{"id":2871,"date":"2014-08-06T23:02:42","date_gmt":"2014-08-06T23:02:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/2014\/08\/06\/weaver-and-poje-aim-to-dominate\/"},"modified":"2014-08-06T23:02:42","modified_gmt":"2014-08-06T23:02:42","slug":"weaver-and-poje-aim-to-dominate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/weaver-and-poje-aim-to-dominate\/","title":{"rendered":"Weaver and Poje Aim to Dominate"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"14CdnNat-SrSD-3092-WP-MHby Jacquelyn Thayer | Photos by Melanie Hoyt, Liz Chastney & Robin Ritoss<\/em><\/p>\n

Realization of an Olympic dream presented a mixed blessing for Canada’s Kaitlyn Weaver & Andrew Poje.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve trained and dreamed all our lives to go to the Olympics, and going on to experience such a high was draining. Trying to get back up to peak performance back home a couple of weeks later to get ready for Worlds was hard,\u201d Poje said. \u201cWe had to push ourselves and we had to find it in ourselves to make sure we definitely could come back and fight and be in competitive form for Worlds. We did get there eventually, it just took a little longer than what we wanted.\u201d<\/p>\n

But the temporary drawbacks are, he suggested, supplanted by a more enduring impact.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing an Olympian and having that as part of your name is something that you realize the specialness of when you\u2019re at schools and you\u2019ve been amongst all your friends that are able to say that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Though a milestone in an eight-year partnership, the team views their move up to the world podium as more of a stepping stone.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like Andrew and I are just beginning to hit our stride,\u201d Weaver said, pointing to growth opportunities in areas like technical execution as well as timing and interpretation. \u201cI think that we can improve in so many different areas and that\u2019s the reason why we\u2019re still skating\u2014we still love it and we\u2019re still learning and working. I think that we still have a lot of room to grow.\u201d<\/p>\n

And with only .02 points separating them from the World title in a historically close podium, the team sees good reason to aim for greater success.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cLast year, we had a lot of firsts\u2014first Olympics, first world medal. But I think at this point, we\u2019re taking it year by year,\u201d Weaver said. \u201cIt\u2019s harder to commit now to another four years, but I think that being so close to the world title makes us pretty hungry to go out there and win. And now with the absence of Tessa [Virtue] & Scott [Moir] and Meryl [Davis] & Charlie [White], it gives us a little more optimism that [the world title] can be possible. And especially Tessa & Scott\u2014they\u2019ve really paved the way for Canadian ice dance now, and we feel like we have very big shoes to fill, but we want to dominate just like they did.\u201d<\/p>\n

But preparations for the coming year had to wait as the team experienced a busier-than-average post-season. Their second year as cast members on the Canadian tour of Stars on Ice took them cross-country over three weeks, while their Olympian status meant speaking engagements and other appearances, including participating in June\u2019s Celebration of Excellence festivities from Ottawa to Calgary.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe really needed a vacation after that, so we had a week off and kind of made sure that we did nothing,\u201d Poje said. \u201cIt\u2019s definitely different preparing for this season than it was last season, because last season we made sure that we started everything so much earlier. We\u2019re at a different point now than we were last season, but we\u2019re definitely on the right track for us for this first post-Olympic season.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think that everything that we did post-season was necessary for us in order to take in what happened last year, not only for our skating careers, but also for our lives, to be able to really understand the goals that we achieved,\u201d Weaver said. \u201cBut now things are back to our structure and back to our old schedule, which feels really great.\u201d<\/p>\n

And the couple is energized by the fresh start. \u201cThis year for us, even though it\u2019s the first year of the new quadrennial, is one that we can really seize, and so we want to make sure that we put ourselves in the best position possible to start out with a bang,\u201d she continued.
The team plans to kick off the season, as in recent years, at a yet-to-be-determined Senior B competition in early fall.<\/p>\n

\u201cLast year, we were in the first international event of the season [U.S. International Figure Skating Classic] and we were able to not only show our programs early, but to get the feedback as soon as we could and make the necessary changes,\u201d Weaver said, adding that they would likely tackle a later event this season. \u201cSo by the time Skate Canada rolled around, we felt well-seasoned. We were in good shape, we had performed the programs for an audience and for a judging panel, and we didn\u2019t feel uncomfortable with the programs.\u201d <\/p>\n

But with seven seasons already logged on the Grand Prix circuit, the two, assigned to Skate Canada and NHK Trophy, feel prepared for all eventualities.<\/p>\n

