Ice Dance Requirements for the Olympic Season

International Skating Union releases full technical requirements for ice dance programs of the 2017-2018 season.

As the 2017 figure skating season winds down, much of the figure skating world is already looking forward. Already many skaters have long finished their season and are preparing for the next one. One vital point for ice dancers doing so is when the International Skating Union tells them what their programs will require. This is especially true for the short dance, where all couples must include the same pattern dances, the dance patterns that were once skated separately as compulsory dances.

Friday, the ISU signed off on and released next season’s requirements. It’ll be Latin themes next year. Also, we further see the loosening of the rules for seniors. They still must all do the same pattern, one traditionally done as the rumba. But when in the past, many teams haven’t even done their patterns to music that corresponds to what they’re called, this year they aren’t even asking them to. They still must do a sequence exactly as set, but they can set it to any Latin music and style/rhythm they want.

Once they would’ve had to do it twice. That has already changed in recent years, with seniors instead doing a patternlike step sequence in the style of the pattern. But now the rules don’t even require they stay with the rhythm they did the rumba pattern to. The only specified rule is they have to change to another Latin rhythm for their main step sequence. Most will probably still do both sequences to the same rhythm, though, if only to avoid too many rhythm changes.

The rules remain stricter on the junior level. They must do both sequences of their Cha Cha Congelado exactly to the set pattern, and as a Cha Cha. Common wisdom holds that ice dancers develop by doing the pattern dances, which is why the lower levels still do multiple ones as separate segments.

Most of the rest of the release is highly technical. But one amusing new rule requires all ladies costumes for the short dance to “be dignified and cover at least 40% of the Ladies upper body.” This is actually a loosening of a rule. Past regulations demanded both partners keep 50% of their upper body covered. Before they passed those, Latin programs often saw the ladies covering much less. However, whether a team is penalized for it depends on technical panels at competitions calling costume violations. They make the call during or right after performances, and they have only their eyeballs to measure with. So practically, a 10% difference might not matter much anyway.

Next: Roster for the World Figure Skating Championships

First, however, the world’s top junior and senior ice dancers will competing at the Junior and Senior World Championships. Both events occur this month.