In honour of the New Year's fireworks!

Fireworks: Back into routine, getting up at 6:00 am (yuck!) to be on the ice early. Had plenty of time to warm up before our lesson - did our usual laps round the ice followed by runs round the circle, then worked in waltz hold for awhile (our tracking really is improving now!), and then in Foxtrot hold.

In our lesson we revisited our work in waltz and foxtrot hold, and also worked on our highlights some.

Damp Squib:

• So because our tracking is better, he chose to comment on my lack of extension. Sigh.
• In our warm-up, we slowed down too much going into the runs round the circle. Deep sigh.
• When doing work in waltz hold, I bottled out of doing a 3-turn as we were going too fast. Very deep sigh.
• We hadn't practiced our lift recently, and it showed. Huge sigh.
• Why is it that whenever you are seized with a good idea for choreography, your partner has already gone to work???

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Mrs Redboots
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I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

Mrs. Redboots, what is a "damp squib"?

Fireworks: Had a lovely session at the rink today-quiet and only one other skater who showed up late (a wonderful girl). Rink was also warm! Took some advice and worked on the basics. Stroking was good, did 4 laps. Alternating crossovers were great, did 3 laps frontwards, then did 'em backwards, concentrating on keeping on the back part of my blade (less noisy that way).

Toe-loop was ok but I'm picking in, not waltzing it. Salchow is good. Waltz's were ok, but I can't seem to push up any higher with my leg (need to do some off-ice plyo work). Spins were good (except sit-they're never good).

My skating buddy and I talked about loop jumps, and she worked with me on the 3-turn entry and I actually did a loop! Of course, the landing was a dead-stop and it was probably majorly cheated.... She also showed me how to exit a backspin; which she said you need to know how to do and was wondering why I wasn't taught how?? Yes, I wonder?

Ice Dance class is officially on Monday night-the only night hubby and I haven't had anything scheduled---get this---that was taken into consideration! Knowing that Tues/Thurs were out, she worked around it! Also, knowing that we are 50% of the class helps....So, our "night out" will be Monday AND Friday (group class night)! We can skate, then go out for dessert!

Damp Squib: Edges were off-way overdue for sharpening and outside edges are the first sign... Did a run-through of my program, which I haven't touched in a few weeks and it showed. I was out of breath, and out of time (music) before I finished all my steps So I ran through it 2 more times without my music, each time going faster (once I caught my breath). It got better. Then did it once with my music and it was good. Had a brain seizure and forgot how to do the 1/2 flip for about 5 minutes....Doh! My friend was laughing but I told her when she gets to be my age and forgets stuff I'll laugh at her! She said it was a deal!

(I'm keeping an eye on my breathing, because it might go with some of the other problems I've been having....and I might have to go back to my quack for another evaluation. But, that's another story-as long as it doesn't interfere with my skating!)

PS-a squib is the gunpowder (wrapped in tissue paper and twisted off) that musketloaders put into their gun-you have to "keep your powder dry" or you won't be able to fire your musket.

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Skate@Delaware
Ah, show skating!!! I do it for the glitter!

Thanks! I assumed it had something to do with the wick, so I guess I was close.

I have only damp squib so far this week. I have such a bad cold that I have not been to the rink since last Friday . This is the most persistent cold I have had in years! I hope the congestion clears up real soon!

Fireworks
I think I Finally understand what back inside edges are supposed to *feel* like. (Pre-Bronze MIF element) They were awesome today. I noticed it helped when I kept my head lifted and fixed my gaze just above the boards. I let my shoulders and arms Then free foot lead in lobes on the blue hockey line. Everything seemed to work together instead of rotating head first then arms then shoulders, then free foot Instead, I kept my head almost steady, Then arms, shoulders,and free foot all moved together... I can't quite articulate how it all felt but it rocked! It was one of those Ah Ha moments. ...maybe it was just that the timing of it all finally clicked....

Damp Squib
Had a hard time with Spirals. even on a straight line. I have the most difficult time getting the free leg higher.

Sadly, only damp squibs re skating to report - what with chickenpox quarantine (our 3yo got chickenpox on Christmas Eve) and Christmas and the rink changing to holiday times and being overtaken by school kids and all, I haven't skated since Dec 16! And no chance of getting back on the ice until at least the third week of January....

Fireworks

...because we're going on a beach holiday! Yay! We leave early Monday for a whole week. Sun, sand, surf (and 30+ sunscreen and hats and shirts), here we come!

