Self conscious

[fsk8r]

Does anyone find they're really self conscious when putting a new program together and arm and body movements get choreographed? I don't care what my feet are doing, but as soon as the top half gets involved I get all embarrased and self conscious until the movement becomes slightly more natural. Once the program is a bit more firm in my head, the worries dissiapte some what.

[vesperholly]

Yes, I do sometimes. But if you are tenative with the choreography, it looks even more silly. I try to make myself committ to the movement and really believe in it - sell it.

[doubletoe]

Yep! I had to remind myself that everyone does it, and other skaters understand that it isn't vanity that's making me look in the plexiglass at my arm movements and facial expressions, LOL! And when all else fails, I remind myself of one of my favorite quotes:

"We wouldn't worry nearly as much about what others thought of us, if we recognized how seldom they did."
- Edge Keynote

[katz in boots]

I used to, when I skated when younger, but not so much now. When I'm working on a program for a comp or test, so are others around me, so we're all in the same boat. It does seem to me that teenagers are more self conscious about it than the smaller kids and the adults.

Performing on ice is like being on the stage - every movement & facial expression has to be larger than life to reach everyone who is watching. Small, half-hearted movements look lame, big movements look purposeful.

Oddly enough, the few times I'll work on a program during a public session, the recreational skaters will pay more attention to what I'm doing - in a good way. I guess the movements do what they're meant to, ie say; Look at Me!

[fsk8r]

I used to, when I skated when younger, but not so much now. When I'm working on a program for a comp or test, so are others around me, so we're all in the same boat. It does seem to me that teenagers are more self conscious about it than the smaller kids and the adults.

Performing on ice is like being on the stage - every movement & facial expression has to be larger than life to reach everyone who is watching. Small, half-hearted movements look lame, big movements look purposeful.

Oddly enough, the few times I'll work on a program during a public session, the recreational skaters will pay more attention to what I'm doing - in a good way. I guess the movements do what they're meant to, ie say; Look at Me!


My problem isn't so much the performing bit because I can put on the performance then. It's the learning bit, when you feel like an idiot and look like one because the movements don't flow properly. How do you get past that stage?
And I don't have a problem until I realise people are watching. If it's just me and coach there's no issue, I might not like wafty arms, but I'll try to do them. When I spot people staring and smirking / laughing, I get all self-conscious and retreat into a shell.

[RachelSk8er]

I don't have issues with my normal freestyle program, but there is NO WAY I could ever do some of the stuff I see people doing in interp programs because I'm way too self-conscious to practice it. (I'm talking some of the really goofy yet creative/hilarious stuff we see.) Which is probably why if I do interp, I stick to artistic. Although last year my coach tried to get me to be more sexy in my artistic program since it was R&B music and that was hard. I'm a nerd. I don't do sexy. Unless your idea of sexy is wearing glasses and hanging out in the library. I kind of turned it on for competition but I didn't like practicing it.

[fsk8r]

I don't have issues with my normal freestyle program, but there is NO WAY I could ever do some of the stuff I see people doing in interp programs because I'm way too self-conscious to practice it. (I'm talking some of the really goofy yet creative/hilarious stuff we see.) Which is probably why if I do interp, I stick to artistic. Although last year my coach tried to get me to be more sexy in my artistic program since it was R&B music and that was hard. I'm a nerd. I don't do sexy. Unless your idea of sexy is wearing glasses and hanging out in the library. I kind of turned it on for competition but I didn't like practicing it.

You sound just like me. I can do the whole freestyle, but this is a creative skating program (more like interp) and the coach is going for the full interp hand / body movements. Thankfully she's not gone for sexy (I tried that for synchro and ended in fits of laughter with the other girls as we're all as bad as each other) but it's the whole practicing it bit I'm struggling with. My body doesn't move with the co-ordinated smoothness of a child skater. I'm an adult who spent their childhood with their head in a book. I don't do graceful.

[RachelSk8er]

You sound just like me. I can do the whole freestyle, but this is a creative skating program (more like interp) and the coach is going for the full interp hand / body movements. Thankfully she's not gone for sexy (I tried that for synchro and ended in fits of laughter with the other girls as we're all as bad as each other) but it's the whole practicing it bit I'm struggling with. My body doesn't move with the co-ordinated smoothness of a child skater. I'm an adult who spent their childhood with their head in a book. I don't do graceful.

I've actually had a much easier time doing this for synchro over the years just because I wasn't the only one doing it so I liked to think people weren't watching me. We did some stuff in programs when I was younger that was probably not appropirate for teenage girls now that I think about it.

[Rusty Blades]

Strangely enough, I have difficulty really "opening up" in practice but in competition, in front of the judges and the crowd, putting on the big show is no problem. I wonder if it because where I skate everyone else is WAY better than me (and 40+ years younger) LOL!

[Skate@Delaware]

My problem isn't so much the performing bit because I can put on the performance then. It's the learning bit, when you feel like an idiot and look like one because the movements don't flow properly. How do you get past that stage?
And I don't have a problem until I realise people are watching. If it's just me and coach there's no issue, I might not like wafty arms, but I'll try to do them. When I spot people staring and smirking / laughing, I get all self-conscious and retreat into a shell.
It gets a bit easier the more you do it and with time. I would learn to put yourself into "the zone" and not pay so much attention to what others think if I were you...this sounds a bit bad but you need to learn to think of yourself as above those other people, sort of like a diva (but don't get too snotty LOL).

