Ice dance, a discipline of figure skating, has required elements that make up a well-balanced rhythm dance program and free dance program, which must be performed during competitions. They include: the dance lift, the dance spin, the step sequence, turn sequences (which include twizzles and one-foot turns sequences), and choreographic elements. The elements must be performed in specific ways, as described by published communications by the International Skating Union (ISU), unless otherwise specified. The ISU has also provided a list of illegal movements.

The International Skating Union (ISU), the governing body that oversees figure skating, announces the list of required elements in a well-balanced rhythm dance program and free dance program, and each element's specific requirements, each year. The following elements may be included: the dance lift, the dance spin, the step sequence, turn sequences, choreographic elements, and, in the rhythm dance, pattern dance elements.

Illegal movements in the rhythm dance, the free dance, and in the pattern dances include the following, including the introductory and concluding steps, unless otherwise stated by the ISU:

The first six movements are permitted if they are not established and sustained, or if they are used only to change pose.

The ISU defines dance lifts as "a movement in which one of the partners is elevated with active and/or passive assistance of the other partner to any permitted height, sustained there and set down on the ice". Lifts should be "performed in an elegant manner without obvious feats of strength and awkward and/or dignified actions and poses". They should enhance the music that the dancers choose. All rotations, positions, and changes of these positions are allowed. The minimum required length for a dance lift is three seconds.

After the judging system changed from the 6.0 system to the ISU Judging System (IJS), dance lifts became more "athletic, dramatic and exciting". American ice dancer Charlie White stated that lifts have become "increasingly difficult", requiring teams to, like pair skaters, work with acrobats to develop their lifts. According to former competitive dancer Pilar Bosley, ice dance lifts rotate faster than pair lifts. In order to maximize the difficulty of the lifts, dancers must hit certain patterns and positions, with differences in entering and exiting their lifts. They have also become more acrobatic, although they do not get as high as pair skating lifts, because ice dance lifts cannot be supported over the man's shoulder. Dance lifts have also become more dangerous, resulting in more falls and injuries.

There are two types of dance lifts: short lifts and combination lifts. There are four types of short lifts: the stationary lift, the straight-line lift, the Curve lift, and the Rotational lift. The stationary lift is done "on the spot", or at the stationary location, by the lifting partner, who may or may not be rotating at the time. A straight line lift is one in which the lifting partner is traveling in a straight line, in any position, on either one foot or two feet. A curve lift is one in which the lifting partner is traveling on one curve (or lobe), in any position, on either one foot or two feet. A rotational lift is one in which the lifting partner is rotating in one direction, either clockwise or counterclockwise, while traveling across the ice. There are three types of combination lifts: two Rotational lifts in different directions, two Curve lifts performed in a serpentine pattern, and two different types of short lifts performed together.

The ISU defines a dance spin as "a spin skated by the Couple together in any hold". The ISU also states that the dance spin should be "performed on the spot around a common axis on one foot with or without change(s) of foot by one or both partners".