Damp squibs for me too - still suffering withdrawal symptoms while our rink is in holiday shutdown. Re-opens January 9th with holiday sessions, but I won't get a chance to skate til the Saturday. I am hoping that the kids will all go to the holiday sessions during the week, leeaving the ice pristine on the weekends. Forlorn hope, but I can dream.

Karen

Poor you Aussies, being in the middle of your summer shutdowns! Winter does have some advantages!

Joan, a "damp squib" is basically a fiasco, but a "squib" is also a type of firework.....

Wednesday's lesson

Damp Squib: Knee very painful this morning. I wonder if it's all this driving I'm doing now! Also, driving to the rink means I arrive not warmed-up (you try running for a bus as often as I have to - you warm up superfast!).

Discovered, to my dismay, that I am totally out of practice on back inside edges, and did them very badly indeed in my lesson.

Rink wasn't exactly crowded, but somehow there were always people in the way - some random celebrity training with a partner AND a coach on the ice, an adult dancer and her coach/partner, our elite dancers training very hard for Europeans in a fortnight..... I kept having to abort my exercise & start it again.

Fireworks: My back outside edges have never been so good - my coach even complimented me on them! Shows how hard work with a partner pays off.

My variable-speed cross-rolls were wonderful - really slinky! Felt marvellous.

Changes-of edge worked very well, but a tad slow.

Two of my coach's former pupils, both now away at university, came in for a skate - it was great to see them again.

Got the car in the garage without knocking down the planks my husband likes to keep in there! (Which is a lot more than I managed yesterday!).

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Mrs Redboots
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I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

Fireworks
Back on the ice for the first time in just over two weeks and straight into a lesson (well, almost - I did have half an hour to practise and get my skating legs back beforehand!).

All my skating moves were still there, even the dreaded lutz-loop. I couldn't run through my programme in its entirity due to a part of the rink being sectioned off for broomball, so we did it in two halves. The first half felt quite wobbly though the only thing I didn't do well was my camel-sit. The second half went very well and even included a clean lutz-loop! I couldn't quite manage my step sequence - only three-quarters of it because of the barrier being up, but it went OK.

Damp Squib
Only the fact that I felt severely unfit. I guess it's not surprising given I'd not quite regained my fitness before Christmas after my enforced time off.

Nicki

Damp Squib: Over the holidays my work desktop computer was stolen. Fortunately I had all my work files on the network. What a creep to steal from cancer research.

Fireworks: Had fun at my lesson last night. Did lots of lutz-loops and flying cammels. Finished with a couple of death spirals.

I thought a squibb was a bird. In any case a wet one would be icky.

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Recycle Love - Adopt a homeless pet

That's a squab! With all this rain-all of them are WET (and icky)!

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Skate@Delaware
Ah, show skating!!! I do it for the glitter!

fireworks: woo hoo, had a very good team lesson today, and proof of our progress is that we were given 3 new footwork exercises to try. I like one of them, & the other two are scary! And I made a major breakthrough in finally getting what I was doing wrong on our FI edges in Killian. Lesson for everyone: when you think your knees are bent, they're not bent enough! When you think your back is straight, it's not straight enough!! We're also going to practice together over the weekend which makes me very happy.

Damp squab (because I love the image of all the ruffled feathers): I need to work hard & fast to get my brackets exercise up to par--because that's now one of our team exercises & I'm not keeping up! Looks like a week full of brackets for me, til I get them or til I die, whichever comes first (probably 50/50 odds for either at this point....). I fell on them a couple times last week & did some damage to one shoulder, which is still a little tweaky, so that's not helping. What did I say in the "fear" thread--that I need to fall more--well, I guess I'm meeting my goals!

Fireworks(and shooting stars to boot!):
During my lesson today, I had a PERFECT FREESKATE PROGRAM!!!
It really seems as if "something" is clicking with spins lately. I hit all of my spins dead on and managed a couple of camels as well! I just hope it will stay that way

Damp squib:
The rink was sooo cold that it made practice counter- productive at times! Supposedly it's kept cold that way for hockey , so that the puck slides faster across the ice. Uh, hockey skaters need to get into their knees and stroke hard too!

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Adult Nationals, 2009 "The Time of My Life"

We went up to Tashakat's old rink last night for our monthly class and social dance.

