Compulsory dances
Encyclopedia
Compulsory dances, now called pattern dance in ice dancing, are a part of ice dancing
and artistic roller skating
in which all the couples perform the same standardized steps and holds to music of a specified tempo. One or more compulsory dances were usually skated as the first phase of ice dancing competitions
. The 2009-10 season was the final season in which the segment was competed in ISU junior and senior level competition. In June 2010, the International Skating Union replaced the name "compulsory dance" with "pattern dance" for ice dancing, and merged it into the short dance
beginning in the 2010–2011 figure skating season
.
Compulsory dances are also popular as a form of recreational or social dance among skaters.
The patterns for most dances either cover one-half or one full circuit of the rink. The International Skating Union
(ISU) and the Fédération Internationale de Roller Sports (FIRS) publish the step diagrams and descriptions of the dances that are competed internationally, and also provides a set of standard music recordings for each dance with uniform tempo
and introductory phrasing for use in competition.
The dances that have been performed in junior and senior international competition include:
The American Waltz, European Waltz, Fourteenstep, and Kilian (a march) date back to the early days of figure skating. Several of the compulsory dances were first performed by dancers in the United Kingdom
in the 1930's. Others were adapted from original dance
s performed after that segment was added to dance competitions in the 1960s. For example, the Golden Waltz, considered the most complex and challenging of the compulsory dances, was adapted from the original set pattern performed by Marina Klimova
and Sergei Ponomarenko
in the 1987 season.
In addition to the international dances, there are also several simpler dances that are taught to beginning skaters. For example, in the United States
, the first dance learned by most skaters is the Dutch Waltz, which features only forward skating in a side-by-side hold, skated to music with a very slow waltz tempo.
, had no compulsory dance segment in the competition.
Although the ISU published assigned dances for the 2010-11 season, these were not used in competition, as the compulsory and original dances were merged into a single segment, the short dance
, starting in 2010-11. The International Skating Union adopted the name "pattern dance" in 2010 and in 2011 U.S. Figure Skating also switched to the new name.
Artistic roller skating
in the United States also has competitive divisions of team and solo dance for all ages and skill levels that compete at the local, regional, and national levels. At competitions, skaters perform between two and six dances set to organ music for a maximum of 3 minutes per dance. Skaters are judged on a number of things that include American technique, pattern placement, and overall performance.
Ice dancing
Ice dancing is a form of figure skating which draws from the world of ballroom dancing. It was first competed at the World Figure Skating Championships in 1952, but did not become a Winter Olympic Games medal sport until 1976....
and artistic roller skating
Artistic roller skating
Artistic roller skating is a sport similar to figure skating but where constestants run on roller skates instead of ice skates. Within artistic roller skating there are several disciplines:* figures...
in which all the couples perform the same standardized steps and holds to music of a specified tempo. One or more compulsory dances were usually skated as the first phase of ice dancing competitions
Figure skating competition
-International:* International competitions sanctioned by the International Skating Union. These competitions are held using ISU rules; skaters are entered by their respective national skating federations....
. The 2009-10 season was the final season in which the segment was competed in ISU junior and senior level competition. In June 2010, the International Skating Union replaced the name "compulsory dance" with "pattern dance" for ice dancing, and merged it into the short dance
Short dance
The short dance is a segment of an ice dancing competition. It was approved by the June 2010 International Skating Union congress and instituted beginning in the 2010–2011 figure skating season...
beginning in the 2010–2011 figure skating season
2010–2011 figure skating season
The 2010–2011 figure skating season began on July 1, 2010, and ended on June 30, 2011. During this season, elite skaters competed on the ISU Championship level at the 2011 European, Four Continents, World Junior, and World Championships...
.
Compulsory dances are also popular as a form of recreational or social dance among skaters.
