2006 U.S. Nationals

Senior Dance

by Lynn Rutherford

Roll Out the Barrels

By Lynn Rutherford

The Yankee Polka is not everybody’s idea of a good time. Still, all ice dancers look euphoric when they perform it.

"It’s a bit of a toe-tapper. I guess the music can get a little redundant pretty quickly," said two-time U.S. dance champ Benjamin Agosto.

"It’s no joke, though; it’s a tough dance to do well, especially for skaters like Tanith and I, because when you’re taller it’s hard to keep up that fast footwork."

A strictly American invention created in 1979 by former World silver medallists Judy Schwomeyer & James Sladkey and their coach, Ron Ludington, the Yankee Polka demands good attack, deep edges and a light touch – all executed with a perkiness that can border on maddening.

"You have to have fun or go nuts trying," said Jamie Silverstein, who is competing here with partner Ryan O’Meara.

"It’s like skating to a Polish drinking song. I hope the audience has padded seats."

And the concession stands supply enough beer and pretzels to go around.

Despite Agosto’s misgivings, he and partner (and new U.S. citizen) Tanith Belbin

outpaced the field with a performance earning 41.57 points, some 5.81 points more than their nearest rivals. The couple had a smooth, uneventful outing, although they could have been a bit faster. If the Polka is the compulsory chosen for the Olympics – and it’s in the running, along with the Ravensburger Waltz and the Tango Romantica – they will need to add polish and enthusiasm to the dance to compete for gold.

"We’re happy with the performance. We know what we have to work on," said Agosto.

"This is the kind of dance that requires a lot of time to prepare. We need to practice it more and we will," added Belbin.

Second place went to two-time U.S. silver medallists, the husband-and-wife team of Melissa Gregory & Denis Petukhov. Their Polka, just a shade less joyously frantic than some of the other competitors’, was marked by lightness and deep edges, especially in the corners. They earned a total of 35.76 points.

"It felt really good. I’m coming down with a bit of the flu, but we’re okay so far. Being headachy and dizzy made it hard to go out there and be perky, so we’re happy with the result today," said Gregory.

"We gave it 100% and didn’t think about (Melissa’s illness) at all. We practice so much, we can go out and perform no matter how we feel," added Petukhov.

In a small surprise, World junior champions Morgan Matthews & Maxim Zavozin, not generally known for their compulsories, sit in third place with 34.03 points, less than two points behind Gregory & Petukhov.

Zavozin, who like Belbin is a newly minted U.S. citizen, said, "Getting (the citizenship) was so last-minute (December 30^th) that it didn’t really effect our training. I still can’t quite realize that it’s happened; maybe when I get the U.S. passport in my hands, I’ll appreciate it more."

The team expected to contend with Matthews & Zavozin for the third U.S. Olympic dance spot, Jamie Silverstein & Ryan O’Meara, placed fourth with 32.26 points.

"We just came here to do what we did at Skate America. Everyone here is thinking about that third (Olympic) spot, and it’s a real fight, which is good. We’re glad Tanith and Max are eligible now; we would never have wanted to win a spot by default," said O’Meara.

"It’s a huge success for me just to get here," said Silverstein, who won the 1999 World junior title with former partner Justin Pekarek before emotional problems and an eating disorder upended her career. Prior to teaming with O’Meara, her last competition had been in 2000; attending Cornell University in upstate New York, her skates were stowed away in the trunk of her car, where the blades rusted over.

Silverstein called her former coach, Igor Shpilband, during the 2005 Nationals and said she wanted to give it another try. Today, the 22 year-old said she doesn’t mind talking about her past problems.

"If someone sees me out there and I inspire someone (with an eating disorder) to get help, I will be so touched," said Silverstein.

Kimberly Navarro & Brent Bommentre had a crisp, speedy performance to place fifth with 31.72 points. Former U.S. bronze medallists Loren Galler-Rabinowitz & David Mitchell were a disappointing sixth with 31.11 points.

Tiffany Stiegler & Sergey Magerovsky, who recently moved to Connecticut to train with Nikolai Morozov, Shae-Lynn Bourne and Walter Rizzo, were seventh with 30.86 points. Trina Pratt & Todd Gilles, who train in Colorado Springs under Patti Gottwein, placed eighth with 29.09 points.