Yikes! is all I can say. The teacher had the proposed new Skating Moves, which are set to replace Dance Moves and Field Moves from next year. All I can say to any British skaters reading this - get as many Moves tests under your belt between now and then as you possibly can, these new ones are severely evil!

I can't remember all the details, but I am so going to take and pass my Level 3 Dance Moves before the end of the year!

I'm not sure what was in level 1; I think it's forwards outside and inside edges, "landing position" and spirals, presumably both from the present Novice Field Moves. Oh, and I think there were forward and backward crossovers/runs in a figure of 8, too.

Level 2 includes back inside edges - proper ones, not the kind in the current Prelim Field Moves test, but real proper semi-circles, like all the other edges. And the current Level 5 Dance Moves Inside Mohawk exercise. And inside 3-turns round the circle - you do inside 3, step to forwards, repeat, all round the circle, in both directions. I think the 4th move was back outside edges.

Level 3 has the change-of-edge exercise from the present level 2 Dance Moves, another spiral exercise (this time using edges), Russian Stroking, or snakies, or whatever you call it - you run round the end, hold a lo-o-o-ong left inside edge to the centre, a run in the other direction (RFO/LFI), then hold a lo-o-o-o-ong RFI edge to the end of the rink, run round the end and repeat. One of my favourite exercises, but I can't usually manage with just 2 edges!

But the worst, the one that has made me utterly determined to pass my level 3 Dance Moves before the end of the year is, I think, what USFSA Moves in the Field call "3s in the Field" - you start off (you may start from a standstill) doing LFO3, RBI3, and repeat half way down the rink, then you change feet so you're doing RFO3, LBI3 the other half, run round the end, and coming back you do LFI3, RBO3 for half the length, then change to RFI3, LBO3. Which is the only combination I'm at all likely to get any time soon.

That was as far as we got by the end of the lesson, which is well far enough!

So for the 3rd time in my skating career I shall be credited with moves I can't actually do. I will learn them and work on them - I like challenging exercises - but I shall definitely get my level 3 Dance Moves if hard work will do it. For a start, my spirals simply wouldn't be up to it - they very seldom even get parallel to the ice.

Ah well. It was a fun evening, though, and the social dance was as great as ever.

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Mrs Redboots
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I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

Had a relatively good session last night, notwithstanding the migraine I was battling (and loosing, even with the meds). So, my coach offerred me a choise of USFSA moves or ISI testing....hmmmm...no brainer, I chose ISI testing.

Fireworks: Tested up through and stopped after Gamma (I think she said gamma, it's the one right before the freestyle). We'll do the freestyle next week. She had me do the ISI back crossovers and she actually liked me doing those better than the USFSA version! Mostly because it brought my feet close together (which she has been trying to get me to do) AND for some reason, I'm off my toepicks more.

Went ahead and ordered my daughter's new skates-hers were 1.5 sizes too big and are breaking down big-time. Ordered a new pair for me---the one I got off ebay were defective (the steel shank in the sole was broken and rendered them useless). Hopefully, they will be here ina few weeks, then we can get blades (rather than wait weeks for them, I'm getting them locally).

Damp squib: DA** EVIL BUNNYHOPS!!! I figured they'd come back to haunt me sometime!! My coach said to keep practicing them because I'd see them (again and again and again). Ugh! She was laughing at me because I hate them sooooo much! Because of my migraine, I didn't do any spinning because I'd throw up for sure! I've got 2 weeks before the exhibition and that's 2 weeks to smooth out my routine.....

Also, my daughter and I arrived for our Pilates class, only to find the place locked up with no note or anything! Rumors have been flying around that the gym facility will be closing. I haven't heard from the person running the place, (she is also my daughter's coach) and she didn't show up for my daughter's lesson (for the second week in a row) or for her other student's lessons. This really irked me as she didn't call and let me know she wouldn't be there.

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Skate@Delaware
Ah, show skating!!! I do it for the glitter!

Fireworks: Well the program is finally done! Woo-hoo! I thought I'd never see the day. Of course, chances are the elements might shift around and we'll think of little extra tid-bits of choreography here and there but all in all I think it's set. My New Year's resolution is to run through my program at least once a session (unless potential Olympians are zipping around getting ready for their Nationals! That was pretty cool last week). So far, so good. I ran through my program last week with the moves coach/choreographer and I ran through it again this morning. For the most part, the jumps including the axel combination in the beginning and the solo axel in the middle have been there for every run-through. According the the moves coach/choreographer the choreography is starting to come together so I'm happy with that.

