Restrictions on Ice Dancing

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Dee4707

Guest

• Jun 10, 2003

• #1

Restrictions on Ice Dancing

This is an article from Skatefans and I thought it was interesting to post here and see what your thoughts are on the subject.

<a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SkateFans/message/115680" target="top">Skatefans Article</a>

Dee

 

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Ptichka

Guest

• Jun 10, 2003

• #2

Re: Restrictions on Ice Dancing

Honestly, I think some people just read too much into those moves. I agree that Ilya's playing to the public was questionable -- but to me it was so because he was not skating, not doing anything with his partner, in other words, he was not ice dancing. As for the legs-on-neck moves... I see no problems with this at all. And as for more costume regulations -- I wish ISU would take AWAY the rule about ladies wearing skirts. What passes for skirts in FS today is can hardly be called a garment, and some singles skaters I think would benefit from being able to wear catsuits and such in non-exhibition pieces. Sarah and Irina both come to mind.

 

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mathman444

Guest

• Jun 10, 2003

• #3

Re: Restrictions on Ice Dancing

I have wondered about the same thing, Ptichka. What is the point of requiring a skirt? It certainly doesn't cover anything. As for the erotic value of flying up so you can see what's underneath (as the article laments), "what's underneath" is the rest of her costume.

Sarah looked cute as the dickens be in her Fosse catsuit, and Irina in her coyboy outfit last year was sexy-as-she-wants-to-be.

Mathman

 

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Lcp88

Guest

• Jun 10, 2003

• #4

Re: Restrictions on Ice Dancing

I think the article went a little overboard saying dance was becoming erotica. There are indeed teams who push the limit in outfits and moves (Anissina and Pezeriot come to mind), but it doesn't effect the sport as a whole. ITA about L&A's program this year though. That wasn't dance, that was trying to impress the judges with highlights and cheap tricks.

Another thing that I would like to see changed is lyric use. I'm all for it, but it should apply to ALL freeskates then, not just dance. I kinda think it would be neat if the SP were the more classical/technical programs and the free's were more interpretive.
Laura

 

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Dee4707

Guest

• Jun 10, 2003

• #5

Re: Restrictions on Ice Dancing

<blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>What passes for skirts in FS today is can hardly be called a garment, and some singles skaters I think would benefit from being able to wear catsuits and such in non-exhibition pieces. Sarah and Irina both come to mind.[/quote]
Are we speaking of the Wedgie Look? There was a famous pair skater (lady) that just irritated me to no end with her almost thong like panties. I was so tired of looking at her you know what. Anyhow, on the moves, I just don't think there is any way that they could get around sometimes where they need to put their hands. I doubt they even realize what they are doing.

Dee

 

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Princess Leppard 625

Guest

• Jun 10, 2003

• #6

Re: Restrictions on Ice Dancing

<span style="colorurple;font-family:georgia;font-size:x-small;">I know whose thong annoys Dee!

Anyhoo, I don't really watch ice dance, so I can't add much. I DO enjoy watching the men and their occasionally erotic moves (though I hope Tim never tries any....*shudder*), these types of moves are good in moderation. To make an entire program of them would be hopeless.

I think ladies in skirts look really beautiful, but if someone wants to skate in a catsuit for their SP, why not? Most skaters have great bodies; they'd look terrific.

Cheers,

Laura </span>

 

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heyang

Guest

• Jun 10, 2003

• #7

Re: Restrictions on Ice Dancing

I believe the skirt and catsuit being scandalous was initiated by the 88 Olympics. Katerina skated her LP to show tunes as a show girl. Initially, there wasn't a skirt on the outfit and people (reportedly from Debi Thomas's camp) claimed she was using her feminine wiles to sway the judging. It was also during that Oly's that Debi wore a cat suit in her SP. So, the Witt camp protested the cat suit. So now we have a regulation that says the skirt must cover the butt.

Seems a bit ridiculous since the skirt goes flying up anyway - but I can understand how it must look when in a standing still position.

I think it got ridiculous when Kristi Y had to attach a skirt to her Doop Doop outfit when she competed in a pro-am. Utterly ruined the effect of the original costume.

I also find it ironic that we've seen more bared boobs from the traditional ballroom dance costumes that the ice dancers wear for their original dance than we have from some of the more outrageous costumes.

