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00:00:00Rhythm Dance Practice.
00:00:02Bienvenue aux Internationaux Patinages Canada 2026.
00:00:06Vous assistez l'épreuve de danse sur glace, groupe d'entraînement numéro un.
00:00:11Ceci est une séance d'entraînement de 30 minutes pour la danse rythmique.
00:00:15The following skaters are invited to the ice for a warm-up period of five minutes before the first music
00:00:21will be played.
00:00:23Welcome, everyone, to the ice dance practice on day two of Skatecanda International, week number two on the Senior Grand
00:00:29Prix.
00:00:30I'm Ted Barton, along with Jackie Wong, who's now got his furry coat on because it's a little bit chilly
00:00:34in here.
00:00:35It is, and I like my furry coat.
00:00:37I also, you know, took a little nap.
00:00:39No, I didn't.
00:00:40I kind of wish I did.
00:00:42And your hands look cold, and you're typing away.
00:00:46The only activity I get all day is typing.
00:00:49Okay.
00:00:50Let's talk about dance here.
00:00:52What, um, how do you see, you know, we haven't done this event yet.
00:00:57We've seen Angers, of course.
00:00:59Um, have you seen enough to sort of get a feel for what might materialize over the season?
00:01:05Well, uh, I've seen enough to know that the golden waltz calls have been hard.
00:01:10Mm-hmm.
00:01:11Uh, the analysis of the first 181 rhythm dances of the season showed that
00:01:20something like 92% of those golden waltzes got a level two or below.
00:01:27Okay.
00:01:28So it's very difficult to get a three and above.
00:01:31Last week, and in Angers, we got two level threes.
00:01:35So a higher percentage than usual, but still.
00:01:37So do you think, okay, this is a weird question.
00:01:40Not, it's not a weird question.
00:01:41It's not, not at all.
00:01:42In the system, when the system was developed, it said, if you're not 100% sure, then go to
00:01:49the benefit of the skater.
00:01:50So let me ask the question.
00:01:52If the skater's not 100%, like, do they go against, not against that, I'm not, they're
00:01:57not against the skater, but they're going, I don't know, I'm not convinced that it's
00:02:01there, so I'm going to go down.
00:02:02Yeah.
00:02:02I'm not convinced that it's not there, I'm not going to go up, right?
00:02:05So it seems like a reversal, might be a reversal of what the intent was originally.
00:02:10I think it's interesting because the strategy of where the choreographers and the skaters
00:02:20put some of these turns is potentially even, I don't know if it's hurting them, right?
00:02:28But if you're putting a turn in a place where the only camera that's doing the replay can't
00:02:35really tell whether the turn is clean, then you're probably not getting the benefit of
00:02:42the doubt of that, right?
00:02:43Like you're, it.
00:02:44But my question is, should you get the benefit of the doubt?
00:02:47Because it's a difference, I'm talking theoretically, but it's a difference.
00:02:51The attitude was, if you don't know for sure that it is down, then you give it, but be
00:02:55consistent, right?
00:02:56Yeah.
00:02:57So, but in nice sense, you're so strict that I'm, you know, yeah, it could be there,
00:03:01but I'm not giving it.
00:03:02Yeah, we're certainly not seeing that.
00:03:03Yeah.
00:03:03And, you know, you look, you look at, you look at calls from even 10 years ago, there
00:03:11were a lot more level fours being called back then than there are now.
00:03:16And the question has always been like, is it the, the, the teams that were doing better
00:03:25at that point?
00:03:26Or is it the, the judges that have, or the technical panel that has increased the difficulty
00:03:32of the calling?
00:03:32And, you know, and I think, you know, we've talked quite a bit about the detail and it's
00:03:37hard to see for the general viewer and for us as well.
00:03:40Yeah.
00:03:40If we were able to capture exactly the key point on every skater with a great angle and
00:03:48really clearly determined, then the audience could go, I get it.
00:03:51Okay.
00:03:52It's a small detail.
00:03:53It's not so entertaining.
00:03:54Right.
00:03:54But I understand it's a sport call and I know why they're calling it because they're showing
00:03:57it to me.
00:03:58And I don't think we do that.
00:03:59We don't, we don't assign that camera to that one key point or two key points.
00:04:04You know, we show the things that you could see clearly, the lift and the spin, things
00:04:08like that.
00:04:09And that's the thing about the, the golden waltz that is so fascinating to me is that
00:04:13there literally are four steps and turns where you get the levels called.
00:04:19And so if you are doing, you know, a TV broadcast with a, with a replay, it should be easy,
00:04:31but
00:04:31that it is not easy because the camera people don't necessarily know what to look for.
00:04:35Yeah.
00:04:36The problem is once you've sold the rights, the right to cover it how they want.
00:04:40Yeah.
00:04:41Right.
00:04:41And so this is, I know the ISU is looking at this and talking about this is that, Hey,
00:04:45we need to up our, uh, why we shoot, what we shoot, right?
00:04:51And what we, what we replay that because I know like in the juniors, we get to control
00:04:56our own replays so I can control that and super, super slow.
00:04:59Well, not super slow, but a slow, very slow motion.
00:05:02I have different levels, right?
00:05:03I've got a hundred percent, I got 70, I got 50, I got 30.
00:05:06So I can control that as a commentator, but here you're just getting, you know, the people
00:05:11in the truck are, you know, doing some elements.
00:05:12You don't know what's coming up.
00:05:13You have no idea.
00:05:14So we can't tell the story as accurately as it perhaps could be.
00:05:19To be honest, I think it'd be fascinating for us to be able to see what the technical
00:05:25panel is actually seeing.
00:05:27Like that would be really interesting to look at.
00:05:29Not hard to do.
00:05:30It's easy to do.
