Ice dance is a discipline of figure skating that historically draws from ballroom dancing. Regarded by many as one of the most beautiful sports in the world, it has appeared on numerous Olympic Games.

Recent decisions made by the International Skating Union Ice Dance Technical Committee (IDTC), in charge of the discipline’s rules and regulations, have called to question the credibility of this sport. In particular, the recent themes chosen for the rhythm dance have caused serious debate about the state of ice dance. 

In the 2023-24 season, the IDTC decided to have a 1980s rhythm dance. Majority of figure skating fans have deemed this a failure due to the tacky nature of the theme. The greatest burden is on the ice dancers themselves, who are forced to perform a style that they cannot connect to. 

Next season's rhythm dance will be Social Dances of the 1950s, 1960s & 1970s, and the 2025-26 season theme will be Dance Styles from the 21st century. These themes only serve to entertain a very specific group of people and gain clout. The integrity of this sport is at stake. 

The controversial erasure of the pattern dance has definitely caused this discipline to decline. Key points demonstrate skating skills and therefore separate the best from the rest. Without these objective measures, how can ice dance be a credible sport? In what world is it appropriate for sporting judges to give out scores based on subjective vibes? 

A sport that is rooted in ballroom dancing has not had a proper ballroom dance in years. For example, the last time we saw a waltz was in the 2015-16 season. 

We, the fans and the audience, deserve better and most importantly, the athletes deserve better.