Ice Dancing - General

DANCE HOLDS

HAND IN HAND HOLD:

Facing the same direction –

The partners face in the same direction and are skating side by side or one behind the other with their arms extended and their hands clasped. Use of this position in the Original Dance and/or Free Dance is not encouraged. A variation of this is the arm-in-arm side by side position which is acceptable.

Facing in opposite directions –

The partners usually face each other while one skates backward and the other skates forward with the arms extended to the side but sometimes the position can be skated back to back (e.g. Cha Cha Congelado). Use of this position in the Original Dance and/or Free Dance with arms fully extended toward each other is usually not permitted.

CLOSED OR WALTZ HOLD:

The partners are directly opposite each other. One partner faces forward while the other partner faces backward. The man's right hand is placed firmly on his partner's back at the shoulder blade with the elbow raised and the arm bent sufficiently to hold the lady close to him. The left hand of the lady is placed on the shoulder of the man so that her arm rests comfortably, elbow to elbow, on his upper arm. The left arm of the man and the right arm of the lady are extended comfortably at shoulder height. Their shoulders remain parallel.

OPEN OR FOXTROT HOLD:

The hand and arm positions are similar to those of the closed or waltz position. The partners simply turn slightly away from each other so that they both skate in the same direction.

CROSSED FOXTROT HOLD:

The partners are in the same position as above except that the man’s right arm passes behind the lady and his right hand is on her right hip, and the lady’s left arm passes behind the man and her left hand is on his left hip.

OUTSIDE OR TANGO HOLD:

The partners face in opposite directions - one partner skating forward; the other partner backward. However, unlike the closed position, the partners are offset with the man to the right or left of the lady so that the front of his hip is in line with the front of her corresponding hip. Tight hip to hip position is undesirable since it impedes flow.

KILIAN HOLD:

The partners face in the same direction with the lady to the right of the man and his right shoulder behind her left. The left arm of the lady is extended across the front of the man's body to hold his left hand. His right arm crosses behind the lady's back to clasp her right hand. Both right hands rest over her hip bone.

REVERSED KILIAN HOLD:

SHADOW DANCE:

The partners face in the same direction and are skating side by side with no more than one arm’s length distance between them.

DANCE LIFTS

PATTERN

The pattern of a dance is the design of the dance on the ice. The diagram of a dance includes all the information needed to execute one complete pattern of the dance.

SET PATTERN DANCE

A dance for which the location, direction and curvature of all edges to be skated are designated in the diagram. This diagram must be followed as closely as possible.

OPTIONAL PATTERN DANCE

A dance for which the pattern may be altered by a couple provided that the original step sequences, positions and timing are maintained. Each repetition of the altered pattern must be executed in the same manner and the restart must be commenced from the same place.

RIM/EDGE/BORDER DANCE

 a dance with a step sequence that requires a shorter or longer distance than is available in one circuit of the rink. The second sequence, therefore, will not begin at the original starting point of the dance.

LOBE

Any sequence of steps on one side of the continuous axis that is approximately semi-circular in shape.

CIRCUIT

One full round of the ice surface.

 

AXES

LONG AXIS

A straight line that divides the ice surface into two halves lengthwise (midline).

SHORT AXIS:

A straight line that divides the ice surface into two halves crosswise.

CONTINUOUS AXIS:

An imaginary line running around the ice surface that serves as the basis for the dance pattern. Usually the continuous axis consists of two lines running parallel to the long axis of the ice surface, approximately halfway between the long axis and the sides. These lines are joined at each end of the ice surface by a semi-circle. These semi-circles are flattened in some dances so that they run almost parallel to the ends of the ice surface. In circular dances, such as the Kilian, the continuous axis approximates a circle. The continuous axis of the Paso Doble is an oval.

TRANSVERSE AXIS:

An imaginary line intersecting the continuous axis of a dance at right angles.

 

START

INTRODUCTORY STEPS: All dances may be started with optional introductory steps. They shall not exceed the introductory phrasing.

START: The first step after the introductory steps. The referee may announce the approximate location at which the dances must be started.

SEQUENCE OF STEPS: The prescribed order of the steps that compose one pattern of a Pattern Dance or any portion thereof, or a series of prescribed or un-prescribed steps, turns and movements in an Original and Free Dance.

There are the following types of Step Sequences for Original and Free Dances and which may be skated either in hold or not-touching as is specified for the season.
Step Sequences in hold must be skated in any known dance hold or variation thereof (unless otherwise specified). Any separation to change a hold must not exceed one measure of music.
Not Touching Step Sequence must incorporate mirror and/or matching footwork. Both partners may cross each other’s tracing(s) and may switch from matching footwork to mirror or vice versa. The partners should remain as close together as possible, but they must not touch. The distance between the skaters should generally not be more than 2 arms length apart, except for short distances when the saters are performing required edges and turns in opposite directions.
All Step Sequences are divided into two (2) following groups A and B:

GROUP A. STRAIGHT LINE STEP SEQUENCE:

a) Midline: skated along the full length of the center (long) axis of the ice surface.

b) Diagonal: skated from one corner of the ice rink to the diagonally opposite other corner (as fully as possible from corner to corner).

