On Wednesday, brightly-colored dresses swirled and waltz melodies filled the Quicken Loans Arena. Fifteen teams opened the championship events as the senior ice dancing event got underway. The Viennese Waltz, the only compulsory dance the seniors will compete, was invented by Eric van der Weyden and Eva Keats and first skated in 1934 at Streatham Ice Rink in London.  

Meryl Davis & Charlie White, the clear favorites for the gold medal after the withdrawal of five-time U.S. champions Tanith Belbin & Ben Agosto, took the first step toward winning their first national title, scoring 39.93, a 3.65 point lead over the rest of the field. Davis & White presented an elegant waltz, floating across the ice seamlessly with one of the largest patterns. Unlike most teams, Davis & White's GOEs actually increased with each of the three patterns. 

Emily Samuelson & Evan Bates, the 2008 U.S. pewter medalists, skated a light and graceful performance earning 36.28. One of the highlights of the Viennese Waltz is a pronounced free leg extension, something Samuelson & Bates do very well. Competing the Viennese during last season as juniors and this season as seniors had to be an asset for the 2008 World Junior Champions. They received only five base 0 GOEs, the rest of the scores all +1 and +2. 

Last year's U.S. bronze medalists, Kimberly Navarro & Brent Bommentre, skated third in the first group and were the first team to really push the pattern out. The waltz compulsories suit Navarro & Bommentre, as they express the feel of the dance very well. They are in third place, 35.22, just over one point behind Samuelson & Bates, after racking up six +2s, eight 0s, and the rest +1. 

The 2008 U.S. junior champions, Madison Hubbell & Keiffer Hubbell (32.52) are in fourth. The Hubbells have wonderful matching free leg extension, and the Viennese Waltz showcases this attribute well. Power is also one of their strengths, and the Hubbells used it to make one of the largest patterns of the day. The first-time seniors were dinged with only two -1s, the rest of the scores split between 0 and +1, with a couple of +2s. 

In fifth place with 32.48 are Jane Summersett & Todd Gilles. Summersett & Gilles finished sixth at the 2008 U.S. Championships, their U.S. Championships debut. They are just .04 behind Hubbell & Hubbell, having received similar GOEs--a mix of 0 and +1s plus a single -1 and +2. 

Morgan Matthews and new partner, Canadian Leif Gislason, are in sixth place with a score of 31.95. Matthews last competed at the 2007 U.S. Championships with Maxim Zavozin.  

Trina Pratt returned to the U.S. Championships for the first time since 2006. She and partner Chris Obzansky skated first, earning 31.18. Their performance was light and joyful, but the pattern seemed shallower than the others who skated after of them. 

Jennifer Wester & Daniil Barantsev, who finished fifth at the 2008 U.S. National Championships, are in eighth. The judging panel was split, with some judges awarding +1s and others -1s. Their 29.66 keeps them within striking distance of the podium, less than three points out of fourth.