Skate America 2014: Ice Dancers' Short Programme

The 35th edition of Skate America starts with variations on the ardent rhythms of paso doble. Though there's not enough competition here to keep you on the edge of your seat, it will still be interesting to see each couple's take on this fierce Spanish dance.

 Elisabeth Paradis/Francois-Xavier Ouellette are first to go, with an obvious musical pair: paso doble and flamenco. His step sequence is a bit wobbly, but otherwise, this is a pretty good routine. Their score: 52.11.

 Anastasia Cannuscio/Colin McManus are a bit more aggressive in their interpretation and pull off some great twizzles, but you can still see they're beginners. They get 55.14 points.

Don Quixote by Madison Chock/Evan Bates
Photograph: Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images
North America
Slovakia might have a bright future in ice dance with Federica Testa/Lucas Csolley. Their paso doble keeps to the handbook, proving that sometimes the best way to interpret Spanish music is to keep it simple and straightforward. Their score: 55.63.

Alexandra Stepanova/Ivan Bukin start off with a very recent and very visible injury on her leg, but that doesn't hold them back. Their extremely low twizzles (in a sit spin position) are mind-blowing. They get 56.37 points.

You can always count on Charlene Guignard/Marco Fabbri to wear gorgeous costumes, but other than that, this performance is not very memorable. There are just too many moments of imbalance. Their score: 54.18.


 Nicole Orford/Thomas Williams' performance is a sight for sore eyes; very sharp, very fast-paced and all-together beautiful. They get 55.01 points.

Maia Shibutani/Alex Shibutani definitely win 'Best Costume of the Night', especially because his is the closest to a matador's we've seen so far this season. Their score: 64.14.

Madison Chock/Evan Bates's routine stands out from all the other paso dobles. Theirs is a sensual, darker programme that ticks all the boxes. Some might argue that this is not quite what paso doble is about, but I personally find it original. They get 68.96 points.

So, at the end of the dancers' first event, there are no surprises. The top American couples have deservedly taken the lead, with Russia's Stepanova & Bukin finishing in third. Testa & Csolley have taken their skating to a new level and are waiting for their chance to climb the podium.

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