The Ever-Dramatic Tango Romantica Kicks off Ice Dance in Vancouver

by Jocelyn Jane Cox

The Ice Dance competition in Vancouver commences Friday night with the Tango Romantica, by far the most difficult tango in the compulsory dance roster. All 23 couples will circle the ice twice: they will perform one pattern of pre-set steps (making one lap of the rink) then repeat the same steps again.

The Romantica was invented by Elena Tschaikovskaja for her students, Ljudmila Pakhomova and Aleksandr Gorshkov and was first performed in Moscow in 1974.

The first thing you’ll notice is the tango nature of the dance, the staccato movements of both the upper and lower bodies interspersed with softer, more sinuous moments. There will be some anger, some seduction, and intensity between the two skaters.

You’ll also see right away that this dance is complex. It is chock full of complicated steps and turns, including twizzles, choctaws, and rockers. Additionally, this tango snakes around the rink with numerous curves – these "lobes" take the skaters into center ice and back out to the barriers with deep edges. Along the way, take note of how often the partners change their hold, or partner position. This also contributes to the complexity.

It is a challenging dance, but we’ll be seeing the best skaters in the world performing it. What subtle differences will the judges be looking for?

For one thing, all the turns should be clean and neat. This means no scraping or skidding of the blades and no jumping. With turns this quick, skaters can accidentally hop off the ice, and there are no jumps in compulsories!  All the turns should look effortless, without any ice flying up from under the blades. Further, the judges will be looking closely to see that skaters are on the correct edges entering and exiting each of these turns.

Pay close attention, for example, to the double three turn on the first side of the dance. This is commonly referred to as the "helicopter turn" because the skaters’ legs are extended out to the side like propellers. Check to see if this looks smooth and steady. Are the partners maintaining a constant distance between them or are they swinging wide and collapsing into one another? A little bit after that, the skaters perform a brief change of edge (most will sway their upper bodies very quickly) and the woman has her arm wrapped behind her back. Then she spins into a quick, counter-rotation twizzle. This is often called "the lawnmower" because of the way the man tugs her arm like a chain. Does she do this turn crisply? Does she look organized and in control?

In fact, this first side of the dance, passing right in front of the judges stand, is considered to be the most important section. For the purposes of judging, this dance is broken up into three parts (or sections of steps) and this first third is weighted more heavily than the others. You’ll see, in comparison, that the end patterns along the short ends of the rink are slightly less intricate and relatively easy. Of course, the operative word here is "relatively" because, while there may be less turning action, there is still considerable partnering, lobing, and unison to master.

The first end pattern includes some cross steps where the partners are hip to hip then cross over each other’s paths and push into an outside rocker. Some couples, such Cathy & Chris Reed of Japan like this part because both partners are doing the same thing. The second end pattern features a long four-beat inside edge. Ideally, the legs in the air will be high and matched perfectly. Watch for a great highlight moment near the beginning of the second side where the woman steps over the man’s leg with a big kick. Some women will exaggerate this motion for dramatic effect.

Another factor the judges will be considering is timing. As in other compulsories, every step is meant to start and end on a specific, prescribed beat, and there is no room for interpretation. The Romantica timing is unique due to a lot of syncopation and half-beat "and" steps. Strangely, the dance starts on beat 4 instead of 1. Ideally, the couples will be exactly on time with the music. If not, they are probably struggling with turns, partnering, or edging; or, and this sometimes happens, even at the top, the skaters simply do not know the exact timing as put forth in the rules.

Finally, the judges will be assessing the character of the dance. To try and see it through their eyes, turn off the volume of the television and pretend that all the couples are wearing plain black costumes (instead of what will surely be fabulous tango dresses and suits). Ask yourself: do the skaters still look like they are skating a tango, or could it just as easily be a waltz?  Is it swift and sharp with a romantic (and at times tortured) connection between the two dancers?

The Tango Romantica promises to be exciting, since all of the couples will bring a slightly different style and nuance to the dance. We should all watch with reverence, not just because it is so beautiful and complex, but because this could be the last time we see it in this form, or any compulsories in their original form, at the Olympics. Ice dance is likely to be cut down to two instead of three event segments, and the ISU is working on folding the compulsories (or snippets of them) and the Original Dance into one short dance. Though bittersweet, let’s savor it.