# Compulsory dance

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Segment in an ice dancing competition

For the artistic roller skating segment, see [Compulsory dance (artistic roller skating)](/source/Compulsory_dance_(artistic_roller_skating)).

 [Tessa Virtue](/source/Tessa_Virtue) and [Scott Moir](/source/Scott_Moir) performing the Golden Waltz

The **compulsory dance** (CD), now called the **pattern dance**, is a part of the [figure skating](/source/Figure_skating) segment of [ice dance](/source/Ice_dance) competitions in which all the competing couples perform the same standardized steps and holds to the music of a specified tempo and genre. One or more compulsory dances were usually skated as the first phase of ice dancing [competitions](/source/Figure_skating_competition). The 2009–10 season was the final season in which the segment was included in [International Skating Union](/source/International_Skating_Union) (ISU) junior and senior level competition. In June 2010, the ISU replaced the name "compulsory dance" with "pattern dance" for ice dance, and merged it into the [short dance](/source/Short_dance) (SD) beginning in the [2010–11 figure skating season](/source/2010%E2%80%9311_figure_skating_season).

The first CDs were developed during the 1930s by teams from Great Britain, who dominated ice dance for most of the early years after the sport was contested at the [1952 World Championships](/source/1952_World_Figure_Skating_Championships). The prominence of the CD in ice dance slowly declined, until it was removed and replaced by the SD in 2011, the year that the ISU voted to restructure ice dance competitions by removing the compulsory dance and [original dance](/source/Original_dance) (OD) and replacing them with the short dance and [free dance](/source/Free_dance_(ice_dance)) (FD).

Ice dancers performed the same pattern around the rink once or twice, to the same step sequences and the same standardized tempo. The competitors were then scored based on their execution of the various elements of the dance. The CD allowed the judges to compare the technical skills of each dancer.

## Background

 [Federica Faiella](/source/Federica_Faiella) and [Massimo Scali](/source/Massimo_Scali) performing the Golden Waltz at the 2010 World Championships

Ice dance was contested for the first time at the [World Championships in 1952](/source/1952_World_Figure_Skating_Championships); for most of that period, the British dominated the sport, winning 12 out of the next 16 championships. Many of the first CDs were developed during the 1930s by teams from Great Britain, some of which have been used by ice dance teams throughout the history of the sport.[1] The CD's prominence in ice dance slowly declined; in 1952, CDs accounted for 60% of the total points dancers could earn, but when the [original dance](/source/Original_Dance) (OD) was added in 1967, it replaced the second CD.[2] In 1988, the same year [compulsory figures](/source/Compulsory_figures) was removed from women's and men's single figure skating, CDs were decreased from three to two.[3]

In 2010, after urging by the [International Olympic Committee](/source/International_Olympic_Committee) (IOC) to decrease the number of segments from three to two "for some time",[4] the ISU voted to remove the CD from competitions, replacing it with the SD.[5][6] According to then-ISU president [Ottavio Cinquanta](/source/Ottavio_Cinquanta), the change was also made because "the compulsory dances were not very attractive for spectators and television".[6] The SD had to incorporate a compulsory element in which each dance team must perform the same two patterns of a set pattern dance. Its rhythms and themes are determined beforehand by the ISU.[7][8] The ice dancers are judged on how well they integrate the pattern dance into the entire SD.[9]

The [2010 World Championships](/source/2010_World_Figure_Skating_Championships) was the last event to include a CD (the Golden Waltz), with [Federica Faiella](/source/Federica_Faiella) and [Massimo Scali](/source/Massimo_Scali) from Italy being the last dance team to perform a CD in competition.[4]

