In ice dance’s current sea of soft lyricals, a free dance with some grit is bound to stand out. And from a team whose last free showed a buoyant, vintage bent, the contrast is even more striking.
Karina Manta and Joe Johnson, seventh at last season’s U.S. Nationals and bronze medalists at 2015’s Autumn Classic International, their debut international event, opted with choreographer and 1984 Olympic champion Christopher Dean to take a new tack as they entered their second year at the senior level — and the chance to demonstrate some diversity, after making that initial mark with a Scott Joplin-scored ragtime dance, proved a driving goal.
Musical selections for the team, based at Colorado Springs’ Air Force Academy, are a group effort; all parties should ideally feel connected to a choice. “We want to skate to pieces Christopher feels inspired by as well as music we are passionate about, so at the start of this year, he gave us a playlist, and we all worked together to narrow down our favorites,” said Johnson.
The inspiration struck with a hard rock classic from Aerosmith.
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