Finnstep
While we're waiting for 4CC and Worlds to begin, I thought it would be fun to look down the road to next year's Olympics. Over on the Golden Skate forums, they've been discussing the compulsory pattern for the short dance, which will be the Finnstep. It's a variant on the Quickstep and is based on a program originated by the wonderful team of
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But by some combination of R/K's reputation as the wacky creative weirdos of ice dance, their nontraditional look, sleek black costuming, the difficult bouncy steps, the OTT body language, music from a gangster movie, and how their expressive presentation defied the stereotyped Finnish coldness, their OD became something really special. There used to be another video on YouTube with a female commentator (Tracy Wilson, I think) who described the magic really well, saying something like..."it seems like R/K were spoofing the stuffy atmosphere of ballroom dance. It's almost like they are the ones playing a joke on us [the audience]." I always thought R/K were actually serious about dance's "sparkling champagne" character, and it was just their Finnish weirdness that made it seem like a spoof, but that's why it's still so magical to me every time I re-watch it. (And I think Susanna Rahkamo looks like Marge Gunderson from Fargo, which has the same innocently-hilarious optimism thing).
Which is why I am both really excited for and dread next season. Finnstep made a nice CD, but I can't begin to imagine how different teams will try to mash up the different rhythms for the SD. The Borsalino music really made Rahkamo/Kokko's program. The pattern completely loses its magic with other music, it just becomes another quickstep. So either teams will be uncreative and use some new variation of Borsalino or some boring old ballroom standards--it'll be really hard to find the perfect music that is new, matches the rhythm, and has the same quirky character as Borsalino but isn't. [/end Rahkamo/Kokko fangirling]
I can already imagine how this will go...
Shibs - their technik will be amazing, HAPPY SMILES not so much, really hoping they won't choose swing as their other rhythm but foxtrot might be just as bad.
Voir - probably going for a very traditional ballroom feel with Smugface Scott...will be as watchable as Funny Face.
Meryl/Charlie - their 09 expressions were really amateur, but they've grown a lot artistically since then and I expect their Finnstep will be really seriously ballroom but very...grand and captivating as Die Fledermaus was.
NathFabs - well they're the top team with the wacky-creative reputation, so the pressure's on them to deliver the comedy. their SDs are always great though and I doubt this will be an exception
Bobrova/Soloviev - Zhulin's choreo and they're still funny-looking enough so the program will be good, but quickstep doesn't take kindly to bad posture, so hers will be even more obvious
Cappellini/Lanotte - ballroom snoozefest, but she'll look beautiful and judges will like it.
Zhiganshina/Gazsi - they have Rahkamo/Kokko's old coach Martin Skotnicky, so hopefully their tech will be better than usual, to match whatever good interpretation they will come up with, if they do well they might gain a couple of spots in standings
Sinitsina/Zhiganshin - with her Barbie looks and their terrible Tennessee Waltz this year, I'm going to predict their Finnstep will be Tanith/Ben's 04-05 OD all over again. New Yorrrrk, New Yooooorrrrkkk...
Coomes/Buckland - twizzles at the beginning because the steps are going to eat them alive, but they'll mess up the twizzles too anyway and I'll still love them.
Zlobina/Sitnikov - it's going to be FABULOUS. they'll probably find that perfect sweet spot between serious and comical that R/K hit.
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This sentence made me laugh because it's such a perfect assessment of RK's program. : )
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it'll be really hard to find the perfect music that is new, matches the rhythm, and has the same quirky character as Borsalino but isn't.
Yeah, there is that potential drawback. I hope we see some interesting and original music choices.
Shibs - their technik will be amazing, HAPPY SMILES not so much, really hoping they won't choose swing as their other rhythm but foxtrot might be just as bad.
Voir - probably going for a very traditional ballroom feel with Smugface Scott...will be as watchable as Funny Face.
Meryl/Charlie - their 09 expressions were really amateur, but they've grown a lot artistically since then and I expect their Finnstep will be really seriously ballroom but very...grand and captivating as Die Fledermaus was.
NathFabs - well they're the top team with the wacky-creative reputation, so the pressure's on them to deliver the comedy. their SDs are always great though and I doubt this will be an exception
I think your predictions here will be largely borne out in reality next February. LOL about Smugface Scott (he makes pretty much everything VM do unbearable, which is really too bad), and yeah, I think they'll have to work to come up with a program that doesn't come off like the Reader's Digest Condensed version of "Funny Face" (their worst program ever, IMO; their Carmen may be kind of a head-scratcher, but you can't say it's not ambitious--FF was just junior-ish and trite).
I think MC will do a lot better than they did in '09 (and really, they weren't bad at all then, considering many still considered them the second-ranked US team to Belbin-Agosto). I think the quickstep rhythm plays to their strengths, and with some creative music choices/ choreography, this could be another program they knock out of the ballpark.
I will be disappointed if PB don't give us at least a moderately kooky program. : ) They've grown on me this past couple of years, and I'd love to see them on the podium at Olympics.
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