U.S. FS launches Solo Dance

[skamper23]

http://www.usfigureskating.org/Programs.asp?id=479 This looks interesting. I'd love to see some of these competitions!

[azskatefan]

Interesting! Good for them for expanding the solo dance portion of our sport.

[barbk]

Is this a mixed-gender competition?

I'm glad to see them adding this, and I hope that dance participants enjoy it.

[Frau Muller]

So is this a competition for solo men and ladies who cannot jump or spin very well but, rather, do 'moves in the field' in time to music? Could be interesting for those of us who love to see the dance & edging aspects of the sport as much as the athletic but it could be a snoozefest for the average Olympic-watching public that expects solo skaters to jump and spin.

Needless to saw, it's another money-making gimmick, although the USFS comes right out and says that it is exactly that (development opportunity). I just hope that it doesn't lead to a cheesy TV show -- Gong Show on Ice or Ice Idol -- & that Joe & Jane Public don't mistake it for The Real Thing. All we need is another cheesy competition to water-down the pure disciplines of the sport.

[gkelly]

Is this a mixed-gender competition?

Probably. Which can get unfair in dances where the ladies' steps are significantly more difficult than the men's.

So is this a competition for solo men and ladies who cannot jump or spin very well but, rather, do 'moves in the field' in time to music?

No, it's a compulsory pattern dance competition for ice dancers who don't have partners.

It's not an Olympic-level or even an international-level competition. It's not a spectator-oriented competition. It's for the benefit of the participants.

Maybe some participants will use the exposure and networking opportunities to find partners and become elite competitive ice dancers. Maybe some of them will use the training and competition experience to enhance their edge quality and musical interpretation as singles skaters and that will help them reach elite levels if they also have the freestyle skills. But in itself this competition track is not aiming at an elite result.

It's not going to be televised. Don't worry, you won't have to watch it unless you love compulsory dances or love one of the participants enough to go sit in the stands at a local event or, perhaps, watch the final on IceNetwork. Joe and Jane Public won't even know it exists.

That said, I personally would want to see solo free dances or solo ODs/short dances by elite level solo ice dancers, if there were a rigorous structure for developing solo dancers at that level. But this isn't that structure.

[Bonita]

Solo dance is quite common in the artistic roller skating field in the U.S. Suprisingly, there are quite a lot of men who do it. Some people don't have partners, some do and just like to see how far they place solo.

I think it's great. I skate with so many women who don't have ice dance partners (myself excluded, but I'm lucky!).

[overedge]

I really like that this event includes all the dance levels from "no test" upward, not just the national/international level dances.

[Ozzisk8tr]

Solo dance is quite common in the artistic roller skating field in the U.S. Suprisingly, there are quite a lot of men who do it. Some people don't have partners, some do and just like to see how far they place solo.

I think it's great. I skate with so many women who don't have ice dance partners (myself excluded, but I'm lucky!).

Solo dance is one of the biggest events now in roller. It is at world level and this year for the first time (2011) they are allowing the solo males to skate with their partners in couples too. They hadn't allowed this before, you had to do solo or couples, but all the men chose to do solo so there were only 4 couples at worlds last year. They even do a solo freedance in the event. They also have to do one spin and one single revolution jump.
Watch the numbers in the sport increase over the next few years.

[Bonita]

Solo dance is one of the biggest events now in roller.

Wow, that's cool, I had no idea. I haven't followed competitive roller skating here in the U.S. or at the world level since breaking up with my ex-boyfriend roller dancer in 2003 and later marrying a roller jam skater who I brought to the dark side (ice). It was actually his idea to do dance, as I was freestyle only when we met. I sort of miss roller, some of the spins in freestyle were OMG to watch. I never managed more than a one-foot spin on quads, I was awful.

[MacMadame]

Solo dance is quite common in the artistic roller skating field in the U.S.

It's fairly common in figure skating too. Most of the local club comps that include dance will have some solo dances events. Those are the very first dance competitions I entered, in fact. And that was over 10 years ago so it's not that new a concept.

