{"id":29986,"date":"2023-01-02T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-01-02T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/?p=29986"},"modified":"2023-01-02T01:17:03","modified_gmt":"2023-01-02T06:17:03","slug":"the-rhythm-dance-it-is-a-changing-part-i","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/the-rhythm-dance-it-is-a-changing-part-i\/","title":{"rendered":"The Rhythm Dance – It is a Changing: Part I"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

by Anne Calder<\/em><\/p>\n

In April 2022, the ISU Ice Dance Technical Committee announced the Senior Rhythm Dance requirements for the 2022-2023 season. The pattern was removed and replaced with a Choreographic Rhythm Sequence. For the first time in almost 100 years, a set-pattern dance would not be competed by Seniors in organized competitions.\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Pattern History<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ice Dance has its roots in the late 19th century when couples began tracing popular ballroom dances on the ice. The first compulsory dance (CD) was performed in Vienna, Austria, and named the Scholler March after its inventor.<\/p>\n

By the 1930s, ice dancing that initially had begun as a recreational and social activity had graduated to competitions with rules set down by national figure skating organizations. Ice dancers in Great Britain began creating many new compulsory dances needed for the growing number of competitions. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ice Dance, which included compulsory and free dances was officially competed for the first time at the 1952 World Figure Skating Championships in Paris, France.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In 1968 the Original Set Pattern (OSP) was added and skated between the compulsory and free dance. In the OSP a designated rhythm and music type would be changed yearly by the ISU Technical Dance Committee while a couple would select its own music and create its own dance. The name was shortened to Original Dance in 1990.<\/p>\n

Major changes were made for the 2010-2011 season. The compulsory dance and original dance were merged into the new short dance, which included a pattern that would change every year. For the first time, three Key Points were designated to evaluate the correct execution of the pattern.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

At the 2010 World Championships, Federica Faiella & Massimo Scali. (ITA) performed the final compulsory dance per se – the Golden Waltz. The following August, USA\u2019s Anastasia Cannuscio & Colin McManus skated the first short dance in international competition at the 2010 Junior Grand Prix in Courchevel, France.<\/p>\n

The Short Dance was renamed the Rhythm Dance in 2018. The Key Points were increased to four.<\/p>\n

Anticipation<\/strong><\/p>\n

In May, Figure Skaters On line caught up with Kaitlin Hawayek and Jean-Luc Baker fresh off their first Olympic Games and on tour with Stars on Ice. The duo shared their anticipations for the Rhythm Dance changes in the upcoming season.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s kind of a shame that they won’t have the pattern in the rhythm dance anymore,\u201d Baker said. \u201cIf you were to look at ice dance over the past four or five years, it\u2019s lost a little bit of its essence in the pattern dance anyway. You\u2019re losing the root of what made ice dance kind of ice dance with the loss of the pattern dance. It’s a shame that they got rid of it.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe addition of a choreographic step sequence in the rhythm dance is going to bring a really cool liveliness to the dance. It could bring more of an audience into the picture because it will make it a little bit more interesting, where the pattern dance didn’t for the average fan.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnything that just gives us a little bit more freedom, or more opportunity to have some fun depending on your creativity is great. It all depends on your choice of music because realistically in the end that\u2019s going to determine what elements you’re going to choose.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Hawayek agreed with her partner. \u201cI think especially from a standpoint of just the history of ice dance, the pattern dance has always been there. It’s required in ice dance testing. It was its own event, so it’s just a bit hard to imagine ice dance without any sort of pattern dance.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the same time, things can’t always stay the same, so I’m going into it with an open mind and also with the excitement of having a choreo step sequence to bring out some creativity. I think it could bring more engagement for sure and more interest to the sport. So, it’ll be interesting. I have my reservations, but I do think that there could be some benefit.\u201d<\/p>\n

I<\/span>DC Goes to the Skating Club of Boston for Skate America 2022<\/strong><\/p>\n

In Norwood, several participants shared their thoughts on the new Rhythm Dance changes.<\/p>\n

Canadian Coach Patrice Lauzon strongly voiced his personal views. He and partner (wife) Marie- France Dubreuil are two-time World silver medalist. Lauzon is co-founder of the Ice Academy of Montreal (I.AM).<\/p>\n