Jennifer Wester & Danill Barantsev, who also train with Morozov’s group, showed good edges and attack but appeared a bit under marked, ending the compulsory in ninth place with 28.97 points. Their training mates Kate Slattery & Chuen Gun Lee rounded out the top ten teams with 26.71 points.

Reigning World silver medallists and new 2006 Olympic hopefuls Tanith Belbin & Benjamin Agosto steamed up St. Louis’ Savvis Center last night with a sexy Latin Original Dance incorporating salsa, rumba and cha cha rhythms.

The young skaters, aged 21 and 23 respectively, captivated the audience with their passionate embraces and electric interaction while simultaneously executing five superb "Level 4" elements including a near-flawless mid-line step sequence. The couple’s daring routine, highlighted by an exceptionally sultry rumba, featured Belbin’s exposed skin in an unusually revealing red dress, designed by ballroom costume company Dore.

"I think they have the best OD in the world right now and this is the best they’ve ever skated it. If I could say anything, it’s that they could use just a little bit more energy," said the couple’s coach, Igor Shpilband.

Two-time U.S. silver medallists Melissa Gregory & Denis Petukhov took a more subtle approach, performing a softer mamba and rumba. The couple showed strong lifts, fine unison on their mid-line step sequence and improved speed.

Gregory & Petukhov gained four Level 4 elements for a total element score of 30.22. Their program component scores ranged from 7 – 8.50, with one judge (#9) offering up all 8.25’s and 8.50’s, some .5 – 1.25 points higher than his or her colleagues’ scores.

"I think that was our best (OD) this season. The OD is so short, the elements feel like they come one on top of the other. You have to stay focused all the time," said the Kirov-born Petukhov, who married his partner in February 2001 and became a U.S. citizen in February 2005.

"We’ve been working on the quality of the dance – our edges, and the Choctaws and counters in our footwork (sequences) – as well as bringing up our performance level by communicating with the audience and making eye contact," added Gregory.

Morgan Matthews & Maxim Zavozin, who seemed on their way to Turin after a third-place finish in the Yankee Polka compulsory, handicapped themselves with Matthews’ disruptive fall at the end of their diagonal step sequence. In addition to an automatic one-point deduction, the fall resulted in a –1.29 GOE from the judges for that element, and it likely impacted one or more of their Program Component Scores. They placed fourth in the OD and now sit in a virtual tie with Silverstein & O’Meara for the all-important third place.

"That is the first time we have ever fallen like that. Max pushed his foot in to me at the end of the (diagonal) sequence, and it was just unfortunate. We have to forget about it and move on," said the 18 year-old Matthews.

"It felt really good up to that point. It was a new step; we changed the diagonal (sequence) a couple of days ago to make the order of the steps more comfortable. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out for us," added the 20 year-old Zavozin.

Matthews & Zavozin, the reigning World junior champions, are coached by Zavozin’s mother, former Soviet ice dance competitor Elena Garanina, and stepfather, Val Spiridinov, in Ashburn, VA.

Third place in the OD went to Jamie Silverstein & Ryan O’Meara, who earned 54.46 points (29.44 TES + 25.02 PCS) and now sit just .09 behind Matthews & Zavozin going in to the free dance.

Skating to salsa, rumba, and cha-cha rhythms, the couple opened with good speed; as always, O’Meara provided strong support and rock-solid edges to frame his flamboyant partner. Their program was highlighted by nice transitions and a fine curve lift with Silverstein in one of the more attractive Beillmann positions of the event. The twizzles in their mid-line step sequence were particularly well done.

"It’s so close (for third place). We just have to wait and see what happens on Friday. It’s going to be hard; we might not practice tomorrow. We’ve just got to stay focused and realize the competition is far from over," said the 22 year-old O’Meara.

"As a team, they are very solid together. They complement each other very well. Today was one of their best performances ever," added the couple’s coach, Igor Shpilband.

Kim Navarro & Brent Bommentre, who train in Ardmore, PA and Wilmington, DE under veteran coach Robbie Kaine, placed sixth in the OD with 51.44 points and sit in fifth place overall with 83.13 points.

The couple performed a fast, then a slow cha-cha, followed in the final 40 seconds by a meringue, with choreography by 1980 Olympic champion Natalie Linichuk. Their two lifts -- a curve lift with Bommentre in an extremely low and deep bended position supporting Navarro in a Beillmann, as well as a (Level 4) one-arm rotational lift at the end – served as stunning highlights.

