{"id":9568,"date":"2016-09-21T19:08:09","date_gmt":"2016-09-21T23:08:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/?p=9568"},"modified":"2018-05-13T12:34:32","modified_gmt":"2018-05-13T16:34:32","slug":"2016-u-s-international-classic-short-dance-recap","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/2016-u-s-international-classic-short-dance-recap\/","title":{"rendered":"2016 U.S. International Classic Short Dance Recap"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

The US International Figure Skating Classic is one of the ten USU Challenger Series events. Two competitions are in North America and the remaining eight in Europe. The 2016 Classic was held September 15-18 in Salt Lake City, Utah. 12\u00a0senior ice dance teams from nine countries competed.<\/p>\n

The 2016 Short Dance Senior pattern requirement includes one segment of midnight blues followed by one partial step sequence in hold \u2013 both skated to the same tune and tempo. The not touching midline step sequence must be swing or hip-hop.<\/p>\n

Reigning Classic champions Madison Hubbell & Zachary Donohue<\/strong> struggled with how to mix a very traditional blues, a dance style they loved, with something modern. That\u2019s when their coach Marie-France Dubreuil created a hip-hop Evolution program. Each genre has a common genesis – both emerged as emotional outlets for African-Americans. Even Hubbell\u2019s costume captured the mood and cemented the fusion with an overlay of midnight blue softly draped over a black garment.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe definitely wanted to take a risk doing something very hip-hop,\u201d Hubbell explained. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s challenging and took us out of our comfort zone,\u201d Donohue added.<\/p>\n

The team called on contemporary artist, Sam Choiunard to meld the breaking street dance movements with the gliding factor of ice dance that usually deters skaters from doing real hip-hop. Choiunard learned to skate, so his body could actually feel the gliding on ice.<\/p>\n

The music choice blended, \u201cFeeling Good\u201d by Nina Simone and a medley of hip-hop hits. It scored 64.82 points in its SLC 2016 international debut. They were one of two teams to earn a level 4 by hitting all the pattern key points. Unfortunately, their partial step sequence was level 1.<\/p>\n

The program is a work in progress, and the team plans to incorporate any new pop culture that emerges this year. They want to bring a new generation to appreciate skating.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe program should evolve through the Grand Prix season all the way to Nationals. We hope our Evolution program does exactly that \u2013 it evolves,\u201d Donohue pointed out.<\/p>\n

The Japanese team of Kana Muramoto & Chris Reed<\/strong> was second with a personal best 61.10 Ray Charles medley program to midnight blues and swing. The required pattern and level 3 partial step sequence earned 12.40 points, the highest in the event for the combination. However, Reed struggled with the twizzles.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe feel great, but I know I can do twizzles better than this performance,\u201d Reed commented.\u00a0 \u201cI felt for a start this is where we wanted to be. (60 points) I think we delivered well, and now we need to focus for tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n

Olivia Smart & Adria Diaz<\/strong> (ESP) brought the audience to its feet with Tina Turner\u2019s signature song, \u201cProud Mary\u201d. The Montreal based team scored a personal best 57.12 with level 4 twizzles and curve lift. The GOE marks totaled 9.70 for the pattern and partial step sequence.<\/p>\n

\u201cTechnically we could have been better, but that\u2019s why we are here to find our mistakes and to make it better,\u201d Smart said.<\/p>\n

The team and coaching staff had already chosen a piece of music when Marie-France Dubreuil played \u201cProud Mary\u201d at the rink.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat night I couldn\u2019t get it out of my head,\u201d Smart said. \u201cWe were both singing it, but we didn\u2019t even know the words.\u201d\u00a0 <\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you hear a song, and you feel it inside, you say that you just want to skate to that one,\u201d Diaz added.<\/p>\n

Smart confessed she now sings during the program. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s like karaoke for me. As I skate, I sing the words.\u00a0 I really enjoy skating to it, and I know he (Diaz) does too.\u00a0 The program has so much energy with a really sexy beginning. It\u2019s very fun to perform. It\u2019s a good way to bring people and judges to our side.\u201d<\/p>\n

Yura Min & Alexander Gamlin (KOR) <\/strong>skated blues to “Your Heart is as Black as Night” by Beth Hart and Joe Bonamassa and hip-hop to Big Bang’s \u201cBang Bang Bang\u201d. The team struggled with the pattern and missed all the key points.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe score was about the same as last year,\u201d Gamelin said.\u00a0 \u201cWe didn\u2019t go down, which usually happens. We\u2019re putting an emphasis on performance. With the SD, it\u2019s especially the second half with the high-energy hip-hop.\u201d<\/p>\n

The level 2 not-touching midline step sequence done to the hip-hop music earned a GEO 1.54 judges score.<\/p>\n

Alexandra Paul & Mitchell Islam<\/strong> (CAN) skated blues and swing to \u201cBig Spender” and “Sing Sing Sing!” Unfortunately, they missed their pattern key points and struggled with the twizzles.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe got hit pretty hard technically,\u201d Islam commented.\u00a0 \u201cMy obvious mistake on the twizzle cost us a lot of points, but we came here to perform. It\u2019s our first competition of the year. So with that, I think we are happy.\u201d<\/p>\n

When asked how one bounces back from something like that, he responded, \u201cIt\u2019s not the end of the world. It\u2019s a Senior B, so we are still in it. We\u2019re really confident in our free dance, so we are going to come out and do everything we can.\u201d<\/p>\n

Karina Manta & Joe Johnson<\/strong> (USA) skated blues and swing to “Dream a Little Dream” and “I Wanna be Like You” by Robbie Williams, choreographed by Christopher Dean. Unfortunately, the Colorado Springs based team had an opening pose \u201cgrip issue\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just didn\u2019t gauge quite where she was, and so I started up before I had her hand,\u201d Johnson explained.\u00a0 \u201cI missed her fingers by just a bit, and that was enough.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe recovered,\u201d added Manta. \u201cNow we know how to get back if something like that happens again.\u201d<\/p>\n

The program scored a personal best 53.60 and had them in sixth place.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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