Chapter 53 2012 First Stop Short Dance
◎Asian team wants to win gold◎
"Mr. Feng, don't think too much. Just maintain your current level and you will definitely qualify for the Winter Olympics next year." Xu Chi said to Coach Feng.
"I'm afraid I can't hold on..." Chang Yu, the male partner in the adult group, said in a low voice.
His female companion Wei Xiao hit him, looked at the two groups of youth athletes in front of them, and said with a smile: "We will work hard to get the Olympic qualification. There will definitely not be more than one. You are basically of age, so it's just right to upgrade to a higher group next year. We will decide who will go to the Winter Olympics at the National Championships."
The conference room fell silent for a moment.
The Winter Olympics and the World Championships have the same rules. Athletes who turn 16 in the first half of the year can participate. Ji Tiantian just turned 15, and she was 17 in the 2014 Winter Olympics, which meets the requirements. So Ji Tiantian and Tang Yi can move up to the adult group in the 2013-2014 Winter Olympics season, and prepare to head to the Winter Olympics.
The Winter Olympics quota is tied to the country, not the athlete. That is to say, if Xiaokou Changkai gets a Winter Olympics quota in the 2013 World Championships without any accidents, then Ji Tang, who will be promoted to the group next year, can compete with them in the 2013 National Championships. The one with the higher score will get the Winter Olympics ticket.
Lin Aili is one year older than Ji Tiantian, and her male companion, Brother Bianzi, is even older, so Lin Aili's group can be promoted to participate in the competition for domestic spots.
"Speaking of promotion, I think the head coach came to you a few days ago." Coach Feng looked at Xu Chi while smoking, "The leadership seems to want you to be promoted this season?"
"Yes." Xu Chi nodded, "but I didn't agree."
Xu Chi smoked silently.
There is another solution for the Winter Olympics quota competition, that is, Ji Tang will be promoted to the next group this season, and replace Xiaokou Changkai to participate in the 2013 World Championships, which is also the Olympic quota competition. Anyway, Ji Tiantian will be 16 years old at that time, and she is old enough. The leaders think that with the current technical level of Ji Tang and the other two, they should be able to earn multiple Olympic quotas, more than the quota that Wei Chang's group can get.
From the perspective of the 2014 Winter Olympics, it is good to get more quotas, and it will also allow leaders to make more beautiful reports to the outside world. But in the long run, Xu Chi feels that upgrading the group in advance will not be conducive to the long-term development of national ice dance.
Unlike single and double dance events, where the scores can go up as long as the technique improves, and there is no need to worry too much after the promotion, ice dancing is a sport that relies heavily on impressions, and it is easy to defend the stage but difficult to attack the stage. Many ice dancers who are promoted from the youth group to the adult group have to go through a "practice period" where the results are not so ideal. Only after the judges are familiar with them can they get high scores.
Moreover, the adult group of ice dance is mostly composed of long-time star players, many of whom have not retired at the age of 30. Their competition experience, performance core, and understanding of the judges' aesthetics are beyond the reach of young players. Ji Tang may not be able to get high scores in the early stages of his promotion.
Secondly, the country currently only has Ji Tang and his pair of outstanding ice dance youth group players. The reserve force has not yet emerged. If Ji Tang is promoted now, the ice dance project will face the situation of no successors. The youth group will return to the embarrassing days of only one pair of players going to the youth group every year. That pair will probably have to struggle in the short dance stage of the preliminaries and have difficulty entering the free dance stage.
"I've told the head coach that Tiantian and Tang Yi will have to stay in the youth group for another year. There's not much point in hastily upgrading to a higher group, except for wasting the enthusiasm and energy of excellent players." Xu Chi slowly raised his eyes and spoke in a firm and calm voice, "Ice dancing is a sport that requires a lot of experience. They need to consolidate their skills and improve their... and our country's international influence this year. This will take time. During this year, other players in the youth group must also work harder and strive to move up in the rankings, so that when Ji Tiantian and Tang Yi are promoted to a higher group, the reserve force for ice dancing will not be interrupted."
