Dancing the Dance or Just Walking it Through [Archive]

jskater49

03-30-2009, 09:16 AM

In honor of all our dancers at Adults....

Dancers will know the difference, if you are doing everything right and feeling the music, you are dancing the dance. Otherwise you are just walking through the steps.

Dancing the Dance - Had a good power class today. It's my goal never to have the coach have to tell me to keep my arms up. I was kind of gliding with my arms down and she looks at me and I immediately put my arms up "That's the answer I want!" she yells.

Ran through my Auntie Em feature with the music. I do two half flips in a row and the second one was kind of biffed but other than that I think this program is going to be easy enough for me not to screw it up for being nervous.

Did my rhythm and blues with REAL progressives everytime.

Walking - So I'm trying so hard to concentrate on one foot pushes in the Swing dance that I'm doing these massive pushes that give me so much power and speed that I cannot control anything else in the dance. I need to figure out a way to concentrate with a little less "oomph"

Fell on one of my step behinds in the RHythm Blues - caught the toe pick. This is why I HATE step behinds---but I got out there and did it again so it didn't mess with my mind too much

phoenix

03-30-2009, 09:24 AM

Love the title!

Dancing: Last night was the first time I started to feel like I could get through my Viennese every time with the music, and like it was mostly in control all the way through. I did 3 run-throughs--2 patterns each w/ intro & exit steps, and each time was reasonably pulled together. Progress!! I'm very very happy about that.

Walking: Falling, actually. I caught my heel on one of the cross steps & went down really hard onto my lower back. I actually cried, and I'm usually pretty tough about falls. Had a massive headache the rest of the night, and today my back hurts!! ~~I'm supposed to teach tonight, and I'm not sure I can bend down far enough to get my skates on. :??

stacyf419

03-30-2009, 11:22 AM

Oh, poor Phoenix - sounds like a nasty one - feel better.

Dancing: Back on the ice after a few weeks of back recovery. Felt good to skate today, and no pain!

Walking: I'm deconstructing my spins to get them RIGHT, and I have to tamper down that frustration of taking 2 steps back to be able to take those 3 steps foreward. (heavy sigh)

flo

03-30-2009, 12:04 PM

Dancing - had a good practice last night. Death spiral is getting better and the footwork should have its final addition next session. It's an ambitious program, and we really like it. Tonight I'm painting the fabric for our costumes.

Walking - I am sore!

BatikatII

03-30-2009, 05:33 PM

A good title for me this week.

Dancing Recovering from a torn calf muscle I was pleased to feel that I actually 'danced' the rhythm blues with my dance partner today - there was flow, there was edge, there was power (at least it felt that way). Not bad for only 3rd practice after 5 weeks off.

Golden Skaters was almost good - a bit of lilting and flowing and the lovely thing about couples dance is I can blame my partner for any blips since as Mrs Redboots says "In dance the lady is always right!":lol:

Walking - is painful when unsupported by elasic bandage!

Have decided to leave free skate lessons til after Easter as jumping and spinning puts more strain on the calf muscle.

jazzpants

03-30-2009, 08:50 PM

Walking It:
Was sore and stiff this afternoon and no lesson with primary coach (he switched to Thursdays for the next two weeks), but I am determined to get in some practice time!!!

Dancing:
Back at my wonderful home rink again!!! My loop, flip and lutz ARE BACK TOO!!! NOTHING like what happened at the Wacko rink!!! :bow:

Walking It:
Still worried about technical program though... I want consistency on the jumps and the spins though!!! 8O

ibreakhearts66

03-31-2009, 12:41 AM

Dancing
-Coach gave me footwork into 2flip and 2lutz. The 2flip footwork is LFO 3, RBO 3, RFI mohawk, LBI 3, LFO 3, 2flip. When she first showed it to me I like, "Yeah, right." But I actually really like it! My 2flip/2flip+2loop is nice and big from that entrance and consistent too. The 2lutz footwork is a little iffier--RBI rocker/choctaw, cross in front to RBI edge, step forwards to LFI edge, then stroke to RFI mohawk, edge change, 2lutz. Although I wasn't landing it too consistently today, it puts me on a nice, solid LBO edge.
-Change edge back camels were great today! I did flying camel, CE, and was able to hold the RFI edge camel forever.
-Flying sits were good too. That'll probably be my flying spin for my SP.
-Joannie Rochette and Shawn Sawyer were at my rink today!

