Have you ever wondered what the difference is between figure skating and ice dancing? Of course, you have.
If you are not a figure skating aficionado you may not realize the subtle (but important) differences between pairs ice skating and pairs ice dancing. Don’t worry, we will break down exactly what you need to know before the sport kicks off at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea on Thursday, Feb. 8.
Form: Pairs ice skating is generally more technical than ice dancing in the sense that there are more jumps, lifts, and spirals. Ice dancers are meant to mimic ballroom dancing, meaning that their routine is something that could easily be adapted for a dance floor.
Scoring: Figure skaters are scored more on their jumps and lifts, whereas ice dancers are scored more heavily on their footwork.
Music: You may also notice a distinct difference in music selection between the two disciplines. In pairs figure skating, the music is more orchestra based and typically classical. In ice dancing, the music choices tend to be more lively, with a good beat.
Team USA sent one pairs team to Pyeongchang — Alexa Scimeca Knierim and Chris Knierim — and three ice dance teams: Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani; Madison Chock and Evan Bates; and Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue.
The 2018 Olympics officially start with the Opening Ceremony Friday, Feb. 9, but competition begins on Thursday. Figure skating kicks off with the team events, including the team pairs short program, on Thursday, Feb. 8 at 8 p.m. ET. The first ice dance event — the team ice dance short dance — airs on Saturday, Feb. 11 at 8 p.m. ET.
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The individual competition for pairs figure skating begins on Tuesday, Feb. 13 at 8 p.m. ET with the short program and medals are awarded after the free skate on Wednesday, Feb. 14.
Ice dance begins on Sunday, Feb. 18 with the short dance and concludes on Monday, Feb. 19 with the free dance. Medals in ice dancing are awarded after the free dance.