ISI Dance Tests

[PinkLaces]

If your club does ISI Dance tests, how do they conduct them? In the past, our 2 dance instructors would watch the skaters (solo) at the last day of the dance class for that session. It was pretty informal(ISI FS tests are more formal). Now our skating director is going to change that. I'm curious as to see how other clubs handle it.

My DD is getting ready to take the Dance 6 test. She's passed the Ten Fox and Fourteen Step with USFS judges. Her Foxtrot needs work though.

[twokidsskatemom]

Our ISI dance tests have always had to be with a partner, not solo. You can compete in ISI dances Solo but our tests have always been with a someone else. I dont have time right now to look up the rules but I would guess it suppsoed to be that way

[Petlover]

At my rink, a coach other than your coach would conduct your ISI dance test either at an early morning freestyle where very few skaters are on or at the normal ISI test session which my rink holds once per month. Usually it is my coach who conducts the dance test, since she was a gold level ice dancer, but for me and her other students, our skating director, who has tested pretty high in ice dance, conducts the test.

Every rink probably does it their own way, mine is probably a bit more formal than most.

Edited it to add that almost always we test solo, since that's the way most of us will compete.

[twokidsskatemom]

Page 41 of the ISI book .... skaters must have passed the ISI dance test with partner.It might have changed, the book I have is a few years old.

[PinkLaces]

Thanks for looking it up. I'm not sure where DD's ISI book is. I'm kind of bummed that she has to skate with a partner. I would've thought that ISI would had the option for solo tests like USFS. Her (male) dance coach left our rink this summer. Her new dance coach is female and DD does skate with a male partner for practice once a week. The partner has committments at other rinks so it may be difficult to get him there.

[Skittl1321]

I would assume they can skate the test with a female partner if it was the coach. USFS allows that.

[PinkLaces]

I would assume they can skate the test with a female partner if it was the coach. USFS allows that.

DD is 15 and 5'4". She's working on Pre-Silver dances. We've been told that she needs to have a male partner to take her through the tests, because she needs someone taller and stronger. Her female dance coach is the same size as she is.

[Petlover]

Page 41 of the ISI book .... skaters must have passed the ISI dance test with partner.It might have changed, the book I have is a few years old.

It actually changed in either 2007 or 2008, I remember seeing it on the rules change page on the ISI website that all dancers could now test solo and that same year ISI also removed the rule that you had to be FS1 or above to start testing on the dance track.

The first time I tested dance, I actually emailed ISI and got written permission to test solo :).

[Skittl1321]

OOH! That was the question I got wrong on my judges test- I had an old rulebook, and emailed them because I didn't know why I got it wrong.

(Thank goodness I only judged 1 comp, because I didn't remember it.)

[PinkLaces]

It actually changed in either 2007 or 2008, I remember seeing it on the rules change page on the ISI website that all dancers could now test solo and that same year ISI also removed the rule that you had to be FS1 or above to start testing on the dance track.

The first time I tested dance, I actually emailed ISI and got written permission to test solo :).

Thank you!!! That is awesome! It is hassle enough to schedule the partner for the USFS tests. She only competes solo dance in ISI. She can work with her female coach on the Ten Fox and Fourteen Step again(already passed it on a USFS test session) and is currently working on the Foxtrot for both.