"The hardest part of the (curve) lift is for Kim to do the Beillmann. It took a lot of work," said Bommentre.

"Energy-wise, the program was good. Our goal is to continue ramping up our performance level. We’re still a new team but every time we go out there we feel we get better."

Tiffany Stiegler & Sergey Magerovskiy, who are now coached by Nikolai Morozov’s group in Simsbury, CT, placed fifth in the OD (27.28 TES + 24.44 PCS = 51.72) with a solid performance to meringue, rumba and meringue rhythms, highlighted by lovely lines in both their combination spin and fast-moving rotational lift. Still, their step sequences were far simpler than those of many of the other couples’. This may be due to Stiegler’s inexperience; a long-time pairs’ competitor, she turned to dance less than two years ago. The couple enters the free dance in sixth place with 82.56 points.

2004 U.S. bronze medallists Loren Galler-Rabinowitz & David Mitchell, who had hoped to challenge for third place here, placed eighth in the OD with 49.57 points (26.08 TES + 23.49 PCS) and now sit in seventh overall with 80.64 points. They hurt their chances by performing three elements – the mid-line step sequence, combination spin and diagonal step sequence – that were graded only Level 2.

Performing samba and rumba rhythms, Jennifer Wester & Daniil Barantsov were seventh with 50.80 points and climbed from ninth place in the Yankee Polka to eighth overall with 79.65 points. The slim, blonde couple skated with good speed and expression, but while their technical mark (28.17) were solid, their Program Components score (22.63) was a tad low.

The Dallas-born Wester teamed with Ekaterinaburg native Barantsov, a two-time World junior champion (with former partner Natalia Romaniuta), in the spring of 2003. They were not eligible for international assignments this season because the Russian Federation has not released Barantsov to compete for the U.S. On the personal front, they have set a wedding date for May 6, 2006.

2005 U.S. junior champions Trina Pratt & Todd Gilles performed samba, rumba and samba rhythms with fine musicality and speed, although they lost unison and stumbled a bit during their mid-line step sequence, which was downgraded to a Level 1. They placed ninth in the OD (47.89 points) and are also in ninth overall (76.98 points).

Meghan McCullough & Joel Dear placed tenth in the OD and tenth overall with 69.85 points. Charlotte Maxwell & Nick Traxler finished 11^th in the OD and are 11^th overall with 65.85 points.

Kate Slattery & Chuen-Gun (C.G.) Lee, who are in 12^th place with 65.04 points, had bad luck in the warm-up when another skater caught Lee in the face with an elbow, hitting him square in the nose and causing extensive bleeding.

"C.G. is so amazing. He felt dizzy but decided to go out and compete anyway. Even with the injury, he was still strong enough to lead me through the program," said Slattery, who added that the extent of the injury was still unknown.

Belbin & Agosto’s Flamenco Thrills the Crowd

A Saviss Center crowd of 8,042 -- unusually large for a U.S. dance event – sat riveted during a memorable performance of Tanith Belbin & Benjamin Agosto’s flamenco free dance, then rose as one to offer up a rousing standing ovation.

"This year’s Nationals did feel different for me. Obviously there were a lot of factors, the biggest one being that I am now an American citizen. I definitely felt a deeper connection to the fans," said 21 year-old Quebec native Tanith Belbin, who became a U.S. citizen on December 30^th.

"Our performance tonight felt very strong. We weren’t sure what to expect, considering we headed in here with less-than-perfect training conditions," added the 23 year-old Agosto, referring to the recent death of Belbin’s grandfather as well as his own minor hip injury in December.

In their finest program to date, the couple displayed equal parts passion, sophistication and technical virtuosity, executing difficult dance holds, intricate steps and near-perfect twizzle sequences while maintaining the integrity of the dance.

From their striking opening pose, the 2005 World silver medallists told a story of intense romance. They had superb energy throughout their long, difficult serpentine footwork sequence and linked their nine elements with seamless transitions. Their flamenco is gaining the look of a dance, rather than an athletic routine crammed full of required moves. If there is one flaw, it is that the opening fireworks and smoldering slow section overshadow the final portion of the program.

The couple earned 107.49 points (53.94 TES + 53.55 PCS) and ended the competition with 215.29 total points, some 30 points ahead of the field.

