#scott poetic moir

[tutuandscoot]

A list of things I feel like Scott would say to Tessa

(Either we know he would say/implying, implies through physical action/ implied emotionally//just who they are it seems like it)

(In no particular order)

“My Tessa, my beautiful Tessa”.

“It’s alright my sweet angel”

“How do you feel?”

“Is your heart happy?”.

….“My love”….

‘Babe/Baby”. (Like not in a girlfriend kinda sense)

“Good job kiddo”

“Good girl” / “That’s my girl”.

“My sweet girl”.

“We’ll be ok”

“I’ll always keep you safe”

“I love that I get to protect your heart”.

“You look beautiful today (always)”.

“I love the sound of your heart beat”.

16. “What can I do for you, my love?”

17. “I love holding your hand”.

18. “You have such a beautiful soul”.

19. “I love it when you hold me/ we get to hold each other”.

20. “I love you with all my heart, you know that right?”.

#heads up for future readers I wrote this in hospital after spinal surgery #so this maybe somewhat medically induced poetic babbling #but 7months later I still stand by it #ok back to the OG tags: #deep I’m my feels tonight #getting this out before I get too drowsy #I’ve been staring at a lot of VM hug this last week to make me happy this was the result of it #shit Scott Moir says #virtuemoir #tessa and scott #and their endless love for eachother #Those may girl/ possessive ones are not ment as evasive or controlling a #it’s as comfort and reassurance and pride and I think we all know #SM IS NOT a toxic male dominator so it can even Imagine it saying it as a threat #*i. can’t #it pure natural just their love as closeness and protection on it they can say that and it’s sincere and positive #I’ll do a list of T phrases too

[ceylonolivetree]

There's something so strangely beautiful about platonic soulmates who express romance through their art. This duality, this ability to exist in two different worlds, one of romance in their performances and one of platonic friendship in their personal lives is such a beautiful paradox.

Before I found out about Tessa and Scott, the only pair I knew as a child growing in an Asian household was Kajol-Shah Rukh Khan. Plot twist! They weren't a romantic couple but were platonic partners. Here's a little bit about them before we dive into the fun thread (I don't know what they call 'threads' in Tumblr, I'm a twitter user trying to figure out Tumblr. lol)

Kajol and Shahrukh Khan, a pair synonymous with Bollywood royalty, first graced the silver screen together in 1993 with ‘Baazigar’. Over three decades (30 years), they have starred in seven films, each a testament to their electric chemistry and enduring appeal.

Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, Canada’s cherished ice dancers, began their journey together when she was just seven and he was nine. For 22 years, they glided across the ice carving stories of passion, precision, and grace. Their performances, including two Olympic gold medals, have not only won them accolades but have also captured the essence of a partnership that is both powerful and poetic.

You find your platonic soulmate squishable!

Dancing like, "I think I'm madly in love with you, I'll die for you" when they can't actually wait for it to end to laugh and say, ‘Isn’t it hilarious how everyone think we’re a couple?’

When you know that you and your bestie became that power couple who took figure skating to new heights/single handedly introduced Bollywood to the world. Ufff... when you know you bring people to their feet by maximizing that joint slay!

When you know that your nation literally calls you-all sweethearts and you had an entire nation believe that you are married when in reality she/he was your platonic bestie. Sorry hopeless romantics! I'm new to Scott and Tessa here because I'm not Canadian but trust me, every kid in the 2000s in South Asia grew up thinking that Kajol and Shah Rukh were married. It's so funny that even the costars (who are younger than them) of their last movie too thought that they were married when they were just children watching them on screen.

You find joy in trying to make people uncomfortable and confuse them by telling them, "We're not a couple!" for the millionth time because people refuse to believe that you're not in love with him/her. It was probably exhausting for them to answer that question, but I think a part of them enjoyed the mystery that their relationship created in the minds of people.

When you get a sweet little kiss from your bestie who is pretending to be your girlfriend.

Let's be goofy!

When you know that you still love him/her even after all those years and even though you don't perform together. Reunions are always sweet!

