10. Quickstep and Finnstep

The quickstep compulsory, like most compulsories of its era, found it appropriate to substitute the face-to-face dance hold of its floor inspiration with kilian. Where the dance calls for a standard 4/4 time signature, the compulsory is in 2/4 time, making the task of music selection a little more challenging than simply seeking out any designated Standard Quickstep CD. This technical step-by-step video breakdown of the quickstep, courtesy of the ISU, is a useful visual resource and, paired with this short lesson on Standard quickstep, reveals indeed very little overlap at all between genres: while a case can be made for straightness of frame, there is no readily apparent commonality between steps or general rhythm and pattern of movement. This is, in essence, another case of the r(h)umba.

Nevertheless, the dance's emphasis on quick, light movement is at least suggested in strong compulsory performances, such as this first-place rendition from Marina Anissina and Gwendal Peizerat at the 2002 Olympics:


And, as the foundation of this season's junior short dance, choreographers and teams have made an effort to surround the perhaps questionable pattern with footwork and holds more reflective of the heritage, as in, for one very successful example, this from Kaitlin Hawayek and Jean-Luc Baker:


But now that it's been established what quickstep is not, it might be instructive to take a little more time to consider what it is. The style is of the Jazz Age, having developed from the foxtrot -- a quicker-paced version of such -- as well as the Charleston and other more specific vernacular dances of the day. Some historical detail is offered here, while this page provides a solid breakdown of the style from a technical angle. Speaking in the most general sense, the dance will be marked by the pace and patterns of its footwork, including elements like hops, runs, and kicks, and a basis in syncopation -- another legacy of its jazz heritage.

This demonstration of both basic and advanced patterns is a useful reference, particularly the advanced pattern beginning at 1:20:


While truer quickstep elements have been incorporated into programs using a quickstep rhythm (see, for example, much of 3:33 and on in this 2011 free dance from Maia & Alex Shibutani), for the general purposes of ice dance, a far better comparison can be drawn between real quickstep and the compulsory pattern that in 2008 supplanted its skating counterpart version for senior dancers: the Finnstep, also the foundation of this season's senior short dance. Created as Finland's Susanna Rahkamo & Petri Kokko's 1994-95 Original Set Pattern dance, it is far more boisterous and open than either a compulsory or Standard quickstep, but also carries through some degree more of the latter's spirit and technical nuance:


Consider, for example, the very familiar sequence from about 0:43 through 0:55 alongside the run from 1:46 through 1:52 in the above quickstep video. The holds vary, the quickstep incorporates more turn, but the approach of the footwork is far more comparable. What is attempted on ice with the Finnstep's deliberate hops and short steps versus more sustained blade runs can much more readily be perceived as an authentic attempt at translating quickstep.

This season's short dance and its multiple manifestations will be explored in greater depth with the next few entries here, as its optional paired rhythms -- foxtrot, Charleston, and swing -- are considered along with thematic and stylistic subgenres utilized throughout certain programs.