GROUP B. CURVED STEP SEQUENCES (may be skated in clockwise or anti-clockwise direction):

c) Circular: one complete circle utilizing the full width of the ice surface (on the short axis of the rink).

d) Serpentine: commences at the center (long) axis at one end of the rink and progresses in three bold curves or in two bold curves (S-shaped) and ends at the centre (long) axis of the opposite end of the rink; (pattern utilizing the full width of the ice surface).

MUSIC

 

Contemporary Music for Pattern Dances

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxqrI2KKF957mPuz6jjSAHftE08H8dZeY

 

 

 

 

 

1.       Dutch Waltz = Could I have this dance
2. Canasta Tango = Tango Mayo
3. Rhythm Blues = Riverboat Blues
4. Swing Dance =            

2.       A Chorus Line “one” – Keats Tango

3.       Santa Maria – Canasta Tango

 

PATTERN DANCES

PATTERN DANCE DESCRIPTION AND DIAGRAMS:

·         RELATIONSHIP OF MUSIC TO THE STEPS: The steps of the dances are numbered on the diagrams for easy reference. The relationship of the music to the steps of the dances is shown by the numbers placed beside each step. The diagrams show the rhythm patterns by numbers 1-4 for four-beat rhythms such as foxtrots and marches, and 1-6 for the six-beat and 1-3 for the three-beat rhythm patterns of the waltzes. A notation such as RFOI 4+2 beats means that the right forward outside edge is held for four beats, and the right forward inside edge for two beats. Similarly, LFO3 3+3, means that the left forward outside edge is held for three beats, then a three is turned on the count of four.

·         STEPS: All steps are open strokes unless specifically stated otherwise. Refer to the chart of abbreviations in para d).

·         SEQUENCE OF STEPS: The sequence of the steps, their relation to the music and their relation to the continuous and transverse axes are shown in the dance diagrams.

 

 

Compulsory dance

    Formerly the first of the three programs in ice dance. All teams perform the same dance to the standard music. In 2010, the ISU eliminated the compulsory and original dances and merged them into what is now the short dance. The compulsory portion is now officially known as the pattern dance.

 

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS USED IN ICE DANCING DIAGRAMS AND CHARTS OF STEPS:

. . .          - music retard

“and”    - between beats

“Tw”      -“twizzle-like” motion

1 & 1     - one and one

3             - three turn

B             Backward

BK          Bend Knee

Br           - bracket

CE           Change of Edge

Ch          Chassé

Cho        - choctaw

Cl            - closed

ClCho    -closed choctaw

clMo      closed Mohawk

CR          - cross roll

CR3        Cross Roll - Three

Ct           - count

Ctr          - counter

dr3         dropped 3 Turn

F             - forward

I              - inside edge

InBa       - Ina Bauer

L              - left foot

Lff          - left foot forward

Lff          Slip Step

LFOI       Left-Forward-Outside-Inward (change of edges)

Lu           - lunge *

Mo         - mohawk

O            Outside

o3           open Three

Op          - open

OpCho  -open choctaw

opMo   Open Mohawk

Pr           - progressive (run)

Pvt         - pivot

Qcs        - quick cross-over slip

Qlb         - quick lift backward

Qlf          - quick lift forward

R             - right foot

RBOI      Right-Backward-Outward-Inward (change of edges)

Rff          - right foot forward

Rff          Slip Step

Rk           - rocker

Sc           - slight change

SlCh       - slide Chassé

slTD       Slight Touchdown

Spr E      - spread eagle

Sw          - swing

Sw3       - swing three

Sw3       Swing Three Turn

SwCho  - swing choctaw

SwClMo               Swing closed Mohawk

SwCtr    - swing counter

 SwMo  - swing mohawk

SwR       - swing roll

SwRk     - swing rocker

SwTw    - swing twizzle

Td           - touchdown

TD          Touchdown

Tw          - twizzle

Wd         -wide step (or “*”)- wide step

WS         Wide Step

X             Cross

XB          -cross step behind

Xcut       -cross cut

XF-         -cross in front

XF           -cross step in front

XFt 3      -cross foot three

XFtTw   -cross foot twizzle

XS           Cross Stroke

 

 

Additional Notes re Revised Pattern Dance Descriptions, Charts and Diagrams:

·         Some turns formerly called twizzles are now described as “Twizzle-like motions (“Tw”) which means that while the body performs one full continuous rotation, the skating foot technically executes less than a full turn followed by a step forward (e.g. Austrian Waltz -lady’s step 13b; Argentine Tango - lady’s step 23; Tango Romantica -man’s step 5.) Other twizzles remain unchanged.

·         The shapes of manyu of the diagrams have been modified to correspond with patterns being currently skated.

·         All diagrams show the side to start the dance as indicated by a box showing the location of the judge’s stand. 

·         “Counts” refer to the “measure” of the music; “beats” refer to the musical count of the “step”.

·         A hyphen (-) between steps on two feet (e.g. RBO-LBI) indicates “skated on two feet” or “both feet on ice”.

·         A “slash” (/) between steps means “followed by another on the same step” (e.g. RFO3/RBI3)