Highlights at half eleven at night....oh who needs sleep anyway? I'll go
through worse come SLC!

Navka and Kostamarov RUS
Pink jacket for him...nice black dress with netting on sleeves for her...not
back...mask of zorro flamenco, then piazolla tango...great unison in the
steps to start...s/s step....striaght line....nice dance spin...incredibly
fast twizzles from her....he's showing rather a lot of chest....spinny lift
there....good unision here, and lots of ice coverage...diagonal step
here....and they stopped at the start so that the judges could see what they
were doing.....and another spinny lift wehre she's lying acorss him and
they're done/ Wow said Chris....Nicky thinks they could have captured more
of tango feel, could have held some of the moves a little more....a tango is
a long hold, then a very quick look and then you're moving he says, and they
could have done that a little more...Chris says that they're making the
elements a little more... making it really obvious...
marks 5,1-5.5...5.4-5.6...they're first at this point.


Lobacheva and Averbukh RUS
hes in black leather...she's in red dress and black sparkly top...lots of
energy in the dance tos start the tango, but the costumes very over the top
for me....big red flower in her hair....which is up...fast across the
ice...esp in that lift where shes wrapped around his legs and he
spins....dance spin looked slow....very deep v at the front of her
dress....and no back....step....circular I think....not sure that it fits
with the music, and NIckytells me they're not difficult....straight line
step again not difficult....loss os synch big time there....his presentation
nicky praises to the skies....and they're done. Chris doesn't htink that she
looked as sharp as normal...nicky spent more time looking at him, thinks
that he really captured the feel of the dance, but there wans't the tech
content...but how they're doing not very much is fantastic...
marks 5.4-5.7...5.7-5.8 (2 of them) - all firsts.

Drobiazko and Vanagas LTU
Back to back is a good draw...we can compare....and cream shirt for him,
back waistcoat....black dress red trim for her...classier looking ....tango
to start...and they seem to have better speed and flow already...although I
am biased....nice lunges from him...diagonal step...good unision....sharp,
crisp....lift whre she's upside down...very nice....she stops he slides to
her..music changes...dnace spin....more changes in it that in
L&A...steps....and this their straight line? or not....good changes of
hold..and this their straight line.....better unison than the
russiands...nice lift.......and they're done bang on the music! that'll do
for me chris says and for me too! I'm biased liek I said, but for me that 's
better than the russians. Maybe not as big as the russians, but better for
me. nicky calls this a more traditional dance....tech had more content in
terms of turns and edges....pres not as strong he says .... thinks it'll be
all to play for in the free...chris is behind D&V
marks 5.4-5.7...5.6-5.8....5/4 split. they're second.

Fusar Poli and Margaglio
Big red dress for her...long skirt....red blouse for him black trousers,
flamenco and paso.....and tassley eppaulettes for him....steps to start,
building the mood....she's twizzling away..clapping hands....death spiralish
move....stop..steps in fronto f the judges...lots of ice coverage...in time
with music...straight line step...not bad unison...might have lost a teeny
bit at the ned....lift...dance spin...more posing on the ice...been a little
open to nicky and tahts the word I was looking for...daigonal steps....it's
very frenetic...lift and turn and changes of position and they're
done....lots of drama and passion says Chris....didn't do it for me. Again,
rampant bias here, I make no apologies....and I'm not a big paso fan
either....nicky says lifts not as difficult as could have been...something
is missing for him....that man is so my boyfriend....he doesn't think they
captured the power and passion that they could ...
marks 5.6-5.8...5.8-5.9 (2) one has them second. the last judge from LTU!

Denkova and Staviyski BUL
In 6th...all black for him...blakc with red rose on dress for her...red
sleeve....tango...very nice mood set...they've go the little flicks going
on, dance spin wehre they're both in almost a sit position...nice lift good
flow nad linkage...lift where she's gathered aroudn him, not hte most
aethestically pleasing....diagonal steps...the start looked very easy
...lots of pushing and gliding..nicky praised the linkage between
movements...stiraight line step...not sure of the unison in he middle....and
stop. very very good says nicky...
marks 5.2-5.5...5.4-5.7...4th at the moment.

Annissina and Peizerat
Blakc from him and a goatee!!! no! no! no! shave baby shave! red for
her...lots of red...and roses...flameco then tango the flam....turns at the
top...straight line steps....looks at those steps...adn the dress while
voluminous , works.....stop dance and pose....steps fitting in well wit hthe
music...looking right at each other , holding interest, relationsgip between
them so clear...dancing with each othre as opposed to on the same ice...nice
lift wehre their foreheads are together...in to dance spin....clapping of
the hands....nice changeso fhold and great unison...you can see them working
it...lift....little hop from him and it's done! that was great! suprreb use
of edges says chris, wonderful charisma....work as a real team, not one
stronger than the other...is that an actual goatee, or an eye pencil job?
BEcause if it's the former, I'll donate the Euros for a razor. If it's the
latter, I'll donate the Euros for an eraser! Nicky prefers this over the
italians because it captures the atmosphere better....flamenco was great....
marks ..5.7-5.9...5.7-6.0 CZE and AUS have them in seoncd....6.0 from LTU
they lead.

Chait and Sakhonovsky
Red dress with black lattice overlay from waist down for her...white blouse
and black trousers, red cumberband for him....he has the tassles on the
shoulder....to go with her latticey thing....lots of power....speed is
somethign to behold...striaght line step...very fast....not sure that they
always kept the line...into Roxanne from Moulin ROuge....lift wehre she
jumps on him...not so sure I would.....very sharp....dance spin....lift
where she's lying across him....very fast says nicky but traditional ...lots
of twizzling from her...russian stlye...100 miles an hour and twizzling the
girl around...steps....and they're done/ nicky didn't think it captured the
latin flavour....hispanic or spanish medley is the theme....
marks 5.2-5.6....5.5-5.8...they're in 5th.

Grushina and Goncharov
And there's yellow flaggy things out of black for them...tango nad paso oh
joy! dance spin to start...not the most centred I've seen in my life...and
his hair is just as frizzy as ever....bits of material on his shoulders
detract fomr skating lines says chris and oh boy I agree. and they're canary
yellow for ctying out loud! Lift....and stop and music change and
kneel....steps...very very fast...lots of ice coverage...straight line
step..not the hardest and not cpaturing the latin at all,,,,nicky feels
music is too strident....nice lift where she's upside down onhis back and
comes down over it...and thye're done. that did nothing for nicky nor for
me, and nicky feels that it carried on at the same pace for too long, no
light and shade about it.
marks 4.5, then 5.1-5.6....4.5 then 5.2-5.6......8th overall.

France lead, then Italy, Russia Lthu, Isr.