Calling all UK skaters - opinions needed

[BatikatII]

Just a quick question or two about the Bracknell adult competition. Please do give your input.

1. This is currently held in June each year. Given that the BAC is moving to February, does anyone have any suggestions for a better date for Bracknell Adult comp, or would people prefer it to remain as is? January was suggested but I can't imagine this to be popular????

2. If it is held in June this year it obviously can't follow the BAC criteria for dance as they won't have been published.

Would people like to keep the same criteria as last year?, or follow the same criteria as this years kids comps? or have any suggestions as to what they would like?

I'm posting this on behalf of the current comp sec and collating replies for her. Please don't contact her direct as she is snowed under with the kids open.

Feel free to PM me with thoughts/suggestions or if you know who I am in real life you can use my real email (I just don't want to publish it on a public forum). Feel free to pass this request on (and my real email if you know it) to any adult skaters you know who might be interested.

The sooner the better.

Thanks

[Mrs Redboots]

I say keep it as is - only confusing if it gets changed!

What I should like, though, this year, is for the dances to be picked from those chosen for the Mountain Cup, as that's what several of us will have prepared. I can easily e-mail you this year's schedule, if you haven't already seen it - let me know.

[frbskate63]

As the original and by far the most comprehensive UK Adult competition, Bracknell is on everyone's calendars, and you're in a great position to call the shots this year. I wouldn't worry too much about how you fit in with anything else - people will come mainly because it's Bracknell, not as part of their strategy for a season that culminates at BAC.

That said, I think you should use up to date technical criteria for the free skate classes (although I doubt if it's changed since last year). Free dance/OD is trickier - I don't think following the kids competitions is a good idea, with double twizzle sequences now mandated at every level! So probably better to stick with last year's requirements.

For compulsory dances, I'd go with whatever you think there's a market for. I don't entirely agree about using Mountain Cup dances - quite a few of them are outside the UK test structure, and therefore a lot of people who don't go to the Mountain Cup might not even know them. But the main thing to watch out for is not putting anything into the solo events that gives a big advantage to one gender (eg the Rocker Foxtrot, where male entrants don't have to do the rocker).

[BatikatII]

I say keep it as is - only confusing if it gets changed!

What I should like, though, this year, is for the dances to be picked from those chosen for the Mountain Cup, as that's what several of us will have prepared. I can easily e-mail you this year's schedule, if you haven't already seen it - let me know.


Could you send me the schedule. There may be things on that that will fit with other things too but obvioulsy not going to include the stuff that only comes up in mountain cup.

Thanks

[BatikatII]

That said, I think you should use up to date technical criteria for the free skate classes (although I doubt if it's changed since last year). Free dance/OD is trickier - I don't think following the kids competitions is a good idea, with double twizzle sequences now mandated at every level! So probably better to stick with last year's requirements.

I agree keeping those twizzles out is a good idea! Where do I get up to date technical criteria from?


For compulsory dances, I'd go with whatever you think there's a market for. I don't entirely agree about using Mountain Cup dances - quite a few of them are outside the UK test structure, and therefore a lot of people who don't go to the Mountain Cup might not even know them. But the main thing to watch out for is not putting anything into the solo events that gives a big advantage to one gender (eg the Rocker Foxtrot, where male entrants don't have to do the rocker.

Can you give me any help with this - I dont' know the higher level dances well enough to know what constitutes advantage. Left to me we might end up with the same as last year. When is the Oxford one? - have you just had it - can we do same as you or is it more fun to do something different?

[Mrs Redboots]

Could you send me the schedule. There may be things on that that will fit with other things too but obvioulsy not going to include the stuff that only comes up in mountain cup.

Thanks
You got mail!

[samba]

I think it would be unfair for me to give feed back on this, due to health issues I dont know when I will be able to compete again, but hopefully next year.

However, I would like to give a big thank you to the organisers of this wonderful pioneering event that I have attended for many years, it was my first taste of adult competition and from the first competition I was totally hooked. As soon as the dates come in, I book a few days holiday around that and the boss always knows what it is for before I even say anything.

The best of luck with future events whatever date they are.

[BatikatII]

At the moment I'm not sure it will happen at all as our comp sec has decided to resign after the kids opens:cry:

There is a huge committee but whether any of them will be willing to take it on I'm not sure (I'm not on the committee any more and not keen to go back)

I've said I'll help set up this years schedule now, but dont' want to take on the organisation as it coincides with college exhibition and I'm away a few weeks in June.

Fingers crossed someone can be persuaded. Otherwise we'll have no adult comps this year which would be a great shame

[eliza1]

Oh no!!! That would be so disappointing if the Bracknell Adult Open didn't take place -- it is such a "fixture" with the adults. Can any of us help with the organization of the comp?? Personally, I think it should still be held at the end of June, as per usual!

[BatikatII]

Well I'm hopeful someone can be persuaded but we may have to ask everyone to be a little understanding this year if it's not quite as smooth running as previously;)

I'm not sure there's much anyone else can do to help really. Aside from giving input on classes that people would like and/or suggestions for the CD's etc.

Talking of which - Mrs Redboots - did you send me something? I havent seen anything arrive in my normal email or the PM's.

I can do some stuff but another reason I don't want to commit to running it is that I may do the videos if people want them, since I seem to have started doing that on a regular basis for club comps and panto's. Not quite sure how I can manage to video and skate but I'm sure I can work something out!

[Mrs Redboots]

I did indeed send you something - perhaps I don't have an up-to-date e-mail address for you? PM me with the address you use most often and I'll resend.