Walking
-BUT they and the SOI choreographers took up most of the ice and monopolized the CD player, so I didn't get to work on my programs.
-2axels were terrible, but my legs were wiped, so I'm not being too hard on myself
-Starting to worry that I might have compartment syndrome in my left leg and another compartment in my right. Pretty quickly after I get on the ice, the outside of my lower legs just start burning and cramping. Sometimes it gets so bad that I can barely stand. I'm going to get into the orthopedist, but I'm just so scared of having yet another surgery.

liz_on_ice

03-31-2009, 08:36 AM

Dancing the dance - I skated my program in the skate school recital last night. I stayed vertical and got lots of compliments on my choice of program and 'telling the story'. I love Rockefeller Center - it is sooooo pretty and fun getting to dress up and skate in front of the shiny fountain. :mrgreen:

Walking it Through - most of my progam. I got ahead of the music, behind it, ahead of it again, looked down at the ice, muffed my transitions, lamed my camel, and almost toppled out of my upright spin. Everything I'd done perfectly all of an hour earlier in practice. :giveup: At least I stayed on my feet.

Dancing the dance - I'll get another chance to do the program, I'm going to enter it at the Skyrink ISI comp in June as either an artistic or spotlight, coach is checking to see which is more appropriate. I'll also enter my windmills program in the FS3 ladies event. I've only ever done one event before; wheee - twice as much fun!

BatikatII

03-31-2009, 01:40 PM

Dancin'

Made a start on Free dance choreography. We only have about 15 secs so far but i think it will be fun!

Walkin'
tried some jumps and spins but calf muscle still hurts when I do those.

Bunny Hop

03-31-2009, 04:24 PM

Dancing:My forward runs (progressives) are finally starting to come good. I seriously thought I would never get them, as I've been working on them for two years with pretty much no progress (ha ha - progress/progressives - get it?). Well, I'm finally not catching the toe when I do them on a circle, in either direction, though I still can't do them properly at speed or in combination with any other movement. But at least it now feels like we're getting somewhere.

Also managed three and a half revolutions on my two foot spin. My husband tried to teach me the one foot spin entry (though obviously I didn't spin on one foot). It's much harder than it looks, and I never assume anything in skating is easy! Just can't hold the inside edge of the back crossover for more than about two seconds before falling off it, let alone stepping forward onto the other foot!

Walking:Dances. It was a public session in the lead up to Easter, which means some private schools have already broken up for the school holidays (meant to begin next week), so there wasn't much space to do anything 'danc-ey'. Managed some swing rolls at the beginning of the session and a few other odd bits and bobs, but nothing serious.

Won't be skating next week or week after as it would be a waste of time.

dbny

03-31-2009, 05:31 PM

Dancing:Also managed three and a half revolutions on my two foot spin. My husband tried to teach me the one foot spin entry (though obviously I didn't spin on one foot). It's much harder than it looks, and I never assume anything in skating is easy!

Is your husband a coach? I'm asking because there is a teaching progression to almost every skill, and going directly from a brand new two foot spin to a one foot spin entry leaves many things out, so it's not surprising that you can't do it (yet).

Walking:
No practice or skating for me yet, because my antibiotic is making me way too dizzy. I was working on F crossovers with a student today and got dizzy very quickly just from watching. Last pill is tomorrow morning, so I'm hoping I can practice on Thursday. At least I don't have to struggle with lessons this week, as both of my coaches are away.

