There are three parts to ice dancing. They are the two compulsory dances, which are each 10% of the mark, the original dance, which is 30% of the total mark, and the free dance, which is 50% of the total mark.
The compulsory dances are selected randomly from a list of dances made available by the International Skating Union (ISU) at the beginning of the season. For the 1997-1998 season the dances are the Argentine Tango, the Golden Waltz, the Quickstep and the Silver Samba. For the 1998-1999 season the dances are the Ravensburger Waltz, the Paso Doble, the Tango Romantica and the Blues.
The original dance is a two minute routine created by the skaters using the prescribed rythm (polka, tango, etc.) previously chosen by the ISU. For the 1997-1998 season, the rythm is the Jive. As the Jive falls within the general term of "Swing", music from the Lindy, Lindy Hop, Double and triple Swing, Boogie Woogie, Jitterbug, Rock'n Roll and Twist may also be used. Vocal music is also allowed because coaches and skaters complained about difficulty finding music without lyrics. For the 1998-1999 season, the rythm is the Waltz.
The free dance is four minutes long. It is created by the skaters to show their range of artistic and technical skills.
In all of the dances, the couple is not permitted to separate ata all except for brief periods to change holds or positions. The absence of lifts and jumps in ice dancing puts the spotlight on artistic expression and distinguishes it from pairs figure skating.
