Torvill & Dean Bolero - 1984 Olympic Winning Routine

This is the full version of Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean's Olympic Gold Medal winning performance of Ravel's Bolero. It includes the moments before T&D were announced onto the ice, right up until they received their marks and stepped off the ice.
No copyright infringement intended.

[@cfjermedal]

Some people can’t understand unless you have had a career in figure skating or ice dancing how ahead of their time Torvill and Dean were and how incredibly difficult this is and to make it look effortless. Simply stunning even after almost 40 years.

[@adrianschuurmans]

Still get goosebumps watching them.... An ex ice-dancer

[@gabrielaturcu2278]

yes, just now i watched papadakis and cizeron, no effect on me whatsoever, but torvill&dean, omg, still the same effect: goosebumps allover!!! they were indee way ahead of their time!

[@candlelight3232]

cfjermedal, I totally agree with you...They were absolutely stunning.....The freestyle was on Valentine's day 1984 and I've watched it every year since then. By the way, I listen the Bolero at least once a week. I have a CD on which the Bolero is played 10 times, ( by various orchestras and solists ).

[@LaineyTsang]

Yes!!

[@anna22225]

They were good in the 80’s but already outdated in 90’s compared to other modern dancers.

[@MacKenziePoet]

For us who saw this on live TV, it was a singular moment that took our breaths away. What was once a technical, athletic sport, had been magically transformed into pure art, pure beauty-before our very eyes! We knew we were in the presence of true greatness.

[@michellewhittaker2135]

Truly amazing to watch then and now just brilliant

[@patigirl2470]

I remember watching it!! It was an unforgettable performance.

[@toddsubjent7142]

Still today 2023 they created a timeless brilliant accomplishment, a transforming performance wonder!!! I got to watch back then & this remains a momentous event from 1984 Olympic skating with all those 6.0s rightfully earned & graciously accepted as deserved!

[@laurawright7477]

I remember watching it live with about 30 others..no one spoke a word till it was over and we all cheered so loud! What a beautiful moment in our history!

[@jeannineknotts-brown3042]

It brought tears to my eyes way back then. What perfection!!!

[@jayalexander6798]

One of the most iconic and groundbreaking figure skating moments ever. Truly a legend. Watching and loving it in 2024.

[@LadyAndTheBags]

2022 and this routine is as breathtaking now as it was then. It’s pure magic.

[@maryleone2023]

You are absolutely right. T&D's Bolero is timeless and spellbinding. I saw it live on 2/14/84 and have never forgotten it.

[@angelabakonyi6318]

Perfection in syn

[@dmitrymossienko3100]

Unforgettable and delightful, after all atrocities of the Balkan war, even more the symbol of love and humanity!! Watched it live then, still enjoy it every time!

[@peggygilmour8905]

I saw it live as well. They received so much criticism from the announcers commenting all through the performance that the channel had to rerun it without any talking. Great ice dancing in case anyone is in doubt.

[@valmacclinchy]

@@maryleone2023 I remember I watched with my parents..wonderful memories!

[@mattman6542]

Anyone still watching this in awe during Lockdown 2021...xx

[@vicvi13]

I’m watching today 🙂 Performance is absolutely amazing! Happy Valentine’s Day 💕

[@bethschneider5223]

Yes so glad this is here

[@anneburton2722]

this was amazing. there are some thrills in lockdown, I guess

[@margaretwickert7725]

YES!

[@juneseghni]

haha scrolling the comments I see I also watched this in 2019!

[@jlasf]

This is one of the most significant and revolutionary moments in figure skating. Torvill and Dean changed the entire nature of the sport of ice dancing. Prior to this, it had been formal ballroom dance transferred to ice; they transformed it into ballet on ice. Beyond beauty and technical merit, this was a total reimagining of ice dancing. Pure genius.

[@romankotov9914]

This is not true. Ice dancing wasn't formal ballroom stuff many years before them. The true trailblazers were Towler and Ford. They threw the gate wide open for the likes of Pakhomova/Gorshkov and Moiseeva/Minenkov. What T/D did was combining technical perfection with remarkable choreography and dramatism.

[@annehemp9754]

A lot of congratulations has to go to the coaches and the specialist designing the dance. I've never could ice dance which was sad considering I was a champion junior and Senior ballroom dancing.

[@italiantraditionalcatholic2390]

Nothing "revolutionary "about this performance

[@theresatroiano5372]

And this was when ice dancers could not separate from each other on the ice for more than 6 seconds .i could watch this all day. would love to see them recreate it.

[@EugeneAlcaide-he2id]

Simply breathtaking! I watched this on TV at the time, and the😅 performance left me in tears. There hasn't been another couple who captured or came close to Torville and Dean in almost 29 years. Thanks to cell phones, they performed in 2018. Not bad for "old" people.

