s also clear, given how the writers try to pitt her as annoying thorn in the heroes sides that is only tolerated because she’s useful, that they weren’t expecting the general audience to identify with her, and so her subsequent portrayal as the most developed character in the show is fully accidental.    

We Finally Get Some Indication of Cassandra’s Age

Well first off, we probably shouldn’t be getting such information about our deuteragonist this late in the game, but also, putting Cass in her early 20s recontextualizes her arc the same way Varian being 14 recontextualizes his conflict, but in the opposite direction. A 24 year old is more accountable for their actions than a 14 year old. Always will be. 

And before people try to get all pedantic on me; yes she’s only 23 here, and Varian is currently 15. What I meant is those are their ages at the start of their villain arcs, because the linear progression of time is a thing. 

This Joke Actually Highlights One of the Bigger Problems of Season Two

I laughed when I first heard this joke, but that’s cause I was under the assumption that they would go on to develop a friendship between Cass and Lance as the season went on. But they don’t. 

Cass never has any focus episodes that aren’t about her failing relationship with Rapunzel. She never interacts with the other four people that she’s traveling with outside of group scenes like this. Not even with Eugene, who we spent the whole previous season establishing a bond with. 

This undermines Cassandra’s arc in several ways. She less well rounded and developed without other people in her life besides Rapunzel; it ignores her place in the show as the older and wiser friend if she’s so majorly co-dependent upon only person. It also ignores what was set up in season one in order to push a certain narrative later that clashes with what we the audience already know.  

Plus there’s the added effect of other characters getting poor representation within the story. 

So Why Didn’t the Others Come Along Again?

I understand not being able to take the caravan upto the top of the mountain, but the road was wide enough to get it up this far. Also it didn’t take you all day to get here so you could just walk back to camp. 

But let's get to the real reason why the caravan was left behind. The writers wanted and excuse to get rid of Hookfoot and Shorty. Because they didn’t want to write them into the story. Because they have nothing to do with the overall plot and together they’re one too many characters to keep up with and give stuff to do to. Which begs the question of why they were ever included into the season at all. 

Also why leave Adria behind? She was the one who sent them up here. She’s the one who has a vested interest in getting Rapunzel to the end of her journey. She’s the only one driving the plot at the moment, so why not have her present to do just that?  

Rapunzel is a Hypocrite 

There’s not a single description that Rapunzel says here that couldn’t be applied to herself. 

Which would be funny if the writers ever actually acknowledged this within the series. 

Having parallels simply exist on their own and not actually inform the story is bad writing. Same with character flaws; acknowledge them, use them to advance both the plot and the characters, and build off of them to establish character dynamics. This is in part why Calliope is the better written character between the two of them. 

Behold, the One and Only Time Lance and Rapunzel Hold a Conversation with One Another! 

Speaking of characters not getting enough focus.... It’s just a set up for a recurring gag in the episode, but this is indeed the only point in the series where Lance and Rapunzel talk, about anything. 

It’s not just Cass who is prevented from establishing relationships, it’s literally everyone. All of Rapunzel’s focus episodes alternate between Cassandra, Eugene, or a random side character. Cassandra only gets focus when with Rapunzel. Eugene only gets development with either Rapunzel or on his own. Lance is only ever shown interacting with Eugene or Adria, outside of some highly specific one off instances like here. Hookfoot is left out in the cold save for three episodes and two of them double as New Dream folder. 

We’ve managed to pair the cast down to only six, as opposed to a whole kingdom’s worth of characters, and yet they have less development here than they did in season one. The group does not feel like a group, and that is a problem. 

How is This Meant to be Encouraging? 

Ok, I get what the writers were going for here. Calliope has low self esteem. she feels useless because she’s lost her only support group, her mentor. So Rapunzel is ‘inspiring’ her to fulfill her dream of becoming the new keeper of the spire. 

However, this is an incredibly bad take. 

