Best Floor Routine of the Year
We’re only 2 weeks into 2008 but I’ve already found the best floor routine of the year, hands down. Thanks to kradunzel I found this video of Tabitha Yim from last Saturday’s Stanford vs. Georgia meet. The presentation is exquisite. The sequence following her second tumbling pass is gorgeous and precisely timed. It gave me chills. I wish we saw more of this at the elite level. It is thrilling. Yim is in a class of her own. Outstanding.
My only question is the ending pose. I can’t decide how I feel about it. It seems somewhat out of sync with the rest of her choreography. My husband loves it but he’s not known for his taste in final floor poses. What do you think? Love it or hate it?
January 14th, 2008 at 9:44 pm
Meh. Nothing special, in my opinion. The first part really doesn’t fit the music. The one jump at 0:48 in the video is nicely timed, but otherwise that section is, while decent, nothing out of the ordinary.
I really like the ending, to be honest; though it doesn’t necessarily fit with the rest of her routine, it does add a bit of comic flair which I really like in floor routines.
January 15th, 2008 at 7:00 am
i love it! hence, why i left a comment on the video the day it was posted. haha.
January 16th, 2008 at 5:41 pm
I think the ending is supposed to be honest. It’s as if she’s letting the audience know that she has put everything she has into the routine — including emotions and feelings — and she is left completely without anything left hence the exhausted falling to the floor pose. It’s not original. Hope Spivey did it in her floor routine that won NCAA nationals in 1994. Abby Stack from Georgia ends her routine the same way this year.
Overall, I think it is a good routine because she not only tumbles and jumps and turns, but she expresses and communicates and performs. Most floor routines seem to go from difficult, bonus point skill to bonus skill to next etc. and the expression gets lost in preparation from bonus to bonus. Maybe the scoring for the women’s floor and beam routines needs to evolve to become even more like ice skating in that there should be a technical elements score and an artistic elements score and routines can be choreographed with a free dance section that would be similar to the skating foot work section. Let’s face it, it’s easy to tell when a gymnast can or can’t dance. The ones that can’t dance (Amy Chow from the 1996 and 2000 US Olympic team specifically comes to mind for me) just go from gymnastics pose to gymnastics pose and jump to jump and turn to turn and flexibility element to flexibility element, but never really dance. But maybe that’s not what we’re supposed to be judging the gymnast on? What’s rhythmic gymnastics? Isn’t that where they dance? Maybe the dance elements belong in rhythmic gymanstics more than artistic? If that’s the case, then maybe the women’s routines should be evolving to be more like the men’s without music and without dance? Hmmmm? I personally like to see powerful tumbling combined with grace and dance. To me that’s the total package. I think Alicia Sacramone and Catalina Ponor are the gymnasts in most recent years that perform the kind of routines that pull off power, grace, and artistry.
January 17th, 2008 at 10:45 am
While I’m thrilled that Tabitha is still doing so well in gymnastics, I did find her floor routine to be a little too dramatic. She looks great, though–and I personally loved the final pose. I wish that she had stayed elite longer, but am glad that she certainly hasn’t just disappeared.
January 21st, 2008 at 11:01 pm
This routine is the most artistic and well performed routine I have ever seen! So nice to go to a gym meet and see art in motion. She is obviously talking to people in this routine. I absolutely loved it. Thanks!
January 21st, 2008 at 11:25 pm
I’ve got to agree with you, best routine I’ve seen this year.
January 26th, 2008 at 2:15 pm
I have always loved tabitha’s floor work but this looks like a whole new level. I have watch it 3 times and love it more each time. Not your typical pose-pose-pose routine. Kudos to Yim!
February 20th, 2008 at 3:03 pm
great tumbling & lovely facial expressions; however, poorly executed illusion & uneventful ending.
March 29th, 2008 at 4:18 pm
has anyone including the blog owner of this im sorry i havnt figured out your name yet watched the georgia vs. lsu meet this year on espn? some girl from georgia had music that was kind of “zombie-ish” on her final pose she flexed her feet fellin piked position 2 her butt and then flat to her back. it was cool.
March 29th, 2008 at 4:22 pm
OOOH I FOUND IT!! hollie competed for oklahoma in 2007 heres the link :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylUF_Mhgnzg&NR=1
March 29th, 2008 at 4:27 pm
dude the georgia girls were all like “OMG,, did u just c that?”
March 30th, 2008 at 6:42 am
They gymnast from Georgia who did the routine with the “zombie-ish” music is Abby Stack. She’s definitely fun to watch
March 30th, 2008 at 1:34 pm
YAH! THAT WAS COOL!!! i taped it but then i taped american cup and it went over it.
June 16th, 2008 at 10:23 am
hmm i love the routie, but the ending pose looks like she just fell over and died.
June 16th, 2008 at 10:45 am
what r the gerogia girls doing???? hudling for a team chat???? ive said this before but i love how one of the georgia girls is like jaw dropped at the end…. shes like “o my gosh did u just c what she did?”
February 23rd, 2009 at 10:25 am
Can you say “AMAZING” and “OLYMPIAN”
June 14th, 2009 at 8:05 pm
im really interested in the music. where did you get it from ?
June 14th, 2009 at 10:06 pm
music anyone please ! ? i need to star tmy routine soon !
December 8th, 2009 at 8:10 pm
Hi I came across your site by mistake, I was surfing around Google for Hawaii flooring installers when I came upon your website, I must say your webpage is really interesting I just love the theme, its astounding!. I’m in a bit of a rush at the moment to fully browse your webpage but I have favorited it and also subscribed for your RSS feeds. I will be back when I free up some time. Bravo for a great website.
December 30th, 2009 at 5:47 am
Hey there I sumbled upon your post by mistake, I was searching the net for Honolulu floor installation when I came upon your webpage, I must say your blog is very intriguing I truely think the content, its amazing! I’m strapped for time in this instance to fully read your webpage but I have saved the location of it and also subscribed for your RSS feeds. I will be back when I free up some time. Thanks for a great webpage.
March 16th, 2010 at 1:51 pm
While I agree with a lot of what your saying, I do have a few differences of opinion; however, that’s the great thing about people…we all have our own beliefs and feelings.
March 27th, 2010 at 4:27 pm
There is obviously much more to learn about this. I think you made some OK points in Features also.
March 27th, 2010 at 4:28 pm
Keep working ,great writeup! beverly hills carpet cleaning
October 18th, 2010 at 3:57 pm
i love this routine and music. although the dance was cool and everything i would probably be exhausted…LOL. but im used to it now. ive been doing gymnastics since i was 18 months (:D my first roll) but ive been working hard cant wait to go to collage so i can be in the olypics:) yyaaaaaayyyy by the way im only 13. (just turned 13 on july 21) SORRY i write alot im usually not this way im just SUPER hyper.
October 18th, 2010 at 4:00 pm
i love this music…..WOW its so awesome………..im calmed down:D
February 2nd, 2011 at 10:37 am
Man, speak about a fantastic submit! I?ve stumbled across your blog a couple of times within the previous, but I ordinarily forgot to bookmark it. But not once more! Thanks for posting the way you do, I truly appreciate seeing an individual who actually has a viewpoint and isn?t actually just bringing again up crap like nearly all other writers right now. Maintain it up!