The patterns for most dances either cover one-half or one full circuit of the rink. The International Skating Union
International Skating Union
The International Skating Union is the international governing body for competitive ice skating disciplines, including figure skating, synchronized skating, speed skating, and short track speed skating. It was founded in Scheveningen, Netherlands in 1892, making it one of the oldest international...
(ISU) and the Fédération Internationale de Roller Sports (FIRS) publish the step diagrams and descriptions of the dances that are competed internationally, and also provides a set of standard music recordings for each dance with uniform tempo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
and introductory phrasing for use in competition.
Ice dancing
| Name | First performed | Creators | Other notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fourteenstep | 1889 | Franz Scholler | Also known as Ten Step or Scholler March. |
| European Waltz | before 1900 | unknown | |
| American Waltz | unknown | unknown | |
| Kilian | 1909 | Karl Schreiter | |
| Tango | 1932 | Paul Krechkow, Trudy Harris | |
| Foxtrot | 1933 | Eric van der Weyden, Eva Keats | |
| Argentine Tango | 1934 | Reginald J. Wilkie, Daphne B. Wallis | |
| Blues | 1934 | Robert Dench, Lesley Turner | |
| Rocker Foxtrot | 1934 | Eric van der Weyden, Eva Keats | |
| Viennese Waltz | 1934 | Eric van der Weyden, Eva Keats | |
| Paso Doble | 1938 | Reginald B. Wilkie, Daphne B. Wallis | |
| Quickstep | 1938 | Reginald J. Wilkie, Daphne B. Wallis | |
| Rhumba | 1938 | Walter Gregory | |
| Westminster Waltz | 1938 | Eric van der Weyden, Eva Keats | |
| Silver Samba | 1963 | Courtney J. L. Jones, Peri V. Horne | |
| Starlight Waltz | 1963 | Courtney J. L. Jones, Peri V. Horne | |
| Yankee Polka | 1969 | James Sladky James Sladky James Sladky is an American ice dancer. He competed with partner Judy Schwomeyer. They were five time U.S. national champions. They are the 1970 World silver medalists and the 1969 & 1971-1972 World bronze medalists.... , Judy Schwomeyer Judy Schwomeyer Judy Schwomeyer is an American ice dancer and actress. As a figure skater, she competed with partner James Sladky. They were five time U.S. national champions. They are the 1970 World silver medalists and the 1969 & 1971-1972 World bronze medalists.With coach Ron Ludington, Schwomeyer & Sladky... , Ronald Ludington Ronald Ludington Ronald Ludington is an American figure skater and coach. He was born in Boston.-Biography:With his then-wife, Nancy Rouillard Ludington, he won the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in pair skating four times, between 1957 and 1960, after having been the junior national champions in 1956... |
|
| Ravensburger Waltz | 1973 | Angelika Buck Angelika Buck Angelika Buck was a German ice dancer. She was a team with her brother Erich Buck. They were the first Germans to capture the European title in ice dancing.... , Erich Buck Erich Buck Erich Buck was a German ice dancer. He was a team with his sister Angelika Buck. They were the first Germans to capture the European title in ice dancing.... , Betty Callaway Betty Callaway Betty Callaway-Fittall, MBE was an ice skating trainer.She trained Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean to Olympic gold, the brother/sister partnership of Erich and Angelika Buck, and Krisztina Regőczy and András Sallay.... |
|
| Tango Romantica | 1974 | Lyudmila Pakhomova Lyudmila Pakhomova Lyudmila Alekseyevna Pakhomova was an ice dancer who competed for the Soviet Union. With partner Alexandr Gorshkov, she was the 1976 Olympic champion.-Biography:... / Aleksandr Gorshkov, Elena Tchaikovskaia Elena Tchaikovskaia Elena Anatolyevna Tchaikovskaia, also spelled as Chaykovskaya or Chaikovskaia is a Russian figure skating coach and choreographer. She runs a skating school at the Yantar Sports Center, built in 2010 in the Strogino District west of Moscow... |
