anybody got some brilliant ideas to make a beginning lesson more interesting?

[phoenix]

Okay, I had my first lesson yesterday w/ a new student. Young teenager, she's been in private lessons w/ a freestyle coach for a year & a half, and she's coming to me for ice dance lessons.

So.......she can barely skate!! I'm not sure if she was just nervous, but I don't think that was it. Tiny little pushes, totally pushing straight back w/ toepicks, absolutely no knee bend, and very very shaky going backwards. So we worked on correct stroking technique, and some swing rolls, and that was about it. She did everything I asked her to do (so she can indeed do it), and was starting to put together some better stroking by the end of the lesson.

But I'm worried that she's going to get bored soon here, since we're going to have to spend SO MUCH TIME on her basic skills, which are just non-existant. (don't get me started on wondering what the heck the other coach has been doing w/ her for 18 months!!!) She may have been coming into "ice dance lessons" thinking she'd be dancing to music right away; I don't know.

So next week I'm going to put on some music & have her work on stroking in time w/ the music, to make it more interesting & introduce timing to her.

Does anyone else have any bright ideas of how to make exercises and very basic skills lessons more interesting/fun? I want to keep this student, and I think I can help her a LOT, given that she's willing to put in the time and effort. But I won't be able to have to do much dancing with her until she's got better basics.

I'm also not sure how much of this I should articulate to the mom---should I tell them that we're going to work on basics for awhile and get them solid & strong before she's ready to actually work on dance patterns? Should I tell them that her basic skills are way below what they should be? (she told me she's working on loop & camel spin---she should have been taught good stroking skills by now!!)

This one caught me by surprise--and I'm not sure how to best approach it. Any ideas?

[Isk8NYC]

Maybe her skating was a fluke. I can't imagine (unless she's delusional) someone without basic skills being able to do a camel! Perhaps they're new or borrowed skates and she was off-balance.

If they came to you for dance lessons, they probably know her foundation skills need work. I would do warmups and stroking exercises with her for the first ten minutes. Use the stroking to disguise the edge practices; start introducing the MITF patterns as precursors to dance.

Have you looked at the USFSA Basic Skills or ISI Dance tests? That gives you a set of exercises for her to master before the introductory dance patterns.

[phoenix]

Believe me, I am the QUEEN of exercises!! I just don't know how a young teenager will take to them repeatedly in lessons. Maybe I need to worry less about whether it's all fun fun fun......skating as we all know is hard work & repetition, especially dance.....I never know how hard to drill a student & how demanding to be. I generally love the repetition in my own lessons, but I know not everyone is like that. I think I tend to be too easy on my students, especially the young ones, because I want them to enjoy themselves while they skate......haven't quite found that balance yet, between making it fun and making them work hard.....

I also am not sure about drilling her in moves (I had thought of that) since her other coach is supposedly doing moves w/ her too.....maybe it would be all right.

[dooobedooo]

.... If they came to you for dance lessons, they probably know her foundation skills need work.......

That's probably spot on. She has also hopefully booked you as an instructor because she admires your technique, and also finds you approachable. Perhaps she was even recommended! The likelihood is that she really wants to understand and get into the heart of technique, and that is what you can give her.

Apart from edges, there are other things you could be working on. Rhythm is one. Presentation is another. Speed and Ice coverage is another. Have a mixture of slow and fast-paced work, with plenty of exercises that involve rhythm, presentation, changes of direction, etc., and where you can also work on posture, kneebend.

I'll try to post some helpful exercises when more time.

Get a balance in the lessons between half the time perfecting posture, kneebend, lean etc., and half the time just "doing". For example, she might enjoy having a go at a forward two-foot slalom in time to music, moving on to backwards, then one-foot slalom ... or maybe alternating chasses .... or alternating backward drape with graceful arm movement ...

And don't forget to work the basics at every lesson - forward and backward crossovers, basic stroking, timing. She will be able to feel herself improving speed and power, and that should be enough for the moment.

Edited to add: Phoenix, I just ready your post above - drills for dance are different than moves, and can emphasise other aspects, as above.

[Isk8NYC]

I also am not sure about drilling her in moves (I had thought of that) since her other coach is supposedly doing moves w/ her too.....maybe it would be all right.I didn't realize she was still taking from another coach. What about USING those moves to introduce rhythm and flow? One of the Directors I work for has a moves and stroking class. During the stroking portion, she uses the moves to do all sorts of stretch-and-point skating, which really pays off in the kids' programs. Instead of just skating down the middle, they glide and do little inside edges with forward extensions. Give it a go.

As for the exercises, having it in writing makes swing rolls and turns more palatable and you can use the book or badge programs to record her progress. Sometimes, it seems like they're NEVER acquiring new skills, when in fact they are and it is measurable.

I've seen a real change in the attitude of one of my beginners since we went through the Basic Skills book. Even though I've explained that the skills build on each other, and demonstrated the progression, somehow the printed list woke her up to mastering skills.

[phoenix]

As for the exercises, having it in writing makes swing rolls and turns more palatable and you can use the book or badge programs to record her progress. Sometimes, it seems like they're NEVER acquiring new skills, when in fact they are and it is measurable.

I've seen a real change in the attitude of one of my beginners since we went through the Basic Skills book. Even though I've explained that the skills build on each other, and demonstrated the progression, somehow the printed list woke her up to mastering skills.

Ah, that makes sense! Sounds like a good idea!

And thank you, doobedoo, for the idea of splitting the lesson between faster/slower paced things. I like that idea.

[Mrs Redboots]

And do teach her some simple dance patterns - if she can stumble and kick her way through a Novice Foxtrot or a Dutch Waltz, she'll feel she's getting somewhere, never mind if she can't yet do it to music, or without you to partner her, or whatever - if she feels she can use the swing rolls/chasses/whatever that she has just been drilling, that too will help.

I know we were taught the steps of the European waltz when we could barely judder our way round a 3-turn; the then coach said that it would be some time before we could actually dance it (we did the pattern widthways across the rink!), but there was nothing better for strengthening back edges and 3-turns.

And wanting to be able to do a certain dance does motivate anybody to work on the skills they'll need for that dance!

[dooobedooo]

I'd also put a lot of work into rhythm and timing right from the beginning, on simple moves. I have had great difficulty with timing myself, as dance timing movement is very different from musical timing the beat. For example, you could focus on forward pushes - get kneebend, posture, correct pushing action, ankle flex, leg extension - then work on weight transfer so that the body is in the right place to push for the next beat - then put some music on and try some alternate pushes.

You should be able to introduce steps and rhythm of easy dances fairly early on.

But I'm sure you can get your pupil just as interested in basic skating technique as you are yourself!!!

[vesperholly]

I agree with all the ideas above, but just wanted to add something. When I last switched coaches (4 years ago), I was working on axels, doubles, and my Novice MIF. In my first lesson, I was so nervous that I fell on a single toe loop, could barely spin and almost cried. :frus: And this was a coach I had known since I was little and was friends with! Never underestimate the power of nerves.