Breaking Down the Elements: Junior Short Dance

The Junior short dance consists of 4 elements that must be performed between 2 minutes and 40 seconds and 3 minutes.

1. Short lift, maximum 6 seconds

2. Midline not-touching step sequence, cannot include the twizzles, sequence must incorporate mirror and/or matching footwork, both partners may cross each others tracings and may switch from matching footwork to mirror and vice versa, the partners should remain as close together as possible but they must not touch, the distance between the skaters should generally not be more than 2 arms length apart.

3. Set of sequential twizzles, two twizzles skated simultaneously with up to one step in between twizzles, may be skated anywhere in the program except in the required midline not touching step sequence.

4. 2 full sequences of the Viennese Waltz, 51-53 measures of 3 beats per minute, both sequences must be skated consecutively and each will be considered a required element and will receive a level and GOE.  The Viennese Waltz may be skated anywhere in the Short Dance but it must be started with step #1 and skated toward the Judges (the step #1 of the dance must be skated on the left side from the Judges position). 
Notes: 1 additional lift up to 6 seconds without any requirements to level is permitted provided it is not illegal but only the first lift performed will be counted towards the level.  The additional lift is considered in the choreography score.

The choreography of the Creative part may be the waltz, foxtrot, quickstep or tango.  The required elements may be skated anywhere in the Creative part and may be used as linking movements between the Creative and Pattern parts of the dance.  Because the dance should be choreographed as an integrated program, the Pattern Dance can be placed anywhere in the program.  A dance that begins with the Pattern Dance part, and then simply changes to the Creative part, will be considered choreographically inferior to a program which integrates the 2 parts together in a seamless way.

2 full stops of up to 5 sec. duration each are permitted.  Hops and jumps of not more than one rotation are permitted, but can not be performed simultaneously or in the step sequence.  Kneeling or sliding on 2 knees is not permitted.  It will be considered as a fall and the appropriate deduction will be applied.

A dance spin is not one of the required elements, but a spinning movement skated by the couple together in any hold around a common axis is permitted and is counted toward the choreography score.

The main difference between the Junior and Senior Programs is that the Juniors skate the Viennese Waltz instead of the Golden Waltz.