by Anne Calder | Photographs by Daphne Backman
Because it’s early historical past, ice dance has emphasised technical, intricate footwork and deep edges. Over time the names and automobiles used to compete these priorities have modified.
- (1968 -1990) {Couples} carried out Obligatory Dances set to a chosen sample plus the Unique Set Sample phase (OSP) the place groups created their very own dance to a selected, yearly-changing rhythm.
- (1990 – 2010) The OSP step by step turned simplified and for 20 years was known as the Unique Dance.
- (2010) The Obligatory and Unique Dances had been eradicated and the Brief dance was created.
- (2018 – 2019) The Brief Dance was renamed the Rhythm Dance, which higher mirrored the phase’s particular rhythms and themes chosen yearly by the ISU Dance Committee.
The previous six years Senior Rhythm Dance has included the next Music/Theme – Rhythm/Theme:
- 2019-2020 & 2020-2021: Music: Musicals, Operetta, Broadway
- 2021-2022: Music/Theme: Avenue Dance Rhythms
- 2022-2023: Music/Theme: Latin Dance Types
- 2023-2024: Rhythm/Theme: Music and Feeling of the Eighties
- 2024-2025: Rhythm/Theme: Social Dances and Types of the 1950’s, 1960’s and 1970’s
- 2025-2026: Rhythm/Theme: Music and Feeling of the Nineties
On the 2026 U.S. Championships in St. Louis, MO, IDC requested the Senior Ice Dancers the next query:
In case you may select the 2026-2027 Rhythm Dance Music/Theme or Rhythm/Theme what wouldn’t it be?
Emily Bratti & Ian Somerville
Emily: I might like to do a waltz…and a sample.
Ian: I actually benefit from the sample dances. It’s actually enjoyable to do them. I do know it may be fairly boring for the viewers to observe them. Additionally, the 80s theme was my favourite theme we’ve ever performed, however possibly we should always transfer on to one thing a little bit bit completely different as a result of the previous few years have been very showy, which is admittedly enjoyable to do.
Emily: I believe bringing again the sample could be wonderful simply because there isn’t actually anyway to check immediately skating expertise proper now. I believe that needs to be.
Oona Brown & Gage Brown
Oona: I truthfully wouldn’t be too mad if it was tango.
Gage: I agree with tango. Technically we’re doing hip hop this season, however we love skating to tango. We cherished skating to hip hop after they used to do a hip hop / blues theme. We actually like that. If they might carry that again, we might not be mad at them. Like Oona stated, a tango could be one thing cool. We at all times have enjoyable with tango. Lots of people prefer to painting it as a really romantic dance, however we sort of painting it as a combat, much like our Godfather free dance. We like stern, sharp, fierce genres for positive.
Christina Carreira & Anthony Ponomarenko
Christina: I would really like a waltz.
Anthony: I might say tango. Total I really feel waltz is a incredible avenue. We haven’t performed one since junior, so it’s time for it. If it had been to get chosen, we might be trying ahead to it.
Amy Cui & Jonathan Rogers (pictured under)
Amy: We actually loved the hip hop sort of how artistic and enjoyable we get to be with this type of dance type. So undoubtedly one thing 2000s. I used to be born in 2006, in order that music could be one thing that’s nostalgic to me. However that will be actually enjoyable to sort of discover that sort of hip hop / R&B type.
Jonathan: I utterly agree. I like that 2000s, early music, that I grew up on. It actually set the inspiration for lots of my dancing. I’m additionally fairly egocentric a bit. I like Bruno Mars. I like dancing to Bruno Mars. Any type of theme that may possibly lock that music in for us could be superior.
Isabella Flores & Linus Colmer Jepsen
Linus: In case you go along with a extra simplistic strategy, I believe we’ve seen numerous extra fashionable dance types, and I believe it’d be a pleasant change of tempo to do one thing, possibly a bit extra classical, like we haven’t seen shortly.
We truly spoke with our coach about what had been stated by Coach Patrice Lauzon (I.AM). He had this concept that you’ve got a number of completely different sample dances to select from. It may very well be a tango, waltz, no matter you wish to have, possibly 4. Then every couple can resolve which one they wish to have their program be about.
I believe that’s a very cool concept particularly on condition that the everyday criticism about rhythm dances is that it’s an excessive amount of of the identical. I believe that will be an ideal concept to get some variation whereas nonetheless getting a very good mixture of basic conventional issues after which one thing extra fashionable.
Isabella: I like that concept as properly. The previous few years have been the a long time. That’s been one thing very completely different, however I believe numerous us right here grew up with conventional dances as sort of like a base. I might sort of have an interest to see it gear again that manner. There’s numerous completely different dance types on the market.
Caroline Inexperienced & Michael Parsons
Michael: Waltzes! Waltzes! Waltzes! I like waltzes! I like dancing to waltzes! I like listening to Waltzes. It has to occur.
Caroline: We had been watching Howl’s Transferring Fort, and the waltz theme that’s in that’s simply, mwah. So good! It was like, Oh, it will be so good to have the ability to do a waltz for as soon as. So, we’d be excited to carry that again.
Michael: Carry again the “one foot sections” within the footwork. I believe individuals would really like that.