Calliope lacks self esteem because she’s lonely. Her dream of becoming the keeper is directly tied to her father figure, who up till now was the only person who gave a damn about her. She only wants to impress Rapunzel because she wants a friend and she believes that she needs to be useful in order to get that. And here is Rapunzel and the narrative reinforcing that belief under the guise of ‘achieving a dream’. 

No fuck that! 

You don’t need to have a ‘purpose’ to have friends.You shouldn’t have to prove yourself useful just be respected and included. Also, Rapunzel doesn’t even befriend her. She just uses Calliope to get what she wants and then avoids her for the rest of the show; only checking up on her out of obligation in season three. 

So not only are we denied another female friendship in a show bereft of female relationships, but we also have a character who can be easily read as autistic by the audience needing to prove she’s useful to society in order to be accepted. 

Ugh! 

And yeah, I said autistic. We have a character who fails to pick up on social cues, hyperfixates upon her special interests, is rejected by society for trying to share these special interests, and she even pulls out her magic linked rings to fiddle with when stressed, which can be coded as a stim. I’m not saying that this was the writers’ intent, but nevertheless these are traits that people on the autism spectrum tend to identify with. 

So how insulting is it to watch this episode and see someone you could relate to being constantly put down by the heroes behind their back and then never apologize for it, even when said character admits their own fault? 

So Are We Ever Going to Get Any Background on this Spire? 

So the spire is one of the few places that is plot important in the show. Yet we never find out why it exists, who built it, how it came to hold such important plot devices, nor the story behind the keepers who guard it. It’s just there, and that’s infuriating because it’s both a lack of much needed worldbuilding and lore. 

Still A Better Dad than Frederic

Leaving for months on end without telling you loved ones why and where you’re going is a shitty thing to do. Doubly so if its just to teach your kids ‘a lesson’. However, The Keeper still winds up being a better parental figure than most of the other dads (besides Cap, who is awesome) in the series. That’s how low the bar has been dropped by Chris and his weird ideas on parenting. 

So What Was the Lesson Here?

Ok first off, Calliope didn’t need to be reminded of anything. The Keeper says as much. She was always persistent. The only lesson that she does learn is not to lie but apparently that’s not what we’re supposed to take from this episode. 

But what are we supposed to take away? Because Rapunzel doesn’t learn anything either. There’s no admittance of wrongdoing on her part  and she does not change her outlook or behavior from this encounter. 

Calliope at least learns to become more self assured after this episode and remains honest and true to herself once the episode is done with. Rapunzel however is the same. You can’t claim that this is ‘Rapunzel’s story’ (Chris’s words not mine) if it’s only random side characters who are allowed to grow.  Which is yet another reason why the main cast of characters don't get the development and interaction that they should.

That’s also why Calliope is better written than the main character and she shouldn’t be. It’s a bewilderingly oversight of basic writing.

Conclusion 

I don’t mind this episode. As I said in the beginning, it is one of the few non-filler episodes in season two. However, there’s a lot of problems with it to the point where I can’t actually call it good, just mediocre. 

[filthy-reckless-rp]

♛ Spotted on the Upper East Side…

Name: Gabriela Archibald Pronouns: She/Her Age: 28 years old Hometown: New York, NY Occupation: Lawyer, works in ‘crisis management’ Social Status: Insider Faceclaim: Adria Arjona

Who Is Gabriela?

"I am very good at what I do. I am better at it than anyone else. And that is not arrogance, that is a fact."

