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Why This Ice Dancing Duo Dropped Their ‘Suggestive’ and ‘Edgy’ Move for the Winter Olympics

2 minute read

Ahead of competing at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea, Canadian ice dancing duo Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir decided to tone down a routine, set to a medley of songs from Moulin Rouge!, they described as “suggestive” and “edgy.”

The pair modified a fairly risqué lift to a more conservative move for one of their free dance routines for the Olympics, according to the Toronto Star. When asked why they changed the lift for the Winter Games in PyeongChang, Moir cited the importance of visuals during competition.

“What it came down to actually was that when we slowed it down and looked on the video, it wasn’t aesthetically that beautiful of a position,”Moir said. “So we wanted to change it, make it a little bit better.”

Virtue agreed, adding that the change makes their routine a better fit for the Olympics.

“I think we liked that it made a statement, and it was different,” she said. “And that was great for the start of the season. But for the overall vision of the program, we hope that this new position fits a little better.”

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Write to Cady Lang at cady.lang@timemagazine.com