Klimova & Ponomarenko (URS) - 1990 World Figure Skating Championships, Free Dance

[@jonathanpartridge6821]

Compared to D&D this comes across as conservative but when you really watch it there are some very innovative moves here. I guess there was just something about D&D that got the crowd going though - a certain rawness as Sandra Bezic states. They were a perfect antidote to the polish of the Soviets.

[@ericisave]

For myself , this is Ginger and Fred on ice!

[@TheSienna29]

This was the most difficult and best skated FP.

[@3Axel1996]

@libralady1010 That's one good thing about the Duchesnays (and Usova & Zhulin). The competitiveness pushed Klimova & Ponomarenko to venture out to try new choreography and dance routines, and that push may have resulted in the most romantic and exquisite Free Dance at the 1992 Olympics.

[@tally1604]

this is just sublime. the more i watch it, the more i appreciate the difficulty of the program and the cleanness of the execution. as bezic said, they may have been out-performed, but they definitely were not out-skated.

[@ericisave]

@@tally1604 the audience was biased! The venue was in Canada. D&D will always get a stronger audience reaction than any Soviet couple.

[@afinespormx7633]

Incomparable, magnifique!

[@michaeljj43]

love love love this program!!!!

[@eurocamp2541]

Just glorious. I remember watching them "back in the day", but just forgot how innovative they really were. I think this program in particular set the stage for ice dance as it is today. I prefer Klimova & Pononarenko to the Ducheneys hands down.

[@ericisave]

@@eurocamp2541 Imagine, just one judge held the difference between Olympic gold or silver.

[@stef1074]

A very very high level of skating...

[@АлексейВозьмилов-у6г]

Особое восхищение вызывает песенка Фредди и финальная поза с поцелуем Хиггинса своей Элизы.

[@jonathanpartridge6821]

This is absolutely gorgeous though

[@bettydevalcourt2490]

1990’s russian gold medalists

[@robbiebunge859]

Their outfits were very beige

[@SDoesNotKnow]

The Duschenays were amazing here and brought in the idea (with Chris Dean who started it with Bolero) that ice dance can be gut-wrenching and dramatic. Many teams (especially during the Anissina/Peizerat era) have copied that style to mixed and sometimes groan-worthy results. That said, I think it takes a real keen eye and refined taste to appreciate Klimova/Ponomarenko prior to 1991. Once you start gaining an understanding of ice skating and what real difficulty is (not just in blade work but in skating skills, transitions, dance holds, changing positions, patterns, etc.) and dance (body line, positioning, movement, execution, connection with one's partner, trust to do very risky moves that is dependent on one another) and what it takes to make the truly difficult look so effortless and beautiful, you'll realize just how much better K/P were than their competitors from 1985-1992 and how underappreciated they were. They were a masterclass of everything that is important and truly beautiful about ice dance. If you lack that understanding, then you may find K/P prior to 1991 boring. I suspect a lot of people actually didn't watch or really pay close attention to K/P's performance here and before 1990 worlds but just accepted their opinion that K/P were boring or brought nothing to ice dance (so not true).

[@ЛюбаМаксимова-ш2у]

Когда выступают Марина и Андрей это гимн и торжество молодости.Кажется жизнь и молодость бесконечны.

[@danidani-ss6yo]

Марина и Сергей

[@TheElePa]

I didn't ever say that K e P weren't great champions, I said that they weren't as innovative as Duchesnays and that the last ones left on ice dance a priceless mark. K e P had a better skating technique but, in my opimion, and I think not only in the mine, they were boring, perfect, but boring. And is not necessary having skated to see that.In the same way I never played football but I've seen many champions playing and so I believe I can say that Maradona was the greatest player of all the time

[@Iwatchstuff1000]

You can’t deny they are better skaters when compared to D&D, they’re smooth & fast here, yet Missing 1 & 2 were so engaging.

[@kalurank]

I think this was the moment when K/P finally realized that they couldn't get on with their (let's call it) traditional style of ice dancing (even they won the title here). This change of style brought them to completely innovative programmes in 1991 (Lawrence of Arabia) and 1992 (Bach Air).

[@emerybayblues]

+kalurank the Ducheney's Free Skate "Missing" really got a response from the crowd that this performance did not.