Bunny Hop

04-01-2009, 06:01 AM

Is your husband a coach? I'm asking because there is a teaching progression to almost every skill, and going directly from a brand new two foot spin to a one foot spin entry leaves many things out, so it's not surprising that you can't do it (yet).No, don't worry, it was more a 'and this is what you learn to do next' thing, not with any serious expectation of achieving it. Given that it's taken three years to even revolve on two feet, the other is a long way off! We're just trying to maintain my singles stuff at a reasonable standard whilst I'm only able to take dance lessons due to timetabling issues.

Isk8NYC

04-01-2009, 07:45 AM

Stayed for the "Cheap Skate" which was surprisingly crowded. There's a competition this weekend and I think every competitor was on the ice last night, lol.

I've found that, if I take my skates off after I teach, stretch, then put them back on, I skate better on the public/freestyle. The granola bar and drink of apple juice helps too - more energy. Yay!

Dancing:
MITF were okay, but once it got crowded, I gave up on trying to weave in and out to stay on pattern. Did a few threes-on-the-line that were decent. I really think some of the teenagers who coach at the rink look down on me because I can't do them, lol.

Forward spins were actually very good. I did several camels and combinations (Camel-change-Camel, Camel-sit-change-sit-backscratch)

I did three great laybacks where I could actually see the wall, not the ceiling. They were fairly centered.

I banged away at jumps, which I'm paying for today (heel spurs).
Still two-footing the loop and the flip - just not getting over the right side.
I'm close though - have to stand up straighter in the air and keep the free knee up.

I actually felt comfortable attempting a full Lutz and a Bell jump. Two-footed both of them, but the entry was pretty good.

Walking:
Backspins - I can't pull in tightly without catching the toepick. I really think it's the blade alignment.

Could use a good sharpening.

liz_on_ice

04-01-2009, 09:05 AM

Dancing - forgot about everything to do with my program and spent my lesson working on new stuff. We tweaked back outside -> forward inside double threeturns and she got me working on back inside -> forward outside double threes. Needs practice, but it's fun.

Walking - sitspins. my current version might be classified as a "recognizeable attempt" by a generous judge. Coach gave me good hints and corrections though so I got better and I'm thinking positively.

FlyAndCrash

04-01-2009, 09:28 AM

Dancing: I got up and skate this week. I've been procrastinating about it, and it has been really hard for me to get to the rink lately.

Walking (or running rather): Double run-through!! It hurt so bad! I managed to do all my spins in the first run-through and changed the jumps, and I did all the jumps but changed all the spins on the second run-through. HAHA. It was so painful!

Dancing: I finished! I actually did a double run-through even though I felt like dying after the first one. In total, I actually did my program 3 times today. GO ME!

SkatEn

04-01-2009, 09:50 AM

Is your husband a coach? I'm asking because there is a teaching progression to almost every skill, and going directly from a brand new two foot spin to a one foot spin entry leaves many things out, so it's not surprising that you can't do it (yet).

I went all the way to two-foot spin and half-flip on my own. I don't think it's impossible to learn without a coach. You just have to be mindful of the techniques. A coach will certainly give you better headstart. ;) I'm sure many skaters start doing stuff before their coaches teach them too!
Dancing - forgot about everything to do with my program and spent my lesson working on new stuff. We tweaked back outside -> forward inside double threeturns and she got me working on back inside -> forward outside double threes. Needs practice, but it's fun.