Squibs: Spins, Spins, SPINS!!!!!! Grr. !@!$^%&*()%&(& On their own, they usually go okay. However, the way my program is set up, my last two spins take place immediately after jump landings. I have spiral, swing the free leg through, mohawk, axel, push under right up into flying camel in the middle of my program. Then at the end I have flip, push under, right into camel (arms behind the back)/sit-change sit/back scratch, put the toe in the ice right into the ending pose. These sections are killing me right now. I get through all the stuff up until the spins but then I'm all discombobulated by that point and the spin either sucks royally or I just go SPLAT! I need to practice these sequences over and over and over again or it's going to get really ugly in competition. Oy! Oh and then in today's run-through the lutz combination went all funky. I think I landed sideways on the lutz but still managed to stay on my feet. Umm...ok. Hopefully that'll be better tomorrow

Take care all,

Frank

For USFS Pre-Juv MIF, the 3's in the field are the full length of the ice on each set (LFI3-RBO3 down 1 side, RFI3-LBO3 down the other side). Then LFO3-RBI3 down 1 side, RFO3-LBI3 down the other side. Actually I think the test sheet has the FO3/BI3 MIF first, and technically you're supposed to start with the right foot first. Rulebook/PSA guidebook is in the car with the rest of my official stuff....

What does the seriously nasty level 4 mohawk sequence look like?

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American Waltz... Once, Twice, ???? ...

Q: How many coaches does it take to fix Jen's Dance Intro-3 Problems
A: 5 and counting...

The one Husband can't do? That's totally evil, too (I can't do it either, but then, I'm not trying to be able to, as yet). It's a LFO/RBO Mohawk, cross to LBI, step to RFO, LFO, RFO/LBO mohawk, cross to RBI, step to LFO, RFO, and repeat all the way round the rink (with progressive runs along the end). The level 5 one is way easier, as it involves inside Mohawks.

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Mrs Redboots
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I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

^ ooooh that sounds fun - I LOVE Outside mohawks...

Anywho...

Fireworks
I did some amazing scratch spins today. I also did some great sit spins too but see my note under "damp squib" lol. Moves in the field stuff was good, although I'm still having a hard time with the LFO3/LBI3 sequence my coach wants in front of the salchow - how is it that I can do it on the right side and not the left? Toe loops were good, waltz jumps could have been better but I'm not complaining - Salchows were good. I did a couple loops and then I did THE PERFECT Loop jump and I decided to stop working on loops for the rest of the afternoon so I could remember how good it felt lol. I did some great outside spirals. I also signed up for group lessons on Saturday, so I'm super excited about that.

Damp Squib
So even though my sit spins were awesome, I'm still so out of shape that I can't get up from them yet. Inside spirals were very shaky. I hate camel spins (see seperate post begging for help). Backspins were "okay" but I've done better. My flip jump was weird today - my free leg was super slow on the check out so it looked very strange although the jump itself was beautiful. Naturally since my flip was funky my lutz was funky. It's the first time working on the lutz in 3 months and it was so, so bad. I need some coaching to get me back on track with it for sure. After a couple of botched attempts I decided to leave it alone - I'm pretty sure I'm dropping my shoulder. I need to get video to see for sure though.

Overall it was a really good day, I think I'm just being nitpicky about stuff, expecting to be at the level I was 3 months ago within a matter of like, 6 hours back on the ice. I'm very pleased with my progress so far, and I can't wait to start lessons again

Fireworks: Have been battling lace bite on my left ankle for a few weeks, but it has gotten MUCH better. It was making me very cautious on the ice, which in turn was making things suck and making me frustrated...but it's improved tremendously, and things feel like they are back to normal.

SPINS - forward spin ROCKS, and made major improvements on change-foot spin today. Sit is pretty decent, considering I haven't been practicing it much due to the lace bite. Working on sit, upright, backspin combo, which is getting there, but I am getting mucho dizzy. Need to work on spotting!

JUMPS - All felt great today! I finally got my toe-loop back today. Did some nice waltz-loops today. Sal feels great. Lutz has improved a lot; I'm not flutzing as bad anymore, and am getting more height. Flip has gotten particularly good. Really concentrating on my arms has made a big difference, as has figuring out how to shift my weight to the picking leg. Loops feels quite comfortable, just needs more speed.

