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Dance Assessment Resource Guide

Canada · English · 160 pages

Preserved research snapshot; live currency not reverified. Original-language text is shown as extracted. An original-page image is provided for diagram-only pages and the British skills guides. Extracted table text can lose column alignment; check the original before interpreting a table.

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Page 7

Dance Assessment Resource Guide February 2026 Copyright © 2026 Skate Canada 7 Definitions Dance Holds Hand-in-Hand Hold: Facing in same direction – the partners face in the same direction and skating side by side or one behind the other with their arms extended and their hands clasped. Facing in opposite direction – The partners usually face each other while one skates backwards and the other skates forward with the arms extended to the side but sometimes the hold can be skated back to back (e.g. steps 22 to 25 in the Cha Cha Congelado). Closed or Waltz Hold: The partners are directly opposite each other. One partner faces forward while the other partner faces backward. Skater B’s (lead’s) right hand is placed firmly on skater A’s (follow’s) back at the shoulder blade with the elbow raised and the arm bent sufficiently to hold their partner close. The left hand of the skater A (follow) is placed at/on the shoulder of the skater B (lead) so that the arm rests comfortably, elbow to elbow, on the skater’s upper arm. The left arm of the skater B (lead) steps and the right arm of skater A (follow) are extended comfortably at shoulder height. Their shoulders remain parallel. Open or Foxtrot Hold: The hand and arm holds are similar to those of the closed or waltz hold. The partners simply turn slightly away from each other so that they face in the same direction. Outside or Tango Hold: The partners face in opposite directions – one partner skating forward; the other partner backward. However, unlike the closed hold, the partners are offset with skater B (lead) to the right or left of skater A (follow) so that the front of the hip of skater B (lead) is in line with the front of the corresponding hip of skater A (follow). Tight hip-to-hip position is undesirable since it impedes flow. Kilian Hold: The partners face in the same direction with skater A (follow) to the right of skater B (lead) and skater B’s (lead’s) right shoulder behind skater A’s (follow’s) left. The left arm of skater A (follow) is extended across the front of skater B’s (lead’s) body to hold skater B’s (lead’s) left hand. Skater B’s (lead’s) right arm crosses behind skater A’s (follow’s) back to clasp skater A’s (follow’s) right hand. Both right hand’s rest on skater A’s (follow’s) hip bone. Reversed Kilian Hold: This hold is similar to the Kilian hold but with skater A (follow) to skater B’s (lead’s) left. Measure (Bar) A unit of music which is defined by the periodic recurrence of the accent. Such units are of equal number of beats. Optional Pattern Dance A pattern dance for which the pattern may be altered, provided that the original step sequences, positions, and timing are maintained. Each repetition of the altered pattern must be executed in the same manner and the restart must be commenced from the same place each time. Pattern/Sequence* (used interchangeably) The design of a dance on the ice. The diagram of a pattern dance includes all the information needed to execute one complete pattern/ sequence of the dance, including the set order of the prescribed steps/turns that compose one pattern/sequence. The pattern/ sequence may complete either half a round of the ice (e.g. European Waltz, Blues), or a full round of the ice (e.g. Silver Samba, Starlight Waltz).