|
| Austrian Waltz | 1979 | Susi Handschmann, Peter Handschmann | |
| Golden Waltz | 1987 | Natalia Dubova, Marina Klimova Marina Klimova Marina Vladimirovna Klimova is an ice dancer who competed for the Soviet Union and the Unified team. With skating partner and husband Sergei Ponomarenko, she is the 1992 Olympic champion, 1988 Olympic silver medalist, 1984 Olympic bronze medalist, three-time World champion, and four-time European... / Sergei Ponomarenko Sergei Ponomarenko Sergei Vladilenovich Ponomarenko is a Russian ice dancer who competed for the Soviet Union and the Unified team. With skating partner and wife Marina Klimova, he is the 1992 Olympic champion, 1988 Olympic silver medalist, 1984 Olympic bronze medalist, three-time World champion, and four-time... |
|
| Cha Cha Congelado | 1989 | Bernard Ford Bernard Ford Bernard Ford, MBE, is a British former ice dancer. With partner Diane Towler, he is a four-time World, European, and British Champion. He is also a World Professional Ice Dance Champion... , Kelly Johnson Kelly Johnson (figure skater) Kelly Johnson is a Canadian ice dancer. With partner Kris Barber, she is the 1981 & 1982 Canadian silver medalist and 1978 World junior silver medalist. With partner John Thomas, she placed 12th at the 1984 Winter Olympics.-Competitive highlights:* J = Junior level-References:*... , Laurie Palmer, Steven Belanger |
|
| Finnstep | 1995 | Susanna Rahkamo Susanna Rahkamo Susanna Rahkamo is a former Finnish ice dancer. She competed with Petri Kokko, her future husband. With Kokko, she is the 1995 European champion, 1995 World silver medalist, and competed in the Winter Olympics twice.... / Petri Kokko, Martin Skotnicky Martin Skotnicky Martin Skotnicky is a former Czechoslovak ice dancer who competed with Diana Skotnicka. He is currently a figure skating coach and has worked with:* Nelli Zhiganshina and Alexander Gazsi* Kati Winkler and René Lohse* Christina Beier and William Beier... . |
Kati Winkler Kati Winkler Kati Winkler Kati Winkler Kati Winkler (born January 16, 1974 in Karl-Marx-Stadt (today Chemnitz) is a German ice dancer. With partner René Lohse, she is the 2004 World bronze medalist.- Biography :... / René Lohse René Lohse René Lohse is a German ice dancer. With partner Kati Winkler, he is the 2004 World bronze medalist.- Biography :... helped adapt to CD. |
| Midnight Blues | 2001 | Roy Bradshaw, Sue Bradshaw, Mark Bradshaw, Julie MacDonald |
The American Waltz, European Waltz, Fourteenstep, and Kilian (a march) date back to the early days of figure skating. Several of the compulsory dances were first performed by dancers in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in the 1930's. Others were adapted from original dance
Original dance
The original dance was a segment of an ice dancing competition. It was usually the second of three programs, sandwiched between the compulsory dances and the free dance. Until 1994, it was known as the original set pattern dance...
s performed after that segment was added to dance competitions in the 1960s. For example, the Golden Waltz, considered the most complex and challenging of the compulsory dances, was adapted from the original set pattern performed by Marina Klimova
Marina Klimova
Marina Vladimirovna Klimova is an ice dancer who competed for the Soviet Union and the Unified team. With skating partner and husband Sergei Ponomarenko, she is the 1992 Olympic champion, 1988 Olympic silver medalist, 1984 Olympic bronze medalist, three-time World champion, and four-time European...
and Sergei Ponomarenko
Sergei Ponomarenko
Sergei Vladilenovich Ponomarenko is a Russian ice dancer who competed for the Soviet Union and the Unified team. With skating partner and wife Marina Klimova, he is the 1992 Olympic champion, 1988 Olympic silver medalist, 1984 Olympic bronze medalist, three-time World champion, and four-time...
in the 1987 season.