\u201cEssentially, we\u2019ve done them all, and we\u2019ve had to deal with every type of transition\u2014short or long or long flights or short flights or just a difficult competition versus what seems to be not so difficult competition\u2014which is never easy,\u201d Weaver said. \u201cThat\u2019s the thing with the Grand Prix\u2014it\u2019s never, ever easy. They\u2019re always hard, just because the level of skating is so high right now. But we\u2019ve done them all, so it\u2019s nice to have that experience behind us and know that whatever position we\u2019re put in, we can overcome it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"12W-FD-3145-WP-LCA later start to the new season has also meant a later start on program preparations. In June, the two solicited music suggestions from fans through their joint Twitter account, a tactic usually used for exhibition ideas and inspired in part by the fan recommendation that led to their 2011-12 \u201cJe Suis Malade\u201d free dance.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe always look for ideas from every outlet that we have,\u201d Poje said. \u201cThere\u2019s so much music out there that we\u2019ll never get to listen to, so if we\u2019ve had people that can suggest things, then it\u2019s easier for us to at least have a pathway. Sometimes we don\u2019t have that\u2014you sit down in front of the computer and go into iTunes and you don\u2019t know what to search, you know? It\u2019s good to have some sort of ideas that can spring other things. It might not turn into something, but sometimes it will help us as a jumping-off point to come up with great ideas for a new program.\u201d
For their Paso Doble short dance, the team’s prior experience with Spanish rhythms will be helpful, though their past flamenco offers no forecast for this year’s program.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith the music restrictions and things like that, we want to make sure that do something different than what we did the last time we did flamenco. At the same time, we want to make sure that we stand out in the crowd, so we don\u2019t want to be lost amongst all the other Spanish short dances,\u201d Poje said. \u201cWe\u2019ll definitely rely on our past flamenco program for certain aspects to help us with the attitude and the flair of the dance, but we\u2019re not trying to recreate that program.\u201d<\/p>\n

The introduction of the choreographic partial step sequence to the segment’s requirements has, Weaver noted, been a particular creative plus.<\/p>\n

\u201cTwo patterns of the Paso Doble would have, I think, been pretty repetitive, especially after the Finnstep and the Golden Waltz\u2014sometimes you would be surprised that they were starting, because they would be disguised well into the choreography,\u201d she said. \u201cThe Paso has an older style of ice dance feel to it, so it\u2019s harder to disguise. But I like the idea that with the creative pattern, we can still achieve the technical requirements but create something unique, something that\u2019s special to our team.\u201d<\/p>\n

The couple is also taking a big picture view towards program planning. Poje pointed to the desire to contrast a serious short dance with a lighter free dance, while also diversifying program styles from year to year. \u201cWe want to make sure that we don\u2019t get stuck in a certain niche or style of skating,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

To that end, the team has frequently turned to additional sources from the skating, dance, and theatrical worlds to expand their palette\u2014though such efforts have also necessitated a balanced approach with their coaches at the Detroit Skating Club. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe always ensure that whoever we choose always has great input,\u201d Poje said, \u201cbut Pasquale [Camerlengo] or Anjelika [Krylova] or someone like that is there during the process so that every day, day in and day out, they understand what the direction of the choreographer was so that they can lead us in the right direction. And we also ensure that the choreographer can come in to ensure that we’re [retaining] their vision, and also if we need to make any little tweaks to make it comfortable for us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Technical considerations offer a special need for attention, with another major rule change this season that has reduced the number of required free dance lifts from four to three. Weaver, who called the element the sport’s “biggest highlight,” notes some mixed emotions towards the revision.   <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s something that, no matter where you perform, the audience knows that those are difficult and interesting, and so that adds some more wow factor to the program,\u201d she said. \u201cSo to have that limited really makes us want to make our three lifts that much more powerful and different and unique.\u201d <\/p>\n

It’s little surprise, then, that freedom from restriction is for the team one of the highlights of show work.<\/p>\n

\"14W-FD-7209-WP-RR\u201cShow programs are the most fun because you don\u2019t have any rules,\u201d Weaver said. \u201cThat sounds obvious, but it\u2019s interesting when we\u2019re choreographing, we\u2019re like \u2018Oh yeah! We don\u2019t have to start within 10 seconds.\u2019 It\u2019s almost like you have to keep reminding yourself that you don\u2019t have those rules.\u201d <\/p>\n