00:05:31And that's the same thing as they've talked about, you know, should we open up what they're
00:05:36saying?
00:05:36I mean, during the performance, it's easy.
00:05:38They're just making a call.
00:05:39It's after the performance, when they make the decisions, that is interesting.
00:05:44And they, for the most part, they do a very, very good job.
00:05:47Okay.
00:05:50First team up from Canada, Alisa Robinson, Jacob Ports, here for a gaming experience and skating
00:05:57with some top teams around the world.
00:06:00Invaluable opportunity.
00:06:07I think he's reading the paper.
00:06:08What do you think?
00:06:09I think.
00:06:10Do people still do that?
00:06:12Yeah.
00:06:13Good point.
00:06:50see where they put those brackets the literally the edges of those brackets are perpendicular
00:06:57to where the judges camera or the technical panel camera would be so even harder for you to
00:07:06tell whether that is a clean turn yeah here are the golden waltz there's the choctaws but if you only
00:07:15had a camera on the feet maybe not that camera a different camera on the feet on those key points
00:07:20that would help the audience understand what they're looking for
00:07:28those consecutive three turns are such a hard part of this dance because because you have to
00:07:36be in hold and she has to be stepping in between his feet and you have to be close and
00:07:44so you'll
00:07:45see varying levels of closeness of those blades because if you're way too close then your blades
00:07:53they're going to click on your your risky
00:07:55risky
00:07:55risky
00:07:57risky
00:08:02so
00:08:02so
00:08:03so
00:08:03so
00:08:03so
00:08:03so
00:08:29they're very musical team everything that i've seen so far
00:08:33are the diagonal step sequence the golden waltz things are very much on time on beat on rhythm
00:08:44you can certainly work on the the depth of those edges yeah skating skills yeah
00:08:53and that really slow yeah really slow down yeah kind of grinded to a halt almost
00:08:57smoothy kind of stationary at the end there and well you wonder how much of that had to do with
00:09:03them seeing peripherally yeah it could be right next to them
00:09:09next team also from canada and alexander brandies just out of juniors so another team gaining
00:09:16experience senior international experience and their next focus will be the national championships in
00:09:24in january there's all these canadian teams battled it out
00:09:29in january i kind of like that little hop yeah you know it's sort of stamping their feet
00:09:57or skates or skates
00:10:02very in character with the paso
00:10:18so they need to have two rhythms in this dance right and how do you feel about that contrast
00:10:25because they've got one that's named as a must it has to be a waltz yeah and then the other
00:10:30one
00:10:30has something else it i think skaters teams have done it well and teams have done it kind of like
00:10:39i don't know what's going on um
00:10:44it is part of the composition and choreography of the whole thing where sometimes it just feels like
00:10:50you're doing a program and then oh i have to add a waltz in it yeah exactly there's a golden
00:10:56waltz
00:10:58choctaws
00:11:00and i although the costume has nothing to do with it do they dress for the waltz or do they
00:11:04dress for
00:11:05the other theme right because it can get confusing well which one is which now yeah not which one is
00:11:09which but i mean what's priority right i think that that's part of also the
00:11:17the coherence of how the two pieces of music come together you you shouldn't have to dress
00:11:25for two pieces of music you should dress for the theme of whatever your program is yeah
00:11:30but the theme is two themes right so
00:11:38this one is one of those programs i think that where where you're like it feels like a waltz has
00:11:43been inserted into it yeah yeah you're right the waltz is not dominant here
00:11:53now back to stamping yeah and i like that part of it i i've always even when they were juniors
00:12:02i
00:12:02really like their their their way of skating their way of really presenting the music
00:12:14that's cool about this team we talked about it yesterday is they're new and i don't mean they're
00:12:20new i mean they've been in juniors for a while but they've sort of progressed who they are as a
00:12:26dance
00:12:26team yeah expanded their horizons our next team is noemi maria atali and noah la fonnera from italy
00:12:39and you like this yesterday i do and three teams in this first group who are recent high placers at
00:12:48junior worlds they won junior worlds bayonne brandis were fourth last year and the gana koval who
00:12:56we'll see later were medalists so it's junior talent coming up yeah it's an invasion of junior talent
00:13:02actually four well costing his rescue were yeah were uh silver medalists a couple years ago
00:13:09and they start oh wow that was really close to the ports
00:13:15i didn't even i didn't even see the choctaws because of that
00:13:19but they they they have a way of covering this with this golden waltz that i think is
00:13:27the strongest of all the junior yeah i would agree yeah skating skills are clearly above
00:13:51the flow is really there yeah effortless too a lot of a lot of potential
00:13:58and those twizzles and we're talking about the second set of twizzles the other day
00:14:05back and nope they end backwards today yeah
00:14:11i think that was actually in their free dance i think i think it was yeah and they came up
00:14:16here
00:14:16and said they appreciated how much you recognize that because the coach thought that nobody will
00:14:21see it nobody will see it you did and they were happy about that that was interesting that hold that
00:14:36they had at the beginning of the step sequence i thought they could have been closer together on
00:14:43that hold it was a little bit far apart and and it leads to then this step sequence being
00:14:51farther apart in tracking than you would want it to be and now they're closer again
00:14:58man you're picky
00:15:01how do you differentiate no don't totally no i absolutely agree it's tough
00:15:10but those are the things that are really good for a commentator to point out to the audience because
00:15:15it's difficult to understand the difference between teams unless those details are pointed out
00:15:22well caitlin weaver will be with you later today i'm curious to hear what she's going to say about
00:15:28some of these uh
00:15:33yeah even this even this rotational lift we've seen now three rotational lifts that one by far was the
00:15:40strongest one in terms of execution and covered more ice as well
00:15:47and
00:16:06And you mentioned yesterday, although they are not necessarily in the hunt for this national
00:16:11podium, they are certainly an upcoming team.