You are so annoying, but I love you!

For those who have no idea about Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol (especially if you aren't Asian), I would love to recommend 'My name is Khan' , Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, and of course the iconic Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge.

Bonus: For all the desi girls and boys who were fooled by them!

#tessa and scott #virtue moir #ice dance #srk #srk kajol #shah rukh khan #kajol #kuch kuch hota hai

[raraaaaa20]

Green, Gorgeous Green.

Everyone needs a Tessa.

We came together so i could find tessa.

I live for Tessa.

Tessa keeps me alive.

I like to feel her hands, bare hands.

I will always do it for Tessa.

Tessa is brilliant.

I can't stand to have my back against you.

Any girlfriend will have to Accept Tessa.

My hands were clammy and my heart was beating fast.

I can't imagine skating with anyone else.

Tessa can't remember her life without me.

We are there for each other.

We are best friends.

Tessa is the only one who laughs at all my jokes.

I can't imagine not being with Tessa.

No matter what we're together, no matter what I love you.

~ a poem of things Scott said about/to Tessa

#ladies and gentlemen THEM #scott poetic moir #seriously the things he says about her #words pour out of his mouth #he fucking loves his precious Tess #they're literally the definition of Love #they're made of love for each other..its in their souls.. ingrained forever #seriously i have no words for this beautiful man #his eyes shine brine in love for her... #everyone needs a Scott #but there's only one scott #and he's Tessa's scott #good luck ladies #be still my heart #my babies driving me crazy #tessa fucking virtue #scott fucking moir #me a hopeless fucking fan #tessa and scott #virtuemoir #scott moir #tessa virtue #virtue and moir #scott are you okay ? #okay bye now #before they kill me

[floralicnimi]

who needs the notebook when you have an hour and 13 minutes of all tessa virtue and scott moir's performances in the olympics

#tessa virtue #scott moir #ice skating #olympics #true romance #the notebook #tessa and scott #virtuemoir #ice dancing #poetic drama #canada sport

[macaroni-rascal]

profile: a study in black and white

#canadian royalty #tessa virtue #scott moir #virtuemoir #havent done one of these in a while!!!!!! #figured why not #ill also be doing the waxing poetic posts at some point #its rainy and grey outside so im all blah lmao #but this helped #💜✌️😘

[virtuemoir-as-art]

Tristan and Isolde. Death by Rogelio de Eguisquiza, 1910 / Stay by Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, 2014

#virtue moir #VirtueMoir #Tessa Virtue #scott moir #ice skating #ice dance #Ice Dancing #figure skating #art #this is the closest image i could find to the painting #plus this version of t&i by the same artist #and calling it death #compared to this programme and the shit that went down in 2014 #kinda poetic i guess #harsh. borderline masochistic. but poetic

[goodthingscomeinthrees]

tessa virtue and scott moir truly are the best people.

#ts #i could wax poetic about them all damn day #tessa virtue #scott moir #tessa and scott #vm #virtuemoir

[kristenbouchard]

i was debating whether to make a post abt how scott moir looks like alex turner or abt how all the things he says abt tessa give off such lesbian energy and then i realized. that’s the same fucking thing. it’s all connected. it makes so much sense now

#ive just had such a fucking epiphany yall #alex turner writes poetic lesbian lyrics and scott moir says poetic lesbian things abt tessa Its All Connected

[saucylittlesmile]

I know I’m not the only one, but with the exception of a few programs, I tend to spend most of their dances watching Tessa. Is this the case for you? If so, which what programs do you think Scott shines the most?

Also, random question: I was listening to a podcast and they said something about Scott Moir being on record as not liking the yankee polka. Do you know anything about this/ what he has said?

Oh, I'm a multi-watcher, LOL. I mean, I figure most people in this fandom watch-and-rewatch their programs, but yeah, I used to deliberately watch several times and then (try) to focus on a different aspect each time (although there were plenty of times I'd find myself off course LOL, and just enjoying it as a whole instead). I'd have my Tessa-watch, my Scott-watch, my watch-their-feet-watch, etc.

