We have (much to D's distress) been watching a lot of ice-skating and ice-dancing 'round here, and I have to say: I am coming to prefer the ice-dancing. It is ferociously difficult and, it seems to me, considerably more technically inventive and artistically thoughtful than ice-skating has come to be in recent years.* Ice-skating (both pairs and singles) is now so disjointedly technical - it is all angular preparation for difficult jumps and awkward transition between elements. There is a smoothness and an emphasis on line and precision in ice-dancing that I admire.

So I was interested to see this Salon piece in which figures from the world of dance (dance of the non-icy variety) talk about how they feel about Olympic skating.

* Also, I adore the Canadian ice-dancing team with a bizarre teenage passion. My friends eventually had to ask me to stop exclaiming over how very remarkably Canadian they were. Finally we decided that if Harry Potter, Prince William from 8 years ago, and Noah Wyle ever produced a genetically engineered love child, it would be Scott Moir of the (oh so Canadianly named) Moir and Virtue.