Winter Olympics: How an ice dance routine is crafted

"Dovhal wore a cropped leopard print shirt and Kulesza was in a black tank top, and the Polish competitors were only the second ones to take the ice during the relatively early morning hours. The stands were still only partially full. But the moment the crowd heard the words "Everybody dance now!" over the loudspeaker, followed by the pulsing bass and unmistakable beat of "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)," a palpable energy came over the arena."

"For the next 2 minutes and 50 seconds, the fans in attendance danced along as Dovhal and Kulesza twizzled and twisted around the ice. And the enthusiasm for the ice-dancing teams, and specifically their music choices, only increased as the morning went on. There were programs set to Madonna's "Vogue," RuPaul's "Supermodel (You Better Work)," the Spice Girls' "Wannabe" and even the Offspring's "Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)." Not to mention medleys from Lenny Kravitz and the Backstreet Boys, and a "Men in Black"-themed performance. Suits, ties and a neuralyzer reference very much included."

"The rhythm dance is akin to a short program in other figure skating disciplines, and is assigned a theme, from which skaters can choose any type of music and style. When the International Skating Union (ISU) announced the theme for the 2025-26 rhythm dance would be the 1990s, there was some mixed reaction from fans and those involved in the sport. But the competitive ice dancers -- many of whom weren't yet born in that decade -- quickly got to work. The result has been a diverse blend of programs set to crowd-pleasing music, spanning multiple genres and inspiring elaborate costumes."

Milan's Olympic team rhythm dance delivered high energy as early-morning performances paired familiar 1990s hits with bold choreography and costumes. Sofiia Dovhal and Wiktor Kulesza prompted audible gasps and dancing when their routine used the pulsing beat of "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)." Multiple teams selected recognizable songs across genres, including Madonna, RuPaul, the Spice Girls, the Offspring, Lenny Kravitz and the Backstreet Boys, and incorporated playful references like a "Men in Black" theme. The rhythm dance functions like a short program with an assigned theme, and the ISU's 1990s requirement produced a varied, crowd-pleasing set of performances.

Read at ESPN.com