The emergence of the hybrid short dance supplanted -- or, rather, subsumed -- not only the compulsory, but the original dance as well, in all its eclectic ballroom to Charleston to folk glory. And with the removal of that segment came the scrapping of not only the ISU's initial planned 2010-11 Midnight Blues compulsory, but, more key to our purposes: the Rhythms of the 1960s and 1970s original dance. The likelihood that every international team would have elected to dodge an option that permitted easy rhythms, in-hold movement, and multiple appropriate lift options is, to be sure, unlikely: Ice disco would have seen its high-profile competitive day.
We are all well familiar with the floor dance, thanks, if nothing else, to the enduring legacy of retro callbacks and parody. But a little history of the genre's development makes an interesting read, illuminating its actual cultural and stylistic origins. Disco was not born of white polyester leisure suits, but of decade-old remnants of jitterbug and swing and more than a touch of salsa and other Latin forms. While formal steps existed, however, disco as a mostly social endeavor was more often, in practice, a little more freeform, following prescribed patterns but mostly comprising walks and flourishes.
Disco also might be remembered a little more for solo showboating than as a partnered style, largely courtesy of John Travolta and a subsequent boom in solo freestyling. That spirit also has its place in skating, as Richard Dornbush can attest -- but the Hustle and its mates are of more relevance here.
This eHow series offers a good instructional look at some general partnered disco movement. Even more of a must-watch for a general understanding of partnered disco is this 1979/80 clip from Disco Step-by-Step, a Buffalo TV series dedicated to all things disco:
Movement is not exceptionally complex. The steps are often of a manageable pace and simplicity, the holds are generally open, and there's nothing too exotic about the turns. It could be replicated on ice with relative ease (and, in its movements as divorced from disco music, has been quite casually), and certainly with greater ease than another social style like hip-hop, but there's a curious fact: on-ice disco is, by and large, all about the flourish and the flourish alone.
The ur-disco program -- at least as far as YouTube is concerned -- is probably Megan Wing and Aaron Lowe's 1998 exhibition to "Knock On Wood":
It takes a little time to move into its danciest groove, but the disco feel is particularly evident at 1:15-1:20 and 2:00-2:07 while 2:11 brings a hallmark of many an ice disco program: the semi-headbanger rotational lift. 1:27 also brings in a through-the-legs move that we'll see again. The gesture, though, is the most obvious reference point to an idea of disco, but it's difficult to describe in any more technical detail; if a thorough glossary of disco arm movements exists, it has so far eluded me.
Well after Wing and Lowe's number came the emergence of several examples of contemporary disco on a popular stage: the choreographic efforts of Doriana Sanchez on So You Think You Can Dance. It's no sure thing that such numbers influenced the next generation of ice dance disco, but at the same time, it offers a rather reasonable point of comparison.
Among the show's disco numbers, it's hard to find many routines that match the energy of Janette and Brandon's while also offering some solid examples of general elements -- the in-hold dancing, the side-by-side gesture, and a few good lifts. The music selection may also sound familiar:
But it's left to a few other routines to demonstrate some key tricks that appeared in Wing and Lowe's number and will be in evidence in later programs. Assisted on-the-floor spins -- which we'll see later -- come in a straightforward manner from Sara and Neil, with the addition of a fun gender equality twist from Kayla and Brandon, and as the entrance and exit from a sequence that evolves into a semi-headbanger courtesy of Chelsie and Joshua. And Mollee and Nathan, for their part, provide us with an impressively gymnastic take on the through-the-legs maneuver.
The standard-bearer for disco on ice might be Emily Samuelson and Evan Bates's 2009 "You Should Be Dancing" exhibition. In-hold action is minimal, but the side-by-side movement is sharp, the requisite tricks are worked in well enough, and Bates even gets a few moments of solo glory:
It might be surprising that a compilation of multiple disco highlight moves comes in a program that should not be a disco number at all. The duets of Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell could by no means be classified as member of a musical genre that hadn't yet come into existence, but Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir still juxtaposed a variety of '60s inspired dance moves with some key disco tricks in 2012's "Ain't No Mountain High Enough":
Not only do we have the semi-headbanger and a through-the-legs move, but they are notably the only team in this group to offer an assisted floor -- ice -- spin, as demonstrated at 1:15.
It's important, though, to consider that each of these examples came through exhibition, a program in which flash and tricks overtake traditional required ice dance movement. What would a competitive take on disco have to offer for in-hold possibilities? Will we ever know?