[@markhayward7400]

It is approaching 40 years now since Torvill and Dean unveiled this extraordinary free dance. It has lost none of its power to amaze and delight in that time. Torvill and Dean were the greatest couple that ice dance has ever seen. They changed their sport and expanded its possibilities

[@reddragonready]

I am going for Papadakis/Cizeron for that title. Even if I did love Torvill and Dean so much..I stopped watching Ice Dance entirely...until I accidentally hit on a video of Papadakis/Cizeron skating to Find Me.

[@markhayward7400]

@@reddragonready I won't change my view, but you are quite right to highlight the performance you refer to. I have just watched it, and it is stunning!

[@angelacooper2661]

39 years ago I was four months' shy of fourteen (this was in February and my birthday is in June) and I remember watching this very well. I turned 53 two weeks ago!

[@susanv.7540]

40 Years later, this performance still ranks as my very favorite ice dancing program ever.

[@lindagoudsmit4123]

There has never been an ice dance before, or after, that equals this spectacular performance! It is sheer brilliance!

[@donnaviestenz7773]

Totally!!!

[@collettekrause3183]

How about the couple that skated to "the sound of silence"

[@randallerickson175]

@@collettekrause3183 They were very good, but consider that Torvel and Dean did this performance 36 years ago and no one had seen these type of modern moves on the ice dancing scene. They revolutionized ice dancing which paved the way for the couple dancing to The Sound Of Silence.

[@libertychick3522]

This was back when figure skating, gymnastics and synchronized swimming were beautiful to watch. They’ve become so mechanical and focused on triples, quads, lifting a leg above ones head while spinning - it just isn’t pretty or interesting anymore. I recorded all the synchro I could find this last Olympics and the routines were so mechanical and just plain stupid looking that after watching half I deleted the rest. It’s like everything beautiful is being corrupted. This routine was so beautiful I cried through most of it - for the beauty and morning the loss of a beautiful sport to watch. Not much of the Olympics worth watching anymore - especially with men competing against women.

[@donnaviestenz7773]

@@libertychick3522 agree

[@reaper_fbb7052]

I remember watching this live as a 14 year-old and being really happy they won. However, watching it almost 40 years later, I have a much heightened appreciation of how good they were - The synchronisation, the artistic impression, the drama and all made to look so effortless... Mesmerising!

[@angelacooper2661]

You are therefore about the same age as me, because I turned 14 just four months later. I am now 53!

[@catherineg8668]

Me too :) @@angelacooper2661

[@Margo-oj5yc]

What Gordeeva and Grinkov were to pairs skating, Torvill and Dean were to ice dancing.

[@rneedham667]

Me Too ❤

[@suewintersgill9563]

I doubt there has ever been a performance more perfect than this. Their technique and choreography was outstanding and still is. Simply one of life's magical moments.

[@jaimehamm8999]

Ahemm......Moir & Virtue at 2010 Olympics had the same connection, technique, & artistry.

[@jaimehamm8999]

Sorry, I meant Moie & Virtue's 2008 skate at World's

[@maryleone2023]

@@jaimehamm8999 The routine was choreographed by Marina Zueva and Igor S., the same duo for Davis & White. Different rules and requirements for lifts and turns(twizzles). Dean choreographed all of his routines with Torvill. They both went to radio stations to listen to records and borrow them. They selected their own music. Dean made the music come to life. T&D's chemistry and artistry came from deep within themselves. Not so with V&M and D&W.

[@poppyonline4034]

@@jaimehamm8999 sorry but if you want to talk about recent ice dancing Davis and White’s Scheherazade was better than M/V

[@AnjuliM123]

Yuzuru Hanyu

[@derekhiemforth]

This is just as close to perfection as any human activity I've ever seen. The skaters, the ice, and the music all become a single mesmerizing work of art.

[@maryleone2023]

Agreed. I have seen every one of T&D's routines- amateur, competitive and professional. Dean's choreography and his chemistry with Torvill are to Ice Dance what Michelangelo was to sculpture. T&D bring the music to life on the ice. Michelangelo brought a piece of marble to life.

[@deborahherrick]

Amen!

[@szarfen]

In Poland we had only two tv channels, so everyone saw this. The day after everybody was talking only about this performance. Still brilliant.

[@aynuryilmaz7137]

Yes, exactly right. It was the world's last perfect and happy days. When I watched it on tv channel, I was fourteen.

[@grim_56]

@@aynuryilmaz7137 Bruh of course you would say it was the "last happy days" because you were 14.

