ISU communication 1496 - Folk OD for the Olympics | Golden Skate

ISU communication 1496 - Folk OD for the Olympics

dorispulaski

Wicked Yankee Girl
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Country
United-States
Yes, this is not a joke.

The communication also includes all the 2008 / 2009 season rule changes for ice-dance that are proposed as well.

http://isu.sportcentric.net/db//files/serve.php?id=940

Like communication 1495, it's a pdf file, so you'll want to download it to read it.

Any comments?

I loved the folk OD, so I'm happy :)

The guidelines for the folk OD have been saved for a later communication.

Do you have any suggestions for changes? I do. I'll write them up and post them later.
 
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cassieandcheetah

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 14, 2007
oh no....this is actually a bummer for me because I ddint' like the folk ods at all. since it's such a broad theme and so heterogeneous, it didn't allow for a fair comparison of the teams I don't think...and they only did it just last year!
 
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~tapdancer

On the Ice
Joined
Mar 18, 2008
I read the whole thing! Very interesting.

Yeah, Folk/Country OD for the Olympics. Guess they felt it would be fun for the audience especially for the Olys. But the teams are going to have to really brainstorm to come up with something new and original since it will only be a one year break from doing the same rhythm! (Please no "Kalinka's"!) (I loved D/W's but I hope they do something different!)

Did you happen to see one of the illegal lifts? The lifted partner upside down with legs in a 45 degree or greater angle. No, no. Didn't K/N do that this past season? I'm glad it's out..I never thought it was a very pretty lift. I noticed the wording used in the rules was "aesthetically pleasing". Yeah, I'm all for that.

And no combo spin in the OD. Just a dance spin.

I'll have to go back and study it some more for my input...
 

Oscilla

On the Ice
Joined
Sep 1, 2006
Oh no! I suffered through a year of folk ODs with a hope that at least I won't see it again for a few years... Why do the ISU keeps on picking for Olympic ODs the themes that I like the least? (I like folk dances, just - not on ice... :indiff: )

I sort of hoped for tango... :cry:

I must say I'm very surprised they picked this theme again so soon. Originality, who needs it?

I'm glad that the crotch lift got banned and that combo spin got replaced with dance spin in OD, though. :)
 

clairecloutier

Final Flight
Joined
Aug 27, 2003
I'm disappointed about the folk dance OD. I thought the folk dances were fun this year, but I totally agree that it's hard to compare the teams when one of them is doing a Russian folk dance and another is doing an American hoedown!

My favorite Olympic OD rhythm was the rhumba at the 1994 Olympics. It's such a wonderful rhythm and allowed you to really compare the teams well. I remember Bourne/Kraatz's rhumba that year was a standout.

On the plus side, I'm happy with the 20s/30s/40s theme for next year's OD. We haven't seen too many swing or Lindy programs lately, so that should be fun.
 

beep_beep

Medalist
Joined
Aug 3, 2007
Yes, this is not a joke.

The communication also includes all the 2008 / 2009 season rule changes for ice-dance that are proposed as well.

http://isu.sportcentric.net/db//files/serve.php?id=940

Yay, nice! I'm glad we'll get to see more folk ODs. I just hope the ISU will put some restrains based on what the teams have already done (e.g. if you did Kalinka for 07-08, no Kalinka for you on 09-10), although I would not complain if I got to see the Kerr's Scottish dance back again :)

It would be nice too to see some dances that were completely left out (meaning, people haven't done them), especially Asian and South/Latin American ones (Paraguay, Argentinian Folk, Frevo, Mexican...)

I'm glad that the crotch lift got banned and that combo spin got replaced with dance spin in OD, though. :)

Oh, that crotch lift is (I guess was now) my main pet peeve in ice dancing. Glad it's gone!
I haven't read it yet, but is there any word there on man cleavege ? :biggrin:
 
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Joined
Jul 11, 2003
Doris - What does it mean (re: Dances of the 20s,30s and 40s) to reflect the oriinal flavor and style of the decades. I presume this has to do with costumes. Just guessing. Dunno.

and NOT performed as a ballroom dance. I presume just the rhythm of the dance. If one chose a Peabody and/or a Merengue, they should only affect the rhythm and not the steps.

am I guessing right?