Be still my beating heart... Is that thee Gabriela Archibald I see before me? Anyone who’s anyone knows who you are. You’re who the likes of Blair Waldorf wanted to be when they grew up. You’re the perfect one, the one everyone else calls when they’re in a crisis and you always know just what to say. When there’s a need for a steady hand, a cool head, there’s a need for you. As far as the rest of the world can tell, nothing ever gets to you. You are the infallible Gabriela Archibald and you never let anyone forget it. If you ever feel the pressure of the world on your shoulders, you don’t show it. You have high standards, impeccable taste and you don’t let anyone waste your time. Family is especially important to you but so is reputation. It’s understandable that you gave darling Nate a wide berth after the ‘Howard Archibald Scandal’ but you’re here now, right? It’s probably not too late to make amends... XOXO ---Gossip Girl

A Little Extra

Archibald. The name itself pulls immense weight in the world. Gabriela learned this at a young age. From as early as she could talk and walk, her parents had trained her in PR and how there was only one way to act: perfect. It was stressed constantly throughout her life and now it’s seeped so deep into her bones that it is impossible for her to fail. She learned the art of war and thrived in games of tactics. If there’s any form of tactical advantage, Gabriela will find it. Gabriela never makes a mistake. Gabriela always has another card to play and Gabriela always ends up on top. It’s that simple.

It made sense that Gabriela excelled academically, graduating top of the class and adding a law degree to the ever growing collection of achievements. Eventually, she was headhunted and recruited for a crisis management firm and that’s where she found her place in this world. She became the master of spin, spinning anything to clean up her clients messes and it worked a treat. She was raking in money and gifts form commissions and bonuses. However, it seems ironic that she cleans up other peoples PR messes for a living but she couldn’t save her families to save her life. Howard Archibald made sure of that thanks to that scandal of his. As for Howard, you know what they say, when a limb is infected, it’s best to chop it off, and that’s exactly what Gabriela’s parents did after the big, public arrest and are glad that he’s dropped off the face of the earth. Throughout the whole scandal, she did feel sorry for Nate. By association his name got dragged through the mud and the press were having a field day, but Gabriela had to play it smart, reaching out to Nate would’ve been a PR nightmare for the ages. 

But that’s what Gabriela always does. It’s career above all others. She’ll always put her work and her clients first. That’s just how it has to be, no if’s, and’s or but’s. She holds herself and her work to impeccably high standards and if she’s given a job it will be done to perfection. There’s something about Gabriela’s brain that is wired differently when it comes to her work. You hire her to fix something for you, consider it handled before you can even hang up the phone. She has a few rules both in and out of the office; you never mix your personal life with your business life. No favours for friends, no family discount. Keep it separate. Those three rules would make life easier if people stuck to them. The rules are so ingrained in her brain that they work against her when it comes to relationships. She struggles to open up and show her vulnerable side - showing emotion is weakness. Sharing is a no go zone for her. People get too soppy and far too personal and that is usually when Gabriela makes her cue to leave to return home to her place of solitude to have a large glass of red wine and some gourmet popcorn.

What Does Gossip Girl Have On Them?

Everyone knows of Howard Archibald’s downfall, it was quite the mighty fall for a man who felt he was untouchable. Howard was embezzling money from all his clients and even friends and this crossed over to one of Gabriela’s clients. What people don’t know is that the call was coming from inside the house. It was Gabriela who noticed the inconsistencies on bank statements and the general behaviour from Howard. It was Gabriela that ratted out her uncle to the Feds. It was just like Howard used to say ‘Gabriela never makes a mistake. Gabriela always has another card to play and Gabriela always ends up on top.’

Connections

Elena and Nate Archibald - their cousins. Gabriela wishes they were closer- they were closer when they were kids- but life is busy. Sees more of Elena since, well, Elena’s Archibald parent wasn’t burned off the family tree. When it comes to Nate... Gabriela regrets not reaching out sooner, not helping. But what’s done is done. There’s no going back. Right?

Blair Waldorf - oh, darling Blair! Gabriela adores Blair. They haven’t seen her in forever but keeps up via social media. Absolutely devastated when #Nair (Nate and Blair) broke up. Nate’s a fool.

Serena van der Woodsen - so yeah, not a secret that Gabriela is ‘team Blair’ and not ‘team Serena’. They’d never say it out loud but, ah, they’re not exactly the warmest towards Serena either. 

Adriana Ramirez and Aaron Vandervort - Gabriela is on the payroll of ‘Donovan Industries’ which where they met Adriana and Aaron. Enjoys their company- especially Adriana’s. 

