by Michele Cooper, Special to U.S. Figure Skating Online
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| Former World competitors Sally and Stan Urban competed in the centennial dance event. |
Centennial Dance Final Results
All 2004 U.S. Adult Championships Results
(4/19/04) — New this year at the U.S. Adult Figure Skating Championships was the centennial dance event. To participate in the event, competitors had to meet only one qualification — they must be over the age of 50. In the mix were former World ice dancing competitors Stan and Sally Urban.
“You don't have to have passed any dance tests,” said Stan Urban, who finished as high as seventh in the World Championships with his wife Sally in the early 60s. “It's great for people like us who don't have the time to train that much or develop an original dance or an original set pattern dance. If you can skate in a social setting come on out and join the party!”
The four dances in this year's event were from the pre-silver and pre-gold levels — the Fourteenstep, the Rocker Foxtrot, the American Waltz and the blues.
“It's a nice variety,” Sally Urban said, “not too high or too low. It's a great opportunity for anybody who has done any dance at all.”
There was one last-minute rule change, however, when the teams realized that they had to skate four patterns of each dance.
“We told referee John Cole that if he wanted us to have a coronary, you can make us skate the four patterns," Stan Urban said. "He changed it to three."
One team scratched from the event leaving just three teams competing this year. In first place after both the initial round and the final round, the Urbans (Philadelphia SC and HS) went home with the gold. In second place were Judith and Dean Olson (Watertown SC). Earning bronze were Diana Goldman and Peter Machonis (SC of Florida).
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