What is Ice Dancing?
Ice dancing is a figure skating disciple that draws from the world of ballroom dance. It
was first competed at the World Figure Skating Championships in 1952, and became a
Winter Olympic Games medal sport in 1976. As in pair skating, dancers compete as a
couple. Ice dance differs from pair skating in the type of lifts, spins and jumps allowed.
Lifts in ice dancing differ from those in pair skating because the man may not extend his
hands above his shoulders, and acrobatic lifts are generally frowned upon. The more
change of direction, flexibility, and height in the lift, the greater amount of points a team can
earn from the judges under the new code of points scale.
Another distinction between ice dance and other figure skating disciplines is the usage of
music in the performance. In ice dancing, dancers must always skate to music that has a
definite beat or rhythm. Singles and pair skaters more often skate to the melody and
phrasing of their music, rather than its beat.
Additionally, ice dancing is currently the only form of figure skating to allow vocal music in
international competitions sanctioned by the International Skating Union (ISU).
Ice dancing is a figure skating disciple that draws from the world of ballroom dance. It
was first competed at the World Figure Skating Championships in 1952, and became a
Winter Olympic Games medal sport in 1976. As in pair skating, dancers compete as a
couple. Ice dance differs from pair skating in the type of lifts, spins and jumps allowed.
Lifts in ice dancing differ from those in pair skating because the man may not extend his
hands above his shoulders, and acrobatic lifts are generally frowned upon. The more
change of direction, flexibility, and height in the lift, the greater amount of points a team can
earn from the judges under the new code of points scale.
Another distinction between ice dance and other figure skating disciplines is the usage of
music in the performance. In ice dancing, dancers must always skate to music that has a
definite beat or rhythm. Singles and pair skaters more often skate to the melody and
phrasing of their music, rather than its beat.
Additionally, ice dancing is currently the only form of figure skating to allow vocal music in
international competitions sanctioned by the International Skating Union (ISU).
What is Ice Dance Competition?
There are three main components in an ice dance competition. The compulsory dances,
the original dance, and the free dance. In freestyle and pair skating, there are two main
components: the short and long programs.
Compulsory dances have fixed patterns and steps. They draw most strongly from the
ballroom tradition. These dances are divided into skill-levels such as pre-gold, gold and
international. Each compulsory dance has a specific tempo and is skated to music
designated in advance by the International Skating Union. Examples of compulsory dances
include the Rhumba, Yankee Polka, Golden Waltz, and the recently introduced, Midnight
Blues.
For the Original Dance, the International Skating
Union designates a rhythm or set of rhythms each
year that all dancers must perform to, but unlike the
compulsory dances, the competitors choose their own
music and choreography.
In the Free dance, teams are at liberty to choose
their own rhythms, program themes, and therefore
music. Since 1998, ice dancers have been required
to include certain elements in their free dances,
including step sequences, lifts, dance spins, and
multi-rotation turns called twizzles. Often teams strive
to skate in difficult or unusual positions to gain difficulty points. There
are more lifts in the free dance than in the original
dance.
There are three main components in an ice dance competition. The compulsory dances,
the original dance, and the free dance. In freestyle and pair skating, there are two main
components: the short and long programs.
Compulsory dances have fixed patterns and steps. They draw most strongly from the
ballroom tradition. These dances are divided into skill-levels such as pre-gold, gold and
international. Each compulsory dance has a specific tempo and is skated to music
designated in advance by the International Skating Union. Examples of compulsory dances
include the Rhumba, Yankee Polka, Golden Waltz, and the recently introduced, Midnight
Blues.
For the Original Dance, the International Skating
Union designates a rhythm or set of rhythms each
year that all dancers must perform to, but unlike the
compulsory dances, the competitors choose their own
music and choreography.
In the Free dance, teams are at liberty to choose
their own rhythms, program themes, and therefore
music. Since 1998, ice dancers have been required
to include certain elements in their free dances,
including step sequences, lifts, dance spins, and
multi-rotation turns called twizzles. Often teams strive
to skate in difficult or unusual positions to gain difficulty points. There
are more lifts in the free dance than in the original
dance.
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