I do the "weird arm thing" when I'm on public and only feel a bit self-conscious after when people comment in the lobby but I just shrug my shoulders. When I'm working on choreo & arm movements I'm IN THE MOMENT and IN MY BUBBLE, not looking around the rink, if that helps.

[londonicechamp]

Hi

Well, I am used to being watched by the public, so not that self conscious anymore.

Never been in a competition before, but knows that competitions are scary, as judges are watching you (not only the public).

londonicechamp

[fsk8r]

It gets a bit easier the more you do it and with time. I would learn to put yourself into "the zone" and not pay so much attention to what others think if I were you...this sounds a bit bad but you need to learn to think of yourself as above those other people, sort of like a diva (but don't get too snotty LOL).

I do the "weird arm thing" when I'm on public and only feel a bit self-conscious after when people comment in the lobby but I just shrug my shoulders. When I'm working on choreo & arm movements I'm IN THE MOMENT and IN MY BUBBLE, not looking around the rink, if that helps.

I think most of the time I'm OK about finding "the zone", but I've a comfort zone as to what I'm prepared to do in the arm waggling department. When movements are within my comfort zone, I don't have a problem, as soon as I get stretched beyond it and I know my co-ordination is beginning to fail the self-conscious switch flicks and it gets 100 times worse. Once the comfort zone stretches to accommodate the new movement, it all goes back to normal. I have a feeling it's something to do with not liking being in my stretch zone or not being mentally prepared to be pushed there.

[Skate@Delaware]

I think most of the time I'm OK about finding "the zone", but I've a comfort zone as to what I'm prepared to do in the arm waggling department. When movements are within my comfort zone, I don't have a problem, as soon as I get stretched beyond it and I know my co-ordination is beginning to fail the self-conscious switch flicks and it gets 100 times worse. Once the comfort zone stretches to accommodate the new movement, it all goes back to normal. I have a feeling it's something to do with not liking being in my stretch zone or not being mentally prepared to be pushed there.
I think that is a normal reaction to any new skill-it will feel uncomfortable until you become more used to it. think back to when you first learned crossovers-how awkward and uncomfortable they felt---now they are easier and you don't feel like everyone is watching you, right?

Most people face the same feeling when learning a new skill-you feel as though the whole world is focused on you and notice when you mess up. Far from it but it doesn't make it easier. Just relax and try not to worry about it. It's not as bad as you think!

[fsk8r]

I think that is a normal reaction to any new skill-it will feel uncomfortable until you become more used to it. think back to when you first learned crossovers-how awkward and uncomfortable they felt---now they are easier and you don't feel like everyone is watching you, right?

Most people face the same feeling when learning a new skill-you feel as though the whole world is focused on you and notice when you mess up. Far from it but it doesn't make it easier. Just relax and try not to worry about it. It's not as bad as you think!

Strangely I can laugh off my feet learning a new skill, but when it's above the waist there's a problem... But you're right, most of the time there is no one watching.

[Skate@Delaware]

Strangely I can laugh off my feet learning a new skill, but when it's above the waist there's a problem... But you're right, most of the time there is no one watching.
when you think about it-most of our daily movements involve using our legs/feet...how often do we move our arms around "artistically" ????? I think that is why we feel more aware and self-conscious of the movement.

When we went to the adult skating camp at Hackensack, one of the coaches suggested during our regular skating we move our arms around like we are in a program just to get used to it...over the head, out to the side, etc. There are a lot of movements one can do that mimic normal movements but in an exaggerated sense: swiping down the sleeve, down the leg, over the head, picking flowers, etc. One can even get creative using champion cords (as I found out when mine got tangled in my hair hahaha my arms were all over the place). Anything to get the arms away from the body but not in a spastic sense is good.

My friends and I went to an ice show (Ice Champions at Capital Ice Plex for the Michael Weiss foundation) and Yuka Sato skated....her arms were so very artistic because they were not flinging and flailing around but were an extension of her body. You never noticed any one particular part of her but the whole package. It was beautiful and something to aspire to.

[liz_on_ice]

when you think about it-most of our daily movements involve using our legs/feet...how often do we move our arms around "artistically" ????? I think that is why we feel more aware and self-conscious of the movement.

When we went to the adult skating camp at Hackensack, one of the coaches suggested during our regular skating we move our arms around like we are in a program just to get used to it...over the head, out to the side, etc. There are a lot of movements one can do that mimic normal movements but in an exaggerated sense: swiping down the sleeve, down the leg, over the head, picking flowers, etc. One can even get creative using champion cords (as I found out when mine got tangled in my hair hahaha my arms were all over the place). Anything to get the arms away from the body but not in a spastic sense is good.


When I first learned arms are supposed to be out at shoulder height for moves, I though my coach was pulling my leg. I thought the "airplane" look had to be the goofiest thing ever; I was really self-concious about it. I observed a test session though and saw some good skaters doing exactly that and it looked good - strong and with nice lines, so I got over feeling stupid. Now I'm used to having them that far up and away from me, I feel like I can move them anywhere and not look like an idiot. ;)

[Skate@Delaware]

I prefer having my arms somewhere between shoulder and waist level...I'm not too fond of the airplane look. There was a time when my coach had me skate with my arms over my head, and another with them crossed on my chest (we were working on many issues at the time).