
Interpretation of Music – The personal and creative translation of the music to the movement on the ice. Performance – The involvement of the skater physically, emotionally and intellectually in translating the music and choreography.Ĭomposition – An intentional, developed and/or original arrangement of all types of movements according to the principles of proportion, unity, space, pattern, structure and phrasing. Transitions – The varied and/or intricate footwork, positions, movement and holds that link all elements. Skating Skills – Overall skating quality, including edge control and flow over the ice surface (edges, steps, turns, speed, etc.), clarity of technique and use of effortless power to accelerate and vary speed.

The description of each component is as follows: In addition to the technical score, each “program” is judged on five components: skating skills, transitions, performance, composition and interpretation of music. “The presentation mark reflects a judge’s assessment of the program as a whole - its composition, originality, use of ice, skater’s style and expression of the music.” “The technical merit mark expresses a judge’s evaluation of the quality of the required elements skated,” the group states.
TWIZZLE ICE DANCING FREE
Skating, for all singles and pairs events and the free dance, judges award two marks: one for technical merit and one for program presentation. The weight remains on the skating foot, with the free foot in any position during the turn.Īccording to U.S.

TWIZZLE ICE DANCING SERIES
They are a series of turns on one foot, in which skaters perform rotations quickly, side by side, preferably close to each other on the ice, though not touching. Twizzles, are considered “one of the most easily identifiable moves in ice dancing,” according to NBC Olympics. Think ballroom dancing mixed with Cirque du Soleil, and you might get an idea of what to expect!” White told TODAY. “The ice dance event features two skaters working as a team to perform intricate maneuvers, steps, and acrobatics, all while staying in close contact throughout the program and with an emphasis on musicality and interpretation. ice dancing team to win a silver medal at the 2006 Olympics, told TODAY that the biggest moves in ice dancing are the twizzle, a pattern dance, lift, spin, step sequence and choreography. What Are the Ice Dancing Moves to Watch for?īelbin White, who was part of the first-ever U.S. Skating partners are also not expected to separate for too long during their “no touch step sequence” as the rule states they shouldn’t be more than two arms’ length apart. The rules prohibit them from doing any throw jumps, twist lifts, overhead lifts and other moves that skaters like Nathan Chen would do. Ice dancers perform their routine in the rhythm dance and free dance events.

Two men and two women skating, oftentimes in sync with each other.īut there’s one thing you’ll see in pairs figure skating that you won’t see in ice dancing. On the surface, the two might appear similar. This is why, if you watch even five minutes of ice dancing, you've heard the word twizzle six thousand times.Up next in the figure skating competition is ice dancing, but for those who aren’t familiar with the sport there might be some confusion between ice dancing and pairs skating.

The synchronized spins are an important part of the score for ice dancing and are altered by adding features (changes in holds or arm and leg position) to the turns. White does a nice job not only explaining but showing the move and how ice dancing blades, which are different than the blades for pairs or singles skating, allow skaters to twizzle. White says twizzles are "a series of fast rotations, moving across the ice in perfect unison with the partner." But along with the arrival of ice dancing is the arrival of a question that must be asked once every four years: What the hell is a twizzle?Īs NBC figure skating host and former ice dancer Tanith White explains in this video, it's a featured element of ice dancing. Viewers in the US are getting behind the Shibutani siblings - one of four US pairs competing - partly because people love their social media presence and partly because of their twizzling. With the team event and men's singles over, Olympic figure skating has moved onto the ice dancing competition.