After hearing what Xu Chi said, Lin Aili's team and their coach nodded repeatedly. "Don't worry, Old Xu, we will train you hard this year to ensure that you have no worries after you are promoted to the next team." Lin Aili's coach said.
"I have also told Tiantian and Tang Yi about the conversation with the leader. I have discussed with them, and they all agree that we should not be promoted to a higher group this season, but will be promoted next season." After Xu Chi finished speaking, Tiantian nodded.
Xu Chi paused, looked at Coach Feng and continued, "Ice dancers have long careers, and what awaits them is not just one Winter Olympics. This is not the case for everyone. I think we must consider the long term. Single skating is restricted by age and needs to be promoted to a higher group in a hurry. But we are not like that. For our dancers, life experience and experience are also important."
"But Old Xu, can all these things you've considered really be accomplished in one year?" Coach Feng took a deep breath. "The youth group will perform well as a whole, and Tiantian and Tang Yi will be able to go one step further and have more influence and fame in the international arena... Well, I don't mean to discourage my own people... I just think that it would be great if we can accomplish one of these two things."
"We will try our best." Tang Yi said at this time, "If we don't do this, someone else will do it in the future."
Ji Tiantian nodded vigorously: "Yes. We are lucky to have achieved results in the youth group, so let's gain a firm foothold. Let the judges have a good initial impression when they see our country's young ice dancers in the future."
"We will also work hard." Lin Aili and Brother Bianzi also spoke up, with fighting spirit in their voices.
Let time prove how far Chinese ice dancing can go.
"The Olympic quota...is directly related to the team's performance...You must be unhappy if you refuse your leader like this." Coach Feng sighed and continued. He knew very well how much the leader wanted to get results as soon as possible to prove himself.
Xu Chi nodded. "He said that with limited resources, it's not worth wasting so much money on training outside for a group of players in the youth group."
"Are you going to stop the overseas training?" Coach Feng was shocked. "Didn't you say before that as long as we get in the top three in the World Youth Championship, we won't stop?"
"The rules of the International Skating Union are changing every day. Do you expect nothing to change in China?" Xu Chi smiled.
"No...then why are you still so calm?" Coach Feng looked at Xu Chi in surprise, then at Ji Tiantian and Tang Yi.
"Coach Xu told us what the leadership meant, and then Tang Yi and I expressed our attitudes. In the end, the leadership decided to continue the training for the time being, but as a condition, we have to work hard to win the gold medal." Ji Tiantian looked at Coach Feng and smiled lightly, "If we can't get it, we are willing to accept any punishment."
For a moment, no one in the conference room spoke. After a while, Chang Yu pondered and said, "This is not about... the gold medal in the race, right?"
"Yes, I'm talking about the gold medals in the finals and the World Youth Championship." Ji Tiantian nodded. Her palms felt a little cold. Although she had already prepared herself, her heart was still stirred when she said this.
"We will try our best." Tang Yi continued.
The conference room fell silent again. No one spoke, just staring at Tang Yi and Ji Tiantian.
Although winning a gold medal in an international A-level competition was nothing strange for Ji Tang at this stage, the adult and youth groups present could not help but be shocked.
After all, they had never heard an ice dancer speak such solemn, calm and confident words in Chinese.
The voices of Ji Tiantian and Tang Yi overlapped and rushed into their hearts, stirring up a wave of heat.
“Then let’s end the meeting here?” Xu Chi suggested when he saw that no one wanted to speak.
"There's not much else to say." Jiang Lin flipped through the printed new rules for the season. "Not much has changed."
"Let's stop here then?" Seeing that no one objected, Xu Chi led Ji Tang and Jiang Lin out of the meeting room.