Cristian Diaz - speaking of Adriana, Gabriela absolutely did not approve of Cristian Diaz’s presence in Adriana’s life. Cristian is a nuisance, professionally and personally.

[torentialtribute]

Atletico Madrid 2-0 Celta Vigo: Antoine Griezmann and Alvaro Morata help Diego Simeone’s side

Atletico Madrid 2-0 Celta Vigo: Antoine Griezmann and Alvaro Morata help Diego Simeone to lower Barcelona's lead by nine points

Diego Costa is suspended for the rest of the season after his red card

Antoine Griezmann and Alvaro Morata filled the leading roles and both scored

Atletico & # 39; s Nou Camp defeat saw Barcelona take a giant step | Atletico Madrid narrowed the gap with LaLiga leaders Barcelona to nine points with a 2 -0 home win against Celta Vigo.

With Diego Costa suspended for the remainder of the season after his red card in Barcelona last weekend, Antoine Griezmann and Alvaro Morata filled the top positions and both were on the score list.

Atletico & # 39; s defeat in the Nou Camp saw Barcelona take a giant step towards another league title but the Catalans offered Atletico the smallest glimmer of hope to their pursuers when a second-string party earlier in Saturday came 0-0 behind the lower club Huesca.

<img id = "i-723f46dc055f6b04" src = "https://dailym.ai/2P7OUbw image-a-219_1555195394988.jpg "height =" 423 "width =" 634 "alt =" <img id = "i-723f46dc055f6b04" src = "https://dailym.ai/2CXoYdR /13/23/12241530-6919805-image-a-219_1555195394988.jpg "height =" 423 "width =" 634 "alt =" Atletico Madrid reduced the gap on La Luna leaders Barcelona to nine points "Barcelona leaders to nine points "

Atletico Madrid narrowed the gap with La Luna Barcelona leaders to nine points

The team of Diego Simeone benefited and an unstoppable free kick by Griezmann, who threw the ball in the top corner of the net past goalkeeper Ruben Blanco, set up Atletico just before half-time

Griezman turned in after 74 minutes, directed Morata in, who coolly rounded White before turning the ball into a empty just stopped.

Barcelona trainer Ernesto Valverde changed all 10 out-field players in Huesca, with his focus clearly on the Champions League quarter-final second leg of Tuesday against Manch

Ousmane Dembele had some good chances to score for Barcelona, ​​but the closest to them was when the French attacker saw his shot saved by Roberto Santamaria when he just had to beat the goalkeeper. ]

Antoine Griezmann and Alvaro Morata filled the peak positions and both scored for the hosts "the peak positions and both scored for the hosts"

Antoine Griezmann and Alvaro Morata filled the pointed positions and both scored for the hosts

Munir El Haddadi struck to give the hosts a half-time lead

Seville again achieved fourth place in the rankings with a 3-2 win over Real Betis derby rivals in the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan stadium. but Giovani Lo Celso right in the early half of the second half.

Cristian Tello again reduced the deficit for eight minutes, but the hosts insisted on climbing above Getafe and back in the Champions League places.

Alaves' European hope was shared with a 2-1 defeat at Espanyol, who took control of the Adria Pedrosa strike and an own goal from Victor Laguardia. Jonathan Calleri withdrew a goal, but a third defeat in four games left Alaves seventh in the rankings.

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[bluebookweb]

What Can a Restaurant Teach Us About Innovation?

When Chef Ferran Adrià shuttered his famed elBulli restaurant in 2011, foodie circles were stunned. elBulli was at the peak of its fame: it had three Michelin stars and a waiting list of two million diners. Adrià—widely considered one of the most imaginative culinary minds of the world—operated in an elite class of chefs. He kept his restaurant open just six months a year and served one meal a day, never offering the same dish twice.

Rumors circulated that the closure was due to a family feud or money problems. But the truth was that Adrià was petrified of repeating himself. (“Can you imagine this pressure?” he told The New York Times. “You cannot.”)