Ice dance does tend to have a 'stem and flower' attitude - aka, the flashy, showy lady who is the center of attention, and also there is a guy there - but overall I find VM's programs to be fairly well-matched. That said, I'd say that if you're going to try and have a Scott-watch... watch all of them? Okay, okay, I'll try to narrow some down...

Call Me Irresponsible - 2005 Junior Worlds - he's 17 (I have to be careful here because I'll start waxing poetic about them both in this program... all of the programs... LOL). He's 17, but this program, as young as it is, is brilliant - all closed holds, save the elements that require otherwise, and yet he is so sure, leading the dance, and with quick, clean feet.

Valse Triste - 2007 Worlds - such a difficult piece of music to skate to, but it shows off a subtle, musical side to a young Scott, whose ability to interpret and perform the program grew in leaps and bounds that season.

Hip Hip Chin Chin - 2011 Worlds - ironically, the program in which Scott said that they just had to put Tessa in front of him to dance, but Scott is just fantastic in this program. The beginning is just lightning in particular, but the whole thing is great.

Carmen - Nationals 2013 - like, why would I watch other Carmens when I just went through the process of trying to decide on my favourite, LOL? Anyway, again, technical and performance, wrapped into one giant beloved Carmen package.

Dream a Little Dream - GPF 2013 - the personality that he manages to inject throughout this program is incredible. It's like he's not trying to do their hardest SD at all. ;)

Good Kisser - Skate Niagara 2015 - yep, I said it. Watch him.

What's Love Got To Do With It? - Skate Niagara 2016. Comeback ready. So many little, difficult moments, sprinkled in just because he can.

Prince - Worlds 2017 - perfection.

I'm going to stop there. I... kind of could have put any program? The lack of particulars on this list means pretty much nothing LOL - but I tried to also showcase a variety of emotional/thematic tones, because especially as they grew as performers, they were really able to embody so many styles.

Meanwhile, yes, Scott indicated that, at least, he wasn't overly fond of the Yankee Polka, though I'm having a lot of trouble finding the interview(s) in which he said so. It would have been back around the 2010 era when the Yankee Polka was announced as the pattern for 2012/2013 though (and IIRC Charlie was of the same opinion).

#ask

[scotianostra]

The Bannatyne Manuscript, the most extensive collection of early Scottish poetry in existence, was published October 1st 1568 by George Bannatyne, an Edinburgh merchant.

In 1568 the plague struck Edinburgh. Hidden away in a country retreat, trying to escape the pestilence, city merchant George Bannatyne whiled away the time compiling an anthology of poetry. Little did he know that his manuscript would play a unique part in preserving his country’s poetic heritage.The Bannatyne manuscript contains some of the best work of Scotland’s most important mediaeval poets. 

It is our only source for some poems: without it, we would have lost Alexander Scott’s welcome to Mary Queen of Scots (‘Welcum illustrat Ladye and oure quene’), William Dunbar’s poem to Queen Margaret Tudor ('O lusty flour of yowth benyng and bricht’), Robert Henryson’s pastoral love-poem 'Robene and Makyne’, and many others. In other cases, the Bannatyne Manuscript preserves the most reliable text for modern scholars. The works it contains range widely: religious verse, love poems, moral fables and scandalous flytings, all find a place in it. 

The manuscript of course is written in the scot’s tongue of the day and the introduction reads:

The wryttar to the reidaris    

Ye reverend redaris thir workis revolving richt Gif ye get crymis, Correct thame to your micht And curss na clark that cunyngly thame wrait, Bot blame me baldly Brocht this buik till licht In tenderest tyme, quhen knawlege was nocht bricht Bot lait begun to lerne and till translait My copeis awld mankit and mvtillait. Quhais trewth as standis (yit haif I sympill wicht) Tryd furth, Thairfoir excuse sumpairt my estait - Now ye haif heir this ilk buik sa provydit That in fyve pairtis It is dewly devydit The first concernis gods gloir and ouir saluatioun The nixt ar morale, grave and als besyd it Grund on gud counsale. The thrid I will nocht hyd it Ar blyith and glaid Maid for ouir consollatioun. The ferd of luve, and thair richt reformatioun. The fyift ar tailis and stories weill discydit Reid as ye pleiss, I neid no moir narratioun.

