{"id":23327,"date":"2019-11-24T21:49:40","date_gmt":"2019-11-25T02:49:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/?p=23327"},"modified":"2019-11-24T21:49:40","modified_gmt":"2019-11-25T02:49:40","slug":"recap-2019-nhk-trophy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/recap-2019-nhk-trophy\/","title":{"rendered":"Recap: 2019 NHK Trophy"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Anne Calder | Photo by Robin Ritoss<\/em><\/p>\n

The sixth 2019 Grand Prix Series event, the NHK Trophy, was held in Sapporo, Japan November 22-24. Nine ice dance teams from seven countries competed for prize money and the remaining slots for the Grand Prix Final in Torino, Italy, December 5-8.<\/p>\n

Rhythm Dance
\n<\/strong>Gabriella Papadakis & Guillaume Cizeron representing France broke their own previous world record set at the Internationaux de France three weeks prior with a 90.03 score. Russians Alexandra Stepanova & Ivan Bukin scored a season’s best 84.07, followed by Charlene Guignard & Marco Fabbri of Italy with 82.13 points, also a season’s best score. The top three performances included musical selections from Fame<\/em>, Moulin Rouge<\/em>, and Greas<\/em>e.<\/p>\n

Great Britain\u2019s Lilah Fear & Lewis Gibson scored 76.09 for The Blues Brothers routine, and Americans Christina Carreira & Anthony Ponomarenko were a close 75.25 with \u201cSome Like it Hot\u201d from Kiss Me Kate<\/em> to finish fourth and fifth respectively.<\/p>\n

Free Dance
\n<\/strong>Papadakis & Cizeron surrounded their interpretation of the voice-over Forest Blakk poem \u201cFind You\u201d with musical selections by Icelandic producer, Olafur Arnalds. The unique acoustical style created a melancholy aura for the dancers’ performance. The program was rewarded with a 136.58 score and the gold medal.<\/p>\n

The World Champions earned level 4 for all the elements, except the circular step-sequence, which received a level 3, but garnered a 4.15 GOE from the judges. The French team scored 12.33 GOE out of a possible 12.45 for their three Choreographic Movement elements and a panel total of 15.63.<\/p>\n

The total 226.61 qualified Papadakis & Cizeron for their fourth Grand Prix Final where they previously won bronze, silver and gold.<\/p>\n

Stepanova & Bukin danced away with their second 2019 Grand Prix silver medal and a season’s best 124.74 to \u201cPrimavera\u201d by Ludovico Einaudi and \u201cCry Me a River\u201d performed by Justin Timberlake.\u00a0\u00a0The reigning European silver medalists earned level 4 twizzles, lifts, spin and Stepanova\u2019s one-foot step sequence. Their diagonal footwork and Bukin\u2019s one-foot step sequence were level 3. The base values for the French and Russians were only .37 apart, but the GOEs were a difference of 7.70. <\/p>\n

Stepanova & Bukin punched a ticket for their second straight Grand Prix Final with a 208.81 total score. They finished fourth at the 2018 event.<\/p>\n

Fear & Gibson were third in the free dance with 116.92 points for their performance to Madonna\u2019s \u201cVogue\u201d and \u201cLike a Prayer\u201d. The twizzles, lifts, and spin earned level 4; the remaining elements were level 3,2. Their awesome Choreographic Movements totaled 9.36, with a 12.68 total panel mark. The score made the difference in their free skate placement above the Italians.\u00a0\u00a0The Skate Canada bronze medalists scored a total 193.01 for fourth place overall.<\/p>\n

Guignard & Fabbri were fourth in the free dance, but third overall for the bronze medal. Their music choice was \u201cSpace Oddity\u201d, and \u201cLife on Mars\u201d, composed by David Bowie, but performed by other artists. The twizzles, lifts, and spin earned level 4, while Fabbri\u2019s one-foot step sequence and the diagonal footwork received level 3. Their base value (46.21) matched the Russians, but the GOEs, the fall deduction, and lower component marks made the difference in their 115.93 free dance score.\u00a0\u00a0The total score for the Internationaux de France bronze medalists was 198.06.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Ice Chips<\/strong><\/p>\n