SPORTS

SCE
LANCERS

Judy Blumberg and
Michael Seibert
are the
Fred and Ginger
of the
figure skating set.

MARVIN GLASSMAN

Special to The Jewish News

••• red Astaire and
Ginger Rogers are
not the only
American dance team to be
acknowledged as the greatest
of all time.
In the world of figure
skating, experts call Judy
Blumberg and Michael
Seibert the greatest ice
dance team ever produced
by the United States and
one of the most innovative
duos in the history of the
sport.
Since they started skating
together in 1978, the duo of
Blumberg and Seibert have
won a mantle full of awards.
For five years in a row,
from 1980 to 1984, they
were the U.S. National Ice
Dancing champions. In 1980
and 1984, they were mem-
bers of the U.S. Olympic
team. For three times
straight, from 1985 to 1987,
they won bronze medals in
the World Professional

t.7

Marvin Glassman is freelance
writer in Miami.

Championships. They were
World Cup Dance Champi-
ons in 1988 and 1989 and
World Professional Dance
Champions in 1988.
For being the only Jew to
have won a national figure
skating championship, Judy
Blumberg was recently in-
ducted into the Interna-
tional Jewish Sports Hall of
Fame in Tel Aviv.
"The most amazing thing
is that Judy and Mike keep
getting better and better,"
said Rob McBrien, who
coached the Blumberg-
Seibert duo from 1987-89.
"Their skating is character-
ized by a flowing style, in-
credible speed and a creative
use of dance techniques.
Their command of the edges
set them apart from other
ice dancers.
"Most skaters are floor
dancers on skates,"
McBrien added. "Judy and
Mike are pure skaters who
are innovative dancers."
In addition to their com-
petitive achievements,
Blumberg and Seibert have
performed in a variety of ice
shows throughout the world.

They are now on a 25-city
North American tour
through March of 1991.
"Skating II," for which
Michael Seibert also serves
as assistant choreographer,
also includes performances
by Olympic skating champi-
ons Brian Boitano and
Katarina Witt.
Blumberg and Seibert are
performing the classical
dance ballet "Adagio On
Ice" as their contribution to
the two hour show.
"It's a new routine for us

and one that has dazzled au-
diences so far," Blumberg
said after a recent perfor-
mance. "It's the new chal-
lenges that keep me going in
my career. Performing has
always been and will contin-

"Judy and Mike
keep getting better
and better."
—Rob McBrien

ue to be my passion."
Judy's desire to perform
started when she first took up
skating at age eight.
"Growing up in Los
Angeles combined with the
fact that nobody else in my
family ever laced skates
made me a bit unusual,"
laughed Blumberg. "I was
always fascinated by danc-
ers and skaters. I first tried
skating solo. Then, I tried
skating with a number of
other skaters. Nothing real-
ly clicked for me until I

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

53