00:16:14They are.
00:16:14Yeah, they've been around nationals for a few years now and have impressed.
00:16:22And last year, when the Shiburtanis came back, they actually beat the Shiburtanis at one of
00:16:27the Grand Prix.
00:16:40That was a nice entry.
00:16:41It was.
00:16:48The dreaded right forward outside drizzles.
00:16:54It looked like it was going to be fine and then she...
00:16:56They changed position, maybe intentionally though.
00:16:58I mean, the alignment changed.
00:17:00Yeah.
00:17:01They were almost crashing into each other.
00:17:04She was struggling to hold that edge.
00:17:18It's amazing in dance.
00:17:19Every move of grabbing the hands even is artistic.
00:17:23Oh, it's all theatric.
00:17:23It's all...
00:17:24Yeah, exactly.
00:17:26Well, and it's also spilled over into the other disciplines.
00:17:31You see that more now.
00:17:32Yeah, you do see more.
00:17:33Yeah, that's true.
00:17:33You sometimes even see it in singles where you present a marking...
00:17:39Yeah, that's true all the way through and, yeah.
00:17:57You love this lift.
00:17:59Amazing.
00:18:01The fact that he is curving one way and she has to counterbalance him.
00:18:08Yeah.
00:18:08Because there's no hands holding him.
00:18:09Yeah.
00:18:10Yeah, that's amazing.
00:18:13Risky.
00:18:14It's very different from the one, the lift variation where she stands on his thighs from the other
00:18:23side because then the counterbalance is a lot easier.
00:18:26Yeah.
00:18:33They're chalking quite well here.
00:18:36Let's see if they drift.
00:18:40Now they're too close.
00:18:52Now they're too close.
00:18:55Yeah, see, these last two programs, I didn't feel like, oh, there's the waltz.
00:19:00Yeah.
00:19:01Yeah, it's true.
00:19:02Like the program just flowed through the whole way without feeling like you're doing...
00:19:06No.
00:19:06It's like a, you know, commercial break for the waltz.
00:19:15It's a good program.
00:19:16It's really a good program.
00:19:35It's really a good program.
00:19:39It's really a good program.
00:19:43It's really a good program.
00:19:47I think we'll see the CDE later where he somehow gets her to kind of sit on his back.
00:19:53Yeah.
00:20:02Start with the golden waltz.
00:20:04A lot of teams have been marking it, but we're not seeing the marks right now.
00:20:08It's really a good program.
00:20:14It's really a good program.
00:20:25It's really a good program.
00:20:38The steps were done, and they were done pretty well, but it was off time, and then they got
00:20:44it back on time in the second half.
00:20:54Well, as a judge, you have to have keen eyes and ears, because you've got to listen to the
00:20:59music with the timing, and you've got to see those edges.
00:21:02There's that stationary lift that's so effortless.
00:21:05Yeah.
00:21:05And he's in a tough position being in basically a two-foot six-spin, a broken leg six-spin.
00:21:16so far, would you still match up with a hang-up of a hang-up of a hang-up of
00:21:22a hang-up of a hang-up of another long time?
00:21:27What else is the hang-up of a hang-up of a hang-up of an hang-up of a
00:21:31hang-up of an hang-up?
00:21:31What else do you have to say about that?
00:21:38You're playing the song with the 장m?
00:21:39You're playing the song with the song with the rap already in the 쉬-spin.
00:21:57Yeah, it's not an ice-covered twizzle, it's definitely a fast, secure twizzle.
00:22:12There comes that move where she goes and sits on his back.
00:22:18Right there.
00:22:19That's so cool.
00:22:20I mean, maybe it's more simple than it looks.
00:22:26I don't know, but it's cool.
00:22:27I don't know.
00:22:28She kind of pivots.
00:22:30Yeah.
00:22:32But that's the thing about this team that I've always enjoyed is that they make some of these tougher things
00:22:39look really effortless.
00:22:40Yeah.
00:22:42They're known for the more acrobatic stuff.
00:22:48You have to love the dance event.
00:22:50Even if you go, okay, I don't get it.
00:22:52I don't know why.
00:22:54I don't think it's ever that severe, but there's so much detail to know.
00:22:59If you just sit down and enjoy it, it's a wonderful, maybe perhaps the most entertaining event in our sport.
00:23:05It's the event where every team knows how to perform.
00:23:09Yeah.
00:23:10And you're going to pick your favorite.
00:23:11Oh, I like the music.
00:23:13I like the interpretation.
00:23:14I like the costume.
00:23:15So it's really a fan's easy place to be because you can't care about how they got into the placement.
00:23:24You just kind of go, I like that one better than that one.
00:23:27Yeah.
00:23:32On one of these golden waltzes, I'm going to point out that counter rotation that I was talking about, where
00:23:39that makes the third and fourth key points so much more difficult to actually get.
00:23:45Yeah.
00:23:45I think they should have a key point camera.
00:23:47They should.
00:23:48They really should.
00:23:48A key point camera, period.
00:23:50And they can decide where that's going to be.
00:23:51One location.
00:23:53You can't use several.
00:23:54Take one location and you zoom in the feet only.
00:23:58Only the feet, not the whole body.
00:24:00Yeah.
00:24:01If you're talking about the edges and the cleanliness and all that kind of stuff, then just show that.
00:24:05There's too much for the technical panel to see.
00:24:27So if you had another life to live and you were starting skating, which discipline would you pick to do?
00:24:35I think I would still pick singles.
00:24:37Yeah?
00:24:38Yeah.
00:24:39Okay.
00:24:43Then what piece of music would you pick?
