At the 2015 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships the strongest field was certainly the ice dance. Many feared the fall of Canadian, and North American ice dance overall following the retirement of Davis and White and Virtue and Moir (yes, I know, they haven't officially retired, but let's be honest with ourselves, they're probably done), but it is clear this season that North American ice dance is still going strong.
Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje took their first national championship title this weekend. Some aren't thrilled with the artistic side of their skating, but it cannot be denied that they have amazing skating skills, speed, and power. Though some may be less than enamored with their free dance they do have a classic elegance that I am partial to. They have a beautiful free dance, and very few of the top teams have a free dance with a nontraditional style. With the pasodoble as the short dance, many teams opted for a classic, soft free dance to balance the sharp power of the paso. Among these dances, Weaver and Poje stand out as very talented, confident skaters, regardless of how you feel about their skating style.
Piper Gilles and Paul Porier finished in second place at nationals this year, and like Kaitlyn and Andrew, have had an exceptional season, attending the Grand Prix Final in Barcelona. Piper and Paul had a great showing at nationals. They usually have a quirky energy to their programs, which in many ways is toned down in their programs this season, but they still maintain their energy in the more classic free dance. They will not likely place on the podium at worlds, but they have a strong chance to finish certainly in the top 10 and perhaps in the top 5.
The third place team of Alexandra Paul and Mitchell Islam have not had the successful season internationally the other 2 teams have had. However their new free dance, originally choreographed by Jeffery Buttle is a beautiful piece that suits their personalities, and should (hopefully) be more successful internationally than their free dance from the first half of the season. These two had an amazing breakout season last season, attending the Olympic Games in Sochi, and this season they continue to be successful within Canada, but are struggling a little more on the international circuit, perhaps in part due to the fact that the pasodoble is not their best style of dance, but they continue to perform admirably, and hopefully as they attend the last few international competitions of the season their programs will be more appreciated by the judges.
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