Walking - sitspins. my current version might be classified as a "recognizeable attempt" by a generous judge. Coach gave me good hints and corrections though so I got better and I'm thinking positively.
Hey I worked on double 3s and sit spin too! Coach said to put them into my warm-up... I fell from back inside double 3s, but I'm blaming the uneven ice!:P Keep practicing the sit spin, and remember, it's never too low unless you hit the ice!:lol:
++++++++++++
Just walking through
Today has got to be the most un-skatey I felt. Spins were crap, and patience is running out on camel.
Coach started lesson with back double 3s and my head needs to not look at the ice.
Jumps - Did everything from waltz to lutz. Arms are all over the place. Flip was weird because I did it well off ice with coach, but back to bad habits on it. Better distance. Lutz was a very very very obvious flutz. I have to start tap> shift weight> jump. And not tap> wait> side by side legs> jump. I think lutz will be better once I fix the flip proper.
Injured- Shoulder from dance. Injured right hams and probably hip abductor pretty bad. Overdid jumps while hams are injured. I'm going to take a skating break for a little more than a week. Need to strengthen muscles to compensate for a strong quad.

DANCING the DANCE
Coach started on back sit which is nice but it totally killed my hams.
Scratch was nice, and I played with arms positions.
MITF are finally worked on...:giveup:

alliegator66

04-01-2009, 12:49 PM

dancing the dance: I feel that most of my jumps and spins are probably about at the same level that they were when I stopped skating several years ago. I also chose some music I really like so we can get a WAY early jump on any sort of program for me as it takes a while for programs to sink in for me.

walking: It's the in between stuff, the actual skating with any sort of flow and speed that's not really returning so easily. Plus, my schedule only allows mw to skate 3 times a week, so I'll need to do a lot of off ice work to build back any muscle in my legs and rear end and lower back.

jskater49

04-01-2009, 01:41 PM

Lesson today:

Walking through it - went over power pulls. So I can do forward power pulls on my left leg but not on my right. But I do backward power pulls on my right leg, not my left. No rhyme or reason to it. My free leg was going off to the side and once I worked on pressing the free leg against my other leg to keep it in front, (or in back) they did improve on both sides.

Spins - I tend to lean out of my spin so she had me work on leaning more into the spin and also stand taller and it improved

Dancing the dance - went through my show program with music. Another adult coach was watching and was very impressed with my spiral (I hold it for about 3/4 of the rink) and said she didn't think SHE could hold a spiral that long.
Coach is very happy with the program. She tried to put some arm movements with the spiral but I'm already thinking "chin up, back flat, leg up, leg straight" we decided that simply going from palms down to palms up was enough movement for now.

Joelle

jazzpants

04-01-2009, 02:22 PM

Walking:
Literally... thru my FS program!!! Couldn't do any of my jump from the loop on up!!! Couldn't do a proper sit spin. Not a surprise... I'm so NOT a morning skater!!! :giveup:

Also did back 3's during my lesson. Am working on NOT pitching forward on one of the sides. WTH? It's like I' just learing back 3's for the first time AGAIN!!! AUGH!!! :frus:

Dancing:
I did one final batch of back crossover (b/c a skater was poking fun saying "why are you off the ice??? Go skate!" So I did against my better sense of knowing when to quit for the day.) I was skating with just one other skater and she was going thru her dances.

Well, I came off the right after that and a skater had commented on how much my crossovers. And then said, "Don't thank me! Those two gentlemen on the next bench said so first!". Then I asked "Are you SURE they're not referring to <said ice dancer's name>?". The reply was "Nope, they were definitely talking about you and your back crossovers!" Those two were part of the coffee club gang, but were long time ice dancers too! They used to pick on me (well, more my primary coach...I was in a lesson then...) to "get off the ice and let the REAL skaters skate!". At the time I thought it was a jab at primary coach b/c he stopped ice dancing.

I thanked the two gentlemen, but really, I'm still 8O 8O 8O. (I'm been working on that for my program since the coaches said that those "needs work.")

Skate@Delaware

04-01-2009, 03:15 PM

Dancing: left for early session today....and was rewarded with an EMPTY RINK!!!! Altho the music was too loud it was ok, since the whole rink was MINE!!!!

Ran thru whole program 3x and did very well! I'm good for Saturday. I will try to go tomorrow.

