How to Read and Use These Examples
SkatingStorage combines source-attributed results with original explanation so the data can be checked, interpreted, and used in the correct rules context.
Pattern Dances and Rhythm Dance Are Related but Not Identical
This page begins with waltz Pattern Dance references from the SkatingStorage catalog. A complete Pattern Dance is a named pattern with its own chart, steps, timing, and repetition requirements. A season's Rhythm Dance may assign only a particular Pattern Dance Element or section and combine it with other required elements. For 2026/27, the official communication assigns Westminster Waltz material to Junior and a Golden Waltz section to Senior. Always identify the season and category before using a catalog entry for competition planning.
Tempo Labels Need Their Units
Waltz resources may state tempo in three-beat measures per minute as well as beats per minute. Those numbers are not interchangeable: in 3/4 time, one measure contains three beats. The 2026/27 communication, for example, reports the current Junior Westminster Waltz and Senior Golden Waltz requirements in both forms. This guide preserves the catalog's tempo wording, but the active official document should decide the exact competition requirement. When comparing dances, read the unit and time signature before comparing the number.
What the Pattern Card Can Tell You
Each card organizes the dance name, level, rhythm, tempo, pattern type, and an available chart link. Together those fields help a skater distinguish a preliminary teaching pattern from an international dance and a set pattern from an optional one. The card is an orientation tool, not a substitute for the diagram or step table. Open the chart to confirm the start, lobes, steps, holds, and rink placement, because a short description cannot safely encode every required detail.
What to Watch on the Ice
Begin with musical count: check whether the first prescribed step begins where the chart and season document require. Then follow the sequence of feet and edges, the shape of the lobes, partner spacing, hold changes, and whether the pattern continues to travel with the waltz rather than becoming a series of isolated poses. Flow and presentation matter to the performance, but they do not excuse an incorrect step or timing requirement. Study the chart and the video together so visual style never replaces technical identification.
A Useful Study Sequence
Select one dance, read its chart before watching, and mark the start plus two or three difficult reference points. Watch several teams at normal speed, then replay only those points while counting the music. Finally, return to the current season communication to confirm whether the full dance, one sequence, or a shorter Pattern Dance Element is assigned. This workflow keeps the catalog, the video, and the rules in their proper roles and avoids applying an attractive historical example to the wrong season or category.
Primary Rules Sources
Current planning should use the latest official documents. The archive cards retain the calls and scores published for their original events.
Preliminary
Dutch Waltz
A beginner waltz that teaches large, even lobes, forward edges, smooth swing rolls, and soft knee action without complex partner changes.
- Rhythm
- Waltz 3/4
- Tempo
- 46 measures of 3 beats per minute; 138 beats per minute
- Pattern
- Set
Bronze
Willow Waltz
A closed-hold waltz that asks for close partner spacing, neat footwork, steady three-count phrasing, and controlled mohawks/turns.
- Rhythm
- Waltz 3/4
- Tempo
- 45 measures of 3 beats per minute; 135 beats per minute
- Pattern
- Set
Pre-Silver
European Waltz
A foundational closed-hold waltz built from repeated three-turn lobes, backward outside edges, and controlled rotation around the partner.
- Rhythm
- Waltz 3/4
- Tempo
- 45 measures of 3 beats per minute; 135 beats per minute
- Pattern
- Optional
Silver
American Waltz
A flowing waltz of alternating semi-circular lobes, outside rolls, and unobtrusive three-turn emphasis.
- Rhythm
- Waltz 3/4
- Tempo
- 66 measures of 3 beats per minute; 198 beats per minute
- Pattern
- Optional
Pre-Gold
Starlight Waltz
A bright, fast waltz with a set pattern, sweeping curves, and crisp partner rotation.
- Rhythm
- Waltz 3/4
- Tempo
- 58 measures of 3 beats per minute; 174 beats per minute
- Pattern
- Set
Gold
Viennese Waltz
A sophisticated waltz that combines speed, close hold, rotation, and soft rise-and-fall timing.
- Rhythm
- Waltz 3/4
- Tempo
- 52 measures of 3 beats per minute; 156 beats per minute
- Pattern
- Optional
Gold
Westminster Waltz
A demanding gold waltz with quick changes, smooth rotation, and continuous musical lift.
- Rhythm
- Waltz 3/4
- Tempo
- 54 measures of 3 beats per minute; 162 beats per minute
- Pattern
- Optional
International
Austrian Waltz
A high-level waltz with expansive flow, quick rotation, and a distinctly Viennese feel.
- Rhythm
- Waltz 3/4
- Tempo
- 60 measures of 3 beats per minute; 180 beats per minute
- Pattern
- Optional
International
Golden Waltz
A famous advanced waltz with dense turns, sustained speed, and highly exposed partner rotation.
- Rhythm
- Viennese Waltz 3/4
- Tempo
- 62 measures of 3 beats per minute
- Pattern
- Optional
International
Ravensburger Waltz
A fast, intricate waltz that tests quick partner rotation, lightness, and precise step placement.
- Rhythm
- Waltz 3/4
- Tempo
- 66 measures of 3 beats per minute; 198 beats per minute
- Pattern
- Optional