[@rmp7400]

🌹

[@kola158]

No i jest czym sie chwalić oni cuagle mysla ze mamy dwa kanaly a niedźwiedsie po ulicach chodzą

[@maryleone2023]

Dean's choreography was genius. He was ahead of his time. T&D's chemistry and synchronization were superb. T&D's artistry was unmatched. Ravel's Bolero, itself, is the most sensual passionate music ever written. The blending of the two art forms made this the greatest Ice Dance routine of all time, perfectly performed by T&D( British Royalty). I was in awe on Feb.14,1984 when I witnessed a spellbinding performance. They came, they danced, they conquered! Beauty in Motion, then, now and forever!

[@mhm8922]

Well said!!!

[@dawnjohnson3263]

👍 👍 👍 👍 👍 👍 🇬🇧 🇬🇧 🇬🇧 🇬🇧 🇬🇧

[@MightyMouse350]

Did Christopher Dean choreograph the whole thing? That's so impressive. I remember watching it at the time, hadn't really thought about who was behind it. Usually they all used a choreographer don't they? utterly beautiful, technical yet so fluid. flawless

[@heartwings2517]

I remember watching this back in '84 and thinking it was the most amazing skating I had ever seen. I still do. NOBODY has approached the quality & ingenuity of this epic performance.

[@davidkavanagh9551]

I was 15years old and remember watching it. And I'm here 40 years later and still get goosebumps

[@Edwina634]

I was five and remember it clearly ❤

[@angelacooper2661]

I was not yet fourteen and remember it very well, so between you both in age!

[@dawnturner5597]

Goosebumps and tears!

[@stanimal7]

In my opinion, to this day there has never been another performance that equals this one for sheer grace, elegance, skill and breathtaking artistry. Even after nearly 35 years, it still shines as bright as ever. Extraordinary.

[@edithbannerman4]

@Hello there, how are you doing this blessed day?

[@mhm8922]

I totally agree. Every time I watch the Winter Olympics I long to see this performance. Nothing comes close for me. This remains perfection.

[@irispitman4202]

Agreed 100%

[@kerkyradh]

I have never seen a dance fit a piece of music so perfectly. Ice dance or no. Torvill and Dean are still untouchable.....

[@ZaZa-uf6ze]

Помню это выступление. Эта пара заслужено не дала занять 1 место фигуристами сссср.

[@julsbeau]

Yup. This is perfection. Just love, love it!!!!

[@rosannehorn2509]

My all time favorite lce time dancers of all time.....

[@hartforp]

I work with her at Norwich Union, in my summer holiday,as my dad was here managing as the time. And it was her who show me have to dance like John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever, were I was as a part with here. She went on to be the most amazing dance with Chris Dean, and Bolero was the shine night on the world stage!

[@janumbower6905]

Niven1 u

[@williambunter3311]

How often in life do we see perfection? This performance will never be forgotten. It stands alongside Olga Korbut's archetypal floor routine.

[@edithbannerman4]

@Hello there, how are you doing this blessed day?

[@stewardshipes2]

The world was stunned by what they saw. Nothing like it before. Life changing. Pure genius.

[@el7jake]

Well, here we are...almost 30 years later; and I swear that every time I watch this, I still get chills. How fabulous that they were so appreciated for being such a breath of fresh air that they could break the former Soviet lock on ice dancing. They were, and still are, the greatest!

[@chubbyflower305]

I agree entirely. Everytime hear the Bolero goosebumps paint me like a wall. What a marvellous, marvellous free dance from Jayne and Chris.

[@chubbyflower305]

@Marjo... and had the rules been changed 4 years earlier this would never exist, or come close to existing.

[@adrianschuurmans]

Just sent the link to a friend and got goosebumps listening and watching it....35 years later, same response as the first time I saw them

[@noranorth7654]

They are not pnly the greatest!! There sre so many others not less greatest. You are English aren't you?

[@myragross3723]

@@chubbyflower305 n

[@DevaNeeramanii]

I'm watching in 2020 and reliving that spectacularly exquisite moment in all of Ice Skating history as watched on my telly in 1984.

[@lornashipmanwhite5710]

Exquisite perfection. 2020, 36 years later, they continue to be the masters of their art.

[@berylward1239]

@@lornashipmanwhite5710 Ppp

[@bethbrittenbach3301]

I just wish we could share this art and beauty with the younger folks.

[@semabuyukcelebituncer3016]

@@lornashipmanwhite5710 I totally agree with you

[@eve_cooper13]

@@lornashipmanwhite5710 I grew up watching this dance weekly and just thinking of how perfect this song and their skating is, there hasn’t been a performance better

[@mmrose123]

I remembered this as the most stunning and most memorable performance ever. After watching the 22 Olympics, so much has changed since then. It's more acrobatic and advanced. But Torvill and Dean will always be at the top.

[@annaboglione3820]

Very true: they are the best, still now !

[@emmerentiagroenewald3694]

I will never listen to Ravel's Bolero again,without seeing this couple's magic!!❤❤❤🏅🏅🏅🏅🏅

[@poppyrowland1385]

I will. No offence, but the real full length Bolero is magical, even without the skaters.