"The program still has room to grow. They tried to do the best they could. Unfortunately with Ben’s injury and other things – he had a cold last week – they could not train as well as we had hoped. It will be a gradual build-up to the Olympics," said the ever-ambitious (and perfectionist) Igor Shpilband, who coaches the couple with Marina Zoueva in Canton, Mich.

Shpilband added that he hoped to take Belbin & Agosto to the Four Continents Championship in Colorado Springs, to give them another opportunity to display their programs.

The rest of the evening was uneven; several teams stepped up their game with impressive free dances, while others had disappointing outings.

Two-time U.S. silver medallists Melissa Gregory & Denis Petukhov, the husband-and-wife team who placed 11^th at the 2005 Moscow Worlds, belonged to the latter camp. Performing to a medley of both the Prokofiev and Rota versions of "Romeo and Juliet" choreographed by coach Nikolai Morozov, the couple opened with a combination curve lift to a graceful one-arm rotational lift and interesting highlight positions, but Gregory missed a connection with her partner during a transition move and seconds later Petukhov stumbled out of a twizzle sequence. Then, moments later, Gregory, too, stumbled. Still, the couple’s lifts were solid, with Gregory hitting an attractive "handstand" position in the straight-line lift.

Gregory -- who suffered from the flu this week -- seemed exhausted at the end as the couple embraced. They placed a disappointing third in the free dance with 91.13 points (45.69 TES + 45.44 PCS), but held on for their third U.S. silver medal with 185.26 points total.

"I felt better today; I felt fine. I have no answer for what happened out there. I won’t blame (my illness). Bad performances just happen sometimes," said Gregory.

It was a triumphant evening for another of Shpilband’s teams, Jamie Silverstein & Ryan O’Meara. Performing what O’Meara described as a "lounge tango," the couple’s opening combination lift was one of the loveliest moments of the night, with the flexible Silverstein striking a fully arched position in the curve lift and a full diagonal split in the rotational. Their twizzles, particularly the first set, were synchronized and speedy. The routine was expressive and polished, although the final third lacks the intricacy and energy of the proceeding sections.

The team’s true backbone is O’Meara, whose physical strength and exceptionally solid edges let him gain deep crouch positions in the lifts and spins, while still easily supporting his more flamboyant partner.

"I don’t know that we could have come in to this free dance more prepared. Our coaches are amazing. Our families have sacrificed so much; I’m just on cloud nine right now," said Silverstein, the 1999 World junior champion (with former partner Justin Pekarek), who has attracted much positive media attention for openly discussing her recovery from emotional problems and an eating disorder.

"Last season, when my partnership (with Lydia Manon) ended, I didn’t know what to do. I went to Igor, and Jamie’s name immediately came up. I knew if I skated this season it would have to be with her, and I’m so thankful I did. Lydia leaving me was a blessing in disguise," added O’Meara, who won a bronze medal at the 2005 U.S. Championships with Manon.

"I have watched Ryan progress through the years. He has become such a strong partner. From the first tryout together they clicked. He is a great talent, with good edges and soft knees; Jamie can be a bit wild and he handles her well and makes it look easy," said Shpilband, whose coaching partner, Zoueva, is accompanying several teams competing at Canadian Nationals this week.

It was heartbreak for 2005 World junior champions Morgan Matthews & Maxim Zavozin. The young couple’s Olympic hopes were dashed when Matthews had a disastrous fall during a diagonal step sequence in their "Tango de Roxane" free dance. It happened in a corner when they came too close together, and Zavozin’s blade touched Matthew’s boot.

Although Matthews got up quickly, the fall threw off the timing and expression of the remaining third of their program, and they placed sixth in the free dance with 87.74 points (46.20 TES + 42.54 PCS) and fourth overall with 174.53 total points.

Performing to selections from Canadian singer Michael Bublé, including "How Sweet it is to Be Loved by You" and "Dragonfly," choreographed by 1980 Olympic champion Natalia Linichuk, Kim Navarro & Brent Bommentre captivated the crowd. Their loose, easygoing style was a refreshing change of pace from the more intense routines, and they earned a partial standing ovation.

The couple’s highlights were their lifts, with Navarro quickly hitting her positions and Bommentre providing strong support. They placed fourth in the free dance with 90.63 points (49.21 TES + 41.42 PCS) and fifth overall with 173.76 total points.

