dance help

[chiclet]

I am just starting dance this week and i was wondering if anyone has any suggestions on what to do. i have never really done dance except for the canasta tango. i do know some basics but not very many only what we do in stroking soo if there is anyhing i could doo please help thancks:lol:

[96.23??]

Your coach will probably show you the patterns and steps to the dances, just be confident when testing, look like you know what your doing, push hard, bend your knees and don't toe push!

[chiclet]

thancks ya only problem is sometimes my coach is late soo i dont want to be just skating around is there any begginner stuff i can do??

[dani]

Hi!!

Welcome to dance, it is a lot of fun!

Anyway, I would skate some deep edges with as much speed as you can. If you know progressive style crossovers, I would skate those in both directions. Really concentrating on pointing the progressive and feel like you were holding that step too long (you probably won't!) Then I would try swing rolls and chasse's. That should take you through your basics.

I hope that helps!!

Hugs!
Danielle

ps) If you know how to do it, do all of these things backwards too!

[TashaKat]

Hi. I was doing Free for about 18 months before I started Dance (I hated, loathed and detested Dance but decided to do it to help my basics ..... and because my coach was cute ;)). When I started Dance I felt like crap. The best advice I could give is NOT to get frustrated, it's much more technical than Free and even the simplest move will be picked apart without mercy ;)

Both disciplines are difficult in VERY different ways. I did, however, grow to love Dance and have probably done better in Dance than Free! When I went back (briefly) after breaking my wrist (and before breaking my ribs) I found Free the 'easiest' to pick up. My Dance was the worst to get back into ..... I couldn't believe how fast the dances were!!!

Oh, another bit of advice is ENJOY!!! I come from a ballet background so I much prefer to watch someone skate who has been taught Dance .... I love the grace and the flow (even though jumps are my favourite bits in Free ..... I know, I'm weird .... JOKE!)

X

[Mrs Redboots]

Originally posted by TashaKat
When I went back (briefly) after breaking my wrist (and before breaking my ribs) I found Free the 'easiest' to pick up. My Dance was the worst to get back into ..... I couldn't believe how fast the dances were!!! You did them well, though - and even when you slipped that time when dancing with my Robert, that was such an encouragement to me, as I'd fallen on the same place in the same dance, and you were able to diagnose what had gone wrong, which I wasn't! And it was him-not-me, which is always gratifying, as so rare!

Chiclet, practice just plain vanilla stroking, but absolutely spot on - extend on every push, bring your feet back together until they touch (pre-bending helps here, I find), make sure you are bolt upright - you can't get away with leaning forwards in dance. Leaning sideways over a steep edge is another matter. Make sure your arms are held low, with your fingers together and your palms facing down towards the ice. Your chin should be up, you should look just above the line of the plexiglass.

As you know the Canasta Tango, you'll know about swing rolls, chasses, slide chasses and cross-rolls - do lap after lap after lap of those, too. With the same constraints - full extension, feet touching, bolt upright, watch your arms, watch your head.....