[@Lindzeeann2uuu]

It’s 35 years later, and I still have chills down my spine.

[@LynneUK1]

Same, everytime I watch it I get the shivers

[@helengardner6310]

psza

[@helengardner6310]

figure, skating

[@helengardner6310]

@@LynneUK1 uu)

[@julienewsome7471]

me too

[@jacinthpearson7716]

How respectful were the audience? They were absolutely mesmerised.

[@cates2613]

Just watched it in February 2022. Just mesmermizing. A gorgeous performance. The beauty of it almost brings me to tears.

[@jeanbrowes9178]

Beautiful

[@carltongirl95]

Watching this just after the 2022 Winter Olympics and this routine is still as amazing as it was when I first saw them all those year's ago...just perfect 💜

[@maryleone2023]

You are not alone. I feel the same way and love the lavender heart. I just purchased a gorgeous art print of Bolero by Gordon King from the UK. (ebay). Their costumes were so beautiful and that color was wow!

[@lesliejones7133]

I saw it as it happened on tv all those years ago, and am still paralyzed by the art of it. They skated for the UK, but they transcended nationality or competition. They were -- are -- a gift for for the ages. We are all better for this masterpiece of ineffable beauty.

[@Carrival]

How beautifully written and so true!!

[@janeforst8464]

You are so completely right. Your comments truly define what Torvil and Dean captured on ice with shear movement to one of the most hauntingly beautiful pieces of classical music. Almost 35 years later and this exquisite ice dance, still gives me the same effect from when I first saw this gorgeous perfection of movement and interpretation .

[@anonymouspeacefulperson6199]

Leslie jones sorry you were paralysed Leslie Jason. There have been lots of injuries on the ice! Its been heatbreaking! I still get pains from my injuries myself! Take care xx

[@elainelawson1221]

Leslie jones b

[@anonymouspeacefulperson6199]

Catherine - have you been on the tixilyx again? Lol 😂 thanks for accompanying me to Barbara’s course. Xx all the best wishes for Christmas xx 😚

[@cindymartha1696]

This was Valentine’s Day 1984 and it felt as if the whole of the UK were watching. I watched with my parents, all of us transfixed and holding our breaths. T & D were stunning and unforgettable.

[@dorvilltean3649]

24 million, around half of the population were watching them. And then there were 100 million worldwide!

[@sandranorman5469]

Cindy Martha And we Americans were rooting for them also. They are not British-they belong to the world and we are so grateful to have been alive.

[@magdahearne497]

It was a magical moment in time wasn't it? I still get chills watching it ☺

[@martinwhite9633]

Me too...watching sitting in the floor in front of the tv in my mum’s living room

[@normadesmond6017]

I watched this as a teenager in the Netherlands. It was the first time that a couple danced in this form - one song or one piece of music. This was magical. And when those 6.0 came up my mother and i both were screaming. Beautiful memories.

[@tonyddoyle9132]

Absolutely flawless performance, they perform so well together, it was a totally seamless flow…awesome.

[@edithbannerman4]

@Hello there, how are you doing this blessed day?

[@colleenbrady5112]

This performance changed Ice Dancing forever. So amazing, and timeless. Enjoy it as much in 2022 as I did in 1984.

[@auntkittyhashtag2321]

I'm an American and hands down have always supported these two skaters from Britain. They are so in sync with their grace, elegance, style and humility, watching them is like seeing liquid gold softly flowing over the ice and watching it light up everything it touches. No one can ever touch them EVER. They will always reign as #1 forever.

[@cockeyedoptimista]

Aunt Kitty Hashtag I love that description! So poetic and apt: liquid gold flowing, lighting everything: wow, yes!

[@cockeyedoptimista]

Ari Soze Good question! But this type of performance is rare; I think people still appreciate such things though.

[@benjaminsidneykidd-bentley3966]

Absolutely!

[@toddsubjent7142]

With you 100% as an American too!! Indeed, watching them in 1984 telecast, now after all these decades hands down, or should I say "blades" down their above all the rest since!! As well as for decades to come in Olympics ice dancing they will remain best !!!

[@carolynellis387]

Aunt Kitty thanks I'm a massive fan of them both. They were so elegant on ice

[@jobloggs7400]

Watching this again almost 40 years later and have never seen anything better since ❤️

[@owenhopkins9192]

tess and scott 2018

[@theflaca]

I remember it too as they revealed it to the world that very moment. It was late at night for me. I bothered to stay up late. Yet it was coming to me live. A special rare treat. I was 18. Summer was raging. Signed Melbourne Australia.

[@poppyonline4034]

@@owenhopkins9192 No. not close.

