Olympic Recap, Day 7: Ice Dance Compulsories

Tonight was the compulsory dance round for the ice dance event. Each dance team performed the Ravensburger Waltz. Before I go into my assessment of the individual performances, I want to talk briefly about the Rave.

The Ravensburger Waltz is, under the American test structure, one of the international dances - placing it among the upper eschelon of the compulsory dances. It is one of the most technically demanding dances in the sport. As with all waltzes, the music for the Rave is in 3/4 time. But at the required 198 beats per minute, it is one of the fastest dances in the compulsories. One pattern consists of 41 steps skated in 29 seconds.

I've personally skated this dance numerous times. My sister and I tested and passed the Rave a few years ago. The lady's steps are considerably harder than those for the man. The lady performs no fewer than three twizzles (very fast turns done in a fraction of a second; one of the lady's twizzles is a full revolution, the other two are 1.5 revolutions), as well as a difficult rocker-chocktaw sequence. Comparatively, the man skates easy, stroking-type steps. The main role for the man is to provide support for the lady's difficult maneuvres. However, one of the most difficult sections for both partners is the walkaround section at the very end of the pattern; the sheer speed that the dancers carry into the final corner make controlling those steps challenging. If you'd like to see what the dance pattern looks like, check out these two diagrams; step chart here and here. Note that these things are not the easiest thing in the world to decipher, even for skaters. Seeing the dance actually peformed is, in my opinion, an easier way to learn the dance.

The Ravensburger Waltz is to be skated in Viennese style; according to the USFSA rulebook, "the character of the dance should be lilting, graceful, and executed at an even, controlled pace.... The dance should be unhurried and convey a free, unfettered feeling."

Tonight's skaters each skated the Ravensburger very well. I think that is reflected in how close the scores are. The difference between first and sixth places is less than two points. With two rounds of competition still to go, the field is still wide open.

The Italian team of Fusar Poli and Margaglio (bronze medalists in 2002; they came out of retirement to skate in this year's Olympics) are currently in first. Their Rave was light and freewheeling. Most importantly, they made the dance look easy and their steps look effortless. They had good expression and really seemed to be enjoying their skate. No doubt the home crowd cheering them on helped in this respect. But my favorite expression from this team came when they realized that they were in first place. A quick note on their choice of outfit, though. I don't think their flourescent pink with flourescent green trim (and a very open shirt for Margaglio) was the best selection for a waltz. For a latin dance (cha cha, rhumba, etc) it would work, but not a waltz. Nevertheless, this did not adversely affect their scores. It will be interesting to watch Fusar Poli and Margaglio's progress in the next two rounds. According to tonight's commentators, the compulsory round is probably this team's best round and the Rave plays to their strengths - she's the stronger dancer. I don't expect them to maintain the lead.

In second place is Navka and Kostomarov of Russia. They're considered the favorites, but this round is not their strongest suit. I thought they had a strong skate with impressive lines and good expression. But I also felt that their timing looked just a hair rushed, especially in the first pattern. The second pattern seemed to calm down.

Skating into the third spot was the Bulgarian couple, Denkova and Staviski. I liked this team's Rave a lot. They had considerable speed and power, and their rocker-chocktaw sequence was well executed with good expression. I would probably have ranked them over the Russians, unless I were to dock them points for their costumes - purple with green flowy trim. The costumes didn't really fit the image of a waltz.

The Canadians, Dubreuil and Lauzon, hold the fourth position after their Ravensburger. I was not a huge fan of their dance. I felt that they lacked unison in several places, and Lauzon's extensions could have been stronger. During the first pattern, I also felt their timing was just a bit sluggish through the rocker-chocktaw sequence. But I did enjoy their upper body expression throughout the dance. I would have placed them at least behind Belbin and Agosto, in sixth (as it stands, Dubreuil and Lauzon's score of 37.44 is a mere .08 above the Americans).

Grushina and Goncharov of Ukraine are in fifth, with a score of 37.39 (.05 behind the Canadians and only .03 ahead of the Americans - like I said, the teams are very close right now). This team had excellent expression and flow. In particular, I liked Goncharov's leaning throughout the dance. It added to the cadence and character of a Ravensburger Waltz. They also had nice extensions. Grushina also had one of the more "scandalous"-looking dresses (or lack thereof); that never hurts with the male judges.

The American "dream team" of Belbin and Agosto are currently in sixth. But with the scores being so close, especially among the teams in fourth, fifth, and sixth places, this is not as bad as it sounds. Though I'm probably a bit biased, I always enjoy watching Belbin and Agosto skate. I felt they had great expression tonight, and wonderful cadence on the Rave 3-turns on the opening lobe. They had crisp positions with good flow, which added a floating feel to the dance. But they did seem a little tight in places, particularly the last third of the pattern. Belbin's third twizzle looked just a bit forced, and there could have been a freer feel to the rocker-chocktaw sequence. But I'm definitely happy to see they skated well and had good speed. Speed has typically been a lacking element for American ice dancers.

Two other American ice dance teams are skating in Torino. Gregory and Petukhov are currently in fifteenth, while Silverstein and O'Meara sit in eighteenth. You can see the full standings here. Super detailed results here.

A final word on costumes. As Dick Button remarked in tonight's broadcast, the costumes for the compulsory dance round tend to be more "conservative." I think this is because the compulsory dances are the most like ballroom dance. There's also a tendency to try to make the costumes reflect the type of dance, though there were some exceptions. As I pointed out above, Fusar Poli and Margaglio and Denkova and Staviski wore costumes that didn't really evoke a waltz feel. But the rest of the field was decked out in costumes that could easily be seen in any ballroom waltz competition - right down to tuxedos with tails for the men. Now I like tails - they're pretty classy. I was a bit surprised to see practically everyone wearing them. And I'm not so sure I like them as much for ice dance. As the skaters turn, the tails necessarily spin about - and can be a bit distracting.

All in all, it was a good opening round for Olympic Ice Dancing. The couples will be back to skate the next round - the Original Dance - on Sunday.