"I feel that Tiantian and Tang Yi's world is quite different from ours." Chang Yu spoke in a daze after Ji Tiantian and her group left.
"The World Youth Ice Dance Gold Medal..." Wei Xiao rubbed his temples, still a little dazed, "Oh my god, this is something I never dared to imagine before... They really have been creating miracles. I can't imagine what the situation was like during the Winter Olympics..."
After she finished speaking, everyone in the conference room looked out the window at the dark night. Above the night sky, the stars were shining brightly.
Not long after, Ji Tiantian and Tang Yi said goodbye to their relatives and friends and set off again to study at the Montreal Ice Dance School in Canada.
Here, they ran into Mia and Lucas, not surprisingly. Now when Lucas saw Ji Tiantian, his attitude was unfamiliar and polite.
He still admired Ji Tiantian's talent, but he felt that he might not be ready to fall in love with a Chinese girl.
While training hard, Ji Tiantian also received news from teammates and opponents at home and abroad.
Domestically, this season, Yu Sha Gaozhe in pairs skating, and Ning Huai and Ye Yidong in men's and women's singles will all be promoted to higher groups this season.
The age limit for the adult Grand Prix this year is 16 in the first half of next year, so they will start preparing for the adult Grand Prix and then participate in the World Championships. They will not participate in the youth group races or the World Youth Championships in the future.
This promotion is based on both the needs of the event and the conditions of the athletes themselves. If the coach thinks the athlete is ready to be promoted and there is a vacancy in the adult group, the athlete will be promoted.
As for overseas, Ji Tiantian knew that the American disco group and the British Lillian Michael group were promoted. However, her rivals, the Spanish childhood sweetheart group, the Canadian rich group, and the Katelin group that won two gold medals did not get promoted this season.
The Spanish and Canadian teams did not move up because their countries' adult teams are strong and international competition places are scarce, so they decided to stay in the youth team for another year to try to win a medal. Anyway, age is not particularly important for ice dancers.
As for the fact that Katerin of the National Ice Dance Team did not move up to the next group, it was not only because the National Ice Dance Team had a strong team but also because she had a conflict with Ilic because she found out that Ilic had an affair with a female partner in the National Ice Dance Team.
In order to avoid any bloody quarrels in the competition, she decided to stay out of the limelight in the youth group and try to avoid the adult group during practice.
Katerin often updates her status on foreign social media, and Ji Tiantian often sees it. Overall, Katerin's mentality in the off-season is much better than that in the World Youth Championship, and Ji Tiantian looks forward to meeting her again in the new season.
Just like before, Ji Tang prepared the short dance under the arrangement of the coach and choreographer.
Since the short dance requirement this season is swing dance, Ji Tang naturally has to familiarize himself with swing dance on land first, and then skate it on the ice.
At the same time, they also had to start thinking about the theme of the free dance, but there was no progress.
One day, choreographer Clara sought out Ji Tiantian for a private conversation.
"I think you also understand that Tang Yi is a person who likes to bury himself very deeply. The emotions he expresses are always just the tip of the iceberg. If I want to make a breakthrough, I still have to start with you." Clara said to Ji Tiantian, "Regarding the free dance, do you have anything special to say? Tell me, so that I can design the most suitable program for you and help you get high scores."
Ji Tiantian's mind went blank for a moment, and she looked at Clara in a daze.
"Nothing, do you particularly care?" Clara paused and continued, "Ice fans and referees watch Katerin and Ilic's performances, expecting the emotional tension they express. Every season, their expression and control of emotions are growing. The Spanish childhood sweethearts are good at using their tacit understanding to interpret classic pieces with their own personal style, which is also exciting. And Canada's Mia and Lucas, haha, they look a bit plastic, but in fact they are very synchronized in many technical moves. After all, they grew up in the same environment, and they are very good at using blades. Have you ever thought about what you want to express on the ice?"