It would be so sad if Bracknell didn't happen - Husband has already booked time off work for it, and I've said I can't preach the Sunday after it! If there is anything we can do to help, do let us know.

[LW*]

I'd say from a purely practical point keep it when it has always been. A lot of people will automatically assume it will be in June now, no matter how long in advance you hint otherwise! Besides, (in my non-necessarily-logical opinion!) with the BAC in February, the most logical time for the opens to tie in with that would be December/ beginning of January. December I'm guessing the rink schedule/ club organisers/ adult skaters will be very much tied up with the xmas panto, to say nothing of family xmas arrangements for competitors and organisers. January I can't see being overly popular after most people have over-indulged during the holiday season ;), and lost ice time/space due to xmas shows and having the kids off school.

As for the dance criteria, I'm not really in a position to comment as I've never competed in dance (nor am I likely to!) but to me it would make sense to stick with the previous years criteria as if the new criteria has yet to be published no-one will have "moved over" to it yet anyway. Otherwise, look at the criteria for any other adult competitions happening at around the same time (either to try and fit in with them or maybe even deliberately offer classes for the main-stream dances they miss out) or base the classes on the requirements for specific test levels rather than the criteria for classes at the BAC? Would it be worth asking the opinion of coaches at your rink to see what they'd "expect" the criteria to be?

[NickiT]

I would just like to say that I'm on the committee for Bracknell Ice Skating Club and in last week's meeting we discussed whether to keep the Opens in June or to move them. I can be pretty confident in saying we're going to keep them in June.

Nicki

[Mrs Redboots]

I would just like to say that I'm on the committee for Bracknell Ice Skating Club and in last week's meeting we discussed whether to keep the Opens in June or to move them. I can be pretty confident in saying we're going to keep them in June.

Nicki
Oh good! Now I know to get on with trying to cut music for a potential Redman Cup entry.... very potential at this stage as it will have to be ready before we go to the Mountain Cup as we get back from that on 10 June and our local club competition is on the 15th! Hardly worth doing it for that, but if we then are doing it at Bracknell ten days later....

[frbskate63]

I'll second the Oh Good.

Batikat, did you get the PM I sent you? I'm doing some thinking about good compulsory choices that would work for Oxford as well.

[BatikatII]

I'll second the Oh Good.

Batikat, did you get the PM I sent you? I'm doing some thinking about good compulsory choices that would work for Oxford as well.

Hi yes I did thanks - been busy videoing and editing club comps. so didn't get to reply yet.

Had message from Pamela too re possibly removing minimum standards from couples dance ( as I don't do couples dance since there are no men in Bracknell :( I wasn't aware of this) which seems a good idea to me provided it doesn't result in getting inundated with couples (can't see that being a problem! and if it was then we could go to a preference system if couples want to skate more than one level and we're oversubscribed (e.g couples just skating that level get preference, others maybe on first come first served basis))

Oh and Mrs Redboots I got your message too (in fact a closer trawl through the 400 plus emails in my inbox revealed that I got your original message too :oops: . Must clear the backlog someday!)

I think it would be great if we can do same dances as you decide on for Oxford. You two are far more in touch with the dance side of things than I am even though I do do dance.

And sticking with same criteria as last year also sounds good with maybe some level tweaking.

[NickiT]

Oh and Mrs Redboots I got your message too (in fact a closer trawl through the 400 plus emails in my inbox revealed that I got your original message too :oops: . Must clear the backlog someday!)




OMG you crack me up! How many of my emails have you "lost" in your inbox in the past???!!!

Nicki

[BatikatII]

OMG you crack me up! How many of my emails have you "lost" in your inbox in the past???!!!

Nicki


Cheeky!!!!

I think it was more often the other way round with me sending to the wrong mailbox of yours.....and wondering why you'd never reply to me:(

Have now reduced inbox to 277 mails!

[Mrs Redboots]

I'm not entirely sure about removing upper levels from the couples' dances - but then, bumping around the bottom of the lowest level, I wouldn't be, would I?! To be fair, people didn't tend to sandbag last year when we could choose which level to skate at, but you never know, they might....

[frbskate63]

I'm not entirely sure about removing upper levels from the couples' dances - but then, bumping around the bottom of the lowest level, I wouldn't be, would I?! To be fair, people didn't tend to sandbag last year when we could choose which level to skate at, but you never know, they might....
We're not talking about removing upper levels - just the requirement to hold a minimum standard if you want to do the top level. If someone wants to tackle a level 9 dance, but hasn't taken many tests, good luck to them! And somehow, I can't see the risk of being flooded with entries in the top categories being all that great!

[Mrs Redboots]

We're not talking about removing upper levels - just the requirement to hold a minimum standard if you want to do the top level. If someone wants to tackle a level 9 dance, but hasn't taken many tests, good luck to them! And somehow, I can't see the risk of being flooded with entries in the top categories being all that great!

Oh, I see - I'm all in favour of no minimum standard! Not that I want to skate up - I'm so thankful I never took Prelim Dance way back when, or I'd be stuck in level-6-and-under, which I really don't want to be.

[BatikatII]

OK don't quote me but I think level 4 and over dances for couples are likely to be Silver Samba and Paso Doble. Does that sound good? It avoids the American Waltz which apparently is boring. Never done it so don't know myself.

Fiona - I was away today when there were developments while I was waiting for feedback from your meeting but have been pre-empted it seems.

If you like these maybe they'd be good for Oxford to use?

I've mooted removing minimum standards and will let you know.

[Mrs Redboots]

Paso and Samba are very hard dances for intermediate-level dancers! Not sure how many could manage it....

[BatikatII]

I think this is for the highest level - the ones who did Blues and Starlight Waltz last year.