# of dances

[kayskate]

I recently took up ice dance though I have been freeskating for years (as an adult). I am working on Dutch Waltz and Canasta Tango. I can do the steps but am trying to coordinate them to the music. My coach is going to show me the Rhythm Blues next week. That gives me 3 dances to work on.

How many dances do other people work on at once?

Kay
P.S. I also posted this on RSSIR, so I apologize to those who have seen it before.

[ClevelandDancer]

I started dancing right out of Learn-to-Skate. Three is a fairly typical number to work on at a time since that's how many are at each USFSA level. It kind of depends on whether you are just testing, just competing, or both.

Currently, I'm just testing. I've passed one of the three bronze dances, so I'm working hard at the other two, these consume the majority of my ice time. I'm working a bit on the three pre-silvers also, I try to spend about 5 minutes each per week on them, mostly to "get used" to them. Also, working on higher-level dances will help your lower level ones ... the three turn in the Willow Waltz (bronze) seems much easier after a few patterns of the European Waltz (pre-silver). When someone is playing the music for a lower level dance, I occassionally do a couple patterns of it just for fun. So ...

I know 12 dances total ...
I am working hard on 2.
I am toying with 3.
I do a couple patterns of the other 7 occassionally.

[CanAmSk8ter]

Depends. I usually have one that I'm working on seriously to get ready for testing, one that I'm working on a bit less seriously to get ready to test after I pass the next one, and often I have one or two that I'm working on for competition. Sometimes they overlap and I'll be working on something to test and compete in the near future. Right now I'm competing in Silver Tango weekend after next and hopefully testing my Rocker Foxtrot in December or January, and maybe Silver Tango in the spring. I've passed twelve dances so far, but my coach has taught me the next ten (with the understanding that they are to work on AFTER I've practiced my current test level stuff) so I'm never bored! I'm working on my Silver, but we practice the Pre-Golds quite a bit (I've competed Paso and Blues, and he makes me do Blues for warm-up at almost every lesson, so I'm already decent at those) and we do Golds maybe twice a month. (I have lessons twice a week). I can get through the Argentine and the Quick ok, but I don't like those waltzes much, especially the Westminster.

[jenlyon60]

I'm currently training 5 dances... for 3 events at a competition. 1 of those is also for re-test at some point in the future.

However, of those 5 (Foxtrot, 14Step, European Waltz, American Waltz and Tango), the Fox & 14Step are steady enough when I skate them w/ my coach that we generally use them as much for "warm-up" in my lesson as anything else. Tango probably has the lowest comfort factor.

and... when we first started working on these 5 as a set for 3 events in another competition, earlier this year, I made a comment to my coach that I had immense admiration for the competitive dancers who train and maintain 3-4 compulsory dances for their competitive season. Although the draw is often made sooner rather than later for competitions these days...

--jsl

[dani]

The Westminster looks like a lot of fun!! At both of my rinks we have an ISU junior grand prix team practicing and I have watched them skate the Westminster, the blues, and the Argentine. In fact in my lesson yesterday I looked up and they were about to do the draw step in the blues (at least that is what we called it in roller - it is the step after the choctaw) I skidded and they stopped. Whew!

As for Kay's question, I am actively working on 5 dances. My 3 pre-bronze so that I can pass the test and the 2 I plan on competing if they are good enough. The few occasions where there is music will find me doing dances that crossed over from roller like the 14 step and even the blues. I also will occasionally do a prelim dance but usually only if someone asks me to show them the steps.

Hugs!
Danielle

[skaternum]

At the preliminary level, most people 'round here work on the first three dances all at once. Many often test all three at once. For the next couple of levels, dancers work on a couple of dances at once and test one or two at a time. In my experience, from about Pre-Silver on, dancers usually test only one a time.

[dani]

Originally posted by skaternum
At the preliminary level, most people 'round here work on the first three dances all at once. Many often test all three at once.

I should also add that my club provides a financial incentive to test the first three together. Basically you only pay for two. I don't think they have that for the next three.

Hugs!
Danielle

ps) Skaternum - Did you get your Peach video yet? I have mine and it is great but the relevant part is that they left off my tango! They are sending the tango this week ;-)

[Aussie Willy]

I am playing with a couple of dances at the moment in my lesson - the Argentine and Blues are the ones I am currently playing with. But I am not working on any test - just doing it for fun.

If I was to list all the dances I know they would be:

Dutch Waltz
Canasta Tango
Rhythm Blues
Golden Skaters Waltz
British Ten Step
Foxtrot
Rocker Foxtrot
Tenfox
Paso Doble
Blues
Argentine Tango
Westminster Waltz
Vienesse Waltz
Willow Waltz
Harris Tango
Schottische
Fourteenstep
Starlight Waltz
Rhumba
Ravesberger Waltz
Fiesta Tango
Kilian
European Waltz
Cha Cha
Silver Samba
American Waltz
Quickstep

That is all I can think of for the moment. There are probably others. I can't say that I do the more advance ones well but it is fun, I do know the steps and I really enjoy my dance lessons. Maybe someone else can add others to my list.

[skaternum]

Originally posted by dani
ps) Skaternum - Did you get your Peach video yet? I have mine and it is great but the relevant part is that they left off my tango! They are sending the tango this week ;-)

What? They left off the TANGO!? The dance of love? Well that's just terrible.

I did get my video. I wasn't too impressed with the camera work on the MITF event. They had a hard time "staying on" some of the skaters, and it took the cameraman about 3 skaters before he figured out to zoom on them when they're farther away! But at least it finally arrived. They did a pretty good job with my freeskate event. My ice dancer friends are going to watch theirs this weekend, probably. That was the wacky event where they mixed up couples and solo, so who knows what's on that tape!

[jenlyon60]

I got my tape but haven't watched it yet. I figure I'll hand it over to my coach and then he can "abuse" me at a few lessons to fix everything that didn't go well.

On my dance event, I was just happy to do all 3 patterns of the one dance more or less on time. Because until the last practice before I arrived in Atlanta, I was suffering from a severe case of chicken factor on the cross-3 turn.

[dani]

Jen - You should watch the tape even if you skip the events - The montage is a lot of fun!

And yes, I too was disappointed about the camera work on the moves event. I just attributed it to my speed ;-) that they totally dropped me out of the frame a couple of times on my first move.

Hugs!
Danielle

[Mrs Redboots]

For me, dances divide into three levels: the beginning dances, which I take very seriously indeed, and compete them, either solo or (more usually) with my husband. For our next competition, the Dune of Flanders Cup, we will have to dance the Rhythm Blues, the Canadian Cha-cha, the Swing Dance and the Fiesta. Then there are the dances like the Willow Waltz, Foxtrot, 14-step and Prelim Waltz which I am perfectly capable of skating with a good partner, but haven't really mastered the art of skating them with Robert. And finally there are the dances I can do the steps of, but can't actually dance them, if that makes sense. Like the Blues or the Arge or the Paso. And dances that I can't do, and don't really care if I never do (that makes four levels!): the Tango (that Mohawk!), the Kilian and so forth.