It has consistently been described, how hard it is to translate dance for the floor to the ice with authenticity. The Shibs though have always sought out some of the most authentic sources of dance influences to collaborate with. (Google is amazing). In 2012, they worked with Corky Ballas, a World ballroom champion for their Latin short dance program.
In 2013, for their Memoirs of a Geisha free dance they collaborated with Miyako Tachibana, who was the actual traditional Japanese dancer who advised on the Hollywood movie.
http://web.icenetwork.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120904&content_id=37859440&fext=.jsp&vkey=ice_news
In 2014, for their Michael Jackson program they sought out Michael Jackson's own choreographers, Stacy Walker and Travis Payne. If you watch the movie "This Is It" you can see Walker and Payne selecting and training the dancers.
http://web.icenetwork.com/news/2014/03/27/70205514/this-is-it-shibutanis-prep-final-jackson-medley
In 2016, for their Coppelia short dance, they worked with one of the renowned "Coppelias," the principal ballerina Cheryl Yaeger from American Ballet Theater
http://web.icenetwork.com/news/2015...anis-remain-dedicated-to-exploring-new-styles
In 2017, for their hip hop short dance, they collaborated with dancers and importantly, musicians, from America's Best Dance Crew, Quest Crew
http://web.icenetwork.com/news/2017/01/20/214023554/shibutanis-set-new-us-standard-in-short-dance
In 2018, for advice on how to approach yet another Latin short dance (which I recall many skeptical skating fans figured would put siblings at a competitive disadvantage) they incorporated advice from Derek and Julianne Hough, and in the end came up with (in my opinion) one of the best constructed and musically authentic Latin short dances of the season.
It is this extent to which they seek authentic sources of inspiration that they then make their own, that originally drew me to Maia and Alex. I was not originally a skating fan. I 'discovered' them through their vlogs, and am foremost captivated by people who can bridge worlds and then make something totally their own. I'm really looking forward to the programs they'll come up with next, and what other creative worlds they will engage with in the future.