Damp Squib: Have been neglecting my turns. Really need to get working on all turns again, so they don't completely go out the window....brackets in particular could use work.

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~No thinking, breathing, or hesitation!~

Damp Squib: again, I bailed out of that stupid toe-loop while running through my program...so I did several of them and they were pretty bad. I still had the migraine but don't think that had anything to do with it, as I just hate toe-loops. I also got mixed up on the 1/2 flip but figured it out after a while.

I have a block on jumping UP on the waltz-maybe I got lazy....

Fireworks: There is a new cd player in the box and the rink manager let me play cd's down there (as there were only 3 people on the ice yesterday). Yay! I ran through my program 3 times (don't get to do that on club time). I will have to re-burn the cd and turn up the volume as I can barely hear the opening notes (sucks having a hearing problem) but I might also put a "chime" at the beginning too!

Did some moves stuff and those ISI back crossovers-weird but they work!

The woman in the pro-shop said my boots should be in within 2 weeks!!! It will be nice to have boots that fit! I swear if these don't, I'm calling Don Jackson himself!

Classes pick up tonight-it's adult group LTS tonight, and Monday night is ice dancing (woo-hoo!).

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Skate@Delaware
Ah, show skating!!! I do it for the glitter!

Fireworks: Had a really good practice with Husband - worked out what was wrong with our Reverse Kilian partnering - if he keeps his elbow up and out, it is much better, I think he lets it go a bit. We also played with some choreography steps, and worked on inside swing rolls in waltz hold, as well as outside ones and chassés. The last two are boring routine drills, but still need to be worked on! We also worked on our lift and our spin.

In solo practice after he'd gone to work, I had a good back cross-roll day, but my cross-cuts are still playing up. Played with some of the new Moves; I really love the "Russian-stroking" one, although I'm not _quite_ getting far enough down the rink. Very nearly. It makes a great exercise to finish with.

Damp Squib: Husband played his music the whole way down to the rink, very boring! It's nice enough music, but.... I have some ideas for choreography, but plan to let his coach do most of it, as she knows what's wanted for NJS rather better than I do.

I am still having trouble with these ruddy back cross-cuts - either they don't flow enough, or I get my weight just wrong and have to stop. I can sometimes do a whole lap of half-decent ones, but they are only half-decent, and still unreliable. I need to get far more flow out of them, but when I try, I come up in the knee, or my head moves, or.... anyway, I grind to a halt! Grrrrrr......

And I cannot do a BI 3 for love NOR money..... did scrape one half-way round and very nearly fell over! Ah well....

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Mrs Redboots
~~~~~~~~
I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

Mrs. Redboots (or other British skaters)---are cross cuts where you're on a back outside edge, & the new foot crosses in front & sets down also on an outside egde? We have to do that as part of our footwork exercises & I wondered if that's what it was. I'd never done that before (I always did BI to BI), & it's tricky! Biggest trick for me is getting the new free foot out of the way quickly enough, if that makes sense.

You know what, I have wanted to know what a cross cut is myself but felt silly asking, glad someone else doesnt know, so what is it Annabel? I bet it's something I do all the time.

Fireworks:

I am back on the ice and having a lesson with primary coach after fighting the Christmas Crud and bad timing on trying to get a lesson before I go back home.

Damp Squib:

Primary coach was particularly interested in Move Guru's work with me... (I had to mentioned that I was working with the Chelsea Piers coach on the same things too and was working more with him b/c of the timing of when Christmas crud came and my trip back home!) And all I keep hearing from primary coach is "How long has it been since I've been beating you up on the SAME THING that Moves Guru has been teaching you!?!!?!"

Lesson learned from going to Hackensack from Long Island: Rent a car!!! It's actually more expensive to go public trans than to rent a car... and a lot more convenient too, especially if I rent it between Tuesday-Thursday! Plus not having to deal with the stress of hubby's health ailment du jour walking a quarter mile outdoors. (This year it was the Christmas Crud. Last year, it was the lower back! And no, we can't return his body for a refund either. The warranty ran out! )

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Cheers,
jazzpants

11-04-2006: Shredded "Pre-Bronze FS for Life" Club Membership card!!!
Silver Moves is the next "Mission Impossible"
(Dare I try for Championship Adult Gold someday???)

Thank you for the support, you guys!!!