In 2014 Adrià reopened elBulli not as a restaurant, but as a foundation dedicated to studying and understanding the nature of creativity. It’s a subject in which Adrià has passionate expertise. When he arrived at elBulli in the early 80s, it was a French restaurant. By the 1990s Adrià was head chef and elBulli was transformed as a test kitchen for gastronomic invention.

But while he became known for dreaming up dishes like Escoffier’s classic peach melba and smoke foam, Adrià was engaged in a far more ambitious project—achieving and sustaining a culture of innovation. He and his team established a set of best practices for organizational creativity and systematic invention. The result: processes and structures that are applicable not just to restaurants but other organizations as well. Here are some elements of elBulli’s, ahem, secret sauce:

They Built a Specialized Language of Creativity

Over the years, Adrià and his team devised new words, terms, and phrases to expand the language of gastronomy. Their new language captured and classified the elements of each new dish they created and helped codify the cutting-edge techniques and technologies they employed. Their new vocabulary was used as a toolkit that aimed to revolutionize cooking through every bite.

Establishing this Language had a Big Impact

first, it helped make the creative process more efficient. ElBulli’s kitchen, located in Catalonia, Spain, hosted chefs from all over the world and many spoke different languages. Giving them a lingua franca allowed them to reach a common understanding and coordinate their cooking in faster and smarter ways. Second, the creative language allowed Adrià and his team to stay laser-focused on their goal: bold breakthroughs. A precise language helped them identify and analyze the extent to which they were truly doing something new and different, versus merely reproducing past successes and refining on the margins.

They Were Open and Willing to Share

Everyone who worked in Adrià’s kitchen understood that experimenting with food and flavors was only a part of elBulli’s mission; documenting and sharing what they learned from that testing was its true purpose. Adrià and his team recognized that advancing the culinary movement required that they communicate with the wider community. (Later in elBulli’s history, Adrià founded a publishing house to disseminate recipes and information.) This level of transparency and openness allowed other chefs to not only learn from elBulli’s practices and processes, but also apply them in new and exciting ways. For instance, elBulli was the first restaurant to open a culinary lab that worked alongside its kitchen; today that is a standard practice among avant-garde chefs.

Adrià’s openness seems counterintuitive in a business environment in which trade secrets are considered a competitive advantage. But transparency worked to elBulli’s benefit. It cultivated a network of devoted followers—disciples if you will—who created a virtuous circle around the organization. This heightened the restaurant’s influence and helped it become a dominant force in the food industry.

They weren’t afraid of radical reinvention. If ever Chef Adrià felt that elBulli was getting tired or stale, he’d make a dramatic change. He’d reconfigure his cooking team; he’d swap summer ingredients for winter ones; or he’d recruit new apprentices from different parts of the world. Once he even built a new kitchen. Adrià knew that change is integral to maintaining an artistic edge. His desire to stay innovative was a driving reason he converted elBulli into a foundation. Today he and his team collaborate with top chefs, computer scientists, chemists, authors, philosophers, and designers to transform haute cuisine.

Reinvention at this scale is expensive, radical, and risky. But it is also necessary to inspire innovation at the organizational level and even worldwide. By constantly deconstructing the system that supported creativity, Adria was able to shift the rules of the game and, ultimately, to maintain a strategic position in the restaurant industry.

Other firms should take note. After all, innovation today is not just an advantage for organizations but a requirement.

Opazo’s book, Appetite for Innovation: Creativity and Change at elBulli, explores the many ways in which Adrià and his team pioneered new ingredients, flavor combinations, and cutting-edge culinary techniques in a quest to revolutionize haute cuisine. Part business analysis, part restaurant history, the book is a critical examination of how organizational creativity can be achieved and sustained over time.

Opazo’s book cites examples from other fields, including art, science, music, theatre, and literature to inform practices of innovation and creativity in multiple kinds of organizations and industries. Each chapter of her book opens with an iconic recipe created in elBulli’s kitchen. 