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Elton, Cheryl. ["A Brief History of Ice Dancing"](https://web.archive.org/web/20210516045610/https://www.icedancers.com/A%20Brief%20History%20of%20Ice%20Dancing%20-%20v.%202.pdf) (PDF). *Ice Dancers.com*. p. 2. Archived from [the original](http://www.icedancers.com/A%20Brief%20History%20of%20Ice%20Dancing%20-%20v.%202.pdf) (PDF) on 16 May 2021. Retrieved 7 September 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHines201112_2-0)** [Hines 2011](#CITEREFHines2011), p. 12.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["No More Figures In Figure Skating"](https://www.nytimes.com/1988/06/09/sports/no-more-figures-in-figure-skating.html?pagewanted=print). *The New York Times*. Associated Press. 9 June 1988. p. D00025. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20180626220530/https://www.nytimes.com/1988/06/09/sports/no-more-figures-in-figure-skating.html?pagewanted=print) from the original on 26 June 2018. Retrieved 15 October 2019.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-isunews_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-isunews_4-1) ["ISU Congress News"](https://www.ice-dance.com/site/isu-congress-news4/). *ice-dance.com*. 20 June 2010. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20170713200549/https://www.ice-dance.com/site/isu-congress-news4/) from the original on 13 July 2017. Retrieved 7 September 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHines201191_5-0)** [Hines 2011](#CITEREFHines2011), p. 91.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-debate_6-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-debate_6-1) Kany, Klaus-Reinhold (9 July 2011). ["The Short Dance Debate"](https://web.archive.org/web/20110722120955/http://www.ifsmagazine.com/articles/568-the-short-dance-debate). *International Figure Skating Magazine*. No. August 2011. Archived from [the original](http://www.ifsmagazine.com/articles/568-the-short-dance-debate) on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 7 September 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-sdfsc_7-0)** ["Partnered Ice Dancing Events"](https://web.archive.org/web/20200801211242/http://iceskatingresources.org/PartneredIceDancingEvents.html). *Ice Skating Information & Resources*. San Diego Figure Skating Communications. Archived from [the original](http://iceskatingresources.org/PartneredIceDancingEvents.html) on 1 August 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-gif_8-0)** Zuckerman, Esther (14 February 2014). ["A Quick GIF Guide to Ice Dance"](https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2014/02/quick-guide-ice-dance/358117/). *The Atlantic*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20200111162042/https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2014/02/quick-guide-ice-dance/358117/) from the original on 11 January 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-danceformat_9-0)** ["Dance Format 2011"](https://web.archive.org/web/20201022064145/http://files.kkhavirov.cz/200000806-409b941952/Short%20Dance%20Format%20Explanation.pdf) (PDF). Havířov, Czech Republic: Kraso Club of Havířov. Archived from [the original](http://files.kkhavirov.cz/200000806-409b941952/Short%20Dance%20Format%20Explanation.pdf) (PDF) on 22 October 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2022.

## Works cited

- Hines, James R. (2011). *Historical Dictionary of Figure Skating*. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-8108-6859-5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-8108-6859-5).

Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Compulsory dances](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Compulsory_dances).

v t e Figure skating International Skating Union (ISU) National federations World Standings Competitive skating General Glossary of terms History Figure skate Rink Club Competition Season ISU Judging System 6.0 system Disciplines Single skating Pair skating Ice dance Synchronized skating Four skating Segments Compulsory figures Demise and revival Special figures Short program Free skating Compulsory dance Original dance Rhythm dance Pattern dances Free dance International competitions Singles, pairs and ice dance Olympic Games World Championships European Championships Four Continents Championships North American Championships Grand Prix Series Grand Prix Final Challenger Series World Team Trophy Winter Youth Olympics World Junior Championships Junior Grand Prix Series Junior Grand Prix Final Synchronized skating World Championships World Junior Championships Junior World Challenge Cup Elements and other moves Required elements Choreographic sequence Death spiral Jumps Pair skating lifts Spins Step sequence Twizzle turn Competition elements in ice dance Jumps Axel jump Euler jump Flip jump Loop jump Lutz jump Salchow jump Toe loop jump Quadruple jump Spins Upright spin Layback spin Biellmann spin Sit spin Camel spin Steps, turns, and moves List of figure skating turns Backflip Besti squat Cantilever Hydroblading Ina Bauer Spiral Spread eagle Professional skating Ice shows Ice theatre World Professional Figure Skating Championships Other Adult figure skating Doping in figure skating Grand Slam Kiss and cry World Figure Skating Hall of Fame World Figure Sport Society Lists Figure skaters (men) Figure skaters (women) Figure skaters (pairs) Figure skaters (ice dance) Olympic venues Olympic medalists World Championships cumulative medal count European Championships cumulative medal count Four Continents Championships cumulative medal count Competitions Highest scores Highest historical scores Highest junior scores Highest historical junior scores Film and TV Blades of Glory The Cutting Edge Ice Princess Spinning Out Yuri on Ice Zero Chill Category Commons

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Compulsory dance](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compulsory_dance) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compulsory_dance?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.