[@garyc2276]

Rarely, very rarely, do we see the combination of physical excellence, artistic creation and the culmination of years of training in a discipline reach such heights. This performance by two athletes working together as an me, still sends chills up my spine as Jayne and Chris tell a spellbinding story, not merely stringing together a sequence of moves. ❤️

[@Redspencer]

Watching 2022 Olympics I still have to revisit this as the gold standard of artistic ice dancing. Magnificent in the 80s and nearly 40 yrs later.

[@FabioPBarbieri]

The greatest there has ever been. The greatest there will ever be. And our generation was so lucky to see them at work.

[@carolewilson1803]

Fabio you know all about skating; dont we>

[@sunnyshores7520]

Feabio, you know skating and being in love. You have found that Many Splendored Thing. You are fortunate.

[@cleigh8753]

I saw this as a kid because I had a broken leg and couldnt play outside, so watched all of the Olympics that year. To this day, it is such a vivid memory of fluid beautiful movement to music that's of a soothing haunting nature. It was also my first exposure of hearing Ravel's Bolero.

[@simonebrightstein9759]

Sheer, utter, heart-stopping perfection. It will never be equalled.

[@djmoch1001]

That was insanely good! Perfect marks were absolutely deserved for such an incredible performance.

[@rhyfelwrDuw]

I remember watching this as a 14 year old and being in awe! Their routine still brings a tear of joy when I watch it - they moved as one and were so graceful and elegant!

[@rachelsirett8809]

I was 12

[@karenpoe6345]

I was 16! Still my favorite ⛸️

[@mleecthulhu]

Me too!!!

[@rachelsirett8809]

@@mleecthulhu I was 12

[@neilbowers6956]

I was 11 years old and remember this so well. Can't believe it's almost 40 years ago since this event took place. It was the last time Great Britain won a medal on the ice dancing I think. Which is such a shame all the ice rinks are being closed down and it's not taken seriously enough now.

[@MsSuzmat]

Still, this many years later, the most beautiful Olympic Ice Skating performance ever. Just aboslutely perfect.

[@astralworm7277]

I remember this, it was so beautiful. So lovely to watch it again. They were the perfect partners, there will never be another couple with so much talent and grace. A truly breath taking performance.

[@wochenendsonnenschein5853]

Outstanding in perfection and harmony. One of these moments in life you´ll never forget. Thank you Torvill and Dean! from Germany.

[@sarahkaye576]

Very easy to forget for me! Nothing outstanding at all! But then again, it was 40 years ago. Skaters have improved.

[@brownreese]

I still get chills when I see this footage. This is the most amazing routine realized with utter perfection. To this day, I can't hear Bolero without being transported back to this performance.

[@lucillemarano7535]

Every time I hear Bolero it reminds me of Torvell and Dean superb in 1984 and still suberb.

[@ianlong9106]

Anybody else watching this in 2019?

[@roseannzinke4759]

I am, Ian. It’s so amazing! I saw it in 1984, and I watched it 5 times tonight. It IS perfect!

[@carolgibbs8813]

Hi Ian. We saw this on TV in 1984 and was mesmerized by the beauty and perfection of their performance.. We still feel the same!

[@vallee3140]

yes me I gave up on it years ago, these were the best days especially Hilda

[@stacymar684]

Yup

[@80mphisntfastenuff]

It’s a timeless piece of history. Perfection.

[@ZebaKnight]

I have chills, and tears in my eyes. I'm so glad this was filmed. It's timeless.

[@JanShawTheSuccessAlchemist]

I was entranced by this at the time and that feeling has remained. IMO, this is the best ever, not just because of their incredible skill but also the beautiful energy that is transmitted during the performance. It moves me to tears every time I watch it.

[@bonnie4706]

After all these years,this is the most memorable skate I have ever seen in 70 years.......

[@mattcornes51]

Hello Bonnie, How are you doing?

[@kskollections2142]

Best routine ever! They skated as one, totally fluid pair. I get carried away with them in the music. Routine fit the music perfectly! I got chills when I saw this way back when and I still do.

[@dd-kapibara1070]

Feels like a human equivalent of a complex bird mating dance, like the grebes. So satisfying to watch!

[@rmp7400]

​@DD-Kapibara It could be... except that they are not a couple, and I do very much doubt that both individuals are as content with the hands they were dealt...

[@dd-kapibara1070]

@@rmp7400 sorry, I was a little obtuse as to the other interpretation. I was just expressing my appreciation for their performance as an art. Nothing necessarily about them personally. Like watching an amazing acting or ballet performance? People aren't necessarily what they are trying to portray, they are trying to convey whatever it is they want to the audience, and seeing a performance where someone perfectly illicits a specific emotion or memory is satisfying. Watching them gives a calm steady feeling, since the weight of the movements match the music, but the moves are still smooth and perfectly coordinated and give the impression they are as easy as pie. If you search up the grebes and watch the video with Attenborough narrating it might be easier to understand what I mean since I also struggle to explain this without likening it to something else that I can maybe imagine others might be able to relate to better. I wouldn't speak of them as people, I understand that anyone that is able to attain this level in their craft have most likely needed to work to the extreme at the cost of other aspects of life for moments like this where the effort gets to be displayed and appreciated. There are some dances where the movements are supposed to portray a type of animal or tell a story, in swan lake there are a lot of movements made to mimic flapping wings, moving gracefully, to show that you are one of the swans, so for me this would be waltz of the grebes or bolero of the grebes.

