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Mel's Editorial#13: February 17, 2005I went into the 2005 Canadian National Championships expecting a run-of-the-mill dance competition. I did not expect to be wowed, or sitting on the edge of my seat. Although I was looking forward to seeing a few teams, I never anticipated that the dance event would be one of so many discoveries. First and foremost, I discovered that my friends and I are, without a doubt, Pascal Denis' biggest fans. Also firmly set in stone is the fact that he is one of our biggest fans. Having now attended two major competitions, both with Pascal Denis present, I can only imagine how boring compulsory dances would be without him! I was also pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed his skating with Martine Patenaude. While no one yankee polkas or wears flowers in her hair quite like Josée Piché, Martine is a fantastic match for Pascal and while I'm sure this year's nationals were a bit disappointing for them, I really hope that they stick together a bit longer and see how next year pans out. They don't seem like quitters to me, so I am looking forward to seeing them next year. Rivalling the spot for my most important discovery of the dance competition would be my love for Megan Wing & Aaron Lowe's "Zorba the Greek" free dance. I've defended it over the course of the season, as it has been the subject of a lot of disdain, but I didn't truly adore it until I saw it live. I may not be the biggest expert on the finer points of the technical side of Code of Points, but no one sold a free dance that night like Wing & Lowe sold us "Zorba." Within seconds, the entire arena was clapping along, and true to their past, Megan and Aaron fed off of the energy of the crowd and didn't let up at all in the next four and a half minutes. I'm not shy in admitting that I was really pulling for Wing & Lowe to hang on to silver and hold off Lefebvre & Markov. I never really understood why it was so close last year, but still, I came into this competition rather nervous for my favourite transplanted British Columbians. After their free dance, my nerves left completely. Not only did they execute their dance well and with a ton of energy, their polish and precision is unmatched in Canada, even by champions Dubreuil & Lauzon. I give Dubreuil & Lauzon the clear edge in difficulty and originality, and it's no question that they are a stronger team overall, but Wing & Lowe do what they do so well. I honestly feel that they have never been justly rewarded for the solidity of their execution. For the first time, Wing & Lowe were in the final group with two of their training partners in Canton, Michigan, youngsters and last year's junior national champions, Tessa Virtue & Scott Moir. I've been following Virtue & Moir for a year now and while there was no denying their talent, I never got swept up in the hype that surrounded them. When others proclaimed them as Canada's next big team, following in the footsteps of Bourne & Kraatz, I held back, wishing that everyone would just give them the time they needed to reach their own goals. I never doubted their talent or shied away from supporting them - after all, I'm friends with the webmistress of their official site - but I simply chose to ignore the media and went to this competition without any high expectations for them, just a hope that they would skate their best. And skate their best, they did. While I still hold to my opinion that the media is pushing them too hard, especially at their ages, I truly discovered how wonderful Tessa and Scott really are that weekend. Their original dance was delivered with a maturity and polish well beyond their years. At just 15 and 17, most dance teams would be struggling to find unison, searching for their partner on the ice, and flailing through difficult technical passages in an effort to gain the most possible from the Code of Points. Not the case with Tessa and Scott, who have been skating together for over seven years. Tackling a challenging tango in the free dance, I didn't find it quite as convincing as the original dance and thought that as far as presentation went, their young ages were a bit more apparent than they were in the second phase of the competition. However, technically speaking, they were fabulous, easily overtaking the much older team of Chantal Lefebvre & Arseni Markov. Overall, it wasn't enough to take the bronze medal, but you can bet that Lefebvre & Markov are looking over their shoulders when it comes to next year. Perhaps I'm still not sold on all the hype, but that didn't stop me from leaping to my feet as Virtue & Moir were hitting their final position, tears filling my overemotional heart at the sight of two hardworking kids having the skate of their lives thus far at home. It was the first of three standing ovations that Sunday afternoon, and the first of two coming for deserving and dedicated teams from Igor Shpilband's camp. In a skating world where partners change more often than the judging system as of late, both Virtue & Moir and Wing & Lowe have discovered the secret - find a partner, know your partner better than you know yourself, and stick together through thick and thin. It's such a breath of fresh air to see teams being rewarded for that. Archives -- Contact -- Features -- Guestbook -- Links -- Webmistress (c)2004-6 Melanie L. 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