Duchesnay & Duchesnay (FRA) - 1988 Europeans, Ice Dancing, Free Dance

Prague, CZECHOSLOVAKIA - 1988 European Figure Skating Championships, Ice Dancing, Free Dance - Isabelle and Paul Duchesnay of France were the surprise Bronze Medalist here.

[@jonathanpartridge6821]

This is so clearly dance -albeit African dance. In fact it is so clever how they manage to interpret the ‘spirit of ‘Africa’ on ice. The choreography is a masterpiece - it holds your attention all the way through. In fact the majority of those marks are pretty damn good, despite the odd errant mark!

[@chrisgatchalian3725]

Whenever this team skates, it's the Paul Duchesnay show. He does most of the difficult and memorable moves, and is incredibly charismatic. Isabelle is just along for the ride.

[@zbjesila]

This is a performace I remember since seeing it in 1988... I was 8 at that time, out of all the pairs, I remember siblings Duchesnay as the only once, seems, they were winners in my eyes.... and still, it is aaaawsome!!!!!!!

[@5thdimensionliving727]

One of the most amazing and innovative ice dance routines in history - almost on par with Bolero 👏👏

[@shmamit77]

It is still cool after the years ! When I was a kid I missed the oppurtunity to see them alive when they performed this routine in Prague. Now I am very sorry :-( Thanks for posting.

[@gaggi52]

so great and amazing!

[@msodaro]

The best ever

[@lamdao1242]

I really like Christopher Dean's choreography. It is so out of the box innovative.

[@Fatima502]

That's it. Much as I love figure skating, they all stay in the box these days

[@СветаКузницова-б6й]

Я была без ума от ВАС, болела только за Вас , где Вы ? Изабель и Поль Дюшенэ?

[@victoriagill3337]

This is so technically difficult as well as physically challenging. The fact that Isabelle did make a mistake - landing a jump facing forward with your free leg being held up is REALLY hard - reflects this and I think we sometimes take this for granted. Jayne T did it perfectly every time in Bolero which to the untrained eye appears an easy skate

[@Dossen_A]

.7 mean 4.7, so 4.7/4.8 from judge of Poland

[@Michi-R10]

No . .7 means 0.7 and thats what she gave to them and last place....

[@Dossen_A]

really? Some source please? Here insomnisveritas.canalblog.com/archives/2006/08/01/2393689.html 4.7/4.8 and 12 place, not last

[@msodaro]

Second best… they have a better one

[@lynnlobliner3933]

The "color man" summed it up by basically saying that they aren't "in". The other problem is that they are brother and sister and dancing generally is, in old fashioned terms, "courting" and so it is weird to the judges to see a brother and sister "courting". I don't watch currently but did watch back in these days and never figured out how it was that Boitano pulled off 6.0s because he didn't do much but travel the whole length of the rink backwards preparing for some jump. I understand it IS how "in" you are. I'm glad at least some of their routines are up. The "color man" is incorrect on one point. Paul was born in France and Isabelle was born in Canada. While they grew up in Canada, they could skate for France.

[@jjsmith4829]

some great highs and some lows not the best skating skills lots of two footed skating not a lot of deep edges defo original and innovative and genuinely avant garde and ground breaking as with many of their programs if other better skaters had performed this routine the marks would have been higher