[@tessalister1226]

Thank goodness this was filmed. Watching today, four decades later, still.perfection, still hasn't been equalled.

[@margaretdavis8207]

This still gives me Goosebumps today, beautiful performance.

[@jayesimond9301]

This pair set the bar so high, few have come close to reaching this level of sophistication and difficulty. They truly made one on ice, technically and mentally. And they were humble too.

[@jackiesantangelo6610]

To this day, the most beautiful piece I've ever seen. Completely fluid; two bodies as one. This is the standard that's yet to be beat. Bravo

[@mmjhcb]

Jackie Santangelo It never will be beaten.

[@Smithjones12]

They didn't need quad jumps and dangerous lifts They had class and passion

[@OFWarhhbTN]

I agree this is both gorgeous and within just one performance of unique; the other one is their Song of India, just after they turned professional the same year. I can’t say I like one better than the other - equally gorgeous, equally unlike anything else (except the other), creative and beautiful. Words fail!

[@jacquelinerussell8530]

Jackie Santangelo Yes one of the best ice dancing routines I saw it live slso

[@MrDaiseymay]

@@jacquelinerussell8530 name a better one

[@bonnielucas153]

Still the best ice dancing routine. After 38 years

[@dreamer33ish]

Anyone watching this in 2022.? Still gives me some fabulous memories of the day! Very proud of their performance….a huge uplift for us British folks! No one since has even got to their level of excellence!

[@rmp7400]

🎆👍🌹

[@carolrichards6452]

Absolutely agree. Todays skaters dont have that level of elegance and perfection that T and D had.

[@ivanjackson7924]

Absolute brilliance on ice, still relevant today 40 years later!! Iconic legends from my Home town.Reign supreme ✨️

[@perpetual61]

I have watched many Olympic Ice Dancing Routines in my Lifetime and absolutely Nothing comes close to the Perfection as this. Some 34 years later my opinion hasn't changed. This is the routine that i always measure others by and they always leave me disappointed because how can one improve on perfection. Never Equalled or duplicated.

[@OFWarhhbTN]

perpetual61 Must confess their professional Song of India routine (same year, 1984) seems just as good to me; not better, but just as good.

[@ingriddubbel8468]

That is because it is perfect. Absolutely perfect.

[@thomasnarsete7233]

well said

[@niklel4036]

My sentiments exactly,dear lady.

[@paprika1951]

Indeed, I remember wondering as I watched for the first time, “Why isn’t the ice melting?” Everything that came before turned tepid and bland.

[@Blessings2UForever]

This is art in motion. Every move was like a brush stroke in the painting of a masterpiece.

[@annishilcock4587]

Beautifully said.

[@sonjw7392]

Remember it clearly,still brings me to tears.Absolute masters at their sport.They just flowed seamlessly together.There's never been anyone quite like them

[@Tehui1974]

This is the first time I've seen this since the 80s. It's still a beautiful performance. It's such an iconic Winter Olympic moment.

[@rhondawomble9036]

I was 15 year's old when I watched this magnificent, mesmerizing, artistic, beautiful, masterpiece for the first time! Now 36 year's later it is still just as magnificent. They are the reason I adore Ice Dancing and look forward to watching the Olympics but no one has compared to this marvelous and graceful pair in all that time. Timeless ❤

[@568843daw]

My mother was a figure skater. For her, there was a mountain of practice, skating lessons, strength training and ballet that went into being a figure skater. There were also hospital and doctor visits when injured. Being petite and compact in stature is a very big plus... physics being what it is. Every time I see this performance I think of my mother and how beautiful she was on the ice. It was so natural for her to be there and it looked like her second home. She floated on an icy sea like gravity had given way to her. Seeing these two and their amazing performance makes me smile. Thank you. Bravo!

[@lorigirl65]

This performance never gets old.

[@musicmemories200]

Still the greatest performance on ice I've seen in my 70 years. My heart races, and all my muscles feel the couple's every move.

[@takuan71]

I've never been into ice skating, but this performance back in 1984 was really something out of this world, as close to perfection as anything could ever be. A local newspaper called it "The voice of the dance" and I can only agree. And keep in mind such a headline was printed in a country then-occupied by the Soviet Union. Even the Communists could not deny this was perfection in motion.

[@sdbanotts]

One of the most beautiful gifts ever given to the World. Stunning, even after all these years.

