2011-12 Season ISU Technical Requirements and Changes

[HisWeirness]

The ISU is beginning the annual process of updating technical requirements and issuing communications for the 2011-12 season. I am starting this thread so we can gather all of these communications here and discuss them.

Communication 1670 includes the 2011-12 Short Dance and Free Dance required elements.

Key items:

Senior Short Dance

One to three of the following Latin American Rhythms: Cha Cha, Rhumba, Samba, Mambo, Merengue.

The Pattern Dance Elements can be skated to any of the above mentioned Rhythms (both elements to the same Rhythm or one element to one Rhythm and the second element to a different Rhythm), in the style of this (these) Rhythm(s), with the following range of tempo: 43 to 45 measures of four beats per minute (172-180 beats per minute). The tempo of the music throughout the Pattern Dance Elements must be constant.

Junior Short Dance

Cha Cha or Cha Cha plus one of the following Latin American Rhythms: Rhumba, Samba, Mambo, Merengue.

The Pattern Dance Elements must be skated on the Cha Cha Rhythm, in the style of the Cha Cha, with the following range of tempo: 28 to 30 measures of four beats per minute (112-120 beats per minute). The tempo of music throughout the Pattern Dance Elements must be constant.

Also

Latin American Rhythms are described in the ISU Ice Dance Music Rhythms Booklet 1995, pages 13 to 20 (Note: Tango and Paso Doble, which are not included in the description, are not allowed).

The concept and choreography must produce the feeling of a unified dance. The Pattern Dance Elements may be skated anywhere in the Short Dance and should be integrated into the composition of the dance so that there should not be the feeling that there are just rhythms put together without thought of how they fit together.

Short Dance choreography rule update (new provisions are underlined):

“After the clock is started with the first movement, the couple must not remain in one place for more than 10 seconds. During the program, either up to two full stops (duration must not exceed 5 seconds each) or up to one full stop (duration must not exceed 10 seconds) are permitted. Any choreography appropriate to the music selection (including a separation of no more than two arms length apart) may be included.”

Required Short Dance Elements

Senior Pattern

Two (2) Sequences of Rhumba, either skated one after the other or not skated one after the other.

Junior Pattern

Two (2) Sequences of Cha Cha Congelado, skated one after the other.

For both Senior and Junior Patterns:

Timing – the Pattern Dance Elements must be skated in strict time to the music with the start of Step # 1 of:
- each Sequence of Rhumba (if they are not skated one after the other),
- the first Sequence of Rhumba (if they are skated one after the other)*,
- each Sequence of Cha Cha Congelado, on beat 1 of a four measure musical phrase.
* Note: in this case, the second Sequence will begin on beat 1 of the fourth measure of a musical phrase.

Step #1 of each Pattern Dance Sequence must be skated on a different side of the ice surface.

Additional required SD elements:

One (1) Short Lift is required.
In addition, one (1) Transitional Dance Lift (up to 6 seconds), but no more, performed optionally after the required Dance Lift is permitted.

Step Sequence

Senior: one (1) Not Touching Circular Step Sequence
Junior: one (1) Not Touching Midline Step Sequence

One (1) Set of Sequential Twizzles

The Dance Spin is not a Required Element. A couple may choose to use this movement as part of their choreography.

Required Free Dance Elements (Senior)

Dance Lifts
- two (2) different Types of Short Lifts and one (1) Long Lift,
or
- four (4) Short Lifts chosen from at least three different Types are required.

In addition, one (1) Transitional Dance Lift (up to 6 seconds), but no more, performed optionally after the required Dance Lifts, is permitted.

One (1) Dance Spin (Spin or Combination Spin) is required.
In addition, one (1) Transitional Dance Spin, but no more, performed optionally after the required Dance Spin, is permitted.

One (1) Straight Line Step Sequence (Midline or Diagonal) in Hold

One (1) Curved Step Sequence (Circular or Serpentine) in Hold

One (1) Set of Synchronized Twizzles

Note: if a Dance Spin and a Dance Lift are performed as a combination, they will be identified as two separate elements.

[smartblade]

Senior: one (1) Not Touching Circular Step Sequence (SD requirement)
that's exciting!

[peibeck]

there should not be the feeling that there are just rhythms put together without thought of how they fit together.

Thank goodness, this is what killed so many of the short dances for me this year.

Already having high hopes for slutty costume voids!

[HisWeirness]

^ I love that the wango will not return next season. Most were

I am also very excited for slutty latin dance costumes. Bring on the neon orange, ruffles and deep V-necks!

[SamuraiK]

Senior: one (1) Not Touching Circular Step Sequence (SD requirement)
that's exciting!

Indeed

I dont like that the two patterns of the rhumba can be skated at different moments and not one after the other.. it will hurt the ability to compare the teams against each other.

I do like that they realized we got tons of "copy & paste" SDs this season and they are demanding a coherent piece of choreography this time.

Overall Im surprised they went again with popurri of latin rhythms after the huge failure that was the 2005-2006 season with that splatfest of epic proportions knowns as Torino's OD.

[Libertango]

Overall Im surprised they went again with popurri of latin rhythms after the huge failure that was the 2005-2006 season with that splatfest of epic proportions knowns as Torino's OD.

I hate latin programs but I remember that it had a lot of success with non-skating fans and non-ice dance fans!

[HisWeirness]

Overall Im surprised they went again with popurri of latin rhythms after the huge failure that was the 2005-2006 season with that splatfest of epic proportions knowns as Torino's OD.