It comprises over 400 poems by Scottish and English authors which, as Bannatyne explains in his address, are arranged into five sections of religious, moral, merry, amatory and narrative poems. The picture shows on of the pages from the collection now held by the National Library of Scotland. The manuscript has been published several times through the centuries

Here is a link to the full book published in 1896, although the copy on the link is stamped 1959 is from Harvard University. https://archive.org/details/bannatynemanusc09laingoog

#Scotland #scottish #english #poetry #literature #anthology #publishing #Edinburgh #history

[tutuandscoot]

Ok lemme say something:

Scott Moir

2 years out of performing

4 years out of competition

>>Look at him in the K+C<<

THAT BOY’S POSTURE IS IMPECCABLE…

Posture is how you tell someone is a 💃dancer🕺

And in the best dancers it lasts their whole lives

👀Look at his skaters sitting next to him.

Yes they just skated, they are tired. 🥵

But watch VM in any K+C, ESPECIALLY in the comeback..

✨✨P O S T U R E ✨✨

Rant over.

Here’s some evidence:

#Scott is a ballet boy and that’s just the facts #Scott’s posture #poetic rant #4cc 2022 #scott moir #still getting use to coach Scott #don’t like seeing him in the K+C without T #also that posh lil clap he does when they stop showing the replays… #oh my bless his heart 🥺🥺❤️❤️

[startofamoment]

forever song✨ ask meme

name five songs that you only associate with one character, actor/actress, or ship that you don’t think you can ever associate with anybody else. tag five people to see what theirs would be.

tagged by the gorgeous @wishfulwannabe!! luv u emma 💕 

hold you in my arms [ray lamontagne] – nathan/haley, one tree hill

wow this is from forever ago but naley was probably my first real OTP (apart from classique anime ships ofc). i vaguely vaguely remember voting for this song in the official poll for their first dance song – they didn’t end up using it for that, but i think this was used for maybe a montage of other scenes and yeah it still v much reminds me of them! 

sweetest goodbye [maroon 5] – chris halliwell, charmed

i don’t even have a real explanation for this. all i know is that 11 year old erica had a raging crush on christopher perry halliwell watched a lot of charmed and also listened to maroon 5 cassette tapes on car rides to/from school. i doubt past!me even knew what this song was about, the lyrics just seemed angsty enough to fit everyone’s favorite hot neurotic whitelighter-witch hybrid. 

come what may [moulin rouge] – tessa virtue & scott moir

i mean i really could’ve just listed every other song they’ve skated to, but i feel like this one especially reminds me of them!!! and oh u best know i get all up in my feels whenever i listen to this and think of scott patrick singing the lyrics to tessa jane. like damn they’ve really been through?? so much together??? and they’re going to continue being best friends for life bc duh.

green light remix [lorde, chromeo] – team cockroach, the good place

not a ship or a single character, but i s2g i’m just going to think of team cockroach whenever i hear the first few notes of this song. ugh that episode was just so good!! i loved that they fully partied and had fun instead of stressing over their impending doom. i stan. 

next to me [imagine dragons] – jake/amy, brooklyn nine-nine

ok ok ok imma be honest idk if i really have a song that i associate solely with peraltiago?? but i was going through my spotify playlist a couple weeks ago, looking for potential fic/series titles, when i got to this and absolutely felt like the lyrics fit them! like excuse me while i cry over human disaster jake peralta waxing poetic over his amazing wife: 

So thank you for taking a chance on me I know it isn't easy But I hope to be worth it (oh) So thank you for taking a chance on me I know it isn't easy But I hope to be worth it (oh)

Oh, I always let you down (I always let you down) You're shattered on the ground (shattered on the ground) But still I find you there Next to me And oh, stupid things I do (stupid things I do) I'm far from good, it's true But still I find you Next to me (next to me)

i tag: @santiagoswagger, @three-drink-amy, @amez-santiago, @peraltiagoisland, @fourdrinkamy, @nevermindthewind, @amystiago, @juliadorable, @sergeant-santiago, @do-me-decimalsystem, @disruptedvice, @amyscascadingtabs, @johnny-and-dora, @jokeperatla, @elsaclack, @proofthatihaveaheart, @nerd-husbands, @amyjake, @beatcopjake, @dmigod, @lasercats, @tinaruthbelcher ++ anyone who wants to do this!

