30/10/2026
The ISU has brought back pattern dances! This season, senior ice dance teams must complete the Golden Waltz as part of the Rhythm Dance.
The Golden Waltz was invented by Natalia Dubova, Marina Klimova, and Sergei Ponomarenko. It was first performed in Moscow, Russia in 1987.
The Golden Waltz is “a highly technical, demanding and elegant ice dance characterized by long, flowing edges, intricate, fast, and complex steps, and deep lyrical, and romantic movements.”
Klimova & Ponomarenko skated for the Soviet Union and Unified team. They are the 1992 Olympic champions, 1988 Olympic silver medalists, 1984 Olympic bronze medalists, three-time World champions, and four-time European champions.
Their son, 2026 U.S. Olympian Anthony Ponomarenko, competes for the U.S. with Christina Carreira.