The magic of the ice in Milan
While the Netherlands is currently captivated by the short track success of Xandra Velzeboer and long track performances, I look with a very different eye at the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo. In my thirty years in the dance world, I have learned that dancing doesn't stop at the edge of the parquet floor. Men's figure skating is, for me, the ultimate form of dance on a razor-sharp edge. It is a discipline where athletic ability and pure aesthetics come together in a way that we also strive for in salsa or ballroom, but with the added challenge of slippery ice and dizzying jumps.
During these Games, the focus is often on the Dutch medal tables, but for the true lover of movement, men's figure skating is the absolute main course. We see a shift here that I also recognize in the dance world: the struggle between technical perfection and artistic expression. It promises to be a battle of titans in 2026 at the Mediolanum Forum in Milan.
When are we watching the TV?
The program for the 2026 Winter Olympics is now firmly in place. For the men in figure skating, there are two crucial moments you need to put in your calendar. According to the latest schedules from the organization and sports news sources, the most important events for the men take place in the first week of the Games.
- Tuesday, February 10, 2026: The Men's Short Program. This is the moment when technique and basic skills are under a magnifying glass. One small mistake in a mandatory jump and the chance for gold is essentially already gone.
- Thursday, February 12, 2026: The Men's Free Skate. This is where the true dancer emerges. More freedom in music choice, choreography, and the chance to truly tell a story on the ice.
The competitions will be held at the Mediolanum Forum in Assago, near Milan. This is a location where the atmosphere is always electric, comparable to a packed final during an international dance congress.
The battle for the Quad Axel: Ilia Malinin and the rest
When we talk about the favorites, we cannot ignore the American Ilia Malinin. He is called the 'Quad God' and for good reason. He was the first to land the quadruple axel in competition. From my experience as a dance coach, I watch his body control with amazement. The rotation speed he achieves is almost incomprehensible. But the big question for 2026 is: will he continue to convince the jury with technique alone, or will he also manage to take the artistic component — the 'Program Components Score' — to a higher level?
Opposite Malinin's jumping power stands the Japanese school with skaters such as Yuma Kagiyama. Japanese skaters are known for their phenomenal 'flow' over the ice and their deep edges. This is what we call 'grounding' in the dance world. Although they are on ice, you see the connection with the floor (or the ice) reflected in every movement. Frenchman Adam Siao Him Fa is also a name to watch. He recently brought the backflip back into his routines, a move that was long forbidden but is now creating a spectacle again. It reminds me of the acrobatic salsa styles from Cali; it's risky, but the audience goes wild.
The link between ice and dance floor
People often ask me: "Vanessa, why do you, as a salsa expert, enjoy watching figure skating so much?" The answer is simple: the basics are the same. Whether you're doing a spin on a dance floor or a pirouette on the ice, everything revolves around your axis, your core stability, and your focal point. In my lessons, I always emphasize the posture of the upper back and the position of the arms. When you look at the top of the figure skating world, you see that they don't just let their arms hang anywhere; every knuckle participates in the presentation.
What we can learn from the men in Milan is the way they handle pressure. While the Dutch skating hype focuses on names like Xandra Velzeboer or Jutta Leerdam, the figure skaters have to do it in those few minutes that the music is playing. There is no second chance, no redo. That focus is something every dancer should study.
Artistic freedom and the backflip discussion
An interesting aspect for 2026 is the regulatory change regarding the backflip. For years, this was a forbidden element because it was deemed too dangerous and supposedly didn't fit the 'elegance' of the sport. But the sport is evolving. We see that the ISU (International Skating Union) is giving more space to entertainment. This is a discussion we often have in the dance world as well: should a dance be strictly according to tradition, or can you add modern, acrobatic elements to captivate the audience?
Personally, I think the sport needs this innovation. It attracts a younger audience and shows that men on the ice can be not only graceful, but also incredibly powerful and tough. The choreographies are becoming increasingly modern, with influences from hip-hop and contemporary dance. That makes the Games in Milan more interesting than ever for us as dance enthusiasts.
What does this mean for the Dutch viewer?
Although the Netherlands is unfortunately not world-class in men's figure skating — our focus traditionally lies on speed skating and short track — interest in the sport is growing. We see that Lindsay van Zundert's performances in the women's category have put the sport back on the map. For the men, we hope for a Dutch representative in the future who can compete with the world's best.
Until then, we mainly look to the international top stars for inspiration for our own movements. The way they convey their emotion on a massive ice rink, while simultaneously having to account for the technique of a triple lutz, is simply admirable. It reminds us that dancing, in whatever form, is always about finding the balance between control and letting go.
Milan 2026 will not only be a sporting event, it will be a showcase of what the human body can achieve when sport and art merge. In any case, I'll be ready on February 10 and 12 with my notepad to see which new trends we can translate to the dance floor.