Warm-up Group 3
Eurosport start their broadcast an hour into the event, grr, they were only showing taped tennis, and we don't get to see the Brits...Ooh, a close-up of two Japanese women holding a beanie frog - the Kaeru people?
Nowak/Kolasinski (POL) - Charleston, sbs step sequence near the beginning, well-timed but he almost lost his balance, second part of the music was All That Jazz, then back into the charleston. They were pretty good in terms of interpreting the music, actually...4.8 to 5.1, 5.1 to 5.4, into first.
Rauer/Rauer (GER) - Nasty outfits, both wearing fake dinner jackets, hmm...Charleston, then Bei Mir Bist du Schon, not perfectly together on the sbs steps. 3.7 to 4.4, 3.7 to 4.5, seventh to tenth, into ninth.
de Carbonnel/Malkov (BLR) - Quickstep, I recognised it but don't know what it is...a little too much running on toe-picks in their sbs steps, foxtrot, then back into quickstep for the diagonal steps. She had a horrible frilly mustard dress. 3.3 to 3.7, 3.3 to 4.0, tenth to 13th, into twelfth. The commentators thought they should move up, but they didn't.
Szolnoki/Illes (CRO) - Charleston, foxtrot (Stepping Out), quickstep (Dancing Fool). They didn't interpret the music at all, they were much too sluggish in their movements, not only slow, but no crispness, either. Apparently they're both Hungarian really...2.9 to 3.6, 3.0 to 3.5, eleventh to fourteenth, thirteenth overall - huh?What's with the eleventh?
Hyden/Azrojan (ARM) - She's cut her hair! Foxtrot, sbs steps fairly nice, into Bei Mir Bist du Schon (the fast part at the end). 3.1 to 3.8, 3.3 to 4.0, tenth to fifteenth, into twelfth. Lots of criticism from the commentators, they said they were slow, too similar in height, their lines weren't that good, and they looked uncomfortable together and didn't gel.
Group 4
Galitch/Chichkov (BIH) - Chris mangled "Bosnia Herzegovina" as if he'd never heard of it before...Foxtrot, sbs steps pretty well together but not difficult, a slight bobble coming out of a lift, quickstep, not quick at all, she tripped in the diagonal steps. 2.6 to 3.0, 2.5 to 3.1, sixteenth apart from one seventeenth.
Freizer/Lukanin (AZE) - Crazy for You, Joanne says they're interpreting the music well but I don't see it, their expression is good but the choreography isn't phrased with the music at all, sbs steps out of synch in places, and they seemed to struggle on the twizzles anyway, into Charleston, diagonal steps a little slolw, but nice, interesting changes of hold. 3.7 to 4.6, 4.0 to 4.8, sixth to ninth, into sixth overall.
Kovalova/Szurman (CZE) - Stepping Out, diagonal steps mostly done in one hold, nice lift which went perfectly with the style of the dance, sbs step sequence looked a little ragged, they only used one rhythm right up until the end when they switched to a quickstep for the step sequence. A huge cheer as we watch the replays because they Slovaks come out onto the ice to warm up. 3.7 to 4.4, 3.8 to 4.6, seventh to twelfth, into ninth. I liked them.
Durkovska/Mesaros (SVK) - Foxtrot, the crowd clapping along with the music, sbs step sequence a little untidy and not many steps; diagonal steps had virtually no turns. They're a nice couple, I liked their skating, they just weren't doing very much...3.5 to 4.2, 3.6 to 4.1, tenth to thirteenth, they look very hapy but the crowd don't like the marks.
Beknazarova/Kocherzhenko (UKR) - They were pulled out of their starting position for a flower girl to fetch something off the ice...Charleston, straight steps quite fast, pretty good except for a stumble from her, into a foxtrot, and then a quickstep. 3.5 to 4.0, 3.7 to 4.2, oops, missed the ordinals...