But their construction can also mean being creative with training time, as was the case for last year\u2019s First Nations-themed program, choreographed with then-coach Massimo Scali. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe were interested in doing something Aboriginal Canadian, for this season especially,\u201d Weaver said, \u201cand so we stayed up nights working with Massimo. During the summer, we [trained] all through the day, so the only option was at night. We were skating all around the clock.\u201d
For the Stars on Ice tour, the couple debuted a lyrical new program to Donny Hathaway\u2019s \u201cA Song for You,\u201d created in a short post-Worlds window with Linda Garneau, a stage and film choreographer known best in the skating realm for her work with Kurt Browning.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe knew that was a resource that we wanted to use, but the situation never presented itself\u2014timing and things didn\u2019t work,\u201d Weaver said. \u201cAnd this year it did work, so we were so happy. She\u2019s a phenomenal dancer and she just understands movement, whether it be on the floor or on ice. So we were very lucky to be able to work with her and have her teach us so much.\u201d <\/p>\n

And while the team considers emotion the primary goal of their show efforts, the freedom can also become a useful force in their competitive life.    <\/p>\n

\u201cIt gives us a chance to breathe and enjoy ourselves and have a little bit more creative liberty, and we also get to test out ideas,\u201d Weaver said. \u201cSometimes we\u2019ll come up with a theme for our show program and we say, \u2018Okay, well maybe if this goes over well, we\u2019ll consider it for a possible free dance idea.\u2019 Or vice versa\u2014a free dance idea that didn\u2019t work, we can use for a show.\u201d<\/p>\n

And while outside voices have stoked the team’s creativity, fresh concepts are in no short supply.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve got a playlist probably like 50-songs-long of possible ideas,\u201d Weaver continued. \u201cIt\u2019s just when those will take place. There\u2019s so many themes, and you can be walking down the street or listening to the radio and think of an idea. Inspiration can strike anywhere. And for those things that can\u2019t be turned into a free dance, we put in the playlist for possible shows. Hopefully we have many more show years to come, because I\u2019ve got lots of ideas,\u201d she said with a laugh.<\/p>\n

Though the team’s rising status might allow room for creative boldness, the overall aim for this season is simple enough: greatness. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe go by the judgment and the guidance of our coaches, and we always have done that, and we always will do that,\u201d Weaver said. \u201cWe want to do something great, and I think that that\u2019s more important now than ever. Both programs have to shine, and we have to find our weaknesses and really capitalize on improving them, and leave no stone unturned, because I think to become world champion, you can\u2019t have any weaknesses. So whereas we were comfortable, I\u2019d say, in Tessa and Scott\u2019s shadow\u2014they were first, we were second\u2014now it\u2019s our time to really shine and take that top spot. And I think we\u2019re ready for that. We\u2019re ready for the challenge.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Jacquelyn Thayer | Photos by Melanie Hoyt, Liz Chastney & Robin Ritoss Realization of an Olympic dream presented a mixed blessing for Canada’s Kaitlyn Weaver & Andrew Poje. \u201cWe\u2019ve […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6039,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_gspb_post_css":"","_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_themeisle_gutenberg_block_has_review":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2871","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles-interviews"],"blocksy_meta":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Articles.jpg?fit=957%2C566&ssl=1","uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Articles.jpg?fit=957%2C566&ssl=1",957,566,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Articles.jpg?fit=150%2C150&ssl=1",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Articles.jpg?fit=300%2C177&ssl=1",300,177,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Articles.jpg?fit=768%2C454&ssl=1",768,454,true],"large":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Articles.jpg?fit=957%2C566&ssl=1",957,566,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Articles.jpg?fit=957%2C566&ssl=1",957,566,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Articles.jpg?fit=957%2C566&ssl=1",957,566,true],"et-pb-post-main-image":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Articles.jpg?resize=400%2C250&ssl=1",400,250,true],"et-pb-post-main-image-fullwidth":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Articles.jpg?resize=957%2C566&ssl=1",957,566,true],"et-pb-portfolio-image":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Articles.jpg?resize=400%2C284&ssl=1",400,284,true],"et-pb-portfolio-module-image":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Articles.jpg?resize=510%2C382&ssl=1",510,382,true],"et-pb-portfolio-image-single":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Articles.jpg?fit=957%2C566&ssl=1",957,566,true],"et-pb-gallery-module-image-portrait":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Articles.jpg?resize=400%2C516&ssl=1",400,516,true],"rpwe-thumbnail":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Articles.jpg?resize=45%2C45&ssl=1",45,45,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Team IDC","author_link":"https:\/\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/author\/idcadmin\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"by Jacquelyn Thayer | Photos by Melanie Hoyt, Liz Chastney & Robin Ritoss Realization of an Olympic dream presented a mixed blessing for Canada’s Kaitlyn Weaver & Andrew Poje. \u201cWe\u2019ve […]","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7GOSM-Kj","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2871","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2871"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2871\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6039"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2871"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2871"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2871"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}