The removal of figures from ISU competition in 1990 goes back to the early 20th century and the creation of the ISU, which was created to promote the International Style of skating (see “Figure Skating History: The Evolution of Dance on Ice” by Lynn Copley-Graves).
The English Style of skating was developed in the Victorian era and focused on elaborate figures, with George Meagher as one of its main proponents and Nikolai Panin winning the Special Figures segment at the first and only inclusion of Special Figures in the Olympics.
The International Style was developed by Jackson Haines in Vienna. Mr. Haines was American, but he found the best reception in Vienna, where the Waltz craze was going on at the time as well. “Those that followed Haines added more athleticism, jumps and free flowing movements, akin to those that we recognise today.” Meagher commented on the International Style in 1919: he recognized its appeal but also felt the two were “diametrically opposed” to each other.
The two approaches to figure skating co-existed, sometimes in tension, for most of the 20th Century. The demise of Figures in 1990 ended the historic lineage with the English Style, and therefore put this essential heritage of figure skating at risk.
In reality, the two styles were and are symbiotic to a degree. By the late 20th century, the figures descended from the English style were seen by many as an essential way to train figure skating skills; no longer an artistic pursuit but merely a means to an end. This view was not universally held, and some people felt the legacy of the English Style was not so useful to train skaters in the International Style. Hindsight is 20/20, and 30 years later the results speak for themselves.
Ice dance developed in the milieu of the English and International styles coexisting, and over time it developed its own ways to teach skating skills. It is important to note that nobody has thought this through pedagogically.
Moving forward, I conclude:
- We can and should value the English Style for the beautiful figure artwork it has provided us, not merely as a way to train freestyle skaters. This can and should be packaged and presented to an audience in ways that are relevant in the 21st Century. Different kinds of skating appeal to different people, and diversity is a good thing.
- The International Style never developed completely separate from the English Style, and therefore it is not at all clear that the heritage of the English Style can be “abolished” without damaging International Style skating.
- We can and should develop a sound pedagogical system for teaching figure skating; and it should integrate multiple strands from figure skating’s development: Figures, Fancy Skating, International Style, Ice Dance, Freestyle, etc.