True...but it gave us this!

OD Memories.

[SamuraiK]

I hate latin programs but I remember that it had a lot of success with non-skating fans and non-ice dance fans!

That's true I remember watching the Torino Olympics OD with thre girls who have never seen any Figure Skating in their lives, and they all loved it, specially B&A because it was to a Jennifer Lopez song! At least it was a very entertaining night for sure with all the drama of Babs Death Stare and Dubreuils tragic fall.

But lets face it: anglo, nordic, slavic skaters suck big time at trying to carry the latin flow and portraying the hotness vibe that is required for these dances, they all end up looking horribly stiff and contrived.

[Moka-Ananas]

But lets face it: anglo, nordic, slavic skaters suck big time at trying to carry the latin flow and portraying the hotness vibe that is required for these dances, they all end up looking horribly stiff and contrived.

Oh well I'm pretty convinced Elena Ilinykh and Nikita Katsalapov will rock these dances.

[Cloudy_Gumdrops]

But lets face it: anglo, nordic, slavic skaters suck big time at trying to carry the latin flow and portraying the hotness vibe that is required for these dances, they all end up looking horribly stiff and contrived.

You're generalizing too much.

I think P&B will be able to bring the sexy. I&K have the chemistry for it too.

Ones I can't see bringing it are like (just a few examples), D&W, C&P, B&S...I'm undecided on V&M. They rely on the young love stuff so much, I've forgotten anything else they've done.

[Asli]

But lets face it: anglo, nordic, slavic skaters suck big time at trying to carry the latin flow and portraying the hotness vibe that is required for these dances, they all end up looking horribly stiff and contrived.

Some of the hottest Latin dances I can remember were performed by Russian couples. Usova/Zhulin's and Grishuk/Platov's rhumbas are my favorites.

[Vagabond]

But lets face it: anglo, nordic, slavic skaters suck big time at trying to carry the latin flow and portraying the hotness vibe that is required for these dances, they all end up looking horribly stiff and contrived.

You remind me of John Martin.

"By and large, [the Negro] has been wise enough not to be drawn into [the academic ballet], for its wholly European outlook, history and technical theory are alien to him culturally, temperamentally and anatomically. . . . The deliberately maintained erectness of the European dancer's spine is in marked contrast to the fluidity of the Negro dancer's, and the latter's natural concentration of movement in the pelvic region is similarly at odds with European usage."

[Moka-Ananas]

Some of the hottest Latin dances I can remember were performed by Russian couples. Usova/Zhulin's and Grishuk/Platov's rhumbas are my favorites.

Navka wasn't bad either.
And Anissina's Flamenco was amazing.

[Hanna]

I'm ready for the Latin dances again!

Enough with waltzes & tangos (especially combined ) for a while!

[Lanna]

One to three of the following Latin American Rhythms: Cha Cha, Rhumba, Samba, Mambo, Merengue.

Oh, no, not again.

[Cherub721]

I must commend HisWeirness not only for making an excellent informative post as usual, but for the creative use of greamlins. I never thought B&S' final pose from Meditation would work for rhumba, but it really does!!!

Good thing Navka retired well before these rules against stopping in one place for too long were put into effect.

The way I am reading it, the seniors can choose from the 5 dances, but they must do a rhumba pattern. There's no requirement that they actually choose the rhumba though. So they can skate a samba and mambo and fit the rhumba pattern in there somewhere. Why didn't they make it like juniors where they must skate cha-cha alone or cha-cha + other rhythm of choice?

[SamuraiK]

You're generalizing too much.

I think P&B will be able to bring the sexy. I&K have the chemistry for it too.

Well yes, its a general statement, and of course there are always exceptions that break the rule but the general idea remains the same IMO.. I think Riazanova can do it, I remember enjoyin a lot her latin FD with Guerreiro back in 2008.

Some of the hottest Latin dances I can remember were performed by Russian couples. Usova/Zhulin's and Grishuk/Platov's rhumbas are my favorites.

Well if you consider those really hot I wont argue with that, but thats hardly the definition of hotness for me.

Navka wasn't bad either.
And Anissina's Flamenco was amazing.

Flamenco isn't the type of rythm we're talking here really.. dont think it qualifies as "latin" at least not in the tropical sense this OD is aiming for.

The only ones who nailed the latin/tropical character in Torino were Tanith, Grushina and Sinead Kerr IMHO. All the other girls were a total mess. Navka was hilarious in those first seconds with all that ridiculous-looking ass shaking, but then she kinda pulled it off thanks mostly to her awesome charisma.

[gkelly]

The way I am reading it, the seniors can choose from the 5 dances, but they must do a rhumba pattern. There's no requirement that they actually choose the rhumba though. So they can skate a samba and mambo and fit the rhumba pattern in there somewhere. Why didn't they make it like juniors where they must skate cha-cha alone or cha-cha + other rhythm of choice?

Because the Rhumba pattern dance is usually skated to music that's faster than a typical rhumba, so the steps would really go better or at least just as well with music intended for one of the other dances named?

[Aussie Willy]

Thanks for posting HisWeirness. Can always count on you to keep us up to date.

I am glad they have picked a theme and stuck to it. Really didn't like how this season the dances have seemed so disjointed.

Agree about slutty dance costumes. Latin is the best for those.

[flyingsit]

Both Madisons (Chock and Hubbell) must be looking forward to an extra-slutty season!