Did my jumps and other stuff, messed around with everything and left after an hour. Even managed a few backspins with my free foot out and open!

Walking: My spins still need more work, I'm not completing my "curve" when I step out....still rushing thru and not going all the way around (altho it's better....but still). Loop. what can I say???? Why have you abandoned me????

Dancing: talked to my coach on the way to the rink; she has approval to teach at my rink, we will have to has out details; might go with 45-minute lessons every other week just to make it worth her while. And, I'm going to sign up for advanced classes at the rink which will be nice, I'll get extra training (my coach is ok with this) AND get to skate with the other adults....and maybe skate in the end of season show, which I really miss!!!!!

katz in boots

04-01-2009, 05:20 PM

Dancing
last night my jumps took me by surprise. Haven't been jumping that well lately, and on a Wednesday night I am usually tired, the ice is rough, it's crowded and I don't have it. But last night, right from my warm up waltz jump, right through to flip, they were higher than usual and felt goooood. Lutzes were flutzing, but at least I'm landing them.

Walking
spins. :roll: They were okay, but not as good as they have been. They did improve late in the session when my coach pointed out I'm not hooking them straight from the entry, I was doing the 3 turn then scraping into the circles.
Working on that gave me a fast, low (for me) change sit.

My dance was walking last night, which is ironic actually. I had just ditched my tech program music (it was just too big for me) and decided to use a tango theme, and use dance steps to interpret the music. The irony is that my Fiesta tango was definitely walking last night, and Swing Dance wasn't much better. It's improving, but I need more time with my partner (coach) cos I'm fine solo.

Dancing
the fact that my jumps were better than they had been for ages totally makes up for the rest of it. Felt good.

dbny

04-01-2009, 05:56 PM

I went all the way to two-foot spin and half-flip on my own. I don't think it's impossible to learn without a coach. You just have to be mindful of the techniques. A coach will certainly give you better headstart. ;) I'm sure many skaters start doing stuff before their coaches teach them too!

Of course it's not impossible, and I know a lot of skaters who learned things on their own, myself included. But Bunny Hop has told us that she struggles with spins, and in that context, I was suggesting that maybe her husband is jumping the gun on trying to get her to do the one foot spin entry. I don't know whether he is a coach or not, but my guess is that he is not. BTW, as a coach, I've had to do a lot of fixing with students who learned on their own. It's the rare untrained skater who has the observational powers to learn even FXO's correctly.

techskater

04-01-2009, 06:26 PM

jskater49

04-01-2009, 08:39 PM

Actually, there is a rhyme to it. I would guess you are a CCW rotator, correct? That explains why L forward and R backward are strongest.

Yea - except for 3 turns and mohawks and pivots I do better going clockwise. Why would turning one way or the other make one leg stronger forward or backward?

joelle

icedancer2

04-01-2009, 09:19 PM

Just walking it through: Since the compression fracture in my spine I am now back skating, but literally just walking through dances and dance steps - I CANNOT fall (don't want to do more damage) but the PT says that the general upright nature of skating should be very good for my body and the strengthening of the core and all of that - frustrating to not want/be able to DO anything, but I need to give myself kudos for just being out there and it is fun to just stroke around and do edges and turns and stuff - no pressure to do anything more than just get some exercise.

I do miss my coach and my friends from the other rinks but I'm sure I will see them all in good time.

Bunny Hop

04-02-2009, 08:31 AM

Of course it's not impossible, and I know a lot of skaters who learned things on their own, myself included. But Bunny Hop has told us that she struggles with spins, and in that context, I was suggesting that maybe her husband is jumping the gun on trying to get her to do the one foot spin entry. I don't know whether he is a coach or not, but my guess is that he is not.I would agree completely with your general premise of needing a coach to make sure correct technique is used. No, my husband isn't a coach, and doesn't pretend to be either - he is relaying to me the things he has been told by his coaches, no more. I am unable to take singles lessons at the moment, so this is really just keeping the skills I have, such as they are.