[@dorothyclippingdale2224]

Thirty nine years later it still is awesome to watch them in an exquisite performance.

[@Vienna81]

I don't think that it will ever change. It's so unique and beautiful. Other great skaters have come and gone but not left such an impact as Torvill and Dean.

[@fionacotterill4884]

I still get chill's every time I hear this music, Torvill and Dean were well ahead of their time. I doubt anyone will ever be as good x

[@OKEYDAYLJ]

It’s as breathtaking today as it was when they performed it in 1984 in Sarajevo!

[@RobinHood-hk5dk]

In 1990, met Chris Dean at his country house to install a computer system and keyboard. He was arranging music sets for the ice shows on computer. Great guy. True professional. Thanked him for making our country proud. He told me he recently spent a year living in hotels around world on tour with Jane but glad to be home in U.K. Exhausting ! His wife’s American.

[@JanetMackender-zq9mw]

You can't get better than perfection ...and never get sick of watching this particular routine ..

[@indigowolf556]

2023: This pair of skaters performed with such electric elegance and magic. They effortlessly glided across the ice without missing a beat, fully in sync with each others energy... I remember seeing this long ago but watching it again it is as if I'm back in time focusing on them perform for the world! 👋👋👋👋👋Bravo!

[@annas4714]

I remember watching this performance as a little girl with my mom in the Soviet Union time. We both were glued to the TV :) It was an incredible performance, and probably the highest marks I have ever seen :)

[@ericmoore7863]

How are you doing today my name is Eric Moore

[@jeanniehargis4034]

There has never been anyone better! The complete perfect performance with absolute synchrony never before and never after.

[@davidkavanagh9551]

I'm 54 years of age and remember watching it live and I still get a tear in my eyes watching it. Just brilliant

[@luzyfalluzy]

Coming from Nottingham, it was impossible to miss T&D fever because the local paper was full of them! An old school friend worked with Jayne Torvill and I remember seeing her face in among of her work colleagues setting out to Sarajevo to watch this incredible moment in history

[@wdharvey1]

I love it how the commentators kept their GD mouthsSHUT, without technical critique, etc....this was a flawless performance..even on the best performances today, we have commentators putting their 2 cent's in....they need to shut the hell up. LOVE this performance.

[@louisecarpenter1741]

wdharvey1 I remember my mum watching it with me when I was ten. She let me stay up to watch it or get up early. I don’t remember that bit but I remember holding my breath as I did tonight watching it and my now late mum said that even the commentator was holding his breath. You could hear a pin drop in that room. I think the world wanted them to win as much as us in the UK.

[@sandranorman5469]

They were not ABC (USA) commentators. Have a copy of the American comments while the Bolero.was on. Believe me you don’t know-Peggy Fleming and Dick Button were stunned. Peggy said that they should have changed tempo and Button said he preferred “Barnum”. Glad I don’t have to listen to them when I watch this.

[@gorgeous6737]

Amen

[@dorvilltean3649]

@@sandranorman5469 Yes, out of the MANY countries (most of Europe and North America) who were broadcasting the event, the only commentators to speak during the performance were the Americans. They were also the ones to act 'less shocked', so to speak, when the perfect scores came up.

[@redsquirrel1086]

34 years on and this amazing routine has not been bettered.

[@ronf1352]

It finally quashed the competitors from the warsaw Pact States who used to regard gold as theirs.

[@jetryan624]

I remember watching it live in 1984 and it was truly astounding then. It is still extremely beautiful now almost 30 years later wow

[@richardhenry5961]

Perfection, there are no other words, just Perfection. I was 22yrs old when I saw this. My mother was an artist of paint, she said it, that was perfection Torvill & Dean.

[@mchapman132]

I watched that live. It was breathtakingly beautiful. Perfection, the likes of which will never be seen again. I still get goosebumps watching them.

[@jt24901]

never bettered, never repeated, no other compares to this....... Jayne and Chris are true legends

[@helenalldridge1145]

Absolutely stunned watching it back in 1984 and even more so now. ❤❤

[@cathyrawlins702]

I remember watching this with my mother on NBC. Dick Buttons said he had never seen anything like it and was almost speechless. What a treat to get to watch in again. Wished my mother was here to share.

[@charc0al_tv]

I'm here because of James Acaster's bit about how they exploited a loopole where the 4 minute timer starts when their skates touch the ice by doing the first 20 seconds on their knees 😂

[@muzzaball]

Yeah, if they had of been skating for the extra 20 secs, some of those 5.9's may have become 6.0's!

[@cerissa3489]

I’m here from that bit too 😂

[@jennifermoosa9128]

Me too haha!!! Just watching James Acaster Repertoire!