Ji Tiantian was silent for a while. Yes, the Goose Group, the Spanish Group, and the Canadian Group all seem to have very distinct labels, emotions, tacit understanding, and blade skills.
She and Tang Yi...although they have a tacit understanding, it seems that the tacit understanding is not to the extent that it can leave a deep impression on people.
As for technique, they were not much better than the Canadian team in terms of edge technique, which is the most important technique in ice dancing.
“Tiantian, you told me that your goal this season is to win the gold medal.” Clara looked intently into Ji Tiantian’s eyes. “We all know that this is not easy. Your strong opponents are still here this season, and they are also growing. You must take this season very, very seriously. If you don’t open your heart, I can’t help you.”
"What I want to express the most...what I care about the most..." Ji Tiantian slowly raised her hand, covered her head, closed her eyes and fell into memories, "I used to like someone very much, but later I found that this kind of liking...was just the admiration of youth. In this relationship, I received very little feedback. So I thought, put all my love on the game. I don't know...I don't know how to say it...I think the old me...wasted a lot of time...reflecting on whether I didn't do well enough...whether I didn't work hard enough...but I also worked hard, why can't I get what I want."
"Even if it's just once, I want to get what I want through hard work." Ji Tiantian choked up slightly, "I really... want to win the gold medal..."
She took a deep breath, wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes with the back of her hand, and looked at Clara.
"I want to win the gold medal," she repeated with certainty.
The dream of standing at the top gradually became clear. Let the medal prove that her efforts were meaningful.
She can go wherever she wants.
Clara looked at Ji Tiantian, silent for a moment, walked over, took Ji Tiantian into her arms, and stroked her head gently: "Maybe you didn't get the feedback you wanted just because the timing was not right, or maybe it's because you and the person who gave the feedback are not on the same channel."
"Really?" Ji Tiantian hesitated.
"I have some ideas. I need to think about how to express what you want to express... It must be an expression that is unique to you." Clara pondered for a moment and suddenly thought of something, "Tiantian, you are studying at the High School Affiliated to the Capital Dance Academy, right?"
"Yeah." Ji Tian nodded.
"I think I may need your teacher's help." Clara hugged Ji Tiantian tightly, "Don't worry, time will give you the answers you want."
Time passed slowly during the hard training. Soon, Ji Tang's first race of the season - the Youth Grand Prix - would begin.
As usual, the figure skating forum has set up a special thread for discussing ice dancing in the 2012 races.
1L: Ahhh, sisters who support Tiantang, please stand up, the new season is about to begin!
2L: Squatting and free dancing! Woohoo, I’m a little worried about what’s going on!
3L: Stop talking, I'm so nervous that my palms are cold, woooo! This season is the battle of the young team of Tiantang! If we don't win the gold medal this season, we will never win it!
4L: Huh? Why can't we win a gold medal this season?
5L: 2013-2014 is the Winter Olympics season! I will definitely say goodbye to the youth group and move up to the adult group to give it a try, right? So whether I can get a better ranking in the youth group depends on this season!
6L: Wow, so nervous! I wish my World Youth Medal would change color again!
7L: But the big goose team is so strong, with so much competition experience. I feel like Tiantang is too young... wuwuwuwu...
8L: My little heart can’t take it anymore! Shall we team up and go watch Tiantang’s training?
9L: Tiantang is currently training at a Canadian ice dance school. Students studying in Canada can go and take a look.
10L: Thanks for the invitation, I've already been there. The Montreal Ice Dance School is indeed a real dumpling restaurant. There were so many people when I went there that I didn't see Tiantang (tired smile).
11L: Woohoo, I’m so nervous!
It's already the end of August, and the season of lazy blues and cheerful swing dance music has begun.
The first stop of this season's youth group race is in Courchevel, France, which is also Ji Tang's first stop.
The rules are the same as in previous years, the top three in the World Junior Championships cannot compete in the same race, so Ji Tang will not encounter the Goose Group and the Canadian Group this time. And they will not meet their teammates in the singles and doubles events who have been promoted.
