Partner height difference

[black]

This came up in conversation the other week at the rink; what would you say is the ideal height difference, if any between the man and woman for dance or pairs?

[Skate@Delaware]

My husband and I ice dance together. I am 5'6" and he is 5' 8" and that is good. I do ballroom in the summer and have danced with guys as tall as 6'4" and find that too tall, as I have to stretch to get my arm on his shoulder and I can't look up like that.

I'd say no more than 8" difference, with 6" being ideal for me. But it might be more an individual preference and if you spend more time together you adapt.

[phoenix]

For pairs generally there's a greater height difference, like a foot, (usually tiny girl) due to the lifts & throws. Dancers tend to be closer in height, maybe 4-6 inches.

[flo]

My partners have been about a foot taller.

[coskater64]

I am 5'9" and it has been easier for me to dance with fellows who are 4-7 inches taller than myself. ;)

[lovepairs]

Hi Black,

For Pairs you can look at all the "Athlete Profile" pages on www.adultpairskating.com

The height of all team members are listed on these pages. This should give you a pretty good idea about what's possible and works for adult pair skaters.

Hope this helps!

[2salch0w]

I'd say that a height difference between 5-8 inches is ideal, in terms of what possiblities it opens up for lifts w/out looking too much like the flea and the gorilla.

But the key thing is really the weight difference. This should be at least 20 pounds to allow for the low lifts, and I'd say at least 40 pounds for overheads. More is better, so maybe 60-80 pounds is the ideal weight differential.

Tim

[Mrs Redboots]

But the key thing is really the weight difference. This should be at least 20 pounds to allow for the low lifts, and I'd say at least 40 pounds for overheads. More is better, so maybe 60-80 pounds is the ideal weight differential.
Thus setting small girls up with eating disorders for the rest of their lives. Sigh! :frus:

Dancers manage without such huge weight differentials, and although the man mayn't bring his arms above his head, there are still some spectacular lifts out there. Even at my level, we manage simple lifts - and I'm not the only adult dancer I know who weighs a good 20 lbs more than her husband and/or dance partner. My husband works out so that he can lift me, and most male ice dancers I know do the same - rather more commitedly, in the case of the elite dancers.

[rlichtefeld]

I would think that it is very different for dance and pairs.

As I am more familiar with pairs, the usual thing that coaches and others have told me is that the top of the lady's head should be about at the man's shoulder. If the lady is too short, it is very difficult to do some of the lifts, such as those from Group 2 (armpit lifts such as Lutz or Axel lifts). Also, achieving a "line" when the height differences are large, is more difficult.

As for dance, it seems that many of the elite teams are closer in height than the pair teams.

As for lifts, and throws, the lady does a majority of the "getting up" part of the element. The guy is there to assist on throws or to hold the lady in place once she is up. As in many things in life, timing is everything.

Rob

[Rusty Blades]

About a million years ago when I did a little pairs skating I got sucked into it because there was a guy in our club who was 6' 4" and about 200 pounds who was looking for a partner. He was a remarkably good skater for someone his size and he was strong as an ox. Most of the girls in the club were young and tiny (gorilla and the flea - indeed!). I was about 5' 8" and 120 pounds. It worked well but when we did side by side jumps it shook the rink - LOL!!! 8O

[2salch0w]

Thus setting small girls up with eating disorders for the rest of their lives. Sigh! :frus:

Dancers manage without such huge weight differentials, and although the man mayn't bring his arms above his head, there are still some spectacular lifts out there. Even at my level, we manage simple lifts - and I'm not the only adult dancer I know who weighs a good 20 lbs more than her husband and/or dance partner. My husband works out so that he can lift me, and most male ice dancers I know do the same - rather more commitedly, in the case of the elite dancers.

I didn't say it was all on the girl to achieve this weight difference. It's also up to the guy to bulk up and do his part. I gained about 8 pounds for my first partnership, and for a small-framed 142 pound guy, that was a big deal.

Eating disorders are a terrible thing, and I'd never encourage a pairs lady to sacrifice her health in any way. But she should also be realistic about what she can expect to do with a guy that is roughly her weight. We don't want to set the poor guy up with back pain for the rest of HIS life.

With dance the lifts are a bit less demanding, but let's say a pairs team was perfectly content not doing lifts at all, or just a simple stag lift. That's just fine. It all depends on what you want to do, but I stand by my 20 pound rule for the armpit lifts, and at least 40 for the overheads. It's also a matter of safety.

Tim

PS www.adultpairskating.com is back up. I'll see about copying this thread over there for more input.

[pairman2]

I 'second' the viewpoint of 2salchOw.

I think the weight and height guidelines are pretty much right on. Of course, there are exceptions to the rules. So don't be afraid to try if you're not spot on with the w/h differences.