Joe
 

backspin

On the Ice
Joined
Dec 30, 2003
28 bucks says 99% of the teams keep their OD from this year for the Olympic season, just polish it more & tweak it to the new rules. Why not? They'll be more comfortable w/ the program since they've already done it for a year. Won't have to pay choreographer again. Already have the costumes. Can spend more time on FD. Especially for the ODs that were successful this year, that makes a lot of sense.

Should start a new thread: who should KEEP theirs for the Olympics, who should DUMP it & start over.
 

mycelticblessing

Final Flight
Joined
Nov 9, 2007
Yay! I''m so glad it will be used for the Olympics!!:clap:
What I love about the folk OD is the great music and the gorgeous costumes!!:love:
 

Audrey19

On the Ice
Joined
Jun 26, 2007
Oh no. I liked the folk ODs, but I fear a lot of couples will repeat the programs of the last season(please, no more Russian folk dances...) or just change them slightly. And IMO it's way too soon. I liked them mainly because they were a nice change but now I've seen enough. I hope most of the couples will do something new, though.
 

Tinymavy15

Sinnerman for the win
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 28, 2006
Isn't it awful soon to be repeating them? Athough I did not like 8/10 folk dances this past year, I have to say they were better than what we had to deal with last olympics... Navka Kostomorv in leopard print dancing to disco... let's forget that bunch of dances shall we?

THe main reason that I do not like the folk dances is that the skaters do not seem to like them and have trouble with them. I think that a tango would be a much better choice.
 

cassieandcheetah

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 14, 2007
Oh no. I liked the folk ODs, but I fear a lot of couples will repeat the programs of the last season(please, no more Russian folk dances...) or just change them slightly. And IMO it's way too soon. I liked them mainly because they were a nice change but now I've seen enough. I hope most of the couples will do something new, though.

Could the skaters appeal this? I have a feeling they're not going to like it either....
 

dorispulaski

Wicked Yankee Girl
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Country
United-States
Joe, as to what the 20's, 30's and 40's rhythms are considered, all I can tell you is what is contained in this communication and the previous version:

Any one or two rhythms/dances originated in the 1920’s or 1930’s or 1940’s may be chosen (except Tango). If two rhythms are
used one of them may be repeated. The program should reflect the original flavor and style of the decades mentioned above and
NOT performed as a Ballroom Dance.
For general information concerning the rhythms (dances) which belong to the above mentioned decades please refer to the “Ice
Dance Music Rhythms Booklet and Compact Disc 1995”.

Charleston, Blues, Cakewalk, Lambeth Walk, and Lindy were given as examples of the 20's in the last version. I'd be interested to know what the disk says are 30's and 40's, if anyone has a copy and knows.
 

JonnyCoop

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 28, 2003
Personally, I liked the IDEA of a "folk dance" OD this past season, tho I agree that many of the actual dances performed fell short. I do think it will be a good crowd-grabber for the Olys, tho, specifically BECAUSE of the variety involved. Eyria does bring up a good point that it's hard to compare a couple doing a Russian folk dance vs. a couple doing an American hoedown, but then again that would be bascially the same concept as comparing couples with various types of Free Dances.

Since it will be so soon since Folk Dance was used as the OD, however, I think there should be an addendum to this stating that any couple who re-uses their OD from this past season will be severely penalized. It may be a bit dictatorial, but we ARE talking about the ISU here and they've done more obnoxious stuff than that.....
 

~tapdancer

On the Ice
Joined
Mar 18, 2008
I think it's not that hard to compare the Folk Dances if you use the criteria of the ISU communication. Especially with CoP. If you read the (long!) section on Levels for each element, you get a sense of what's going on with the judging. I think the hardest thing to be is the Technical Specialist. They must really have to study the rules because how hard must it be to call the element during the competition? I mean, I don't know exactly how it's done...I would think that the TS would try to watch the dances throughout the season and get an idea of what each team is doing. At any rate, it has to be difficult. I was reading the Levels and boy, is it ever detailed. Then you add in the Component score which is also detailed and specific.