[@KILLER07531]

Dweeby little squares... jk 😂

[@dorisjaffe3511]

I am watching this on Nov. 2, 2019, and am as mesmerized now as when I watched the 1984 competition. They gave a flawless performance;; their costumes were attractive; their moves excellent. It was a pleasure to watch them again.

[@frannynobrain]

5 November today.. And I'm in bits (again). I watched it live with my parents, and I don't think anyone breathed for the length of time they danced. So beautiful, and I'm Nottingham proud!

[@anitam7547]

Helen Carmody: I watched them perform Bolero, etc. live in Manchester. I only went because I took my mum as a special treat. I didn't expect it to be so intense, brilliant, and scary. I ached physically afterwards. To have seen it live, rather than through a moving camera, was incredible. I didn't relax for a second - it wasn't possible. What a memory!

[@yumi2255]

38年前まだ若かった私は、彼らのアイスダンスに衝撃を受けました。ビデオに録画して何度も見てはあまりの美しさ、芸術性に彼らのアイスダンスの虜に…あれ以来、彼らを超えるダンスを未だ見たことはありません。アップして下さった方に感謝

[@glyn6170]

Tuesday 14th Feb 1984. I watched this as a 21 year old with my family. My Dad and I even delayed going to the pub for our usually Tuesday night drinks with his friends and their sons. We got to the pub about 9.30-10.0, with the landlord grumbling about the pub being empty until "that bloody ice skating" had finished. I imagine it's hard to understand today, how this 4 minutes of sporting beauty stopped a whole nation. They were light years ahead of everyone then and everyone since.

[@MsSwap2009]

Great story, thank you! At the end you should noticed Princess Ann in the audience.

[@margareteplaetzer3127]

I think it stopped the world. Never forgot it. Never will. So emotional.

[@daviddoyle1586]

This is still stunning today after all these years still a total pleasure to watch again and again .

[@samik5755]

David Doyle - superb!!

[@emmag2439]

I have to watch this every now and again, the pure genious of two of the best ice dancers of all time, they have a special bond together that just works, and performing Bolero is just magical to watch, goosebumps everytime, nothing comes close, I will never forget this performance, it thrilled me then and still does...

[@normadesmond6017]

perfection. Can't beat this one

[@tonydwight8015]

remember this live on TV in `84 .....was brilliant and very emotional then and is still absolutely the best performance ever...

[@jesse-hs4xh]

its my mum!! shes the most perfect person to exist

[@lucyseidler1905]

Stunning choreography, perfect symmetry and balance and excellent trusting teamwork. An outstanding couple at the top of their class 🎊

[@GeorgeMorgan6600]

@Hello there, how are you doing this blessed day?

[@lucyseidler1905]

@@GeorgeMorgan6600 good thanks. Always #blessed !

[@GeorgeMorgan6600]

@@lucyseidler1905 Good to hear that, how’s your day going and what’re you up to?

[@GeorgeMorgan6600]

@@lucyseidler1905 Yes just wondering too, do you suggest any platform we can stay in touch on

[@anna9072]

The thing that most impressed me about this performance, is that the commentators didn’t say a single word through the entire performance.

[@Alicia-ij6gt]

Well, you wouldn’t, would you? No one wanted to break the spell.

[@anna9072]

@@Alicia-ij6gt yes, exactly. But most of the time sports commentators act like they’re paid by the word and can’t stop themselves from yapping through and over everything.

[@normadesmond6017]

remember watching this live. This is the single most perfect dancing routine in Olympic history. And that ending - it is perfection. Can still recall my exitement watching this. If ever there was a gold medal earned by two people, it was by these two.

[@JoAnneMOwens]

This is a performance that I will never forget seeing when it happened. Now watching it 35 years later, it still holds the same magic. It’s too bad that the video wasn’t clearer, because what you miss seeing was the facial expression and the eye contact they shared. A truly stunning performance still today.

[@grannytrez]

Here I am in 19 actually in 2023 and still, I hold my breath as I watch them they were revolutionary they were pure art

[@divergentsenior]

I remember seeing it live and how amazing it was. That music is amazing but their artistry is beyond the pale.

[@emmadoggy]

Absolutely mesmerizing. Still as much so as it was when I watched it live on tv all those years ago. It was one of those moments that become etched in your brain forever.

[@emmanaturopathandbirthprof1506]

I was 4 years old when I watched this. And I still remember it. Beautiful ice dancing. A faultless routine.

[@NelsonClick]

Mesmerizing. I didn't fully understand what I was seeing when this first broadcast I just knew I couldn't take my eyes off the screen. It was the pinnacle. State of the art. Perfect blend of athleticism and art. I still can't see in 2023 how it could have been better than that.

[@michellemoffett9458]

I just watched this not too long ago but a different camera angle. They are my favorite! They are very special. I've either cried, gotten chills, mouth open in amazement at all their performances. Nobody even compares in my book!