Nov 21, 2008

Missing

1990 World Figure Skating Championships (Halifax, Nova Scotia, CANADA), Ice Dance, Ice Dancing. Siblings Isabelle Duchesnay and Paul Duchesnay, Canadian born and representing France earned five 6.0s for their beautiful free dance "Missing" and won this portion of the competition.

I remember watching this at home in 1990 and being moved to tears with the symbolism of the choreography and the melodic and haunting pan pipe music of South America.



The Duchesnays were known for their thematically innovative ice skating routines and it was ground breaking (or rather ice breaking) that ice dancers had integrated a political theme about the 'disappearances' Central and South American juntas had enforced throughout the '70s and early '80s.

The choreography and concept of the performance "Missing" was originally Christopher Dean's work, British Olympic gold medalist in ice dancing and, for a short time, Isabelle's spouse.