Tiffany Stiegler & Sergey Magerovskiy, who recently moved from Canton to Simsbury, CT to train with Nikolai Morozov, Shae-Lyn Bourne and Walter Rizzo, skated a smooth, passionate free dance to music from "Notre Dame de Paris." They placed fifth in the free with 88.43 points and sixth overall with 170.99 total points.

"To get where we want to be as skaters, we felt we needed to make the change. We’ve had different issues at the rink. We needed more than we were getting (from former coaches Shpilband and Zoueva) in terms of time and attention," said the 21 year-old Stiegler.

"It was a hard decision, especially for Sergey, who is married. But we’re so glad we did it. I think Shae-Lyn and Nikolai are two of the most creative people I know and we look forward to seeing what they have in store for us next season."

Jennifer Wester & Daniil Barantsov, who also train in Simsbury with Morozov’s group, were eighth in the free dance with 82.24 points and placed seventh overall. The attractive blonde couple performed an energetic traditional Russian "Kalinka." Although light and fun, it did not have the intricacy of many of the other free dances, and Barantsov carried most of the position changes. There was also one lengthy passage when they skated apart.

The Russian-born Barantsov, a two-time World junior champion with former partner Natalya Romaniuta, was unable to represent the U.S. in international competitions this season because Russia’s Skating Federation is unwilling to release him.

"I wish (my release) would happen. I don’t know definitely that it will," said Barantsov.

Next on their agenda: planning for the wedding on May 6^th.

Seventh place in the free dance and eighth place overall went to 2005 U.S. Junior Champions Trina Pratt & Todd Gilles with 159.66 total points. The two 19 year-olds, who will represent the U.S. at the 2006 Junior Worlds (along with 2006 junior champions Davis & White and silver medallists Samuelson & Bates), skated an ambitious program (with six Level 4 elements) to music from "House of the Flying Daggers" and "Kodo Drums" created by 1984 champion Christopher Dean. (A three-minute version of the program was prepared for the couple’s junior events.)

"We think we will do much better at Junior Worlds than at the Junior Grand Prix Final (where they placed sixth). Competing here with these senior teams raised our standard; we see what we have to do to improve. It’s hard to be junior champions one year and then come and be shot down the next, but we’re ready to build back up," said Gilles.

The burial of 2004 U.S. National bronze medallists Loren Galler-Rabinowitz & David Mitchell continued as the couple, who train under Natalya Dubova in Stamford, CT, placed ninth in the free dance with 76.41 points and a dismal ninth overall.

Galler-Rabinowitz hit nice positions in the team’s curve + rotational combination lift, including a full diagonal split, as well as an attractive modified Biellmann position in their spin. They maintained good Tango character in the program’s slow section, but he slipped badly on their second set of twizzles and they lost energy during their final section.

Overall, the dance lacked the intensity it showed earlier in the season, perhaps due to the couple’s realization that their Olympic dreams were not to be.

"It’s been a trip, it’s been a ride. I think we’re relieved (it’s over)," said Galler-Rabinowitz, who plans to begin studying at Harvard University this fall.

Performing to "Harem," Meghan McCullough & Joel Dear, who are coached by Barrett Brown at the Skating Club of Boston, were 12th in the free skate and 10th overall. The pleasing couple found nice shapes in their opening combination lift, but Dear had trouble with twizzles; he executed three turns instead and drifted a good distance away from his partner.

First-season seniors Caitlan Mallory & Brent Holdberg, who train in San Jose under 1992 Olympic champion Sergei Ponomarenko, kept last season’s free dance to "Sheherazade." Choreographer Marina Klimova (Ponomarenko’s partner and wife) added one minute of additional footwork, a lift and transitions to bring the program up to senior level.

The lovely Mallory hit refined positions and skated with exceptional carriage and flow, and they placed tenth in the free and 11th overall.

Charlotte Maxwell & Nick Traxler placed 11th in the free dance and 12th overall. Maxwell competed as a novice last season and skipped the junior division to perform with her new partner. They maintained good energy throughout their routine, but their second set of twizzles was weak and the final step sequence seemed a bit simple.

Kate Slattery & Chuen-Gun (C.G.) Lee, who placed tenth in the compulsory and 12^th in the OD, withdrew after Lee was injured in a collision with another team during the OD warm-up. He sustained a broken nose and possible concussion.