ICE DREAMS PAIR WALTZING TO SKATING CHAMPIONSHIP.

Byline: Amy Raisin Staff Writer

VALENCIA - While hordes of teens watch music videos to learn the latest dances, ice-dancing pair Ellie Langhans and Joe Braasch stay busy fine-tuning some of the oldest, including the waltz, the tango and the paso doble.

Langhans, 17, and Braasch, 19, have spent years rising before the sun to get in practice time in empty ice rinks.

And they insist the sacrifices are worth it.

``It's just something that you get used to. You can train your body to do a lot of different things,'' said Langhans, a Valencia High School junior who moved with her parents from Palo Alto, Calif., this summer to train with her coach.

She said she misses her friends in Palo Alto but is happy to be free of the old training schedule. Braasch, from Encinitas near San Diego, used to fly to Palo Alto one weekend and she to San Diego the next month after month.

Matched up by coaches three years ago, the two recently won the Pacific Coast novice dancing championship and earned a spot at the U.S. Nationals, to be held in January at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

They got their first taste of national competition last year in Cleveland, and they are eager to compete this year as a more experienced team.

``I just liked the whole atmosphere,'' said Braasch, a student at College of the Canyons. ``Everyone's really nice to you, and we got to watch the other skaters perform.''

Pairs skating, with its side-by-side jumps, throws and twists, is perhaps better known to casual fans, but ice dancing is no less demanding.

Ice dancers perform their programs very close to one another, producing grand, lyrical dance routines evocative of famous ballroom scenes in old Hollywood movies, but more difficult on blades and ice.

Because a couple must actually dance - with intricate footwork and changes in direction - ice-dance blades are shorter than those for other types of skating to avoid catching one blade on another.

Langhans and Braasch receive ofce dance training in ballet, ballroom dances and other steps to perfect their technique.

Now that the two can skate together every morning, coach Michael Tamres meets with them daily and has faith in their future.

``The judges and the officials are always looking ahead. And if you notice, the most successful teams are those who have stayed together a long time,'' Tamres said. ``These two really have something. Dedication is something they really understand.''

Braasch, a devoted follower of the television show ``The Simpsons,'' works in a comic book shop in Encinitas when he's not living with his coach in Santa Clarita.

While he often dreads the morning sound of the alarm clock, Braasch is committed to improving. He welcomes Tamres' knowledge and experience.

``You really need a coach,'' said Braasch, although some skaters have chosen to train themselves in recent years. ``Like during a competition, a coach can be really reassuring and calm you down. I can't imagine not having that.''

To help pay for the daily ice time, both Langhans and Braasch work at the Ice Station, helping with skating classes and assisting the staff.

Langhans, who tries to be in bed by 9:30 p.m. so she's rested when the alarm sounds at 5 a.m., realizes that most teens are unaware of the flashy attitude required for a tango or the soft fluidity for a waltz.

She has no time for hip-hop or rock and doesn't wonder if she's missing out.

``A lot of people don't know about ice dancing. You have to have a mental picture of that, really understand the concepts,'' she said. ``The best part is being out on the ice and bringing all that together.''

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Santa Clarita students Ellie Langhans, 17, and Joe Braasch, 19, rehearse ice dancing daily at the Ice Station in Valencia.

(2) Ellie Langhans and Joe Braasch whirl fluidly in a routine that won them the Pacific Coast novice dance championship.

Shaun Dyer/Special to the Daily News