Having said that, I am actually seeing more progress on spins now than when I was actually having lessons. Can't read too much into that, it probably boils down to hearing things in a different way. But at least this is keeping my interest and making me WANT to practice spinning, which I never did when all I was doing was repeating the same aborted spinning attempt (during two years of lessons with a private coach), and it all seemed pretty pointless. I enjoyed playing with the more advanced spin entry, and will keep playing with it, whilst still working on starting from a standstill in the hope of finally 'getting' how to spin. I don't think I'm ever going to understand how spinning works, so trying different things is more likely to work for me than just repeating the same thing over and over and getting bored with it.

Skittl1321

04-02-2009, 03:18 PM

Yea - except for 3 turns and mohawks and pivots I do better going clockwise. Why would turning one way or the other make one leg stronger forward or backward?

joelle

Does it have to do with holding the edge for the forward spin and the backspin?

Either way, I'm agreeing with you on the no rhyme or reason. I'm a CW skater and my power pulls are stronger on my right leg, both sides. My left knee doesn't bend, and it won't listen to me when I tell it to.

jskater49

04-02-2009, 05:01 PM

Does it have to do with holding the edge for the forward spin and the backspin?

.

Not for me since I still can't do a decent forward edge entry for a spin and I don't do back spins.

I think my needing to turn clock wise when it comes to turns has something with my right side is not as flexible and I can't seem to stretch my arms and shoulders as much and that makes a difference with the turns and mohawks.

Also although I favor spirals on my left leg because it is stronger, my left leg is also more flexible and gets better height and extension when it is the free leg so I'm making myself do my spiral on my right leg for my show feature.

Joelle

dbny

04-02-2009, 08:11 PM

Having said that, I am actually seeing more progress on spins now than when I was actually having lessons. Can't read too much into that, it probably boils down to hearing things in a different way. But at least this is keeping my interest and making me WANT to practice spinning, which I never did when all I was doing was repeating the same aborted spinning attempt (during two years of lessons with a private coach), and it all seemed pretty pointless. I enjoyed playing with the more advanced spin entry, and will keep playing with it, whilst still working on starting from a standstill in the hope of finally 'getting' how to spin. I don't think I'm ever going to understand how spinning works, so trying different things is more likely to work for me than just repeating the same thing over and over and getting bored with it.

So, it sounds all good! Sometimes another way of putting the same thing is all that's needed. It's great that you're enjoying working on spins now, and don't sell yourself short; understanding comes with experience.

phoenix

04-02-2009, 10:02 PM

Walking: I still haven't skated since my accident Sunday night; back was better yesterday but was much worse today. I had planned to do 1/2 hour today, but instead laid on my heating pad all afternoon. :cry: I may see if my chiropractor can fit me in tomorrow, if I have time.

I have to teach tomorrow, so will be able to try & skate around a bit. I might go in a little early too. I HAVE to practice!!!!!!!!! :cry::cry::cry:

Isk8NYC

04-02-2009, 10:25 PM

I actually skated this morning instead of watching my kids, lol. Usually, they want my attention while they practice at 6am, but today they had a friend on the ice, so I was left behind. *sniff* No, really, I was fine.

Dancing:
Spins were great, although the backspin is still a bit off when I do a back scratch.
MITF were good, even the bloody threes-on-the-line. (Still touching down though)

Walking:
Still can't land those singles and the sore ankle from Tuesday night isn't helping any.

Some hope - the backspin-jump-backspin is almost working. Still need to secure the backspin of course. Maybe that's part of the jump problem, not getting over to the right side enough.

Mrs Redboots

04-03-2009, 08:51 AM

Dancing the Dance: I wish!