In addition to the international dances, there are also several simpler dances that are taught to beginning skaters. For example, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the first dance learned by most skaters is the Dutch Waltz, which features only forward skating in a side-by-side hold, skated to music with a very slow waltz tempo.
By season
Each season, the ISU published a number of compulsory dances to be competed that season on both the international senior level and junior level. Which compulsory dance was competed depended on the event, and some events, such as the Grand Prix of Figure Skating FinalGrand Prix of Figure Skating Final
The Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final is an international, senior-level figure skating competition. It is the culmination of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series. Skaters compete in men's singles, ladies' singles, pair skating, and ice dancing....
, had no compulsory dance segment in the competition.
Although the ISU published assigned dances for the 2010-11 season, these were not used in competition, as the compulsory and original dances were merged into a single segment, the short dance
Short dance
The short dance is a segment of an ice dancing competition. It was approved by the June 2010 International Skating Union congress and instituted beginning in the 2010–2011 figure skating season...
, starting in 2010-11. The International Skating Union adopted the name "pattern dance" in 2010 and in 2011 U.S. Figure Skating also switched to the new name.
| Season | Senior-level | Junior-level |
|---|---|---|
| 2005–2006 | Yankee Polka Ravensburger Waltz Tango Romantica |
Paso Doble Austrian Waltz Westminster Waltz Quickstep |
| 2006–2007 | Westminster Waltz Golden Waltz Rhumba |
Starlight Waltz Silver Samba Midnight Blues |
| 2007–2008 | Austrian Waltz Yankee Polka Argentine Tango |
Viennese Waltz Cha Cha Congelado Blues |
| 2008–2009 | Viennese Waltz Finnstep Paso Doble |
Starlight Waltz Paso Doble |
| 2009–2010 | Golden Waltz Tango Romantica |
Westminster Waltz Argentine Tango |
| 2010–2011 | Ravensburger Waltz Finnstep |
Quickstep Blues |
Artistic roller skating
The dances that are performed in junior and senior international competition include- Argentine Tango
- Blues
- Castel March
- Flirtation Waltz
- Fourteen Step
- Fourteen Step Plus
- Harris Tango
- Iceland Tango
- Italian Foxtrot
- Kilian
- Paso Doble
- Quickstep
- Rocker Foxtrot
- Starlight Waltz
- Tango Delanco
- Westminster Waltz
Artistic roller skating
Artistic roller skating
Artistic roller skating is a sport similar to figure skating but where constestants run on roller skates instead of ice skates. Within artistic roller skating there are several disciplines:* figures...
in the United States also has competitive divisions of team and solo dance for all ages and skill levels that compete at the local, regional, and national levels. At competitions, skaters perform between two and six dances set to organ music for a maximum of 3 minutes per dance. Skaters are judged on a number of things that include American technique, pattern placement, and overall performance.
By season
| Season | Senior | Junior | Senior Solo | Junior Solo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005-2006 | Starlight Waltz Iceland Tango |
Blues Harris Tango |
||
| 2006-2007 | Paso Doble Westminster Waltz |
Rocker Foxtrot Flirtation Waltz |
Blues Harris Tango |
|
| 2007-2008 | Kilian Quickstep |
Fourteen Step Imperial Tango |
- - |
Rocker Foxtrot Flirtation Waltz |
| 2008-2009 | Italian Foxtrot Argentine Tango |
Blues Harris Tango |
Quickstep Westminster Waltz |
14 Step Plus Imperial Tango |
| 2009-2010 | Castel March Starlight Waltz |
Rocker Foxtrot Flirtation Waltz |
Paso Doble Argentine Tango |
Harris Tango Blues |
| 2010-2011 | Paso Doble Westminster Waltz |
Fourteen Step Imperial Tango |
Italian Foxtrot Iceland Tango |
Flirtation Waltz Rocker Foxtrot |