USFS has been encouraging solo dance for a while. I think they saw how popular it was at the local level. They recently introduced a test structure for it as well. It's a good way to retain people in the sport who like dance but can't find partners.

I really like that this event includes all the dance levels from "no test" upward, not just the national/international level dances.

Well, at lot of the international dances can't be soloed. Like the Golden Waltz. Think of that dip!

[Bonita]

In my area we don't even have ice dance duos at any level in local competitions, never mind solo. It stinks!

[DORISPULASKI]

Solo dance has been competed at Lake Placid IDC for some time now.
http://www.lakeplacidskating.com/new...sults_solo.php

This year, 6 or 8 seniors, juniors and novices all competed in solo in each of the events.

There are some 1500 odd hits for "solo ice dance" on youtube (a number of which are something other than solo ice dance

http://www.youtube.com/results?searc...ice+dance&aq=f

[my little pony]

So is this a competition for solo men and ladies who cannot jump or spin very well but, rather, do 'moves in the field' in time to music?

maybe, but think of all the amazing ice dancers who couldnt find a partner of their calibre

I love pretty Maurizio but imagine if Barbara could have competed solo

[sk8er1964]

Ann Arbor Springtime comp had solo OD this past year. I saw one of the skaters practicing hers (it had been choreographed by Brandon Forsythe) and it looked like a lot of fun.

I started competing solo dance at the adult level a few years ago and I like it.

[overedge]

I love pretty Maurizio but imagine if Barbara could have competed solo

But if she made a mistake, she would have no one to give the Stare o'Death to...

[Aussie Willy]

So is this a competition for solo men and ladies who cannot jump or spin very well but, rather, do 'moves in the field' in time to music? Could be interesting for those of us who love to see the dance & edging aspects of the sport as much as the athletic but it could be a snoozefest for the average Olympic-watching public that expects solo skaters to jump and spin.

Needless to saw, it's another money-making gimmick, although the USFS comes right out and says that it is exactly that (development opportunity). I just hope that it doesn't lead to a cheesy TV show -- Gong Show on Ice or Ice Idol -- & that Joe & Jane Public don't mistake it for The Real Thing. All we need is another cheesy competition to water-down the pure disciplines of the sport.

I am not sure if you actually understand even how the sport of skating is run, let alone what solo dance is or why there is a need for it. It is not aimed at you as a spectator or fan of the sport but rather those who participate and gives them an opportunity to partake in another part of it.

There are a number of skaters who do ice dance who are unable to get partners so there needs to be something for them. They do ice dance not even because they can't jump or spin but rather they enjoy the technical aspect of it and it improves the rest of their skating skills.

I have done a few solo dance competitions. We had a solo dance event last year at one of our national level competitions which was really good for the skaters. They did a compulsory each and an original dance.

As someone who for all the time I have done ice dance, I have never had a partner because there is just no other available males competing in ice dance, except for my coach. But I only get to partner him when I have lessons. I also do the male steps when I have lessons with my female coach which works well because she is so much shorter than me. But if I wanted to compete as an ice dancer, there are no other opportunities for me.

So please do not jump to conclusions about it.

[Ozzisk8tr]

Below is a link to the 3 times Junior World Champion in Solo Dance on roller. Her name is Nicole Leonard and she is from the USA. She moves up to Senioir next year. This is her solo freedance. Sorry it's on facebook, I can't find it anywhere else.

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=461756402233

[Oz_sk8ting_mum]

they are allowing the solo males to skate with their partners in couples too. They hadn't allowed this before, you had to do solo or couples, but all the men chose to do solo so there were only 4 couples at worlds last year..

A Little sad that all the men choose to do solo the ladies still can't get partners !!

[kwanfan1818]

But if she made a mistake, she would have no one to give the Stare o'Death to...

"Mirror, mirror, on the wall..."

[essence_of_soy]

Gosh, could you imagine if there were a solo dance event at the world level. Freestyle skaters like Stephanie Rosenthal would romp it in.

Thanks for the link, Ozzisk8tr. Very much in the style of Shae Lynn Bourne.