Anstasia Cannuscio tweeted this, with the comment "I'm scared!"
http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BCRsK-_CYAA3X69.jpg:large
In compulsory patterns, are the dancers expected to hit every one of these turns and edges in perfect precision and right to the beat?
That's the goal; but actually, the most important parts of the Finnstep will be the key points, which involve hitting the designated parts of the patterns.
I did some minor research into the Finnstep, since I had no idea of what it was.
The Finnstep is a quickstep dance. It got it's name from its inventors, Susanna Rahkamo and Petri Kokko. Now, there's a blast from the past! They debuted this dance as their Original Dance at the 1995 European Championships. It was later adapted to a Compulsary Dance. Of course, now it's being included as part of the Short Dance in the Olympic year.
It was last skated as a complusary dance in 2009. Here's a video of it, performed by Pechalat and Bourzat at the 2009 European Championships.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=br7DzHQAK7k
It looks difficult, and even more so when considering how the spirit of the dance must be maintained. I predict some "WOW" Short Dances next year.
How great that Rahkamo and Kokko have gained ice dancing immortality. I loved them as a team. I hope all the skaters can rise to the occasion and conquer their fears on this one. Too bad we can't have Rahkomo and Kokko show up to skate a demonstration of it.
The Finnstep is based on this awesome OSP. Here is what Petri Kokko had to say about it in 2008:
Sadly, it was only used twice, at 2009 Euros and 4CCs. If we've been deprived of the Finnstep as a CD, at least it'll make a comeback as an SD pattern... it'll only be about a million times better than the YP."When you think of this dance, I'd like you to think of sparkling champagne and crystal clarity," Kokko told the assembled press. "The steps themselves aren't very difficult, but the timing is crucial. It's hard to do it properly. For example, the footwork is fast and precise, but all the movement is coming from the knees while the upper body remains stiff. The holds have to be strictly maintained throughout the entire dance . . . its very ballroom."
Originally Posted by TontoK
I hope that no one suffers the fate of Rubleva & Shefer RUS while dancing the Finnstep. It's a very bouncy dance. One of the straps important for keepin her costume on broke, and thus was a Youtube sensation born, poor things. They were very good sports about it.
Well, I had to look that up on YouTube! I thought she handled the situation with poise and grace. I liked her wry smile in the K&C, very charming!
They were quite elegant, all things considered. He is certainly rocking the mullet!
It has something like 2,000,000 page views, more than most skating videos
Oh, I did, too! They were crowd-pleasers. How nice that they finally won the Europeans and two WC Medals, especially back in the day when Ice Dancing placements simply did not shift.
Even more pleasing was that they did not come from a traditional skating powerhouse. Nowadays we see champions from places like Spain and Korea, but it was a rarity back then. Think what they accomplished with very little federation help (I assume).
Finnstep is a fantastic compulsory dance. It's very difficult but not in a "pointlessly difficult Midnight Blues way". The way steps go together actually makes sense and it's light, breezy and bouncy if performed well.
I am not sure but I would guess that they had quite substantial help from their federation given Finland is very rich country with big social spending.
Now that is a compulsory dance. Wow, certainly one of the hardest I've ever seen. But the great thing about it is that it actually looks like a fun, quickstep dance instead of a compulsory routine with technical turns. Here's Virtue/Moir doing it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWHgSYl7pvk
Nokia was Rahkamo & Kokko's sponsor for several years during their competitive career.Finnstep is a fantastic compulsory dance. It's very difficult but not in a "pointlessly difficult Midnight Blues way". The way steps go together actually makes sense and it's light, breezy and bouncy if performed well.
I am not sure but I would guess that they had quite substantial help from their federation given Finland is very rich country with big social spending.
Here's R&K, dancinger their Quickstep OD, that was the prototype for the Finnstep, which I believe is from a French gangster movie called "Borsalino" named after a hat company that made fedora hats.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ieH0uk-cks
I think what TontoK meant was that the Finnish Federation did not have any particular political clout in ISU circles, back in the day when such things were paramount in ice dance.
I think they still are.
Maybe to a lesser extent though.
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