00:24:45Oh, wow.
00:24:49What do you think you could emote?
00:24:51What do you think you would work best with?
00:24:57I love giving you a question that you have to really think about it because when you're on the game
00:25:02shows, you've got those answers like this, but this one you don't.
00:25:04I definitely don't.
00:25:06Yeah.
00:25:07Yeah.
00:25:07I've, I've, people have asked me a lot of like what, what music would I skate to?
00:25:12I frankly don't know.
00:25:14Um, I, I, I, when I was a skater, I tend to have done more kind of lyrical slower pieces,
00:25:23mostly because I couldn't get through a program.
00:25:26Yeah.
00:25:27Well, what do you listen to?
00:25:28Like when you just listen to music that you like?
00:25:30I mean, a lot of Madonna.
00:25:34All right.
00:25:36It's going to, it's going to, it's going to get some Vogue maybe.
00:25:39Okay.
00:25:39Yeah.
00:25:39Well, Hey, listen, if that's going to get you going, that's good.
00:25:43Ray of light.
00:25:45I'll channel my Sarah Maud Dupuis.
00:25:46Yeah.
00:26:06Yeah.
00:26:06Yeah.
00:26:06I see Pichdena Koval doing this step sequence and they're, they're covering a lot of ice a lot because they're
00:26:14not going terribly deep into their edges, but they're carrying the flow because their ride of edge is really good.
00:26:45I'm going to ask you a really bold question.
00:26:47Mmm.
00:26:47Really, really bold.
00:26:49Do you feel that the judging of ice dance is number one, accurate and number two, is it fair?
00:27:00Now there's different things here.
00:27:02Okay.
00:27:02Because you can, you can be inaccurate because you've made a mistake as a judge or you didn't see it
00:27:06a certain way, but not intentionally.
00:27:09And then fair would be intentional.
00:27:11Ted, that is a loaded question.
00:27:13I know.
00:27:13And that's why I'm asking Jackie Wong.
00:27:15Loaded question.
00:27:16Uh, I think, I think accuracy can be improved.
00:27:24And I say that in, in the sense that there are, you know, every program has a number of elements.
00:27:32Mm-hmm.
00:27:33And there's this tendency for this to be, oh, it's a, it's one of the top teams.
00:27:42Mm-hmm.
00:27:43Uh, they, they execute this element.
00:27:45They're kind of automatically going to get some kind of GOE that's at least a plus three.
00:27:51Mm-hmm.
00:27:51Like that, that, it's, it's, it's a, it's a trend that you've seen.
00:27:56I mean, whether or not that element was done the way that, to the best of its, its execution, um,
00:28:06you're still going to see a plus two.
00:28:08Right?
00:28:09Or, but you're not going to see them, if they were a, a lower ranked team, get what probably would
00:28:16be a minus one or a zero.
00:28:17Mm-hmm.
00:28:18Um, I think it happens across disciplines.
00:28:22Mm-hmm.
00:28:22Um, there's certainly a, a, a bit of kind of this reputation bias.
00:28:26And, you know, whether that's intentional or not is not for me to say.
00:28:30Mm-hmm.
00:28:30But, um, it is human nature to look at a team that's like, oh, wow, they're a really good team.
00:28:35So they should be getting something like that.
00:28:37But there, there are often times when you see the lower ranked teams do a really, like, just have a
00:28:44spectacular.
00:28:47One or two elements that they're really good at doing.
00:28:51Mm-hmm.
00:28:51But you're like, well, why did that just get a plus two?
00:28:53Mm-hmm.
00:28:53Like, that should have been, that's one of the best, you know, CDEs or what's one of the best stationary
00:28:59lifts that we've seen.
00:29:00Like, why, why, why, why aren't we getting those, um, accurately?
00:29:05So that brings me to the question.
00:29:07Do you think that in, uh, not just the answer, but in any of the events that, that the ISU
00:29:13or a representation,
00:29:14or representative of the result would answer questions of the media?
00:29:21We've never done that, and I always thought that.
00:29:23I mean, it's hard to do, really hard to do.
00:29:25But the point is that, hey, we don't quite understand this.
00:29:27Could you explain this for us?
00:29:28Yeah.
00:29:28Should they provide that service?
00:29:30Well, it's also hard for one person to speak for nine, right?
00:29:34And, and, you know.
00:29:36Well, I don't, I don't mean that that one person would speak for judge number seven who did this or
00:29:40that,
00:29:40but talking about the end result.
00:29:42I think that would be useful.
00:29:44Um, I don't, if I'm being honest, I don't know if everybody knows what questions to ask.
00:29:50Yeah, yeah.
00:29:51Um, you know, sometimes some of the, the, the, the most, uh, educated fans have much better questions to ask
00:30:03than a journalist would.
00:30:04Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:30:05Um, because most, most journalists are not skilled at doing, you know, actually getting into the nitty-gridiums.
00:30:12Well, other journalists aren't like you?
00:30:16I don't think journalists would call me a journalist.
00:30:19Well, I don't know what you are, but you're pretty knowledgeable, that's for sure.
00:30:23I don't know what I am either.
00:30:23That's for sure.
00:30:24No, it's just a question.
00:30:25We talk about transparency at all, and you cannot go down each judge, and I'm not opening, you know, can
00:30:30of worms here.
00:30:31I just believe, you know, unlike maybe other people, I believe for the most part, the judges and the technical
00:30:37panel do the very best they can.
00:30:40Are they 100% accurate?
00:30:42Hey, listen, we've talked about the position of the camera and how things could be perceived, et cetera, et cetera.
00:30:47That's just, that's just human nature.
00:30:49And they're human as well.
00:30:50They're going to be impacted.
00:30:51Do I think that there is a lot of, you know, skullduggery in the background?