Walking it through: is basically what we did this morning, and we have to compete the thing in a couple of weeks. It is so not going to be ready.....

liz_on_ice

04-03-2009, 12:14 PM

Dancing the dance - on my twinkly happy toes. I was having such a good session this morning, I decided to try brackets, just for the heck of it - and I could! All the forward ones and even some scrappy BO ones! Undoubteldy my form is awful and my free leg who knows where, but I don't care! Also my FI-BO double threes flew along with a lovely little "snick...snick" sound on the turns, and FO-BI BO-FI BI-FO all smoothed up nicely. I'm really feeling the edge (snick) edge (snick) edge all the way around.

After all that, I went back to my sitspin attempts, and I got it. Not quite low enough, but darn close, maybe two or three inches further down to go. I don't know what it was - something about all that weight and balance work on the threes and brackets put me in the right frame of mind and body, and it worked.

Walking it through - I'm going to show up to my next lesson dying to show off for my coach and I will have lost it all again. It always seems to work that way. Still - did it once means I can do it again someday. :D

FlyAndCrash

04-03-2009, 12:30 PM

Dancing: 13 days until the team leaves for nationals!!! I'm so excited. My parents are even flying and I'm going to spend some time with them.

Walking: I resigned my spot on low team at nationals so I could spend Sunday with my parents at Denver instead of in CO Springs. I'll miss the team, but I think it'll be worth it.

Dancing: I did a double run-through again today. Last night, I did manage to do my program once, but this morning the coach was at the rink. She said that I'm looking stronger than at the last two competitions :lol: and I look good. Both run-thrus were far from perfect, but I'll take what I can get.

Walking: I need to work on my spins. My sits aren't consistently low enough and I need to improve my catch-foot. I also need to find the energy to do a catch-foot spin at the end of my program...

Dancing: I'm getting my skates sharpened! I haven't gotten them done since November, and the insides are really nicked. Hopefully, this will help with the exhaustion problem at the end of my program because I'll be able to get more speed more easily.

LilJen

04-03-2009, 07:52 PM

Dancing:
-Pretty decent 'very little warmup prior' runthrough of bronze moves today ('cause I test next week and who knows how much of a warmup I'll get). My power 3s were even cleaner than usual--nary a dimple in any of them!
-Wednesday lesson and practice were really, really nice--very few people on the ice becuase it's spring break for most kids & teens around here.

Walking:
-On the other hand: I should have known better than to go to a midday public session today. Glad I got there right at the beginning, because after half an hour it was TEEMING.
-Tried some spins. They really, really, really, really stink, and I really, really, really need to get going on lessons with the 'spinmaster'. . .
-played with some of the silver moves, on which i've had no coaching. Um, yeah. Right. It will be quite some time before those are ready!!

Kim to the Max

04-03-2009, 09:31 PM

Dancing: Ice Show is this weekend! Even though I keep asking myself how the heck I got myself roped into this, it's fun...I didn't do it for me, but did it for the kids I skate with. They are all so excited that I am doing the show this year and impressed that someone who is 28 (going to be 29 in May 8O) still skates. The little girls in our skate school are so cute about it...many of them were asking me how old I was today....I am skating to Crazy by Alanis Morrisette (remake of Seal's Crazy as heard in "The Devil Wears Prada" in the scene where they are in Central Park at a photo shoot)....

Got some really good compliments from parents of kids I've taught this past session about how much fun their kids had in my classes...I am so happy about that :) That is what skating should be....fun!!

Back on the ice after a week away at a conference in DC...too bad I ate like crap while I was there and had a few drinks each night...and didn't get up early to skate like I said I was going to...

Walking: Didn't even attempt the axel in my program today...we didn't have ANY time to warm up at all and there was no way I was going to try that...I even took out my back Y-spiral and did my forward spiral (fell hard on my back yesterday doing the Y-spiral and didn't want to do that today)...I felt shaky today...I may have not eaten enough...