In the CDs, there's specific detailed scoring for steps and sections of steps. This is my first experience with reading an ISU communication and I really enjoyed getting a much better idea of what's happening in the scoring. It's actually made me appreciate CoP more than ever. I can see where the subjectiveness of judging could still come into play, but it does seem more fair to me than the old ordinal system. Especially if you follow the rules.

So, in regard to the Folk Dances...I agree that it's very similar to FDs. Judge the elements and how they are skated and then judge how well the couple expressed the flavor and style of the dance.

Also I agree with what Joesitz said about "NOT performed as a ballroom dance". I think that means don't skate it as prescribed steps of a ballroom dance, just use the rhythm and create your own dance.
 

cassieandcheetah

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 14, 2007
Yes, but I think it just hurts in terms of creativity that they have to do something that they'd done only a year or two before. And it's an olympic season too! will they be fired up enough to come up with something different?

On a side note, what is a crotch lift? Is that the one B/A does where Ben holds Tanith with one arm except his arm's coming in between her legs? I thought that was pretty risque....
 

~tapdancer

On the Ice
Joined
Mar 18, 2008
Yes, but I think it just hurts in terms of creativity that they have to do something that they'd done only a year or two before. And it's an olympic season too! will they be fired up enough to come up with something different?

On a side note, what is a crotch lift? Is that the one B/A does where Ben holds Tanith with one arm except his arm's coming in between her legs? I thought that was pretty risque....
Yeah, we're already saying some will keep their same OD from this past season...I hope not, though.

Specifically the lift that is considered illegal now...the lifted partner is in an upside position with the legs in a 45 degree angle or greater. This position can be used briefly, however, to change from one position in the lift to another.

I'm not certain but I think K/N did a lift like that this past season (in the OD?). It was NOT pretty whatever kind of lift it was that I saw.
 

cassieandcheetah

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 14, 2007
Yeah, we're already saying some will keep their same OD from this past season...I hope not, though.

Specifically the lift that is considered illegal now...the lifted partner is in an upside position with the legs in a 45 degree angle or greater. This position can be used briefly, however, to change from one position in the lift to another.

I'm not certain but I think K/N did a lift like that this past season (in the OD?). It was NOT pretty whatever kind of lift it was that I saw.

thanks tapdancer! oh yeah...that would NOT look pretty!
 

missysays

On the Ice
Joined
Nov 8, 2007
Oh gawwwwdddd -- not again!!!!!!:sheesh::disapp:

On paper, the concept of folk OD would show the contrast and pageantry of all of the skaters and the countries that they represent. BLAH, BLAH, BLAH

But in execution, you could tell that skaters had difficulty finding true folk music that would work as an entertaining skating number so ended up either doing the same thing (Kalinka) or performing to numbers that weren't true folk (Gypsy dances) or creating programs that were folk but weren't fully appreciated by mostly European judging panels (hoedowns).

This is a bad idea. I feel cranky now.
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
Joe, as to what the 20's, 30's and 40's rhythms are considered, all I can tell you is what is contained in this communication and the previous version:



Charleston, Blues, Cakewalk, Lambeth Walk, and Lindy were given as examples of the 20's in the last version. I'd be interested to know what the disk says are 30's and 40's, if anyone has a copy and knows.
These dances will be audience happy. What I think it means is the Fox Trot done by Torvahl and Dean which gave the rhythm of that dance in the style of Rogers and Astaire.

I would love to see the Cakewalk done in the style of Marge and Gower Champion as shown in the MGM version of Show Boat. The music was called, "I Think I Might Fall Back on You". I don't think Cakewalk was meant to be a ballroom dance but one of group dancing a la the Conga, or the Polonaise.

If not taken to extremes, the category of any of these dances could not only be amusing but also show a lot of technique.

I grew up with those dances. The only folk dance we knew was tap dancing.
:rolleye:

Joe
 
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