00:30:54No, I don't believe that.
00:30:55There could be, but I don't believe it.
00:30:57I mean, people like to, you know, create theories and all that kind of stuff like that.
00:31:02But in the end of the day, how many results have I seen that I'm going, no, that one I
00:31:05don't understand at all, right?
00:31:07And usually when I come up with something and I look at the report card, I go, oh, now I
00:31:12see where it is.
00:31:12I didn't notice it as I watched it, right?
00:31:14So I think there's a lot of information out there.
00:31:16But I think transparency or at least to have someone answer, you know, a general question, not specific to any
00:31:23one particular judge or whatever.
00:31:25Well, for example, right, had we been able to get some kind of explanation or something when Fear and Gibson
00:31:37had their lift thing last year, right?
00:31:40Like that was something that everybody was sort of like, what's the prevailing theory now?
00:31:46Because we were trying to figure out what exactly was called.
00:31:49Yesterday in the pairs, we saw that lift that, you know, that did not appear to have the hand on
00:31:53the hip.
00:31:53Yeah, exactly.
00:31:54Right?
00:31:54So taking a look at that, let's look at that again.
00:31:57Yeah.
00:31:57Here's why the call was what it was, right?
00:32:00Exactly.
00:32:00I think being able to explain that is very open and very honest.
00:32:03Exactly.
00:32:07You know, we heard about this at Congress and throughout early this season where the ISU is using analytics to
00:32:22look through years of judges' results and try to get the most kind of consistency, fairness.
00:32:32I guess all of those words that we were just using.
00:32:35And I sometimes wonder about that, too, because, you know, just because you are judging the same way as the
00:32:45majority of the judges doesn't mean you're wrong either.
00:32:48No, no, no.
00:32:48Right?
00:32:49And I think that there's got to be some kind of calibration of understanding, like, what is right and what
00:32:54is wrong, we don't know.
00:32:55The difficulty is humans judging humans, but you have to have some sort of a process there.
00:33:00And I applaud the ISU for their, I'm not calling it renovation, I know, their desire to work within the
00:33:09judging community and to make sure that at your key events you have your very best people there based on
00:33:15a record, if you will.
00:33:16Yes.
00:33:17Right?
00:33:17And I think you were on a call with Emily Billow that the media asked questions of.
00:33:24That's the right thing to do.
00:33:25Open the door.
00:33:25You may not have an answer you like, you may not have a perfect answer, but at least the communication
00:33:31is there in an effort to explain what we're doing, why we're doing it, how we're doing it.
00:33:36And then you can be a judge later as a commentator or as a media person as to whether you
00:33:40felt it was well done or not.
00:33:41Right, right.
00:33:42But, you know, I think I applaud the ISU and the effort that they're making in that area.
00:33:46Won't be perfect, for sure.
00:33:47We won't like everything, but the intent is there.
00:33:50Yeah.
00:33:55Okay, well, this group of five should be the five who are in the running for the podium.
00:34:03And the way that I have seen these programs so far this week, I think, for me, Green and Parsons
00:34:14have the two programs that are the strongest as a group, as a pair of programs.
00:34:24You know, they have to execute them.
00:34:29But curious to see how they go versus everybody else here.
00:34:45Joni McPhail arrives at the arena, and you'll be working with Joni for the next two practices coming up.
00:34:54Joni McPhail arrives at the arena.
00:34:55The one that piano has my hands.
00:34:56Joni McPhail arrives at the arena.
00:35:04The one that piano has my hands.
00:35:05The one that piano has my hands.
00:35:07The one that piano has my hands.
00:35:08Mr. Bean getting ready.
00:35:09Mr. Bean.
00:35:12Mr. Bean.
00:35:12Mr. Bean.
00:35:14From Canada.
00:35:18This takes a lot of energy, not only for the technical part and the connection with the music, but the
00:35:23character must be maintained all the way through or the intent of this program gets diluted and i
00:35:29think that he particularly romantic certainly does a great job of that yeah he doesn't get
00:35:34out of character ever take a look here we go we talked about comedic timing yesterday with kevin
00:35:42amos's pirates program and another another comedic stance here
00:35:47i mean you the facial expressions are critical to this character all the way through
00:36:08now how do you choreograph the face you you're doing the arms you're doing the steps you're doing
00:36:12everything plus your head has got to work with this
00:36:18and he's also holding his back because you know mr beans his back hurts yeah or something i don't know
00:36:28and the character in that step sequence was held throughout yeah that in itself is difficult
00:36:43yeah drifting in and out on these twizzles but they are done
00:36:54that should get a level four but the goes would not be high for that one
00:37:04that's difficult and waltz
00:37:06is
00:37:08so
00:37:37Let's see a little bit of it.
00:37:41Let's see a little bit.
00:38:11Let's see a little bit.
00:38:36Let's see a little bit.
00:38:37Man, that's exhausting.
00:38:38It really is.
00:38:39That's incredible.
00:38:52Now to a different mood.
00:38:59Five very different programs we're going to see in this group.
00:39:16Let's see a little bit.
00:39:21Let's see a little bit.
00:39:32Oh, oh, oh.
00:39:36Good save.
00:39:38Great save.
00:39:39He missed a few steps there.
00:39:41Not only GOEs, but the levels will be brought down there.
00:40:08Good synchronization on that one.
00:40:09Mm-hmm.
00:40:23All right.
00:40:24Go and Waltz time.
00:40:30And we don't see it.
00:40:31No.
00:40:32But a great piece of music for the Golden Walls for this.
00:40:35Yeah.
00:40:35I love this piece.
00:40:38Certain age of people without this piece.
00:40:43I don't think they warmed up the Golden Walls yet, which is probably why they're marking it.