I really want to do an okay attempt at an axel tomorrow/Sunday...really I just want to start landing the fricking thing.... :??:frus::x

Skate@Delaware

04-04-2009, 09:16 AM

Walking: nerves are kicking in....I have districts this afternoon (I am scheduled for 5:30 pm give or take) and am just now getting ready. I live an hour away so I have time to do hair, makeup etc. I was dreadfully sick at my last comp so hopefully this one will be a drastic improvement. Heck, I'm HOPING I have someone to compete against and that I calm down enough to have fun!

OTOH, I've had some sort of food allergy that's messed up my gut all week...I wont go into the gory details but I've been eating very lightly since yesterday pm and am hoping that the remnants are done by drive time 8O

AgnesNitt

04-04-2009, 12:47 PM

Dancing the Dance: Since I was off ice for a month, I made it my goal that this month I would practice four hours a week (an hour at a time) to see if I improved.
Yep...this whole practice thing works and the month's not over yet.
My figures are much improved, I'm actually consistent on my strike, shapes, and size--still need work on my control and edges. The secret was, since I wasn't making my edges any better, and just twisting myself up trying to fix them I just decided to forget about them and work on body position and basic skating skills in the figures. And the edges? Well they don't look any worse than they did before.
Improved FO3 and mohawks.

Walking through it: FI3 still scare me, but coach was actually able to get me through them with just a one hand support. Before, in FI3 I was all over the place. I used to fall and scare myself silly, now it's like for the very first time I'm able to absorb what coach is saying and do it on the ice right then and there.

Dancing the Walk through: Coach wants me to switch to dance blades. I Dunno. She knows my goals is figures. She just seems to think I'd do better on dance blades as I don't need blades for jumps ( I now have Jackson Mirage -- cheap low end blades, so I'm not over bladed). I offered to put on the patch blades I have in storage, but she wants me to keep something with a toepick.

Walking through it I cannot open my hips. Oh, I can get into a good second position off ice, but on ice I can't seem to do it and move at the same time.

Mrs Redboots

04-05-2009, 08:59 AM

Dancing: This really is beginning to happen - we may have a dance in time for the 27th!

Walking: However, even though the coach was optimistic and complimentary, there is still a lot of work to do, and we do know it!

samba

04-05-2009, 11:05 AM

techskater

04-05-2009, 02:37 PM

Yea - except for 3 turns and mohawks and pivots I do better going clockwise. Why would turning one way or the other make one leg stronger forward or backward?

joelle

Because of landing side (right) going backwards and waltz jump take off edge going forward (left).

Thin-Ice

04-06-2009, 02:15 AM

jskater49

04-06-2009, 05:30 PM

Because of landing side (right) going backwards and waltz jump take off edge going forward (left).

Hmmm...makes sense...EXCEPT...as little as I jump (especially waltz jumps) I'm not sure that really applies to me.

Joelle

AgnesNitt

04-08-2009, 04:44 PM

Thin-Ice

04-09-2009, 01:29 AM

Okay, I'm 57 skating two years, but I could never get down in a lunge then get up from it. Then this week after losing 15 pounds (don't know how much that is as stones) I finally got it. I feel as tickled about that lunge as some of you feel about your axels. It's undignified at my age, and I'll never do it in a program, but I have it.

What do you mean a lunge is undignified at your age? I'm only a few years younger and my coach insists on putting them in my programs.. since it's one of the few moves I have that's actually as good as the kids'! If you have a lunge, SHOW IT OFF!!! Not everyone can do them.. even if they're decades younger than we are.

And congratulations on getting it!

jskater49

04-15-2009, 08:25 PM

Okay, I'm 57 skating two years, but I could never get down in a lunge then get up from it. Then this week after losing 15 pounds (don't know how much that is as stones) I finally got it. I feel as tickled about that lunge as some of you feel about your axels. It's undignified at my age, and I'll never do it in a program, but I have it.

If you can do it do it- I used to have a very nice lunge for a woman my age...but the knees just can't handle lunges anymore. Fortunately I've improved my spirals instead...