Modern Restaurant Management (MRM) magazine is hosting a giveaway for a hard copy of Opazo’s Appetite for Innovation: Creativity and Change at elBulli. To learn more, click here.

   What Can a Restaurant Teach Us About Innovation? posted first on happyhourspecialsyum.blogspot.com

[theleaderdotinfo-blog]

Shot shy Torry lose again has been published at http://www.theleader.info/2018/04/15/shot-shy-torry-lose/

New Post has been published on http://www.theleader.info/2018/04/15/shot-shy-torry-lose/

Shot shy Torry lose again

CD TORREVIEJA - 0  JOVE ESPANOL - 2 ...............by BY STEVE HIBBERD In front of 125 sun loving fans inside Vicente Garcia Stadium, Torry were able to field a full strength team, plus 4 subs on the bench, for this latest Preferente league fixture.  But that's where the good news ends, for throughout the whole 90 mins play, they had only 1 shot on target.   Even though Pedreño’s men failed to trouble the opposing keeper, their commitment was never in doubt.  It seems light years ago since Torry nicked a late winner in Alicante when the 2 teams last met, but whereas Jove Español now top the table, troubled Torry are now in total freefall.  Realistically, there's no danger of relegation, but it would be nice if long suffering fans could be treated to a goal, let alone a victory!  Only Vicente Boix, Lewis and Santi of the starting 11, are originals from the start of the season.  [caption id="attachment_19864" align="aligncenter" width="2000"] The luxury of a bench with substitutes[/caption] Where and why have other players left the club?  Why does the starting time of home matches change within a few days’ notice of the original published time?  Who is currently in charge of the club?  These, and many other pertinent questions, might well be addressed to a certain Graham Knight.  Although masquerading as a football club director (allegedly), he chooses to treat the press with total contempt, being arrogantly oblivious to the long term damage that is being done to this once proud club.  Jove made their intentions clear from the start - attack, attack attack!  On 10 mins, Dani rounded Torry keeper Cristobal, but fortunately delayed his shot long enough for the danger to be averted. A cross from the right on 15 mins by Carlos found Fuentes at the far post, leaving the striker with a simple tap in for the opening goal.  The game took on a cynical edge as both teams picked up bookings for bad tackles, then adopting tit for tat tactics.  Sammy curled a free kick around the wall on 21 mins, but Cristobal did well to turn the ball away for a corner.  From the 3rd consecutive corner, Cobo headed just over the bar, as Torry were well and truly under the cosh.  Silver did have a sniff of glory on the half hour mark, but a linesman flag interrupted his run when through on goal.  Ref Alvarez waved aside strong penalty appeals for handball inside the box, as the hosts were getting more and more into the match.  Then in 1st half stoppage time, Torry captain Silver brought off a fine save from keeper Josette, who dived full length to deny a shot creeping inside his near post. Unfortunately a Pedreño inspired half time talk, fell well short in achieving the desired results, for his men failed to trouble a redundant Jove keeper throughout the 2nd half.  Luis shot inches past the post on 48 mins, then sub Adria shot from distance, but achieved the same result as that of his Jove team mate.  Jove had a valid claim for a penalty turned down when keeper Cristobal appeared to bring down an opponent, as the contest became one way traffic.  The deciding goal arrived on 76 mins, involving 2 second half Jove substitutes.  Soxo played an inch perfect assist to Adria, who from 10 yards coolly drilled the ball under Cristobal's diving body.  Vicente had been on the receiving end of a particularly nasty foul earlier on, and he was a very lucky man when already on a caution, not to pick up a 2nd for a none too subtle lunge at his previous perpetrator.   Without Tomi in the side (I presume he has left the club?), there does not appear to be a natural goal scorer who is likely to end the drought that Torry now find themselves stuck in.  Next weekend, Torry were due to play away at Calpe, but as Calpe have been kicked out of the league, they are without a fixture.  The following Sunday 29 Apr, (ko 1130, 1200, 1630 or 1700? - check club website regularly for up to date details), when Hercules 'B' are the visitors to Vicente Garcia Stadium.

