{"id":14389,"date":"2017-11-20T22:56:12","date_gmt":"2017-11-21T03:56:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/?p=14389"},"modified":"2018-05-13T14:55:02","modified_gmt":"2018-05-13T18:55:02","slug":"ice-dance-observer-november-20-2017","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/ice-dance-observer-november-20-2017\/","title":{"rendered":"Ice Dance Observer: November 20, 2017"},"content":{"rendered":"

[et_pb_section bb_built=”1″][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=”2_3″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Recap” _builder_version=”3.0.89″ background_layout=”light” border_style=”solid” module_alignment=”left”]<\/p>\n

ANOTHER WORLD RECORD FOR PAPADAKIS & CIZERON<\/span><\/h3>\n

by Anne Calder\u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

The 2017 Grand Prix Series moved from Osaka, Japan, to Grenoble, France, for its fifth event held November 17-19. The last major skating competition held in Grenoble was the 1968 Olympic Winter Games, where ice dancing (then called “rhythmic skating”) was a demonstration sport won by Diane Towler & Bernard Ford\u00a0of Great Britain.\u00a0It became an official medal event in\u00a01976\u00a0at the Innsbruck Games.<\/p>\n

Ten ice dance teams from six ISU countries competed for prize money and points to qualify for the GP Final in Nagoya, Japan, December 7-10.<\/p>\n

Gabriella Papadakis & Guillaume Cizeron (FRA) won a second gold, Madison Chock & Evan Bates (USA) added another silver, and Alexandra Stepanova & Ivan Bukin (RUS) were again bronze victors. The top two teams qualified for the Grand Prix Final.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Madison Chock & Evan Bates (USA)<\/center><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Short Dance: <\/strong>The Technical Specialist gave no level 4s for the Partial Step Sequence. The top seven teams earned level 3; the remaining couples received level 2.<\/p>\n

Papadakis & Cizeron scored a season’s best score of 81.40 for their dance to music by Ed Sheeran, remastered by Karl Hugo and choreographed by Marie-France Dubreuil and Christopher Dean. The rhumba pattern, twizzles, lift, and not-touching footwork earned level 4. The GOEs were all +2 and +3, and the PCS had twelve 10.00 marks.<\/p>\n

Chock & Bates were second, almost eight points behind the French, with a season’s best of 73.55. Their twizzles and curve lift earned level 4; the pattern and not-touching step sequence were level 3. Christopher Dean, Igor Shpilband, and Rohene Ward choreographed the Marc Anthony medley, which included the rhumba, salsa, and samba rhythms.<\/p>\n

Stepanova & Bukin worked with Latin ballroom dancers and acrobats for their rhumba and samba program; it scored 70.02 this time. The twizzles and curve lift were level 4, the not-touching footwork was level 3, and the rhumba pattern received level 2.<\/p>\n

Charlene Guignard & Marco Fabbri (ITA) were .29 points behind the Russians, in fourth place with 69.73; Kaitlyn Weaver & Andrew Poje (CAN) had an unfortunate twizzle mishap and landed in fifth place with 68.94 points.<\/p>\n

Free Dance:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Papadakis & Cizeron set their elements to Beethoven\u2019s keyboard in their “Moonlight Sonata” program. Six of the seven major elements earned level 4. The dancers gave a stunning performance, from the opening somber piano notes through the wildly frenetic middle section, before finally ending with a softer and calmer mood.<\/p>\n

The two-time world champions won their third French Grand Prix by 20 points over the Americans. The 120.58-point free dance and 201.98-point total scores broke the records that they set two weeks ago at Cup of China.<\/p>\n

Chock & Bates danced to the John Lennon classic, “Imagine,” and were second in the free dance with 108.30. They won silver with a total of 181.85. The lifts and spin were level 4; the footwork was level 3. A bobble in the second twizzle was costly and earned only 5.70 points\u2014almost three points less than the French for the same element.<\/p>\n

The 2015 World and Four Continents silver medalists will need to avoid leaving points on the table if they want to be on the podium at the Final.<\/p>\n

Stepanova & Bukin were fourth in the free dance, but edged the Canadians by .27 points to claim the bronze medal. The music for their love story theme included a vocal selection, Rick Wakeman\u2019s “Love\u2019s Dream,” and “Liebestraum” by Franz Liszt.<\/p>\n

The spin, signature twizzles, and straight-line and curve lifts earned level 4; both step sequences and the rotational lift were level 3. The program scored 107.22. Their total was 177.24, slightly lower than the personal best that they set at Rostelecom Cup.<\/p>\n

Weaver & Poje were third in the free dance, skating to “Je Suis Malade” by Lara Fabian, for 108.03 points. Unfortunately, their 176.97 total was not enough to overcome their fifth-place short program score, and they finished fourth.<\/p>\n

Guignard & Fabbri danced a light and lyrical contemporary program to “Exogenesis Symphony Part III” by Muse for 101.28 points. Their fifth-place total was 171.01. Both were season’s best scores.<\/p>\n

Skate America is the next and last Grand Prix event before the Final. It will be held in Lake Placid, New York, November 24-26.<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″][et_pb_text admin_label=”New on IDC” _builder_version=”3.0.87″ background_color=”#282828″ background_layout=”light” border_style=”solid” custom_margin=”10px|10px|10px|10px” custom_padding=”10px|10px|10px|10px” module_alignment=”left” border_style_all=”solid”]<\/p>\n

NEW ON IDC<\/span><\/h4>\n

[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image admin_label=”Photo” _builder_version=”3.0.89″ src=”https:\/\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Observer-Eastern-Sectionals-2018-photo-4157.jpg” show_in_lightbox=”off” url_new_window=”off” use_overlay=”off” sticky=”off” align=”left” always_center_on_mobile=”on” border_style=”solid” force_fullwidth=”off” custom_margin=”10px|10px|10px|10px” show_bottom_space=”off” border_style_all=”solid” \/][et_pb_text admin_label=”Bullet List” _builder_version=”3.0.89″ background_color=”#f9f9f9″ background_layout=”light” border_style=”solid” custom_margin=”10px|10px|10px|10px” custom_padding=”10px|10px|10px|10px” module_alignment=”left” border_style_all=”solid”]<\/p>\n

ARTICLES<\/strong><\/p>\n