Dance Skating - The Castel March

The final dance that I need to cover in the list of CIPA approved dances for international competition is a bit of an oddball - the Castel March.  The Castel March is a dance that was invented specifically for the international style of roller skating, and was only recently adopted.  It has only been used in competition for senior world class team dance during the 2010 skating season.




The Castel March is skated to a 100 bpm tempo, but the dance is characterized by quick footwork and turns, with some of the steps lasting only half a beat of music (which is unusual for most other skating dances).  Since this is a new dance that isn't widely skated, there are relatively few video examples of this dance.

The general consensus among skating fans is that this dance looks like a bit of a mess.  The steps are difficult, and good skaters can perform them well, but the steps don't seem to add up to a "dance" in the way that many of the more traditional skate dances do.  Some people have said that it just looks like a collection of steps, but not like a well thought out dance with a clear pattern and purpose.  It remains to be seen if this dance will be used in competition again, but unless it is chosen to be skated in future CIPA events, very few skaters will learn or attempt this dance, as it isn't in any test program.