Music Rights: The Invisible Opponent on the Ice
Imagine: you have trained for thousands of hours, perfected your choreography to the last detail, and you are on the eve of the most important competition of your career. And then, just a few days before the opening ceremony, you are told that your music cannot be used. It happened to Spanish skater Tomas-Llorenc Guarino Sabate recently during preparations for the 2026 Winter Olympics. It is a scenario we see more and more often in the world of figure skating, where names like Petr Gumennik and Sabate unintentionally become the faces of a legal minefield.
In my thirty years in the dance world, I have seen a lot change. In the past, it was simple: we used classical music that had been in the public domain for decades. But since the International Skating Union (ISU) relaxed the rules in 2014 and allowed music with lyrics, Pandora's box has been opened. What seemed like a blessing for artistic expression now turns out to be an administrative nightmare for athletes who simply want to perform to their favorite tracks.
The Sabate Case and the Minions Curse
Tomas-Llorenc Guarino Sabate had built his entire season around a medley from the movie 'Minions'. The audience loved it, the jury appreciated the originality, but the film studio's lawyers thought otherwise. Despite the fact that Sabate thought he had arranged permission through official channels like ClicknClear, the rights for a global event like the Olympics turned out not to be airtight. Source: AP News
The result? Sabate had to fall back on music from last year at the last minute, meaning he now has to skate to the same Bee Gees sounds twice. This takes the entire artistic balance out of a season. At Miss Salsa, we know how important the connection between dancer and music is; if that foundation falls away, you are literally and figuratively on thin ice.
Petr Gumennik and the Rammstein Controversy
Russian skater Petr Gumennik, a great talent who won silver at the Russian championships as recently as 2023, ran into a similar problem, though it also had a political edge. He wanted to skate to 'Sonne' by Rammstein. Although he already had the choreography ready, the music was banned at the last moment. In the skating world, this is often linked to the complex rights structure and the 'sensitivity' of certain artists in specific regions. Source: Inside The Games
It shows that it's no longer just about what is beautiful or what fits technically well with the jumps. It's about who owns the rights and who sends an invoice at the end of the day. For an athlete like Gumennik, who is known for his powerful presence, changing music just before an event is a huge mental burden.
Why This Is a Problem Now
In practice, we see that the commercial interests of record labels and film studios clash with the sports world. In 2022, American skaters Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier were even sued by the band Heavy Young Heathens because they used their cover of 'House of the Rising Sun' without the proper licenses. This has caused a shockwave throughout the entire skating and dancing world.
Concretely, this means that federations and athletes now have to work with databases like Songview (from ASCAP and BMI) to check who owns a song. But as American champion Amber Glenn rightly notes: "This shouldn't be my problem. My job is to train and perform, not to figure out broadcasting rights."
What Can We Learn from This?
Although we in the local dance school do not directly deal with the Minions' lawyers, it is also something for competitive dancers in the Netherlands to think about. Whether you practice salsa, ballroom, or figure skating: music use is no longer as casual as it was thirty years ago.
- Check the source: Are you using modern pop music for a competition that is being broadcast or streamed? Check if the rights are covered through the federation.
- Direct lines: Some athletes, such as world champion Alysa Liu, seek direct contact with artists. Liu has a good relationship with the singer Laufey, allowing her to use her music without worry.
- Plan B: Make sure you always have a 'safe' option, such as a classical piece or music that you are certain falls within the public domain.
It's a pity that creativity sometimes has to give way to legal paperwork. Music is, after all, the soul of our sport. At Miss Salsa, we continue to follow these developments closely, because whether it's on the ice or on the dance floor: without the right beat, we lose part of the magic.