Group 5
Navka/Kostamarov (RUS) - Fever, fab rotational lift, really fast and secure, good sbs steps, fast diagonal steps on the change of music to Dancing Fool, another great rotational lift to finish. I loved it! Very smooth and expressive. Marika Humphreys in the commentary box, talking about having to wait your turn and get noticed "until finally you get credited with the performance", hmm...5.0 to 5.5, 5.2 to 6.7, first across the board, of course.
Drobiazko/Vanagas (LTU) - Yes Sir, That's My Baby - good sbs steps, into Dancing Fool, fast diagonal steps. Wheee! I'd forgotten how much I love dance! 5.4 to 5.7, 5.5 to 5.8, one judge had them second...
Fusar-Poli/Margaglio (ITA) - Oh my, a *really* neon yellow dress, very ballroom style...Puttin' on the Ritz, great sbs steps, foxtrot for a bit and then back to the quickstep, nice diagonal steps. Fab, this is so much their style, and she especially really captures the lightness of the dance. Joanne talks about the "difficultness" of their dance LOL. 5.7 to 5.9, 5.7 to 5.9 and a six!! Someone had them second, grr...I agree the expression deserved a six, I was thinking just after they skated what might've happened with their marks if they'd gone later, but I don't really agree with giving one out so early on...
Grushina/Goncharov (UKR) - foxtrot, into Sing, sing, sing, straight steps a bit off, nice quick diagonal steps. I find these two a little frantic...5.2 to 5.6, 5.3 to 5.6, third except for two fourths.
Chait/Sakhnovsky (ISR) - Horrible peach dress for her...Sing, sing, sing, sbs straight steps very fast and well timed, but a complete lack of any edges, most of the steps seemed to be hops from foot to foot on toe-picks...Bei Mir Bist Du Schon, and back to the quickstep for the fast but frantic diagonal steps, good rotational lift to end. Chris is raving over them, and Joanne says their footwork is "exceptional", hmm...5.4 to 5.6, a few whistles, 5.2 to 5.8, more whistles, second to fifth, the commentators seemed surprised and thought they should've been ahead of D/V, huh?!
Group 6
Delobel/Schoenfelder (FRA) - Foxtrot (Unforgettable), lovely flowy sbs steps, but lost timing a little in the middle, into the quickstep, Jumpin' Jack. Their skating is very soft and smooth, which was great for the foxtrot, but I didn't think the quickstep really worked. 5.0 to 5.3, 5.0 to 5.3, sixth except for a fifth and a seventh.
Lobacheva/Averbukh (RUS) - Foxtrot, then Dancing Fool, I thought the quickstep was much better than the foxtrot. great diagonal steps, really cool lift to end. It was a very good performance, but they don't really sparkle like some of the others do. The commentators say they'd have them in fourth, with D/V ahead and C/S ahead of them, and I'm slowly going crazy wishing they'd get in some different commentators for the dance...5.6 to 5.8, 5.7s and 5.8, second except for one third.
Winkler/Lohse (GER) - The first part of the music is apparently Hot Honey Rag, amazing sbs steps, good diagonal steps, fab lift to finish. A huge roar from the crowd. I love this programme sooo much, and I've not seen them skate it better. 5.3 to 5.6, some whistles, 5.4 to 5.7, third to fifth, but into fifth overall, waaah! I really thought they would move up...
Anissina/Peizerat (FRA) - Foxtrot, nice dance spin, into yet another Dancing Fool...diagonal steps OK, straight into the sbs step sequence, lost unison at the end. If any judges have them in first for that, they should be shot. 5.6 to 5.8, quite a few whistles, 5.7 to 5.9, seconds except for a first (grr) and two thirds (yay), into second overall, Marina does *not* look happy, and there's a fair bit of noise from the crowd, no doubt it's only the French making a fuss because that was not a good programme and they didn't skate it particularly well.
Denkova/Staviyski (BUL) - Pink Panther, really nice sbs step sequence, into I Want To Be Like You, good diagonal steps, cool programme, and I can't think of anyone else who could pull off those costumes LOL. Some really interesting moves throughout the programme. 5.0 to 5.5, 5.0 to 5.5, seventh to tenth, eighth overall.