The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo are in full swing and honestly, as a dancer with more than 30 years of experience, I look at these events with a very different eye than the average sports fan. For me, figure skating is pure ballet on ice and even in a sport like luge, I see the choreography of the ideal line. This year, however, something special is happening: the line between top-class sport and pure entertainment is blurring in a way we rarely see at this level.
Yellow spectacle on the ice: The Minions act
The most talked-about moment of the past few days was without a doubt the performance of Spanish figure skater Tomàs-Llorenç Guarino Sabaté. While most athletes choose dramatic classical music or film scores, Sabaté appeared on the ice in a bright yellow shirt and blue overalls. Yes, you read that right: a Minion at the Olympic Games. This is exactly what I love in the entertainment world; the courage to step off the beaten path.
His routine to a medley of Minions music, including the catchy 'Papaya', brought an energy to the Milano Ice Skating Arena that we normally only see at a crowded dance festival. According to the Jeugdjournaal, it was one of the most striking moments of these Games. Although he just fell short of enough points for the free skate with a score of 69.80 on February 10, 2026, he did steal the hearts of the audience. That is a lesson I always give my students at Miss Salsa: technique is the foundation, but your performance determines whether people remember you.
The battle for music rights
What many people don't know is that this act almost didn't happen. A significant row broke out behind the scenes regarding copyrights. Universal Pictures initially did not want to give permission for the use of the music on the Olympic stage. Sabaté did not leave it at that and started a social media campaign. With help from none other than Pharrell Williams (the man behind the films' music), an agreement was reached at the last minute. In the dance world, we often encounter this as well; music rights can make or break your creativity. It shows that as an artist — because that's what these skaters are — you also have to hold your own in business.
Luge in Cortina: Dancing at 140 km/h
While the Minions stole the show in Milan, the battle in the luge track in Cortina d'Ampezzo was fought on the razor's edge. To a layperson, luge might look like 'just going down fast,' but from my experience in the dance world, I see the enormous physical control required for this. Just like a tight Salsa combination, luge is all about micro-movements. One wrong tension in your neck or legs and you lose precious hundredths of a second.
German Max Langenhan showed what absolute perfection is on February 7 and 8, 2026. He dominated the track at the Cortina Sliding Centre and took the gold with four consecutive track records. The silver medal went to the Austrian Jonas Müller, and the Italian Dominik Fischnaller received the bronze in front of his home crowd. In a live report from NU.nl, the battle was described as one of the most intense of this tournament.
The flow and the technique
Langenhan skates — or actually luges — with a kind of 'flow' that I recognize in the best ballroom dancers in the world. It looks effortless, but the pressure on his body is massive. The centrifugal force in the corners requires core stability that many a dancer would be jealous of. It is fascinating to see how these athletes use their bodies as an extension of their sled, just as we consider our dance shoes an extension of our feet.
What can we as dancers learn from these Games?
When I look at these images, I immediately draw parallels to the dance floor. Specifically, there are three things we can take away from this Olympic week:
- Authenticity always wins: Sabaté may not have qualified for the final, but he is the most talked-about athlete of the week. Dare to be yourself in your choreography, even if that means showing a 'crazy' side of yourself for once.
- The power of preparation: The lugers train for years for that one perfect line. In the dance studio, it sometimes feels repetitive to practice that one turn a hundred times, but that is what makes the difference between good and gold.
- Respect for the music: The battle for the Minions music reminds us how important the right track is. Music is not just background noise; it is the soul of your performance.
At Miss Salsa, we often see that dancers are afraid of making mistakes in front of an audience. But look at the Spanish Minion: he made a small mistake on his first jump, but recovered with a smile and a fist in the air. That is the spirit we need. Whether you are on the ice, in a luge track, or shining on the dance floor, it's about that connection with your passion.
In the coming days, there are still many beautiful events on the program, including the climax of the women's figure skating and the team relay in the luge. I will certainly keep following it, because every time an athlete moves with that combination of power and elegance, I feel that same thrill as when the first notes of a Salsa song burst through the speakers. It's just top-class sport, whether it's on ice or on parquet.