Caroline: I miss the sample dance on the whole. Perhaps patterns as a substitute of PSt? I don’t know. I really feel like having an opportunity to have that goal comparability between groups is admittedly thrilling and one thing an off-the-cuff fan can actually latch on to. I’ve tried to elucidate PSt to my dad and mom and informal watchers, and so they’re like, what? I would love to see a waltz!
Raffaella Koncius & Alexey Shchepetov (pictured, under)
Raffaella: Truthfully, I get pleasure from extra bluesy sort type applications, like a little bit bit extra sultry. I really feel just like the rhythm dances the final couple of years, have been so excessive paced, or quick paced that it will be good to see one thing not less than go a slower tempo into a better tempo and never have it so excessive tempo the entire time. I would really like a extra number of tempo within the Rhythm Dance for subsequent 12 months. So I believe bluesy and sultry and in addition it will be enjoyable to do present music – like stuff you hear on the radio proper now.
Alexey: Some extra fashionable songs could be cool. It might additionally draw in additional followers. I really feel like it will be good to do one other blues sample. I like the thought of patterns – like again to the outdated days.
Raffaella: I just like the Choreo stuff, although.
Alexey: You would nonetheless do the Choreo stuff, however as a substitute of like partial steps do one sample. That manner we will sort of mix the outdated and the brand new, and it’d be an fascinating variation, I believe.
Leah Neset & Artem Markelov
Leah: I truthfully would love a waltz. I simply love waltz.
Artem: Our Free Dance this 12 months has a little bit little bit of waltz in it as a result of it’s a Napoleon and Josephine theme. We actually loved choreographing it and training it. It actually feels free while you skate it out. I believe followers will get pleasure from it as properly.
Leah: I really feel just like the waltz actually strikes properly on the ice. I competed waltz as soon as in intermediate, however since then, we haven’t actually performed a waltz, so it will be actually enjoyable to do it.
Eva Pate & Logan Bye
Eva: Individuals are gonna get mad at me for saying this, however I actually would love a waltz. I might additionally love a sample. I like doing sample dances, and it’s actually unhappy that we haven’t been in a position to do them the previous few years. I really feel possibly it’s a little bit unpopular opinion for a waltz, however I simply suppose it’s so lovely, and you may actually work on refining your posture.
Logan: I believe there’s been a misplaced artwork to the sample dances from the outdated compulsories, and to have these sort of taken away the previous two or three years is unhappy. It’s one thing that you simply do need to spend a ton of time on. So when it comes to the coaching, it’s good to have the ability to sort of let that one go a little bit bit. However on the identical time, it’s one thing that’s custom that we as ice dancers had been rooted in. It’s the place we began from. So it will be good to sort of see these comeback. I’m unsure if different skaters really feel that manner. I do suppose numerous them do just like the sample dances. To maintain them again within the rhythm dance could be incredible.
Elliana Peal & Ethan Peal
Elliana: I might love an upbeat hip hop really feel, however we’ve performed it for therefore lengthy.
Ethan: I believe it will be actually cool to attempt to strategy a rhythm dance that may be a little bit slower, possibly a six depend tempo, like a waltz, that will possibly encourage individuals to do extra upbeat free dances, as a result of I really feel proper now everybody appears like they need to do slower free dances to enrich the extra upbeat rhythm. I suppose it may very well be a cool change of tempo that will possibly promote some various kinds of free dances.
Elliana: I do suppose possibly including extra little, tiny spots to bop extra within the rhythm dance, in order to not be so component primarily based. It might be cool to have a mixture of issues.
Vanessa Pham & Anton Spiridonov
Anton: The thought of the 2000s and ’90s, ’80s, ’70s, all that, I like that, and I believe it ought to proceed. I might actually get pleasure from skating to the 2000s, or much more current 2010s, 2020s music. That will be actually fascinating to see actually fashionable stuff. I additionally loved the season we had Broadway.
Vanessa: Sure, I loved that, too – as a junior even.
Katarina Wolfkostin & Dimitry Tsarevski (pictured, under)
Dimitry: For me, musicals. I like musicals. Undoubtedly musicals. Carry again some musicals. I’d find it irresistible.
Katarina: I like musicals, too.
IDC: Musicals get two votes.
Emilea Zingas & Vadym Kolesnik
Emilea: I’ve an concept. I believe that they need to do a ballroom theme, and possibly it might probably proceed for the following 4 years. They will have a set of 5, six or seven completely different dance types, and groups can decide from every of these dance types.
So, say, we wish to select Latin or a rumba for our dance type. That’s tremendous. If somebody desires to decide on a waltz, that’s additionally tremendous. The one constraint is whichever rhythm you select, it’s a must to carry out a partial a part of a sample that goes with that dance type. There’s a spread you possibly can select from. The opposite rule is you possibly can’t repeat the identical style or type greater than twice in 4 years.
So, say we decide Latin subsequent 12 months, the next 12 months, we’d decide a waltz. The next 12 months, we’d decide a flamenco or Paso Doble or one thing.
Vadym: I believe my concept is inferior to that. I wish to do Broadway. I bear in mind doing that as a junior, I believed it was a very enjoyable theme, as a result of it opens up doorways to many different themes inside it, if what I imply. It’s most likely going to be onerous for the judges to check apples to bananas, nevertheless it’s determine skating, I’m sorry. You are able to do it, everybody. Alter.
