My DVR starts in the middle of Cappellini and Lanotte of Italy. She takes a bad slip over near the boards. And I get to listen to Requiem for a Dream for the first time this evening. Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto are commentating! Ben is a little quiet and Tanith has that very adorable voice but she actually seems like a natural, very confident. The performance is not that strong, perhaps due to the mistake. Oh dear, Cappellini is in tears, and Lanotte just won a million hearts comforting her. Chin up Anna!!! They had a very good season, considering how young the team is. Dear God, put Ben's microphone up! I think she must be even more upset because this it the home crowd. Ben says there is sometimes more pressure skating at home. Score: 79.07, overall 164.52. Fourth for now.
Vanessa Crone and Paul Poirier (Canada): Lots of head movements at the beginning of this program. Great lifts. Agosto would like to see them skating closer together. Some of the quick movements are not doing it for me. Twizzles are just ok. Tanith says they were not known as a lyrical team and now they are changing perceptions. I think this is a good pick for them. Some of these moves are not together, though...but a lot of energy. Pretty spin. They both have singles skating experience and Tanith is pointing out that there is some disconnect. That was ok, but I think they have some ways to go. Score: 91.22, 180.30 overall. Very good for them! What an amazing placement for them..1st for now.
Alexandra Zaretsky and Roman Zaretsky (Israel, Schindler's List): Second lift is very good. Twizzles are great, not as fast as ones we'll see later but very together. Tanith says that they definitely move as one on the ice. I agree, they are very together here. The program is obviously very serious but they are bringing some energy in. Another good lift. Tanith is pointing out that the exits of the footwork steps are what lose them levels. Nice observation. Pairs spin is unique if a bit slow. This is a great performance for them. Score: 91.34, overall 181.26. Puts them into first place for now.
Now back at the loft - Not just Weir and Lipinski, but Belbin and Agosto as well.
Tanith is wearing the best shoes ever. Other than Johnny's.
Americans...of course, I didn't see Samuelson and Bates, but apparently they did a great job. Awesome.
Navarro and Bommentre - Belbin says they did a great job and that it matches their personalities, knowing this was an emotional year. Belbin says it gave them goosebumps. Weir says he worries about the use of vocals with the judges. But he says he felt it was perfect for them.
Nathalie Pechalat and Fabian Bourzat (France, Music: Circus Medley): WAIT A GOSH DARN SECOND. Do you mean to tell me that I have already heard Requiem for a Dream the last time that I will have to hear it !??!! (until next season).?? I thought these two would skate to it but they have traveled back to 2009 and their circus free dance. I feel that I did not commemorate my final Requiem of the year appropriately. Excuse me, I'm going to go smash a clock.
BACK! Anyway. Tanith is happy they are doing the circus. I like this so much better than Requiem as well. Very nice sequences at the beginning. First lift seems very difficult for him but they pull it off. Straight line lift, well done. Quick costume change for him! Now he is with yellow adornments and they are doing quicker footwork. I like the twizzles, an improvement on the original dance. This is just a lot of fun. Pair spin is fine. Belbin says they are so much better than they were when they originally did this program. Agosto says that it's harder to do a happy program because it's harder to look happy after four minutes of skating. Good point! hee Score: 98.09 for the free dance, season's best and personal best. 194.39 overall. They are in first for now.
Meryl Davis and Charlie White (USA, Music: Phantom of the Opera): Davis and White received personal bests on their compulsories and original dance. So we'll see what they do here. Belbin loves the first two seconds here the best. Too bad the producer missed it with the wrong camera. Love this pair spin, I think it's the most difficult one we've seen the dancers do and it's so fast and such great positions throughout. Ridiculous lift, just out of this world. Belbin says they wanted to improve this soft section after the Olympics. I think they have a beautiful connection. There is just so much going on in this program. Another amazing lift...I love this program. Their twizzles are far superior to anything we've seen. It's hard for me to compare to the Olympics, but it may have been even better, if that's even possible. Charlie looks like he has a hernia. Score: 110.49, season's best. Overall 223.03. First place for now. Oh gosh, Meryl has a GASH on her knee. iick!
Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir (Canada, Music: Symphony No. 5, Mahler): They just broke a record in the Original dance, highest score ever. This is such a lovely and light program. This lift is great...I feel like I've come to the point where I like Davis and White's lifts better. Gorgeous spin. Tanith points out the soft knees in the footwork. He is kind of screwy on the first twizzle. I guess they won't lose any points on the level but definitely far inferior to what we just saw by Davis and White. Goose lift. This program is a work of art. It doesn't have the Vancouver magic (how could you ever recapture that?) and I would say it wasn't as well performed as Davis and White's, but my opinion means nothing! hee. Score: 110.03 for the free dance and 224.43 overall. They are the winners, their first world championship! They did not win the free dance but they had a large enough lead. I think there should have been at least a point difference between Davis and White and Virtue and Moir, but whatever.
Federica Faiella and Massimo Scali (Italy): Don't love this program they way I love the prior two. Appears to be a solid performance so far. Like this lift with her wrapped around him. Twizzles not so hot...grade of execution deductions I think. Another nice lift. More dramatic section of the skate here. Great job for them! We'll see if it was enough for bronze...the crowd is very excited. They have never won a medal at worlds. Another Italian team member in tears! An emotional night. 97.84 for the free, overall is 197.85...they will likely get the bronze! good for them. I think Scali just said it was a miracle...ha
Sinead Kerr and John Kerr (Great Britain, Muisc: Krwlng by LInkin Park): Belbin says they always stand out from the pack. I would agree with that. Some more twizzle troubles...she missed the blade grab apparently. they always have twizzle troubles! They are super strong. Belbin says this isn't her fave free dance of theirs. But it's her fave "alternative" free dance, whatever that means. I don't really love this program that much. And they have no medal chance and have erred, but let's not kid ourselves, I can't wait to see her lift him again at the end. This is a bit of a sloppy performance. AAANd there's the lift. yay. Now we can give out the medals!
Podium
1) Virtue and Moir
2) Davis and White
3) Faiella and Scali.
It was not the cleanest night of ice dancing, but a thoroughly enjoyable one. Virtue and Moir were not up to par with what they did in Vancouver, but they were able to hang on for the win - their first world championship. PLEASE DON'T RETIRE YET. Davis and White really had the skate of the night, in my opinion (and the judges' opinion). And how nice to see Faiella and Scali finally win a medal?