Because the two groups have different arrangements, Ji Tang will not travel with Lin Aili's group, which is participating in the sub-station competition for the first time.
Ji Tang could only cheer each other up with his friends on social media.
Compared with last season, this season is more like a lonely journey for Ji Tang.
But it is also a journey that only they can complete.
Courchevel is close to the Alps and is a place where ice and snow sports are popular.
While checking in at the hotel, Ji Tang met the Spanish group Ana Relo who were participating in the first stop like them. The two groups hugged and greeted each other.
"We will be promoted to a higher group next season. Lei Luo and I both hope to win one more silver medal before the promotion." Anna said to Ji Tiantian.
"I won the silver medal in the 2011 World Youth Championship, but this year I'm fourth." Lei Luo showed a complicated smile, "My opponent is really strong."
"Tiantian, your goal this season is to win gold, right?" Anna asked.
Anna's voice was neither loud nor soft, and coincidentally, when she asked this question, the hotel lobby was silent.
All the players in the hall looked over.
Under everyone's gaze, Ji Tiantian took a deep breath and smiled brightly.
"YES." She answered in a clear voice.
"Although I know that they are the silver medalists of the World Youth Championship, it still finds it incredible..." There was a murmur of discussion around.
"Yeah... the Asian team is going to win the gold medal..."
"If it really succeeds, it will be a miracle in the history of ice and snow sports, right?"
"Impossible? Will my score be suppressed?"
"The P score is definitely not as good as Katerin and the others. It all depends on how well they can perform... But can their skills really surpass Katerin and the others?"
...The discussion continues.
But Ji Tiantian looked very calm.
Although her ambitions this season are unusually high, she feels that she is more calm than in the past two seasons.
She couldn't wait to dance on the ice.
"I hope we can all get what we want." Anna and Ji Tiantian hugged each other gently, then turned and left.
Only Ji Tiantian and Tang Yi were left there.
"Tang Yi, um..." Ji Tiantian thought for a moment, then said to Tang Yi, "If there is anything I did not do well in this branch, you have to tell me, don't hesitate, so that I can improve it in advance."
"You've done a great job." Tang Yi said seriously.
"I thought you would say that." Ji Tiantian couldn't help laughing, "But, thank you."
In the blink of an eye, it was time for the short dance competition.
Ni Chuan sat with a handful of Chinese ice fans, anxiously waiting for the game to begin.
Tiantang Dafen Feifei did not come this time. She has her own studies and summer job, and cannot be there like Ni Chuan.
"What is this short dance competition about?"
"Blues and Swing..."
"What are these two kinds of dance?"
"After all, blues is lazy and lyrical, while swing dance is quite cheerful..." The Chinese audience gathered together to chat.
"It feels like the Chinese group didn't perform well this time." At this time, a foreign audience member nearby said to his friend with confidence, "Their social dance skills are relatively weak. In the previous Latin season, they could choose the melody, so they chose the relatively slow rumba, but this time, they couldn't choose, so they were fixed on two rhythms. Swing music is so cheerful, they definitely can't handle it."
"Haha, their fans are still counting on them to win gold. That's totally impossible."
"Compared with the Russian team, the Chinese team is still too far away..."
Several foreign audience members were talking, but they sensed the displeased looks from the Chinese audience members nearby, so they slowly fell silent.
However, their smug expressions, as if everything was under control, still made Ni Chuan inexplicably unhappy.
He held his chin with one hand, waiting for Ji Tang to appear in a somewhat impatient manner.
Soon, it was Ji Tang's turn to warm up.
"Come on, sweetie!"
Amid cheers, Ji Tang and his partner, along with three other pairs of contestants, went on the ice to warm up for five minutes before the short dance.