00:40:46Yeah.
00:40:47Yeah.
00:40:48Or is it, because of key points, something they don't want to show, they want to judge on
00:40:52the day?
00:40:52Mm.
00:40:54Interesting.
00:40:54There's a question for you.
00:40:55Yeah.
00:40:56Question I can't answer.
00:40:58Mm-hmm.
00:40:58Question I can't answer.
00:41:25Have you seen the documentary of Billy Joel?
00:41:28I have not.
00:41:29Oh, it's incredible.
00:41:30It's incredible.
00:41:31You've got to watch it.
00:41:39Sort of an insight, not just to the music, but to the whole business.
00:41:43Of music.
00:41:43Yeah.
00:41:44And the life of, you know, an artist.
00:41:54That's pretty nice.
00:41:55Yeah.
00:41:56Nice position.
00:41:57And technically, that rotational lift, we've seen that kind of rotational lift before where
00:42:04she's on her shoulder, but her body line and the stretch down position.
00:42:10Well, she had the arms extended, really gave her a nice line.
00:42:13And that also makes it harder to get the rotational speed.
00:42:21And we go from Billy Joel to Hamilton.
00:42:25You know, the two teams that you were talking about, sort of battling that out within the United States.
00:42:29Back to back.
00:42:29Yeah.
00:42:33Yeah.
00:42:43Yeah.
00:42:47Yeah.
00:42:50A couple months ago, when I saw them at champs camp and they were talking about the rhythm dance, Caroline
00:42:58was like, I'm so excited for my costume.
00:43:02Yeah.
00:43:03Yeah.
00:43:04She's, you know, in a lot of ways, dressing in drag.
00:43:07She's playing here.
00:43:08Yes.
00:43:08Sure.
00:43:09Sure.
00:43:11This is, that's what they need to get through.
00:43:15Those twizzles.
00:43:32And we start with this golden waltz.
00:43:39There's Choctaw key point.
00:43:41That looked good.
00:43:43And watch their turning threes.
00:43:49And you see how close they are.
00:43:51Yeah.
00:43:51Look at the feet.
00:43:52Amazing.
00:43:53Really close.
00:44:03Brackets.
00:44:06Or one bracket.
00:44:10That was not one of the best ones that I've seen them do this week.
00:44:14It lost a bit of speed toward the middle.
00:44:16Well, the first half of it was really good.
00:44:18The second half of it was less assertive than it was earlier than I've seen earlier this week.
00:44:26In the Tech Theory.
00:44:27You won't have to do the best...
00:45:00and how close they are in the step sequence.
00:45:04Yeah, nice.
00:45:05And you don't see that on the camera so much
00:45:07because they're side-by-side kind of perpendicular to the camera,
00:45:13but from our perspective, you can see how far apart they are,
00:45:17and it's an advantage for them, and it should be rewarded.
00:45:29This is, I would imagine, you sort of pick, not here only,
00:45:35but over through the year, this team to be above the Browns?
00:45:41You think, but you're not sure?
00:45:43I think, but I'm not sure.
00:45:45The rhythm dance, I think they have the edge.
00:45:47The free dance, I think they also have the edge,
00:45:50but the Browns also have a really good free dance.
00:45:52Yeah, yeah.
00:45:55And Guinello Poreva and Geoffrey Brissot from France.
00:46:00And they're different this year.
00:46:02They always are different.
00:46:04They love being the quirks.
00:46:06Yeah.
00:46:08Got some clowns going on.
00:46:11Wow, it's perfect.
00:46:12It's Halloween.
00:46:15It's Halloween.
00:46:16Clowns are scary.
00:46:17Hurry.
00:46:20It's enseñal.
00:46:26Oh.
00:46:30Oh.
00:46:31Oh, oh.
00:46:31Oh, oh, oh, oh.
00:46:33Oh, oh.
00:46:34Oh.
00:46:48Also very close together on these steps and turns.
00:46:59I like the variation in what they were doing there.
00:47:02They were not just synchronizing with each other the entire time.
00:47:06There was a lot of just difference in the different moves that they were doing.
00:47:13A little bit of a strange question.
00:47:14What percentage of this overall performance do you feel is related to acting?
00:47:23Not skating, not just acting.
00:47:24This particular one or just general?
00:47:26I would say dance in general.
00:47:28Oh, so much of it.
00:47:30Okay.
00:47:30So much of it.
00:47:31I mean, we were saying earlier, oh, that was a little bit off.
00:47:34Yeah, a little bit of a bauble, yeah.
00:47:37We were saying earlier, all these dance teams know how to perform.
00:47:42Okay, performing is one thing.
00:47:43Performing is one thing.
00:47:44Acting is another.
00:47:45Yes.
00:47:45Right?
00:47:46Yeah, and I think the acting for some of these teams that like to play character type themes
00:47:55and programs, it sets them apart.
00:47:59How much more energy do you feel that acting added to already difficult elements and performing,
00:48:08add acting to it?
00:48:09How much more energy?
00:48:10I think so much.
00:48:12The acting part of it is part of the choreography and part of what you do with the moves.
00:48:19And if you're thinking about your acting and you're thinking about your elements, it's just
00:48:25that much harder to get them to be as clean as you want to be.
00:48:29Is it possible to overact so it becomes cheesy?
00:48:33Yes.
00:48:35I knew that answer.
00:48:36Yeah.
00:48:36Just checking on you.
00:48:40I overact all the time.
00:48:41Yeah.
00:48:45This program is getting, I think, more and more comfortable for them.
00:48:48Yeah.
00:48:49And I like the direction of it.
00:48:55The rotational lift.
00:48:59Wow.
00:49:00So going so fast, the position is different.
00:49:02Yeah.
