Blues

A slow, heavy blues of deep edges and strong knee action, with a promenade on unusual timing and frequent hold changes between outside, open and closed.

dance

Not checked yet. The mechanics on this page are a first draft by a non-expert, and no coach has seen them yet. Read them as a starting point and check them with a coach. Corrections are very welcome.

The dance

Blues in 4/4, 88 beats a minute. The hold is partial outside, closed from step 2, outside then open from step 4, closed from step 16b. The partners skate different steps. 19 steps and 36 beats to one pattern.

Steps for the lead the follow

One sequence on a 60 x 30 metre rink, drawn upright as the rulebooks draw it, starting at the dot and travelling anticlockwise. The two partners skate side by side on one track; the switch shows where each one's steps fall and on which edge. The faint half is the same steps skated again. Rinks vary, and on a smaller one the pattern shrinks to fit. Measured from the diagram in U.S. Figure Skating 2026-27 Rulebook, page Dance-46.

Step	Hold	Lead	Follow	Beats
1	Partial Outside	CR-RFO	CR-LBO	1
2	Closed	LFI-Pr	XF-RBI	1
3		RFO	LBO	2
4a	Outside	CR-LFO3	CR-RBO	1
4b	Open		XF-LBI	1
5		RBO	RBO	4
6		LFO	LFO	2
7		CR-RFO-SwR	CR-RFO-SwR	4
8		LFO	LFO	2
9		RFI-Pr	RFI-Pr	1
10		LFO	LFO	1
11		RFI-Pr	RFI-Pr	2
12		LFI ClSSt	LFI ClSSt	2
13		RBO	RBO	2
14		CR-LBO	CR-LBO	4
15		RFI	RFI	2
16a		LFO	LFO3	1
16b	Closed	RFI-Ch		1
17		LFO	RBO	2

The steps are in the rulebook's own notation: foot, direction and edge, with Pr for a progressive, Ch for a chassé, SwR for a swing roll, XB and XF for a cross step behind or in front, 3 for a three turn, CSt and SSt for C and S steps, Op for open and Cl for closed. From the step chart in US Figure Skating's 2026-27 rulebook.

The Blues asks for strong edges and deep knees from the opening cross rolls, forward for the lead partner and backward for the follow partner. On step 4 the lead partner skates a cross-rolled three-turn towards the side barrier while the follow partner crosses behind then in front, and the couple goes from outside to open hold.

The rulebook singles out the four-beat back outside edge that both partners skate at step 5, which starts on the third beat of the bar, and the promenade of steps 8 to 11, a double progressive where the first and last steps get two beats and the middle two get one.

British Ice Skating lists it at National 6, one of three dances to choose from at that level. US Figure Skating tests it at Pre-gold.

Appears in

In New Zealand's grades

None of the New Zealand level lists in this guide name it.