Silver Samba

A quick Samba in 2/4 built on runs, chassés and slip steps, skated mostly in Kilian hold with a closed-hold middle section and a lively Latin character.

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

Samba in 2/4, 108 beats a minute. The hold is Kilian, then closed from step 9b, Kilian from step 27. The partners skate different steps. 52 steps and 52 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. 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-105, the lead's diagram, and the follow's from page Dance-106, the follow's diagram.

Step	Hold	Lead	Follow	Beats
1	Kilian	LFO	LFO	1
2		RFI-Pr	RFI-Pr	1
3		LFO	LFO	1
4		RFI-Qcs	RFI-Qcs	1
5		LFO	LFO	1
6		RFI-Pr	RFI-Pr	1
7		LFO	LFO	1
8		RFI-Qcs	RFI-Qcs	1
9a		LFO	LFOSw3	1
9b	Closed	RFI-Sl Ch		1
10		LFO	RBO	0.5
11		RFI-Ch	LBI-Ch	0.5
12		LFO	RBO	1
13		RFI-Qlf	LBI-Qlb	1
14		LFO	RBO	0.5
15		RFI-Ch	LBI-Ch	0.5
16		LFO	RBO	1
17		RFI-Qlf	LBI-Qlb	1
18		LFI-SwR	RBI-SwR	2
19		RFO	LBO	0.5
20		LFI-Ch	RBI-Ch	0.5
21		RFO	LBO	0.5
22		LFI-Ch	RBI-Ch	0.5
23		RFO-SwR	LBO-SwR	2
24		LFO	RBO	0.5
25		RFI-Ch	LBI-Ch	0.5
26a		LFO3	RBO	1
26b			XF-LBI	1
27	Kilian	RBO	RBO	3
28		CR-LBO	CR-LBO	1
29		XF-RBIO	XF-RBIO	1 + 3
30		XF-LBI	XF-LBI	1
31		RBO-Qlf	RBO-Qlf	2
32		LFO	LFO	0.5
33		RFI-Ch	RFI-Ch	0.5
34		LFI	LFI	1
35		RFO	RFO	0.5
36		LFI-Ch	LFI-Ch	0.5
37		RFI	RFI	1
38		LFO	LFO	0.5
39		RFI-Ch	RFI-Ch	0.5
40	Kilian	LFI	LFI	1
41		RFO	RFO	0.5
42		LFI-Ch	LFI-Ch	0.5
43a		RFI	RFI	1
43b		RF-Lff	RF-Lff	1
44		LF-Rff	LF-Rff	1
45		RF-Lff	RF-Lff	0.5
46		LF-Rff	LF-Rff	0.5
47		RF-Lff Qlf	RF-Lff Qlf	0.5 + 0.5
48		LFI	LFI	2
49		RFI	RFI	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 Silver Samba is a quick dance of runs, chassés and slips, and US Figure Skating lets couples add Samba character provided steps, free legs and holds stay intact. It starts in Kilian hold with two runs, each finished by a quick cross-over slip on steps 4 and 8, before the follow partner’s swing three-turn takes the couple into closed hold.

The rulebook singles out the lead partner’s three-turn on step 26, stepped on count four and turned on count one, the triple swing of the free leg on step 29, and the tuck of the free foot on the two closing inside edges.

British Ice Skating lists it at National 7, where it is one of five dances to choose from. US Figure Skating tests it at International level.

Appears in

In the UK's grades

British Ice Skating: Ice dance: National 7

No test syllabus recorded yet.