[@SDoesNotKnow]

+emerybayblues Yes the crowd liked easily-accessible dances. They didn't appreciate the purity, difficulty, and just superiority of their skating/dancing to the Duschenays. I actually preferred K/P's more traditional dances because it was all about the steps and choreography matching the music. When they went the theatrical route, they hit people's emotions right away but took out a lot of the unappreciated complexity and ease of movement that made them special. But if D/D were winning crowds with simple but well-thought out and passionate dances, then K/P had to adapt to that game. I still think D/D were sort of flash in the pans because Tribal Rites was exciting, but they only had one dance that I would put up with the great teams of all time and that's Missing. Once their novelty wore off, their shortcomings in versatility and actual substantive dancing and sloppiness was quite clear. They were successful for being vessels of Chris Dean and taking dances already done (like how their Blues OD was a copy of Underhill/Martini's dance and their one world title was won by going back to Missing, though rechoreographed and with different music selections).

[@skaterboy-cz9wj]

Huh. I think the purity of skating favoured k and p. Their edges, body positions, and line were somuch superior.

[@ericisave]

Just my opinion, but perhaps the choreography of a skaters program is mainly from the choreographer so the latter should get the bulk of the praise. The real innovators! Similar to when a politician delivers a speech (written by a talented author) Not taking anything away from anyone, just giving credit to where it's mainly due!

[@romankotov36]

Miles ahead of the Duchesnays and, frankly, Usova and Zhulin. I would say this is the best FD KP ever did. Insanely difficult, skating in close positions at fast speed throughout the program. Everything is so beautifully integrated into one choreographic whole. The only other pair that could skate this FD with so much panache and flair is, perhaps, TD. TD had generally better unison but not this kind of speed though. KP should've won this FD 9 to 0.

[@sof341]

sorry but I just saw the video of duschesnay of that year, there may be differences between paul and Isabella, but comparing the Russians may have done good skating but his program is much lower than duschesnay

[@gonzo77ffm]

i agree that they were technically awesome but especially in icedance it's the combination of technique and storytelling that brings the magic. Andt that year the duchesnays were better 1991 + 1992 klimova/ponomarenko were better i love their lawrence of arabia and of course the Bach-Medley at the olympics, these programs were magic

[@jamiejazz8194]

K&P had the technique, D&D had the heart.

[@gk891]

Maybe for some people it was boring and old fashioned. But ice dance is a sporting competition and not only was this free dance WAY more difficult than any of the other teams (the range of steps, edges, turns, and handholds is mind blowing) but their clinical execution was astonishing.

[@gonzo77ffm]

Of course it was good, but... after what the duchesneys have done they were just boring and old fashioned

[@ouramazinganimalworld3261]

Could never warm to them and always routed for D& D

[@slavakargin]

Boring. And note that they lost this free dance, so don’t say about their incomparable superiority. Eventually, for me the question is: will I want to see this dance again? No. How about Missing? Yes.

[@skaterboy-cz9wj]

I am sorry i know people love the Duchesnay's. They were innovative, competitive and wonderful. But they had limitations being siblings and more significantly did noth ave the skating skills of Usova or Zhulin or Klimova and Pomarenko. To think they will be remembered more than K and P is rather naive. perhaps to die hard dsquared fans but to the majority several world gold and an oly gold not to mention oly silver and bronze will crucify dsquardes world title, medals and oly silver.

[@josieshy2376]

No chance. The times of crucifixions are over. Thanks god.

[@TheElePa]

Great technique BUT BORING BORING BORING..it's always the same (old) story, even if perfectly performed.Nothing new under the sun.The Duchesnays have left on ice dance a priceless mark contributing towards demolishing rules old and out-of-date. For this reason the judges didn't like their innovative style.If you ask today about Duchesnays many people remember them and their routines, first of all the incomparable Missing.Try to ask them about K&P. Almost always the answer will be : "K&P who?"

[@markpolonius]

Klimova and Ponomarenko are so much better than the Ducheneys. The latter seem to get additional points simply because of their association with Christopher Dean. Usova's team is even better than the Ducheneys.

[@gk891]

In what way did the Duchesnays combine technique with storytelling? Missing was artistically stunning but Isabelle and to a lesser extent Paul were not strong technically with almost all of their skating done hand to hand or side by side. And the execution was just plain sloppy.

[@jimmyseraphin7314]

technicly good but artisticly boring....

[@guillaumedupont7565]

Thanks God fortunately the dance has evolved in technique because this program seems prehistoric slow and empty skating often in force the supports and edges seeming approximate and it often trembles...Even in juniors today the skaters classified in the penultimate group do better than this couple that I always found slow old school and overrated

[@Викторалекс-ц3щ]

Программа никакая , второй раз её пересматривать нет никакого желания , не шедевр. Программы Дубовой в большинстве своем никакие , что подтвердил период когда она тренировала великих Моисееву и Миненкова.