#forever song ask meme #i rambled more than necessary but i have a fever and just took meds oops #special mention goes to chasing cars which will forever remind me of meredith & derek from grey's anatomy #i tagged a ton of people but still probably forgot someone i'm sorry #my stuff

[lazuliblade]

Hi, love your post about the YOI fandom history! I disagree about the part saying the exhibition duet being based on Ice Dancing rather than Pairs though -- while the routine is probably a mishmash of both, it seems closer to Pairs rather than Ice Dance. 2 very important distinctions: "In ice dancing, dancers must always skate to music with a definite beat or rhythm" and "jumps are disallowed". Pairs is also closer in style to singles, rather than Ice Dance that is closer to ballroom dancing.

No. It’s Ice Dance.

I’ve touched on this briefly in past posts, and I’ve explained it enough to be sick of the repetition, so I’ll just do a full post here and be done with it.

Yuuri starts the EX program doing the Singles version of Stammi Vicino (Victor’s “Aria” program from the prior season) which is why we see jumps. However, when Victor comes onto the ice, the routine switches to Ice Dance choreography weaved between the existing step sequence/choreo sequence of Aria. Literally the arguments you used are what make this EX an Ice Dance routine instead of Pairs. For reference, here’s the referee&judges handbook, and the technical panel handbook. Let me write out the basic distinctions:

1. There are no throws, jumps, or death spirals in ice dance (these are Illegal Elements/Movements. Technical Panel handbook pg98).

2. The point of contact for lifts must be held no higher than the head of the one lifting (technical panel handbook pg98) – although you’ll notice most ice dance lifters holding the point of contact at or below shoulder-height.

3. Partners must skate either in hold or, if separation is required for the element, as close to each other as possible with no more than 2 arms length apart. (referee&judges handbook pg 2 for SD; pg 9 for FD) Even in the No Touch Step Sequence, partners should skate no more than 2 arms length apart (technical handbook pg 83).

4. The definite rhythm applies more strictly to competition programs - specifically the Short Dance where the dance patterns (European waltz, foxtrot, paso doble, midnight blues, hip hop, etc.) are assigned and rotated every year.

You can check out this season’s requirements here. Of the 24 main rhythms and any additional rhythms, the two for this season’s SD are Blues (skater’s choice for which Blues type they want, but some Midnight Blues steps must be used), AND Hip Hop or Swing.

For the Free Dance, the dance has more leeway - while the song needs to have a beat of some sort (i.e. you can’t dance to the sound of wind), there is no restriction on tempo (beats per minute), or the type of rhythm used. Instead, the FD consists of a balance of required elements such as twizzles, the number of dance lifts (short and combination lifts), the style of step sequences (straight and curved), and the types of choreographic elements allowed.

Furthermore, EX have even less restrictions (check out these EX: Tessa&Scott 1, Meryl&Charlie 2, Shibutani Sibs 3). Note that just because the rules are less restrictive for exhibition skates, doesn’t mean they add higher lifts, throws, or jumps in the name of freedom – this is because it takes training to be able to do different elements like those.

Pairs may be closer to Singles because it has jumps and is less dance-like, but that doesn’t have anything to do with deciding an individual skater’s EX. Yuuri is known for step sequences and dance styles - Ice Dance would be just as fitting for him with his dance background. It’s also very notable that an ice dance was chosen instead of a Pairs routine, because Yuuri and Victor had their first significant connection via ballroom dancing at the Sochi GPF banquet (paso doble). Seeing the series end with a dance on ice is very poetic.