00:49:03I had to figure that one out.
00:49:10It's certainly going to be a crowd pleaser.
00:49:18The final team.
00:49:20Lilith here at Lewis Gibson.
00:49:23And we said we're going to give you five very different looking rhythm dances.
00:49:28And this is another very different looking one.
00:49:40Funny on the warm-up on the concourse here.
00:49:43They're absolutely separate.
00:49:45He has his headset on, listening, working.
00:49:48She's far away.
00:49:51They don't, at least on this day, did not warm up together.
00:50:00Very fast first set.
00:50:02And then the second set is where they get tentative.
00:50:09She was better on that one.
00:50:11Yeah.
00:50:11Was better.
00:50:12But just, like, notice the difference in the confidence in those twizzles.
00:50:18Because that first set was one of the best set of twizzles in this entire group.
00:50:23Yeah.
00:50:24And then you get to the second set.
00:50:25And they need that.
00:50:25It's very different.
00:50:26Yeah.
00:50:29Because if you're analyzing their weakness, what would it be?
00:50:33Depth of edge.
00:50:35Okay.
00:50:36For sure.
00:50:37And it's...
00:50:39And their strength.
00:50:40Give me their strength.
00:50:41The strength, I think, is their...
00:50:44Their acrobatics is certainly their strength.
00:50:46Their lifts are fantastic.
00:50:49And, you know, and their musicality and presentation are really good.
00:50:58And I think where they're going to get a little bit differentiated is that golden waltz.
00:51:04Because to the point of speed, you know, the best patterns in the world are going to have
00:51:14both speed and depth of edge, and they have more of one than the other.
00:51:21Okay.
00:51:34You can see those Choctaws I just did.
00:51:37But the way that especially Lila steps into the forward inside is just...
00:51:45It's more of just like a foot down versus an edge in.
00:51:52Yeah.
00:51:52Legit.
00:51:55This is the stuff that they excel at.
00:51:57And, you know, this is an element.
00:51:59Yeah.
00:52:00Nice.
00:52:08Like the intricacy of this CDE and the way that they are working it is actually really
00:52:17well done.
00:52:23And then their lift.
00:52:35How much do you feel the audience reaction, or no, not how much, do you feel the audience
00:52:42reaction has any influence into the judgment, into the emotion of the human who is doing
00:52:50the judgment?
00:52:50Yes.
00:52:51Yes.
00:52:54Feeling a rush of applause and cheering around you, it's an adrenaline boost.
00:53:03Okay.
00:53:03And do you think it should?
00:53:05Now, I know we're human, you can't avoid it, but let's say if you could take it out of
00:53:11the equation.
00:53:11If you could take it out of the equation, you should.
00:53:14Okay.
00:53:15But...
00:53:15And they're asked to.
00:53:16The judges are asked to.
00:53:17Oh, totally.
00:53:18Yeah, yeah.
00:53:18It's almost like, do you lock them into a different room?
00:53:26Or take the feeling out.
00:53:27You're not allowed to feel anything.
00:53:28No feeling.
00:53:29Well, but also...
00:53:31But it's one of the special parts of the sport.
00:53:34It really is.
00:53:34But feeling is also part of the components.
00:53:37Yeah, totally.
00:53:38Totally.
00:53:38Like if you don't feel the program, that presentation mark is not there.
00:53:42That overall has to have impact, you know, the overall, I mean, you judge the sport, all
00:53:47the detail and whatnot.
00:53:48Now, that overall performance, what did it do for me?
00:53:51Did I understand it?
00:53:52And that's sometimes a difficulty if a skater and or a choreography gets too, you know, so
00:54:00art and creative related that it takes it away from a person to experience what they
00:54:05what they feel.
00:54:07Yeah.
00:54:07Right?
00:54:07Or can't feel it.
00:54:09Well, you were saying, I think yesterday, that if you could split the judging panel into
00:54:16a technical panel and a components panel, you would.
00:54:19I would.
00:54:19I totally agree with that.
00:54:20Yeah, I would.
00:54:21I would also separate all the judges all around the rink.
00:54:28Yeah.
00:54:28I'd love to see an in the round judging.
00:54:33Well, you know, I might put the I would might put the program components judges somewhere
00:54:37else, but I don't know that I would do all the judges around because it's the viewpoint
00:54:41is going to be so I mean, that different than the marks are going to be all over it.
00:54:45Then they're all going to be screwed up in there.
00:54:47Oh, yeah.
00:54:48He had a bad score.
00:54:49Well, I was on this side of the rink, you know, like, I'm not sure.
00:54:51I get it.
00:54:52I get it.
00:54:53It then changes the way that a choreographer would choreograph a program.
00:54:56Right.
00:54:56Like, that'd be pretty confusing for the choreographer.
00:54:59OK, which one do we choreograph to?
00:55:01Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:55:02Because, you know, the way that figures getting judging works is very much like a like a dance
00:55:08judging panel, right, where you are.
00:55:11It's always one sided.
00:55:13You are you are performing to one particular side.
00:55:17Difficult for television.
00:55:18Oh, totally.
00:55:19Really difficult.
00:55:19You're going to lose 50 percent of the performance because you can't have a camera everywhere.
00:55:23I'm not saying it's easy.
00:55:24Yeah.
00:55:26I thought you were, but, you know.
00:55:27So easy to do.
00:55:28Let's just do it tomorrow.
00:55:30OK.
00:55:37But I think, you know, I mean, you know, we're just talking about all sorts of different
00:55:40topics.
00:55:41What makes this sport great?
00:55:43One of the great sports on planet Earth here is the emotion, is the human aspect of that.
00:55:48It is art.
00:55:49It's entertainment.
00:55:50No, let me rephrase this.
00:55:51It's sport first.