[zeroviraluniverse-blog]

Pyeongchang 2018 - Ice dance coaches Marie-France Dubreuil and Patrice Lauzon

Visit Now - http://zeroviral.com/pyeongchang-2018-ice-dance-coaches-marie-france-dubreuil-and-patrice-lauzon/

Pyeongchang 2018 - Ice dance coaches Marie-France Dubreuil and Patrice Lauzon

GANGNEUNG, South Korea — Marie-France Dubreuil’s own Olympics ended in an ambulance. But on Tuesday in Pyeongchang, 12 years later, she will get her Olympic moment, even if not in the way she had envisioned.

She and Patrice Lauzon, her ice dance partner-turned-husband-turned-co-coach, could oversee the entire podium in ice dance. All three couples who lead after the short dance on Monday — Canada’s Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, France’s Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron and Team USA’s Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue — train under the Canadians at Centre Gadbois in Montreal.

Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir lead the ice dance competition at the Pyeongchang Olympics after a record-breaking short program set to the music of the Rolling Stones, the Eagles and Santana.

Even with her top coming unhooked, French ice dancer Gabriella Papadakis and her partner, Guillaume Cizeron, continued their routine rather than risk a five-point penalty. They scored 81.93 points, good for second place heading into Tuesday.

Brian Orser has no shortage of jackets in Pyeongchang. As a figure skating coach to Japan’s Yuzuru Hanyu, Spain’s Javier Fernandez and South Korea’s Cha Jun-hwan, he has a jacket for every occasion — and he’s used to the quick change.

2 Related

Dubreuil and Lauzon were one of Canada’s most beloved and successful ice dance pairs in the 2000s, known for romantic routines that showcased their obvious connection with each other. They won five Canadian titles and two silver medals at world championships, but their Olympics didn’t go according to plan. In the original dance at the 2006 Torino Games, where many tipped them to medal, Dubreuil fell during a final move in which Lauzon hoisted her in the air horizontally and spun them both. She slammed onto the ice on her hip, finished the routine but was in too much pain to even curtsy. They withdrew from the competition.

They retired in 2008, married that fall, and opened the school two years later after some time on the touring circuit. They modeled Centre Gadbois after their own experiences in Europe, where they had moved after a disappointing 12th-place finish at the 2002 Salt Lake Games. They trained with skaters from around the world, an atmosphere that simulated international competition and drove the skaters to work harder.

Lauzon and Dubreuil accompanied their first couple to the 2014 Sochi Olympics, Spanish dancers Sara Hurtado and Adria Diaz, who finished in 12th. There, Lauzon started talking with Virtue and Moir, who were then working with legendary Russian coach Marina Zueva. The two-time Olympic medalists planned to retire after Sochi, but Lauzon told them they’d be welcome at his rink should they ever choose to return. They did.

A mistake during their performance at the Turin Olympics in 2006 led to a crashing fall for Marie-France Dubrueil and ruined the medal chances of her and her now-husband and co-coach, Patrice Lauzon. GOH CHAI HIN/AFP/Getty Images

Lauzon, whom his students call “Patch,” is the technician, focused on dissecting programs to maximize points. Dubreuil is the more emotional of the two, working on the choreography to best tell a story, connect with the audience and capture the emotion of the dance. A third head coach, Frenchman Romain Haguenauer, who joined the rink in 2014 and brought Papadakis and Cizeron, adds the decades of coaching experience that Dubreuil and Lauzon lack.

“The combination of the three, they really balance each other out,” said Hubbell. “I feel like we’re not missing anything.”

Together they help their skaters craft distinct identities on the ice, bringing out the unique dynamics of each partnership and honing in on each couple’s strengths and vulnerabilities.

