So the International Skating Union has such a rule? Whose cockamamie idea was that and what is its purpose? What are they trying to accomplish by this?

Volgadon, I don't doubt your word at all, but where is this rule? I went to the ISU web site, pulled up the rulebook (.pdf format), and did a key word search on "folk," and the word was not even used, anywhere in the ISU rulebook. There were many instances of the word "music," but they all had to do with matters of sound quality, media (CD, mp3, etc.), and the skater's coordination with and interpretation of the music.

For the ice dancing competitions (couples, no spins, no jumps, pre-set steps dictated by the dance itself, not unlike the rules for ballroom dancing), the music is pre-selected, and it includes such things as the Viennese Waltz, the Argentine Tango, the Paso Doble, and so on. But this is not, strictly speaking, folk music. It specifies the type of dance, and the music must, of course, conform to the rhythm and style of that dance. The waltz as a formal dance came originally from Vienna and the tango is associated with Argentina, but the music that accompanies these dances (best known examples, Johann Strauss, Astor Piazzolla respectively) can hardly be regarded as "folk songs." And this music is selected by the committee or the judges, not by the skaters themselves.

Nor does it apply to solo free-style programs, such as those my sister did. She knew all of the dances and could do them, with a partner of course, as they are intended to be done, but she was primarily a solo skater.

Incidentally, there may be some sort of "nationalistic" movement on the part of the ISU because their actions within recent years have not exactly been met with universal acclaim:

The International Skating Union has demonstrated in their judging of the pairs competition at the Salt Lake City Olympics that they cannot adhere to the ethical standards of Olympic Charter and should be expelled from the Olympic Movement.

There have been complaints within recent years that many ISU judges have demonstrated blatant nationalistic bias in judging competitions.

Several articles HERE.

I turned up all kinds of interesting stuff. My sister, Pat, follows this much more closely and more knowledgeably than I do. She and her husband, John, are at their place at Flathead Lake right now, but when they return to Seattle, I'll ask Pat about this.

Don Firth

P. S. By the way, while googling, I ran across this: Pat in action, circa 1952.