If that isn’t enough, here’s the link to the Ice Dance routine that was used as reference for the Duet choreography: Tessa Virtue & Scott Moir 2016 GPF FD. If you have trouble with Dailymotion, here’s the one YouTube video that wasn’t muted or pitched to avoid copyrighting (the commentary here can be a bit distracting, though.) And here are side-by-side comparison gifs.

In fact, Ice Dance influences YOI in one more area: Hiramatsu (the character designer who adapted Kubo-sensei’s initial drawings) mentioned that he references ice dance routines for the cover illustrations of the DVD/BD boxes.

Pairs certainly is the more well-known of the partners skating disciplines, but that doesn’t mean it’s used all the time, and it’s lamentable that this notoriety allows Ice Dance to be dismissed. We shouldn’t be so set on the idea of “Pairs” that we assume it is performed unless proven otherwise.

#yuri on ice #yoi meta #informational post #figure skating #ice dance #ask response #anon ask #yoi #yuri!!! on ICE #Anonymous

[macaroni-rascal]

Konner, can you wax poetic about VM's lines and posture? I've no knowledge of skating, just a response to the art and beauty they create, but I hear they were exceptional... Thank you.

Okay! So, there are certain things that Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir do better than anyone else in ice dance: expression, versatility, commitment to character, lifts, the list goes on…but on the top of that pile, are their lines and their posture. 

They are quite simply unparalleled.

This goes back, I think most clearly, to Tessa’s training as a ballet dancer, she learned about how to hold herself, the stretch, turn out, extension, and holding the right kind of tension at the right moments. Scott was always amazing on his feet and with his knees and hips, and as consequence learned to match Tessa perfectly.

Even as children, they just matched well:

Their past coaches have talked about it before, how they just had this innate ability to both match each other, feel music, get in sync, etc. Even here, you can see their stroking is a full movement, they end it completely and turn their feet out together. The are upright and not leaning too far forward. When watching skaters do crossovers/cross cuts its so clear who is pushing with their legs and who is pumping with their whole body because they will lean forward and bob up and down. 

An incredibly telling program was Try from Stars on Ice. Having vm next to weapo will always highlight everything that vm do exceptionally well. For example, look at the difference between the two moves here: 

Scott holds Tessa around her middle just like Andrew does, except Andrew brings the whole side of his body down and curls into Kaytlin, whereas Scott has his chest open and his shoulders and back straight, its one full movement through his body switching from arm to arm, while Andrew is making two clear movement. Tessa, while she lets her body fall, is still very clearly holding tension. Her shoulders come back and fit against Scott, opening her whole chest and shoulders as her neck curls up with her, again one whole movement. If you look at Kaitlyn in comparison, her shoulders remain round and hunched and her head never comes up to follow through with the movement, and again, its two different moves she’s performing, not one fluid piece as Tessa does.

I think the rhumba the olympic year was a beautiful gift for them, as it showed exactly what they are so strong with: deep edges, lean, postures, and lines:

The stretch of their legs, the angle of their blades is completely perfect, you could probably bring out a protractor and measure and they’d be identical. Their upper bodies are rigid and all their power is coming from the hips down. Scott has an open chest, strong frame for the dance hold and Tessa compliments him to perfection, her arm is outstretched right to her fingertips.

I think one that helped them so much as well, is that they came up in ice dance when holds were still very important and most of the step sequences were completely done in hold. Not to mention compulsory dances which helped them immensely to work constantly and consistently on the basics. 

As teens, with amazingly deep edges, wonderful lean, huge ice coverage, matching lines, and a strong dance hold doing a relatively simple compulsory dance:

As they grew, they talked about wanting to get more speed and power, but they had to remain in close dance hold, so they worked at keeping their holds strong, but also getting deep edges, clean turns, and speed:

I think Umbrellas of Cherbourg is the perfect showing of everything they do well, it really exemplifies their strengths. Look how they weave in and out of dance hold so seamlessly while also looking at what their feet are doing, how they step in time with each other, always curving on the ice, changing directions, changing speed, keeping their toes turn out and pointed, keeping flow while their upper bodies remain so wonderfully upright.