\u201cI am very happy the Pattern Dance (PD) isn\u2019t in the Rhythm Dance (RD) anymore. I never liked it in the RD, although I do love the Compulsory Dance. I would like them to bring back Compulsory Dance as a whole or do a separate competition.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I really like it, and I think there would be a market for that. I never thought it fit well in the Rhythm Dance. It was hard to judge, it broke the program and people didn\u2019t do it well. I never liked it in the Short Program or Rhythm Dance.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSome people who are sad because there isn\u2019t the pattern in the Rhythm Dance loved the Compulsory Dance. They loved being able to compare apples to apples. I agree with all that. I didn\u2019t think it was good for the whole performance, for the whole show and enjoyment of the program and how you were able to build the program as a whole.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt was hard to fit in the program and not make it stick out. For me it was kind of forced into something. It was never very super fluid.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not often in our sport where you are able to fully work on something and really develop it to its maximum and spend time working on it. With the choreography when it sometimes doesn\u2019t work then you work on something else. With Compulsory Dance you\u2019re forced to make it work because it\u2019s a set step. It\u2019s a great way to do skating. I like it a lot.<\/p>\n

\u201cBack when Compulsory Dance was dropped, I heard the rating wasn\u2019t doing well with the Olympics and people didn\u2019t want to watch it. I don\u2019t really believe it because at the same time there are other sports that don\u2019t get a huge TV audience – some beautiful sports that are not super popular with the fans. I think it\u2019s ok if some disciplines don\u2019t sell tickets.\u201d<\/p>\n

Coach Lauzon accompanied several teams to Skate America who spoke with IDC about the Rhythm Dance changes.<\/p>\n

Evan Bates with partner Madison Chock is a ten-time US National medalists. (3 x gold)\u00a0 <\/span>Bates recently competed at his fourth Olympics and has also earned over 40 international medals.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>There are big changes in our sport this season,\u201d Bates said. \u201cI think the reasoning behind it is good because it\u2019s going to attract more fans to ice dance. It\u2019s going to be really exciting for the public to see variation in what\u2019s being put out on the ice in the Rhythm Dance.<\/p>\n

\u201cI also see so much value in doing the Pattern Dances. I think the decision to have the Juniors still do them is a great one because it\u2019s good for development. It\u2019s\u00a0 <\/span>good for skating skills, partnering and keeping that part of our sport alive. I\u2019m really happy with that decision. Once you get to the senior level ice dance is a sport that is really enjoyable for those of us who live it and breathe it. This year with the new set of rules we\u2019ll hopefully attract more fans.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ukrainians Mariia Holubtsova and <\/span>Kyryl Bielobrov were invited to train in Montreal after the Russian invasion of their homeland in February 2022. The team arrived in Canada on July 2 and continue to work with the I.AM coaches.<\/p>\n

Holubtsova noted, \u201cI like the Pattern Dance because it\u2019s easiest for us, but for the audience it\u2019s a bit the same and boring.<\/p>\n

I like the change because it\u2019s more beautiful and different.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bielobrov felt differently. \u201cWith the Pattern Dance it\u2019s a great way to differentiate between the couples and the level. It\u2019s easy to understand because everyone is doing the same thing. You can clearly see if someone is really skating better. Personally for me, I miss this part of the dance, and I hope it will come back.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie-Jade Lauriault and Romain le Gac are married and represent Canada. Le Gac moved to Montreal in 2014 with his French coach, Romain Haguenauer. The team represented France for seven years before switching to her birth country.<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/b>I like the Pattern Dance for the skating skills, but the program is now more balanced and equal for the energy,\u201d Le Gas said. \u201cPattern Dance was like a part of the program that was different from the rest. We thought they may change part of the Pattern Dance, like the position or maybe add some new stuff on it. I don\u2019t mind the Choreographic Step for Latin, but what about other rhythms?\u201d<\/p>\n

Lauriault responded to her partner. \u201cI think it could also work for other styles. It would be fun. In the free dance there is Waltz, Foxtrot etc. There is so many rhythms in the free dance and everybody does a Choreo step, and it\u2019s really fun to watch. I think it\u2019s bringing more character and story lines into the Choreo Step. It\u2019s more difficult in the Rhythm than the Free Dance. I was sad to say bye to the Pattern Dance because it\u2019s the origin of ice dance, but I like the change. It\u2019s more joyful than wringing your hands going into some of the more difficult patterns.\u201d<\/p>\n

Holly Harris and Jason Chan are in their fourth season as partners representing Australia. The team made its Grand Prix debut at the 2022 Skate America. Harris was born in Sydney. Chan is a Montreal native.<\/p>\n

Chan diplomatically pointed out the pros and cons of the change. \u201cI kind of miss the Pattern Dance. It\u2019s something we work on all year – the kind of attainable perfection we strive for. At the same time, the Choreographic Rhythm Sequence is kind of fun and adds variety to the Rhythm Dance and can highlight what you\u2019re good at.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPersonally I find it [the Choreographic Rhythm Sequence] fun because you have this opportunity to dance especially with Latin this season. It will be interesting to see what happens with say the waltz,\u201d wondered Harris. \u201cIt is fun to see how the sport is evolving\u201d<\/p>\n

Part II with lots more interviews is coming on Wednesday.<\/p>\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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