Photography by Ann Jensen


Notes From 2002 Nationals - Los Angeles, California
Copyright 2002 Ann Jensen - all rights reserved

Tertia Cole & Leo Ungar
Victoria Devins & Kevin O'Keefe
Lindsay Evans & Trevor Bird
Kirsten Frisch & Brent Bommentre
Loren Galler-Rabinowitz & David Mitchell
Kendra Goodwin & Chris Obzansky
Melissa Ralph & Ryan O'Meara
Cheryl Russell & Kenny Metzger Jr.
Anna Scheumann & Levi McDonough
Kate Slattery & Patrick Connelly
Laura Smith & Andrew Smith
Flo Steed & Augie Hill
Christina Zepeda & Nicholas Hart

Tertia Cole & Leo Ungar

Withdrew

Victoria Devins & Kevin O'Keefe

OD: 7

Footwork was solid - little simple compared to others at the top, but performed well. They did skate slowly & their lines and extensions aren't matched yet.

Free:7 Final:7

Actually a lovely dance to wonderful jazz show tunes. Beautiful people. Beautiful costumes. Technically the distance between them and their speed are issues. And the dance came a little unassembled towards the end. But I really had a great time watching it.

Lindsay Evans & Trevor Bird

OD: 10

They skated in the first group and were obviously going to be just behind the top team in this group (The Smiths). The dance was a little less complex than the Smith's and this team is noticably slower, but I was surprised by the quality of their skating - it was much better than their placement in the compulsary dances would have indicated to me.

Free: 10 Final: 10

Smooth, pretty, close together. Still ned mroe speed. They still need more speed> This was a well constructed dance. slow and fast sections that built to a finish. My notes say "very nice, enjoyable and pretty - probably means they will drop". I was too cynical.

Kirsten Frisch & Brent Bommentre

OD: 4

Their holds were simple and they had more distance between them than some of their competition, but I felt that the quality of their footwork would help them out a lot.

Free: 5 Final: 4

Powerful pushes - uneven speed (slowed down for difficulty). Real nice changes in levels - including some complex "tricks" while making the changes.

Loren Galler-Rabinowitz & David Mitchell

OD: 1

Footwork was very complex. It got off to a rough start. Very nice lift into the spin. It seemed like she got a little off her edge in the diagonal footwork. I thought there was a possibility it would hold them back.

Free:2 Final:1

Gentle sweepign waltz. nice even speed. Not as much change in levels or drama in the music. Little more separation.Hard to compare to the #2 team (the ones who won the free). Real apples and oranges.

Kendra Goodwin & Chris Obzansky

OD: 2

She definitely has "the look". She was biting heads off mousies with abandon. Very elaborate complex and fast dance. And WAY caught the "mood".

Free: 3 Final:3

Slower that #1&2. Almost into boards on one lift and a little bobble. Nice circular footwork.

Melissa Ralph & Ryan O'Meara

OD: 3

Very high level of complexity in the hand/arm holds. Good variety and changes of level. She had a "wide step" in the footwork.

Free:1 Final:2

Spunky Ukranian Peasants. Really fast and amazing difficulty. Great opening segment. Big deep 1 footed lift. He was working just as much as she was. I really liked this dance.

Cheryl Russell & Kenny Metzger Jr.

OD: 5

My notes say "some assembly required". That usually means some minor synchronization/matching problems. I also felt they had a high level of difficulty in their dance.

Free:4 Final:5

A lot faster that the rest of the middle of the pack. Had a bad fall into the boards in warm up. A little pushing and pulling in some sections.

Anna Scheumann & Levi McDonough

OD: 12

The end lift was very nice and the diagonal footwork run worked, but there were several major footwork problems throughout the dance.

Free: 12 Final:12

They skated to jungle forest drum sounds. Her skirt was pretty much just shreddy fringes. They had a nice postition in a lift.Skated a little slowly and he seemed to spend a lot of quality time on two feet.

Kate Slattery & Patrick Connelly

OD: 11

There was a bit of "push and pull" going on in the upper bodies. The last lift had a rough ending. Skated to "Have you Ever Really Loved a Woman".

Free: 11 Final: 11

He bobbled on opening pose sequence. Not terribly tidy with line and so forth. A tad sloppy effect. Gospel spiritual music.

Laura Smith & Andrew Smith

OD:9

Very smooth and complex dance. Speed was the only issue I could see. Had a very good footwork pass also.

Free: 9 Final: 9

This dance had that great sort of "mesmerizing" quality - the holds sort of all weave in and out of each other. They kept the speed even throughout. They ended slightly before the music did.

Flo Steed & Augie Hill

OD:6

He had a pretty big bobble in the footwork. The toe picky parts had a good character of the dance.

Free: 6 Final: 6

Big bobble in a loose leg twizzle run. Sort of looked like a pairs program - a lot of hand to hand and distance between them. And some sychronizing issues.

Christina Zepeda & Nicholas Hart

OD:8

All my notes say is "huge disaster in footwork. I do not know if I wsa being Peter Carruthers style overdramatic or not

Free: 8 Final: 8

He bobbled in opening. Speed an issue.Aa little hesitant seeming.

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Last updated: January 22, 2002 5:35 PM