00:55:52And it's art and entertainment after that.
00:55:54And that's what makes this special.
00:55:56And that's why, you know, when you watch the Olympic Games, everybody watches that.
00:55:59And they may not watch skating all year long, although maybe more will be doing that now,
00:56:03is because it's a variety show.
00:56:05And you're going to be entertained.
00:56:06You've got dancing with the stars.
00:56:07Why do people watch that?
00:56:09Because there's stars and there, you know, there's stories going on in the background,
00:56:12there's social media, and there's dance and music.
00:56:14So this sport, you know, is that.
00:56:17You know, maybe we don't show it very well.
00:56:19Maybe we don't, you know, present it in a proper way yet.
00:56:22And no, ISU's really working hard to try to figure that out.
00:56:25But it's got everything you want in the entertainment.
00:56:29I think that people, if they are bombarded with figure skating, they like it.
00:56:43Like, if that's a thing that is on TV, and that's the thing that you want to watch,
00:56:46they'll be like, yeah.
00:56:47I do, if they're musically inclined, entertainment inclined, art inclined, et cetera.
00:56:52But the people who just sport inclined, you need to have the data.
00:56:55I want to know how far they've skated in that program.
00:56:58I want to know how fast they went at the fastest point in time.
00:57:00I want to know how high they jumped.
00:57:02I want to know that data.
00:57:04Those people that follow baseball, they want, you know, averages.
00:57:08They want the speed of the ball and the pitcher, you know, football.
00:57:11Those type of people that enjoy sport for sport with statistics.
00:57:14We don't do that on television, and we should.
00:57:17Those people who like baseball like a lot of dead space.
00:57:23Well, hey, there's a team in the States.
00:57:25Have you ever seen this team in the States?
00:57:27It's a baseball team.
00:57:28Savannah Bananas.
00:57:28Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:57:29The Savannah Bananas.
00:57:30Like, what is that all about?
00:57:32They're pretty good dancers.
00:57:33I don't know if they're good ball players.
00:57:35Yeah, it's like, you know, I don't even know if this is actually true,
00:57:39but for me, it's like the baseball version of the Harlem Globetrotters.
00:57:42Yeah, yeah, it's true.
00:57:43It's entertainment.
00:57:44It is.
00:57:45And, yeah, I don't know.
00:57:48But my point is, if we're claiming this is a sport,
00:57:52but they're dressed like they're dressed and they skate to music,
00:57:54how do we validate for the people that don't get the costume,
00:57:57don't get the music, don't care about it?
00:57:59And they say, well, it looks really hard, but how hard is it and what do I know?
00:58:04So I think data, not for judging, but the data for the audience,
00:58:08you know, and that's where AI can help.
00:58:10Even if you don't use it for judging,
00:58:12you could use it for information for the commentators and for the audience.
00:58:18Because I don't think, if we want the sport to grow,
00:58:20it can't be one-dimensional,
00:58:22which is just entertainment and art, more than the sport.
00:58:33It's only 9 o'clock.
00:58:34And I'm done the practice sessions,
00:58:36and you're going to be working with Joni McPhail.
00:58:41She's going to be covering the men and the pairs.
00:58:45And we might get Kirsten Moore Towers.
00:58:47You might get Kirsten Moore Towers out in there.
00:58:49That's going to be fun.
00:58:50We might get the three of you guys.
00:58:52KMT.
00:58:53Stand by.
00:58:58This is going to be a fun dance event.
00:59:00It is going to be really good.
00:59:02So much good talent here.
00:59:04Let's just review the schedule for the day.
00:59:06At 12.30 local time here in Kelowna,
00:59:08the women will take to the ice for their short program.
00:59:10That will be followed by the rhythm dance starting at 2.20.
00:59:14That's 14.20 local time.
00:59:16There will be a short break after that.
00:59:18The men's free program will take to the ice.
00:59:19The first medal event.
00:59:20That will happen at 16.40, 4.40 here in Kelowna.
00:59:25And the day number two will be finished by the pairs free program.
00:59:29That will start at 18.45, 6.45 here in Kelowna.
00:59:33That will be followed by the medal presentations for both the men and the pairs.
00:59:37It will be followed by a long sleep after that.
00:59:43Well, wait a minute.
00:59:43You have an early practice.
00:59:44I know.
00:59:45What are you talking about?
00:59:46Not that long.
00:59:46It was exhausting just listening to you talk about the rest of the day.
00:59:51Yeah.
00:59:52Well, that's a long one.
00:59:54I know you got to type and talk.
00:59:56I just get to talk.
00:59:58With some great people.
01:00:00I mean, for the women's, Jake Caitlin Osmond, 2018 world champion, will be joining me.
01:00:05And then for the dance, Caitlin Weaver, Olympian, Canadian champion, you name it, our choreographer.
01:00:11She's a lot of fun to listen to.
01:00:13And then Kevin Reynolds will be joining me for the men's free program.
01:00:16Kirsten Moore Towers will be here in the building working the pairs free program.
01:00:21That brings us to the conclusion of the dance practice.
01:00:25We hope you've enjoyed the coverage with Jackie and myself.
01:00:28And Joni McPhail will be joining Jackie on the next practice coming up.
01:00:31And that will be the men's, is that right?
01:00:35Men's free skate.
01:00:36Men's free skate.
01:00:37We hope you join us.
01:00:38Stay with us.
01:00:41The next scheduled practice is the men's short free program.
01:00:47Il y aura maintenant une courte pause pour refaire la surface de la glace.
01:00:50La prochaine séance, Entraînement et celle des hommes, Regarde Ames Libre, qui débutera à 9h15.
01:01:02La prochaine séance, Entraînement et celle des hommes, Regarde Ames Libre.
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