Boston Buzz
by Anne Calder | Photos by Daphne Backman
Gabriella Papadakis & Guillaume Cizeron (FRA) were the first team to repeat as World Champions since Albena Denkova & Maxim Staviski (BUL) in 2006 – 2007.
Guillaume Cizeron designed the French team’s short dance costumes and also those of his training mates, Laurence Fournier Beaudry & Nikolaj Sorensen of Denmark.
A few weeks ago, Gabriella Papadakis required six stitches after Guillaume’s blade cut her knee. They returned to the ice three days later.
Alexandra Nazarova & Maxim Nikitin (UKR), the 2015 Junior World bronze medalists, were fortunate to be competing in Boston after Nazarova’s knee surgery kept her off the ice for four months this season.
Tessa Virtue & Scott Moir (CAN) Olympic, World, Four Continents and National gold medalists were in Boston commentating from the CBC television booth. The decorated team will return to competition in 2016-17 after a two-year absence.
Maxim Zavozin, two-time US junior ice dance champion and 2005 World junior ice dance champion with Morgan Matthews (USA) accompanied his student, Maxim Kovtun, to Boston for the competition. They will also be in Spokane for the Challenge Cup.
MOVING ON UP!
Madison Hubbell & Zachary Donohue (USA) jumped from 10th in 2015 to sixth in 2016.
Natalia Kaliszek & Maksim Spodirev (POL) moved up from 24th in 2015 to 16th in 2016.
Cecilia Torn & Jussiville (FIN) moved up from 25th in 2015 to 17th in 2016.
FOR THE FIRST TIME
Teams who qualified for the World’s Free Program for the first time:
- Natalia Kaliszek & Maksim Spodirev (POL) – 24th in 2015
- Cecilia Torn & Jussiville Partanen (FIN) – 25th in 2015
- Kavita Lorenz & Panagiotis Polizoakis (GER) – brand new team in 2016
Chris Reed (JPN) competed at eight straight World Championships with sister, Cathy, before partnering with Kana Muramoto in 2015. The new team earned the minimum SD score and qualified for the FD in their first year together.
Barbora Silna & Juri Kurakin (AUT) qualified for the free dance for the first time as a team in Boston after finishing 21st in 2015 and 36th in 2012. While this was the first time for Kurakin, Silna qualified for the 2008 World Championships with former partner, Dmitri Matsjuk, where they finished 21st. This was prior to the ISU decision to reduce the number of teams skating in the free dance from 24 to 20.
ALL ABOUT THE LEVELS
The following teams earned Level 4 for all five Short Dance Elements:
- Papadakis & Cizeron (FRA)
- Shibutani & Shibutani (USA)
- Gilles & Poirier (CAN)
- Coomes & Buckland (GBR)
The following teams earned Level 4 for all seven Free Dance Elements:
- Papadakis & Cizeron (FRA)
- Shibutani & Shibutani (USA)
- Chock & Bates (USA)
- Cappellini & Lanotte (ITA)
- Hubbell & Donohoe (USA)
- Coomes & Buckland (GBR)
- Guignard & Fabbri (ITA)
IN THEIR OWN WORDS
Penny Coomes (GBR) on their spectacular lifts:
“We watch a lot of You Tube videos from ballet and dance to get some ideas.”
Alexandra Stepanova (RUS) on the Bruins’ yellow & black motif that adorned TD Garden:
“I really like the Boston colors (yellow and black); they remind me of home.”
Paul Poirer (CAN) on their short dance music changes:
“We wanted a waltz that was a little bit softer, so we could really show off the work on the keypoints, make them less spikey which is why we were losing points earlier this season. We took out some turns to make it more obvious where we were trying to get the levels, and I think it paid off.”
Evan Bates (USA) on musical merry go round (as told to in-house host Rusty Kath)
“We changed our short dance music several times, and I turned in our summer music here by mistake. At our first practice when the music started it was like – what?”
Zachary Donohue (USA) on their 2016-17 short dance:
“We‘re going to work on all new lifts, elements, techniques, and we have a fun new compulsory dance next season.”
Natalia Kaliszek (POL) on ice dance in Poland:
“We are currently the only (senior) team, but there are three junior teams right now.”
Panagiotis (Joti) Polizoakis (GER) after the short dance:
“Today exactly one year ago (March 30, 2015) we had our first try out in Novi, Michigan.” (He was previously a singles skater in Germany and had never ice danced.)
Isabella Tobias & Ilia Tkachenko (ISR) “Reunited…and it feels so good”:
“We skated together briefly in the summer of 2008 (before choosing other partners); we’re very happy to see it all come together now.”
Charlie White (IceNetwork.com Commentator) on Papadakis & Cizeron erasing Davis & White’s world record free dance score:
“I’m not sure what more you could ask for from a work of art. I think that was perfect.”
FINALE
Bravo to the TD Garden audience, who clapped, cheered, screamed, applauded, and encouraged all the skaters regardless of country of origin and in competition with their own personal favorites.