The short dance (SD) is a segment of an ice dancing competition. It was approved by the June 2010 International Skating Union congress and instituted beginning in the 2010–2011 figure skating season. It merges the original dance (OD) and compulsory dance (CD), which were both discontinued.

The short dance merges the set pattern of a compulsory dance (renamed at the same time of this ruling to the pattern dance), and the previous rules of the original dance, i.e. requiring a set rhythm but allowing choreographic freedom within the constraints of required elements. In addition to skating two patterns, dancers also must include a step sequence, a set of twizzles, and a lift. Competitors are allowed to choose their own music, so long as it fits the required rhythm/theme.

With this change, ice dancing was shortened to two segments per competition: the short dance and the free dance. This mirrored the short program and free skating segments of single skating and pair skating.

Limited spectator interest in compulsory dances resulted in pressure from the International Olympic Committee to eliminate the compulsories so that the ice dancing competition would consist of two segments, like the other three skating disciplines. However, many in the ice dancing community were opposed to completely eliminating them, seeing them as an essential technical basis and point of comparison, so the short dance was created as a compromise.

Tessa Virtue (born May 17, 1989) is a Canadian ice dancer who competes with Scott Moir. Virtue and Moir are the 2010 Olympic champions, the 2010 & 2012 World Champions, the 2008 & 2012 Four Continents Champions, the 2006 World Junior Champions and four-time (2008–2010, 2012) Canadian national champions.

At the 2009 Skate Canada competition, they became the first ice dance team to ever receive a 10.0 component score mark under the ISU Judging System. They have received more scores of 10.00s than any other figure skating or dance team under the ISU Judging System.^{[citation needed]} They are the current world record score holders for the original dance.

Virtue was born in London, Ontario, Canada. She is the youngest of four children.

She attended Holy Names High School in Windsor, in addition to an electronic learning school called "AMDEC" based in Stratford, Ontario. Virtue is currently studying for a degree in psychology at the University of Windsor, commuting across the border from Michigan.

Scott Moir (born September 2, 1987) is a Canadian ice dancer. He ice dances with Tessa Virtue. Moir and Virtue are the 2010 Olympic champions, the 2010 and 2012 World Champions, the 2008 & 2012 Four Continents Champions, the 2006 World Junior Champions and four-time (2008–2010, 2012) Canadian national champions.

They were the first ice dance team to receive a 10.0 for a program component score under the new ISU Judging System. They are the current world record score holders for the original dance.

Moir was born in London, Ontario, Canada and raised in Ilderton, Ontario. He attended Medway High School (Arva, Ontario), in addition to an electronic learning highschool called AMDEC. He currently lives and trains in Canton, Michigan, USA. Moir comes from a skating family. He is the younger brother of Danny Moir and Charlie Moir. His cousins Sheri Moir and Cara Moir competed at the 2007 World Synchronized Skating Championships for Canada's Nexxice team. His mother is a coach.

In October 2010, Moir, Virtue and co-writer Steve Milton published a book about their career called Tessa And Scott: Our Journey From Childhood Dream To Gold .

Meryl Davis (born January 1, 1987) is an American ice dancer. With partner Charlie White, she is the 2011 World champion, 2010 Olympic silver medalist, the 2010 World silver medalist, three-time Grand Prix Final champion (2009–2011), two-time Four Continents champion (2009, 2011) and four-time U.S. national champion (2009–2012).

Davis and White teamed up in 1997 and they are currently the longest lasting dance team in the United States. They are the first American ice dancers to win the World title. At the 2006 NHK Trophy, they became the first ice dancing team to earn level fours on all their elements.

At the 2010 U.S. Championships, they were nominated to represent the United States at the 2010 Winter Olympics. They won the silver medal in the ice dancing event.

Davis and White are the current world record holders for the short dance.

Meryl Davis was raised in West Bloomfield, Michigan. She lives and attends school in Ann Arbor, Michigan and trains in Canton, Michigan.

In June 2005, Davis graduated from Wylie E. Groves High School. She was a member of the National Honor Society and, upon graduation, received the Phi Beta Kappa Society award. She attends the University of Michigan, where she is majoring in cultural anthropology, and also studying Italian. She is an active member of the sorority Delta Delta Delta. She can play the flute.

Cortney Mansour (born December 15, 1994 in Regina, Saskatchewan) is a Canadian ice dancer who currently competes for Kazakhstan with partner Daryn Zhunussov.

(with Zhunussov)

(with Zhunussov)