program woes

[Ellyn]

Two weeks ago I gave my new coach the tape from my old bronze program to see if I should keep working on it or make a new one. She wasn't thrilled with the music, so she brought me something else last week. I wasn't thrilled with that. So I guess today I'll say we should keep looking. Maybe today would be a good day to work on jump combinations/sequences to see which are good enough to try to put in a program, and get more ideas for possible footwork. My last program only had 3 jumping passes in the bronze version (I never managed to skate the silver version all the way through, much less in competition, and now with the adult MITF it'll be years before I can pass the silver test because of both back threes and stamina issues). Should I be aiming for 4 jump passes and 3 spins within a minute and a half? Would 2 spins (e.g., layback and camel/sit-back attitude; the third would be sit-sit) be enough? Or maybe finish up with waltz-falling leaf-toe loop, turn around directly into salchow-loop at the end to lots of jumps in a short amount of time, and do the harder jumps at the beginning. Can I even keep up with a really packed program? Should there be at least one jump not in a combination at all to show a long landing? Is it OK if all my loops and whatever toeloops I do are after other jumps?

Advice, anyone? All of which will probably change when I finally settle on the music.

[flo]

I would first pick out your music, and really listen to it carefully. You will be able to hear the jump and spin phrases. I would always prefer a well balanced program as opposed to a packed one, and in fact there are new deductions for "unbalanced" programs. With 1:30, you have time to get out there and show you are beginning to have control over your skating, be developing a sense of style, and can skate with the music. Pick whatever you can do well. I don't like watching packed programs, I like to see a few jumps, a couple of spins, and then skating.

[skaternum]

I agree with flo, but just for comparison's sake, here's what was in my last Bronze program:

spins:
camel
scratch
backspin

jumps in isolation:
loop

jumps in combination:
lutz-toe
flip-toe-ballet jump
waltz-half loop-salchow

You really should ask yourself what the purpose of the program is. Is your goal to have a "competitive" program? A "pleasant to watch" program? A "pleasant to do" program? That'll help determine how to approach the choreography.

skaternum