The step sequences in this free dance are some of the best ice dancing the world has ever seen, its no wonder they completely burst onto the scene at this worlds, they just brought something the other teams were not doing, and certainly not doing nearly as well.

They have clean lines mid lift:

Certainly during the lift:

And, of course, always in hold in step sequences and dance patterns:

I am forever happy that they worked so hard on the minute details of their skating, extending and dancing from their finger tips down to their toes, holding posture and having strong frames all throughout their programs, whether competitively or in exhibition. 

I could wax poetic longer, but tumblr only allows for a maximum of ten photos/gifs on one post. Here are some other places you can cry/enjoy their lines and posture. Also, highly recommend the tango romantica from the olympics in 2010, they added extra arm movements and leg movements to increase difficulty, show off their lines, and be all around legends. Its a favourite to watch. The argentine tango, from 2008 worlds is also mind-mindbogglingly good. And finally the golden waltz both from 2010 worlds and their 2011 short dance is some of the most pristine skating ever beheld. 

Hope this shook your tambourine, anon. It was fun!

#Anonymous #konner talks skating #yay anon #canadian royalty #tessa virtue #scott moir #this was so fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuun #i could go on #and on and on and on #lol #konner waxes poetic #konner talks ice dance

[macaroni-rascal]

Waxing poetic idea: what they add to compulsory/pattern dances!

Compulsory dance events, while repetitive and over-long were, I think, are very very important aspect of ice dance, the loss of which has severely impacted teams abilities and knowledge of fundamentals; things like skating in close hold, quick turns, extension, turn out of the foot, etc., have slowly become less apparent in the discipline. Tessa and Scott were masters of the compulsory dance, and later, the pattern dances. 

Not only did they skate them exceptionally well, but they also added difficulty, intricacy, and personality to each dance and pattern, making them completely and wholly their own. 

There is a reason the eurosport uncles thought they deserved to be first after the compulsory dances in 2008, because they did deserve to be first. How close they are skating, how deep their edges, how clean their turns, their toes pointed out, all done seamlessly and with amazing speed…

The argentine tango is easily one of my favourite compulsories of theirs, they own the tango energy so unbelievable well, especially for 18 and 20 year olds, I love this part especially:

Here, they added bringing their arms up and slowly bringing them down. If you go back and watch other teams, vm were undoubtedly skating the closest to each other, their chests are almost touching and their skates are inches away from each other. For the sake of saving gif use, they also had/have the best extension and use of the free leg, if you rewatch their dance in comparison to any other, including Delobel and Schoenfelder who were leading, there is a very stark difference.

Even after a season off with Tessa getting her first surgery they come into worlds and do the most wonderful paso doble, with arguable Scott’s most amazing costume of their entire career. I love that they added these interesting arms as they do a relatively simple step, their hold is gorgeous and their posture is, as always, wonderfully upright and open, all while staying in the dance. When rewatching, they add extra arm movement in other places as well, which adds levels to the dance and extra flair that I just love.

If I could just put the entirety of the tango romantica in this post I would, because I would say it was the compulsory dance that they made the most their own. This is my favourite part of what they changed:

They have their arms out up in the same way while they do their helicopter turns at the beginning of the pattern as well, and especially here, it creates such a cool “X” shape twice as they go around the corner, all with deep turns. What they are doing with their free legs is pure art and so difficult its ridiculous. If you watch back to last season, this was a part where most teams would lose the character of the dance and really focus on what they feet were doing. Here, vm’s extension in on point, as is their character of the dance, Tessa’s arms add So Much to this program, I could write sonnets. 

Ah the Golden Waltz…the last compulsory dance performed in competition, they were the last team to ever perform a compulsory dance, they also achieved the highest score ever given. You just can’t make this stuff up. What they bring to the GW is just superb and I think it comes down to three main things: their timing, their ease with dance holds, and their posture. 

