SENIOR ORIGINAL DANCE REPORT
Report by Daphne Backman
Tanith Belbin & Ben Agosto continue to lead the ice dancing event at the 2008 U.S. Championships. Belbin & Agosto presented a “country western” folk dance highlighted by nice speed. The team received level fours on all elements except the twizzles, where a mistake by Agosto on the caused the element to be downgraded to level two and receive several negative GOE’s.
”I put my foot down on the twizzle,” Agosto said. “I think what was really frustrating was that aside from the twizzle, it was a great performance for us. I just hate to end on that kind of note. It makes you feel bad about the whole performance when I should feel happy about the rest of it, which was really good.“
Merll Davis & Charlie White remain in second place after the original dance. They executed their “Kalinka” Russian folk program with good speed and expression. They received level fours on all of their elements, except for their straightline lift, and no negative GOE’s. They appeared more comfortable with the program than earlier in the season, but although the program went well, Davis & White are looking to improve upon it each time.
"I think all of our elements we can just make that much stronger," Davis said. “I think that by the end of the season, you’ll definitely see improvement on all of the elements, all the connections, and just everything being more smooth and more aesthetically pleasing.”
Third in the original dance and overall are Kimberly Navarro & Brent Bommentre. Navarro & Bommentre’s African Folk original dance entertained the audience with easily the most colorful costumes. The team received level fours on their straightline and rotational lifts and twizzles. They received two -1 GOE’s. Even though a spot on the World team is on the line, the duo hasn’t shifted focus from their main goal.
“It doesn’t change anything that we always want to do is to skate really well, because that is just what satisfies us,” Navarro said. “It would be awesome to have as many opportunities as you can every season. But then, again, our goal is to skate the best that we can skate.”
In fourth place, Emily Samuelson & Evan Bates also presented “Kalinka” as their original dance, complete with Samuelson wearing an authentic headdress. Samuelson & Bates received level fours on all of their elements and no negative GOE’s. The 2007 junior champions moved up to the senior level without missing a step.
“It was a pretty good performance for us today,” Bates said. “I think it was a bit of an unfamiliar situation skating last and behind the Olympic silver medalists, but it turned out to be a good thing for us because the crowd was very excited. I think that the energy from their performance transferred into ours, and I hope the crowd enjoyed it.”
Though they finished sixth in the original dance, Jennifer Wester & Daniil Barantsev are fifth overall. The duo paid tribute to Wester’s home state of Texas with an energetic performance of their country/western original dance. The choreography of the program matched the theme with some steps taken from line dancing, and they received all level fours for their elements. With the exception of Barantsev’s pants, Wester created the teams costumes, right down to her boots.
“Our free dance costumes for this year, I made,” Wester said. “I also made some for some other skaters who are skating at Europeans right now. I made a black practice costume for [Italian ice dancer] Federica Faiella.”
Charlotte Maxwell & Nick Traxler, seventh in the original dance and sixth overall, presented a Native American folk program that featured good speed and positions on their spin and a solid curve lift. The team received level fours on all of their elements, except for their circular steps. The team was pleased with the progress they’ve made since they competed in Croatia at the Golden Spin of Zagreb.
“We skated really well,” Maxwell said. “We had a good warm-up before, so we were really prepared to go out there today. We made changes after Croatia , and we’re really pleased that we were successful.”
Jane Summersett & Todd Gilles rebounded from a fall in the Yankee Polka to finish fifth in the original dance and pull up to seventh overall. The couple presented a program to music from “Oh Brother Where Art Thou” that showcased strong footwork and a low-to-the-ground straightline lift. The team received level four on all of their elements, except for their circular steps and had no negative GOE’s.
Eighth in the original dance and overall are Mimi Whetstone & Chris Obzansky. Whetstone & Obzansky’s Hungarian “Czardas” folk dance received level fours on their spin and rotational lift, and level threes on all other elements.
Lynn Kriengkrairut & Logan Giulietti-Schmitt treated the audience to a lively and expressive Russian folk/gypsy dance. They received level fours for their spin and rotational lift, but their twizzles were reduced to level two due to Kriengkrairut stepping out of the second set. The team finished ninth in the original dance and ninth overall.
In 10th are Mauri Gustafson and Joel Dear. Gustafson & Dear’s Jewish folk dance featured good unison on their footwork and a fast dance spin. They were awarded level fours for their twizzles, spin, curve lift and rotational lift.
11th in both the compulsory and original dances, Clare Farrell & Chase Fishpaw performed their OD to a melody of Irish folk music. The program featured a cool straightline lift where Farrell is balanced with one foot on Fishpaw’s foot, while she is pulling her other foot to her head. The team received level fours for their straightline lift, spin, and rotational lift.
In 12th is Marsha Snyder & Peter Fischl. Snyder & Fischl skated to bluegrass/country folk music. The team was awarded level four on their spin and rotational lift, but their twizzles were reduced to level two, with negative GOE’s, for a mistake.
Stacy Kim & Jonathan Harris finished 13 th in the original dance and overall. They received a level four on their curve lift, but a fall at the end of their straightline lift cost them a level and negative GOE’s.
The event concludes on Saturday with the free dance.
