Dance Picture Getting Clearer

The last dance, you'd think, should be the decisive dance.
But original dance day might turn out to be the real "moving day," the moment went the composition of Canada's world team became almost crystal clear.
No real surprise at the top. Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, who came to the 2008 BMO Canadian figure skating championships as overwhelming favourites to secure their first national senior ice dance crown, pretty much made that a lock Thursday night at Pacific Coliseum. With a whopping personal best, the London, Ont. duo moved their overall total to 105.33 points — 17.19 better than second place Kaitlyn Weaver of Houston, Tex., and Andrew Poje of Waterloo, Ont. (88.14).
It was also an especially good night for Weaver and Poje, who took a large step toward their second straight worlds appearance with a strong original dance. Their margin over fourth-place Mylene Girard of Repentigny, Que., and Liam Dougherty of Whitehorse (84.59) is nearly four points — massive ground to make up in a single free dance.
In between, in third spot, are Vancouver-based Allie Hann-McCurdy of Orleans, Ont., and Michael Coreno of Delhi, Ont. (87.22), who still have a bit of work to do to seal the third Canadian ice dance ticket to the 2008 worlds in Gothenburg, Sweden.
There's also a tight group behind Girard and Dougherty. Reigning junior national champs Vanessa Crone of Aurora, Ont. and Paul Poirier of Unionville, Ont. (84.35) and Ottawa's Siobhan Karam and Kevin O'Keefe of Limestone, Maine (84.11) are within a point of the fourth-place team.
Moir likes to see the level of battle going on to decide who'll join he and Virtue in Sweden.
"It's exciting to know that we have good teams coming up behind us," said Moir. "Canada's got real depth in ice dance."
We'll know for sure after Saturday's free dance final.
But when all is said and done, it just might be what went on Thursday night that goes the longest way toward telling the final tale.