They really do make the ice into a dance floor. I can’t put every gif I want to here, but the entire pattern is just pure brilliance, pure skating, pure technique, pure soul. Tessa turning around Scott, maintaining her free leg, their extension together, the ease as they shift holds constantly, it is one fluid movement, one dance, not a series of steps and hold changes, it never appears put upon or placed weirdly, it’s just magic.

RIP to the yankee polka, for gif amount I had to cut it to highlight other dances, but here is a post that shows it beautifully and again, their holds are magic, it fits the music, becomes part of the story and they have easily the best extension as all as the most ease. Especially in the back to back part where they let go of their hands and then come back together, that season all the teams looked very off in that moment, but not vm. 

Now, once we get  more into pattern dances, what I think vm did better than anyone else was integrate it into the program, I made a whole post dedicated to night and days where I talk about how they always add some sort of choreographic movement that echos the pattern dance so that the whole program feels complete.

For example in the finnstep, I couldn’t find a gif of it, but the moment when they hold hands and do a little skip past the judges matches the type of hops they are performing in the finnstep:

Or! in the opening when they do the toe work and how it echoes the moment in the finnstep where they are dancing on their toe picks (I’ve time stamped the videos in the hyperlinks)

I love this SO much because far too often with teams there is a clear divide between choreography and the pattern dance, but with Tessa and Scott, they really used the pattern dance as an opportunity to build a program and create a story.

I also love their extension and free leg in this moment:

No other team got anywhere near that level of extension and no team this season has even come close, again that is a moment most couples will lose the character and have to focus on getting the steps, vm add extra flair and create a really interesting shape on the ice.

PRINCE! And the midnight blues! I mean, what is there to say besides it was pure perfection from start to finish and the most musical pattern of the season and perhaps ever. Five Women was truly just the perfect vehicle for this pattern and fit it so wonderfully.

One thing that vm do very well too is to make the transition INTO the pattern interesting, I love love love how they gain speed around the corner, Scott does his little hair moment, and they he twizzles into hold right when the music goes “IT TOOK – fiiiive women” and then the syncopation and beat of the song just lets them highlight their extension and how well their free legs match, again, adding interesting arm movements and weaving around different holds so naturally.

Of course, cannot not mention that they were the only team to no hand the 3-turn in the pattern, while Scott just rides that gorgeous edge, they get SO close to each other and the boards because the ice coverage is pure insanity. I also love that knee up moment at the beginning of the gif, the pantsuit Tessa fought for really highlighted their lines. They always do everything to highlight their skating, nothing is hidden or used to distract, and I respect them so much for that.

After performing the rhumba multiple times in senior level competition, getting better each time, they continued to improve, adding something new and interesting with each new iteration. At this point I’m just repeating myself, but Tessa’s arms, their posture, and their musicality is next level. I love that during the key point in this gif there is a little guitar twang as they kick during the edge change, its those little things that really stand out  when everyone is doing the same pattern. It’s not a pattern for them, its just their whole program.

Again, they integrate moves into their step sequences that mimic the pattern, like how this moment looks like their leg kicks in the beginning of the rhumba (more time stamped video). And again, the ice coverage, they go from the boards to the middle of the rink like its nothing and skate from one end to the other so seamlessly, their edges and the curves they make on the ice are unparalleled. 

They always had the most expansive yet detailed compulsory dances and set pattern dances, breaking the monotony and creating something truly special out of something prescribed. Legends, through and through.

#konner waxes poetic #konner talks skating #virtuemoir #tessa virtue #scott moir #this got long.... #my b #i LOVE doing these

[macaroni-rascal]

flower and stem: a study in black and white

#black and white study #virtuemoir #tessa virtue #scott moir #okay obviously they arent the typical stem flower ice danc thinh #they are 50/50 completely #but in a poetic and liteteral sense #it looks like they are making flower shapes sometimes #and he is very literally a base and she is standing on him #anyway #shoutout to marcia for the caption #shes a real one #canadian royalty #the goose twice #cause duh #basically its all their lifts where shes standing on him #😊