{"id":19684,"date":"2019-02-09T20:43:24","date_gmt":"2019-02-10T01:43:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/?p=19684"},"modified":"2020-02-16T12:10:29","modified_gmt":"2020-02-16T17:10:29","slug":"recap-2019-four-continents-rhythm-dance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/recap-2019-four-continents-rhythm-dance\/","title":{"rendered":"Recap: 2019 Four Continents Rhythm Dance"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Anne Calder | Photo by Melanie Heaney<\/em><\/p>\n

The USA last hosted the Four Continents in 2012. The event was held in Colorado Springs and the ice dance podium included: Tessa Virtue & Scott Moir of Canada (gold),\u00a0 Meryl Davis & Charlie White of the United States (silver) and Canada’s Kaitlyn Weaver & Andrew Poje (bronze).<\/span><\/p>\n

The 2019 competition was held February 5-10 in the Honda Center, home to the NHL Anaheim Ducks. Twelve couples representing Australia, Canada, China, Japan and the USA competed.<\/p>\n

Rhythm Dance<\/strong><\/p>\n

Technical Controller, Halina Gordon-Poltorak and Referee Jennifer Mast presented Madison Hubbell & Zachary Donohue (1), Madison Chock & Evan Bates (2) and Kaitlyn Weaver (3) small medals for earning the top scores in the Rhythm Dance.<\/p>\n

The leaders, Hubbell & Donohue had the highest program component score, 37.59. Chock & Bates, in second place, had the highest TES (44.78) and the most level 4 elements. The 2019 US National silver medalists tied with Weaver & Poje for hitting seven of eight key points.<\/p>\n

Hubbell & Donohue scored a season best 81.95 for their Astor Piazzolla\u2019s tangos. The twizzles and curve lift earned level 4; the second pattern was level 3; and the first pattern and midline step sequence were level 2. The reigning Grand Prix Final Champions credited their training to pulling them through an otherwise shaky performance.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt wasn\u2019t our best performance. It had a lot of stumbles here and there, but we were able to show exactly how hard we\u2019ve been working and still obtain our season\u2019s best score, even though it wasn\u2019t technically very strong,\u201d Hubbell said.<\/p>\n

Chock & Bates had a season best 81.17 to \u201cDinner\u201d (Flamenco) and \u201cAssassin\u2019s Tango\u201d and were less than one point behind the leaders. The technically strong program earned all but one level 4. Chock\u2019s ankle surgery and rehab kept the 2016 World bronze medalists off-ice for ten months, just returning in January for the Torun Cup and US Nationals.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve never done such an intense competition schedule, especially coming back after ten months off, but we feel more prepared than ever,\u201d Chock said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like we\u2019re building each time we compete,\u201c Bates added.<\/p>\n

The reigning World bronze medalists, Kaitlyn Weaver & Andrew Poje returned to international competition after skipping the Grand Prix Series and performing with the \u201cThank You Canada Tour. The Igor Shpilband choreographed \u201cLibertango\u201d by Astor Piazzolla scored 80.56. The lift, footwork, first pattern and her twizzle earned level 4; the second pattern and his twizzle were level 3.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were able to practice our competitive programs, but it is different when you have a panel of judges watching,\u201d Weaver said. \u201cThe preparation was very different. We slept on a bus for six weeks; we trained on small ice for 30 minutes a day, sometimes less. We learned how to be smart with our training, so we could arrive at this part of the season feeling very fresh and excited.\u201d<\/p>\n

Piper Gilles & Paul Poirier were fourth with a 74.42 score to \u201cAngelica\u2019s Tango\u201d. The rotational lift and his twizzle earned level 4; the remaining elements were level 3. The program has deep meanings for the 2019 Canadian silver medalists.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor the two of us (our program) is a place where we can really lose ourselves everyday, and everyday it brings a different emotion,\u201d Gilles explained. \u201cThere are so many layers and depth, and I think people can really feel for that, grow, and take it in.\u201d<\/p>\n

The reigning Four Continents gold medalists, Kaitlin Hawayek & John-Luc Baker were fifth with their interpretation of \u201cVuelvo al Sur\u201d and \u201cA Los Amigos\u201d that scored 74.42. Their curved lift and twizzles earned level 4; the footwork was level 2. They hit three of eight key points. They were pleased with the overall performance.<\/p>\n

\u201cLast week, we worked on little nuances, on the storytelling aspect, and I think that it showed in both our components and GOEs,\u201d Hawayek said.<\/p>\n

Laurence Fournier Beaudry & Nikolaj Sorensen could not compete internationally for a year after switching representation from Sorensen\u2019s native Denmark to Canada. They scored 73.30 for a sixth place finish. The twizzles and curve lift earned level 4; the remaining elements were level 3.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re very excited about how we skated. It was so much emotion, and it felt so good to step out there again after such a long time off the international scene and perform as we are able,\u201d Fournier Beaudry said.<\/p>\n


\nFREE DANCE FORECAST FOR THE AUDIENCE<\/strong><\/p>\n

Hubbell & Donohue:<\/strong> \u201dThis program has evolved so much, and we know that Romeo and Juliet is a well-known story. We\u2019ve put a lot of energy into the training of it to give it a huge impact at the beginning \u2013 kind of a movie trailer excitement. Just as people are right on the edge of their seats, and they\u2019re ready to get pulled in, we\u2019re going to pull them into the love story. We want people to feel fully engrossed in our program \u2013 into the emotions and when it\u2019s over, we want that standing ovation!\u201d<\/p>\n

Chock & Bates: \u201c<\/strong>We\u2019re going to entertain them. That is the essence of our program, especially the last minute or so when the music changes to \u2018rock and roll\u2019. In a competitive environment we\u2019re really trying to stand out with our energy, with the feeling of the choreography and the chemistry between us. We\u2019re going for sophisticated fun.”<\/p>\n

Weaver & Poje:<\/strong> \u201cIt\u2019s a tribute to our dear friend who died too soon \u2013 Denis Ten. It\u2019s our emotional way to say thank you and good bye.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Gilles & Poirier:<\/strong> \u201cWe are using the story of Vincent Van Gogh\u2019s art to tell the more general human story of what it means to create and struggle and put it out into the world and see how people take it. We can all relate to because we all have strived to achieve things we want to achieve and to make things we want to make. The story is the struggle to create and the struggle to let go into the world and put it into other people\u2019s hands.\u201d<\/p>\n


\nICE CHIPS<\/strong><\/p>\n