Ji Tiantian's costume for this short dance is a lilac halter-neck long gauze dress with a belt tied around her waist. The belt and halter are inlaid with rhinestones. The dress shows off the girl's slender neck, and her equally slender but muscular arms and back. The belt further highlights Ji Tiantian's thin waist. And under the light skirt, there is also a pair of long legs with muscular lines.
Tang Yi's costume is relatively simple, a black shirt with black pants.
Ji Tiantian and Tang Yi pushed their legs on the ice at the same frequency, switching their legs back and forth.
Ji Tiantian has grown up. She is now 166cm tall, the same height as in her previous life. Her facial features are more three-dimensional than before, so Jiang Lin made her makeup more mature, with thick eyelashes flickering. Ji Tiantian tied her hair into a high ponytail, and the hair in the ponytail was curled and fluffy. As she moved, the fluffy black hair swayed gently in the air.
"Wow, this seems to be the first time I see Tiantian without her hair tied up!"
"So cute, like a girl idol."
"Oh my god, what a great figure! It must have taken a lot of hard training to get like this..."
The warm-up ended amid discussions among Chinese audiences.
"The next pair, from China, Ji Tiantian and Tang Yi." Soon after, a cold voice came from the radio, announcing the start of Ji Tiantian and Tang Yi's appearance.
Ji Tiantian and Tang Yi came to the ice amid cheers. The music they chose was blues and swing.
Their blues music "Wonderland" soon sounded.
The blues rhythm is soothing and pleasant. Accompanied by the music, Ji Tiantian and Tang Yi enter the pattern dance part.
They held each other in a foxtrot grip, one hand on each other's shoulders and the other hand in each other's, looking ahead as they glided forward.
I'm in wonderland with you and it feels so nice
It feels so wonderful to walk in the wonderland with you
You made all my dreams true, feels like paradise
You make my dreams come true, it's like heaven
They linked their hands and simultaneously lifted their floating legs high forward into a blues-style choctaw.
The choctaw, a leg-changing exercise involving a five-position squat, actually has many variations, one of which is the Bruce choctaw.
The blues choctaw is a major feature of the blues pattern dance. The action is characterized by the male and female contestants slowly lifting their floating legs when holding each other, while leaning their bodies slightly backward, showing an elegant and relaxed posture. After changing legs, the new floating leg should also be stretched backward.
The purple gauze skirt swayed gently as Ji Tiantian and Tang Yi skated on the ice together, stretching their legs in sync, with a sense of power amidst their laziness.
After the two Berlusconi patterns required for the short dance are completed, the music quickly switches to a swing dance of a completely different style.
As if intending to make the short dance show as much layering as possible, the International Skating Union combined two melodies of completely different styles as the rhythm of the short dance this season.
Ji Tang started their swing dance session with the cheerful swing song "I'm A Ding Dong Daddy".
Swing dance includes many toe movements and cheerful kicking and jumping. The degree of difficulty is no less than Latin.
Looking at Ji Tiantian and Tang Yi on the ice with their arms stretched out and quickly crossing their legs to perform a series of pointe dance steps, some Chinese people couldn't help but exclaim.
"This... why does this look a little familiar?" he couldn't help but say.
On the ice, Ji Tiantian and Tang Yi took brisk hops on their toes, the teeth of their skates hitting the ice lightly and powerfully.
"Oh, I remember, their free dance in 2011 had a lot of similar toe steps!" another ice fan exclaimed, "They are good at this style!"
Ji Tiantian and Tang Yi danced hand in hand with smiles on their faces to the cheerful dance music.
Tang Yi knelt on one knee on the ice, and Ji Tiantian raised her floating leg and swept it over his head. Then Tang Yi quickly stood up, stepped to the lively music, and used both legs to jump into the air with Ji Tiantian, performing a split-leg jump in unison.
The purple skirt fluttered on the ice, Ji Tiantian was in mid-air, doing a split, opening her arms and showing a bright smile. Her black hair was scattered in the air.
This is her peak season.
-over-
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