From the translation, I'm not sure I understand the 'restrictions'. Ice dance was becoming ice let-'s-pretend for a while - i.e. Punsalan & Swallow's race car routine. Some of the restrictions were put in place to make sure that ice dance remained about dance. That rule has been stifling to the creativity, but is the basis of the sport - dance. Teams have the freedom to be more creative with their exhibition programs - also, many teams push the limit on the music requirements. There are several programs which I would not call 'dance'.

 

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Ladskater

Guest

• Jun 11, 2003

• #8

Re: Restrictions on Ice Dancing

Ice dance has always had restrictions; it just seems that they have been rather lax the last few years; they need to enforce the standards that already exist in regards to costumes.


Ladskater

 

J

Joesitz

Guest

• Jun 11, 2003

• #9

Re: Restrictions on Ice Dancing

I think they should <strong>ban</strong> the jitterbug, rock and roll, lindy hop, beebopp, etc., from competition.

American 'swing' dancing does not travel over the floor. To make it travel over the ice is foolish - the dance is lost. However, this kinda dancing does make for a fun exhibition piece.

Joe

 

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Ptichka

Guest

• Jun 11, 2003

• #10

Re: Restrictions on Ice Dancing

Well Joe, your wish shure will not come true for this upcoming season. The OD for 2003/4 is "swing combo".

 

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Joesitz

Guest

• Jun 11, 2003

• #11

Re: Restrictions on Ice Dancing

Ptichka - Well, if they insist on doing this "swing combo" thing, then I think it only fitting that they do it from a Broadway musical or Hollywood musical type of thing, and not from the american folk dance thing.

I would suggest something along the lines of Gene Kelly and Vera Ellen or a Bob Fosse number. Just no Elvis or stereotype jitterbugging.

Joe

 

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Lcp88

Guest

• Jun 11, 2003

• #12

Re: Restrictions on Ice Dancing

Ice Dancers of the world I beg of you : NO MORE ELVIS!!!!!
Laura

 

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Dee4707

Guest

• Jun 11, 2003

• #13

Re: Restrictions on Ice Dancing

I'm with you Joe, I just never liked either L&A rock & roll program and didn't like B&A's Elvis number. Like Joe says makes for good exhibition numbers. Besides not liking those programs, I very much didn't like the music cuts. Drove me crazy.

Dee

 

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Ptichka

Guest

• Jun 11, 2003

• #14

Re: Restrictions on Ice Dancing

I actually liked B&A's program. I think it used the show quality to hide the pair's shortcomings and to emphasize their strengths. Also, I think it suited them so well because they are so young. I agree, however, that it is not appropriate for the more mature dancers.

 

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DORISPULASKI

Guest

• Jun 11, 2003

• #15

Re: Restrictions on Ice Dancing

Boy, is the person interviewed in that article Old School!
Torvill and Dean and Bestiamanova and Bukhin date back to 1981 Worlds (gold and silver) and of course were dancing together before they actually hit the podium. And they are too modern for this person

The dress/catsuit thing to 1988. This is a person who is not engaging with the directions ice dancing has tried to go. They don't even want to start the trip.

They want us to go all the way back to Moiseeva and Minenkov. Heck if we are going that far back, let's go back to Pakhamova and Gorshkov who were better than M&M anyway at the classic ballroom dance/ice dance style IMO.

I also want to know why dark outfits are supposed to be erotic? That doesn't compute at all. Heck funeral outfits are dark, and hardly erotic?

Nice to know that there are stick in the muds in every country.

dpp

 

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Emilieanne

Guest

• Jun 11, 2003

• #16

Old School? Maybe that is just what's needed...

Perhaps the interviewee was "old school," and in those days the basic technique was considerably better than it is now. The way the skating looks these days it sure looks like skaters are not taking the time necessary to master the basics the way that is required...and this applies to all disciplines, not just dance. For all the time and money that is invested in becoming a champion, I cannot understand why that appears to be so.

Torvill and Dean were perhaps the last that I can remember that really had the skills up to the task. Ever since then, it seems like all that dance has had were just wannabes whose skills came nowhere remotely close to what was needed to get the job done.

Although many may feel the clothes in those days were overly conservative, those clothes did show an elegance and a respect for the sport which seems to have disappered somewhere, and the loss of that dignity and respect is most unfortunate.

I know many of you may laugh at this post...but consider that those of us who have been around for a long time do remember and appreciate the point here.

 

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Ptichka

Guest

• Jun 11, 2003

• #17

Re: Old School? Maybe that is just what's needed...

I am not sure I agree with you on the loss of technique since T&D. Take Klimova & Ponomarenko, for instance. Their basic skating technique was some of the best ice dance has ever seen.