“It’s hard to put definite words to it, but I always compare Gabby and Guillaume to air and water and Tessa and Scott to earth and fire, and I think Maddy and Zach are very velvety and leather. It’s something really organic about them,” said Dubreuil. “They have different colors and different textures, and it’s fun to be able to play with all those qualities.”

Patrice Lauzon, left, helped Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue win the U.S. Figure Skating Championships last month. Matthew Stockman/Getty Images

At 5-foot-8 and 6-foot-2, Hubbell and Donohue are the tallest ice dancers at the Olympics, even before adding a few inches for skates. That wasn’t always easy for Hubbell in a sport that tends to value petite women. Dubreuil helped her accept her height and used it to shape Hubbell and Donohue’s alluring presence on the ice. Their bluesy free dance is accentuated by their long lines and projects an old-school romance between two evenly-matched partners.

“I’ve always felt like an athletic woman, a very powerful woman,” Hubbell said. “Marie-France really helped me embrace that, but to also allow myself to be vulnerable and a little bit more feminine. It seems like that balance we’ve been able to create, where it’s really man and woman, is something that not every team in ice dance has. It’s been part of our success.”

What Lauzon and Dubreuil, 42 and 43 respectively, lack in coaching experience they make up with their own competitive experience.

“They’re so fresh out of it that every cue they say, every piece of coaching advice, whether it’s technical or artistic, it’s so clear that they’ve lived it recently,” said Virtue. “They know the turmoil and the tumultuous nature of what it feels like to live an Olympic Games. And that understanding is really validating.”

Their students insist that the rivalries created at Centre Gadbois are amicable, and that all three couples are good friends despite jostling for the same gold medal. That’s not always the case. In 2014, after he and Virtue lost the gold medal to American training partners Charlie White and Meryl Davis, Moir accused their shared coach, Marina Zueva, of “not being in their corner.”

French pair Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron train at Centre Gadbois in Montreal under the tutelage of Lauzon and Dubrueil. Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images

But on Monday after the short dance, all three couples seemed to get along just fine. Hubbell rested her head on Frenchman Cizeron’s shoulder, while Donohue gave Papadakis a long hug after her unfortunate wardrobe malfunction. All three couples cheered loudly at the news conference when asked about their coaches. Moir applauded Dubreuil and Lauzon for creating a warm atmosphere at the rink. He remembered that when he and Virtue joined in late 2016, the other couples welcomed them instead of seeing them as unwanted competition.

“I want to quickly talk about what it was like to walk into a school full of people you knew you’d be in a dogfight with to try and win that Olympic gold medal, and how they welcomed you with open arms,” he said. “We’d never seen that before in our career. That stems from the culture the coaches have created at Gadbois. They just don’t put up with anybody who isn’t a team player.”

NBC Sports analyst Tanith White, who competed against Dubreuil and Lauzon during her career, said that positive vibe was already present during their skating days.

“I remember them always taking time before they competed to just read each other’s energy. They had that moment of calm where they would hold hands and stare into each other’s eyes,” she said. “They’re very aware of the energy they put out and how it affects the people around them, so all of their students say that it’s a pleasure to go to the rink every day. When the work you have to do is so demanding, to know that you can look forward to spending time with your coaches and your peers makes a difference.”

Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir broke their own world record to lead the ice dancing pairs after the short dance program. MLADEN ANTONOV/AFP/Getty Images

If the standings stay the same after the free dance, Lauzon and Dubreuil will have achieved coaching history. No ice dance coaches have ever taken all three medal spots at the Olympics. Zueva, who coached Virtue and Moir as well as Davis and White to alternating gold and silver medals in 2010 and 2014, would come closest.

When asked after the short dance if she plans on ruling the ice dance world for years to come, Dubreuil laughed and said, “Let’s go through tomorrow before I go any further.”

Lauzon said that he keeps his skating and coaching careers separate, but Moir was willing to put the two together. “I just think they are the perfect Olympic story,” he said. “Their Olympic moment didn’t go the way they planned it, but they still have so much love for their athletes and they still believe in the Olympic values.”

Come Tuesday, that story may be perfect.