The ice dancing team of Gabrielle Papadakis and Guilluame Cizeron of France performed a perfect rendition of Ed Sheeran’s song “Perfect.” Performing at the 2016 World Figure Skating Championships, the pair went on to win gold for the first time in their career.
Here are more details on these two wonderful skaters and their remarkable performance.
Ice Dancing
Drawing upon ballroom dancing roots, ice dancing is a form of competitive ice skating which became a Winter Olympic sport in 1976. Unlike its figure skating counterpart, which requires jumps, twist, and turns, ice dancing is more fluid in motion, focusing more on body movements and facial expressions.
The Song Choice
The song the pair chose for this particular performance was “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran. The song started in the number four spot and eventually reached number one on the UK Singles Chart at the end of 2017. In the U.S., the song reached the number one spot on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in the same year.
The song turned out to be the best choice for this particular performance as it conveys a lot of emotion, an important part of ice dance. The judges must have been impressed with what they say, as they awarded the pair the win based upon their emotional performance.
Their Performance
The performance itself was the short dance routine and started with the pair at the center of the ice. Guillaume was dressed in a totally black outfit while Gabriella was dressed in a ravishing red dress. The colors of the two gave a great contrast, but it is what they did on the ice that stole the show.
From the start of the performance, the pair’s eye contact captivated the audience as their movements seemed to mirror the emotions that the song was conveying. In perfect unison, the pair ice danced their way into the hearts of the crowds and the judges, ending with a world record 118.17 points awarded for their free dance routine the next day. This cemented their place as winners of their second consecutive world title.
More About the Duo
Both were born in France, Guillaume in 1994 and Gabriella in 1995. The pair first teamed up in 2005, debuting at the ISU Junior Grand Prix series in 2009-10, where they finished 15th. It wasn’t until 2015 that Gabrielle and Guillaume reached prominence by winning the 2015 World Championship.
In addition to two world championships, the pair also won a silver medal in the 2018 Olympics in PyeongChang. Together, the duo has also won a total of six gold medals in the prestigious ISU Grand Prix series. Gabrielle is also a 3-time World champion and 5-time French National champion.
The Video
Song choice in ice dancing is important as the dancers need songs to which they can dance to the lyrics. Many pick songs from the US Billboard Hot 100 and UK Singles Chart for this reason. This performance is a perfect example of choosing the right song, leading to a world-class performance. Watch the video below for more on this wonderful ice dance performance.
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