Hey Noel,
Only recently (since I went to Skate Canada in October) have I paid attention to ice dancing.
I never paid much attention to pairs or dance, but after seeing it live they both have become my favorite disciplines. Seeing it live is breathtaking. (And terrifying--some of the pair throws are scary).
(I certainly know nothing about judging it. It's a completely separate from singles, and you work your way UP to judging Dance).
I had heard the names Torvil and Dean, but had never seen them skate. I went to YouTube and watched their 1984 Olympic long program. That was amazing.
It also goes to show (me) how much things have changed in ice dancing: they were in the dance hold for the majority of the program.
(I'm going to have to do a little research on rules changes).
Their side by side positions were flawless, the lifts were higher (more like pairs) and the lift/spin right before the end was great.
I've never seen any skaters end a program by lying on the ice. Very cool. (No pun intended).
My only comment, and it's not even related to skating, that is the SLOWEST bolero I've heard in my entire career.
Thank you for making me aware of something I didn't know.
Dana