Good news everyone, i just had my lesson and my coach said that he was gonna test me up to Grade 10. AND I PASSED! i did fall over a couple of times but i guess that might be because i just had my skates sharpened! but i am soooo happy! i am going ice skating tonight for the patch and i am very excitted!
oh, and my coach said to me that, "This is where the work starts!"
he wants me to get myself a pair of tights and a skating dress. oh this is soooo excitting! yippee!

CONGRATULATIONS Nutty-Ducky!! One of the best things about skating is dressing up and looking like a "real" skater!! You'll have a ball, even if you only know crossovers, they look and feel better in a dress and tights!!! People watch you and go "ohhhh"!!
What is grade 10?? I don't know those levels? Is that US or UK? I'm in Aus and our testing system is different.
Anyway, have fun dressing up and well done on your achievement!
~Anita

hi anital!
thanks, well grade 10 is just all of the basic stuff. i live over in the UK!
here is a link about stuff in Grade 10 www.nisa-uk.org then when you are on it click on Skate UK. there should be stuff about stuff up to grade 10.
i am sure i will have fun dressing up in the dresses, i think it will be really cool! anyway i am going to try to find some websites with skating dresses and stights on them for sale.
cat

Well done, Nutty-ducky! Now the fun starts - I know when I passed my basics (just before they brought Funskate, Skate UK's predecessor in), I thought: "Oh good, now I can learn to skate!" And it is a bit like that, of course. Because when you start Level 1 of the regular tests, whether in dance or freestyle or both, it is a whole new level of difficulty harder. Good luck to you - and I hope that by March or so you will be posting about having passed Level 1 in at least one discipline!

Just think - now you can start competing, if you want to!

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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!

WAY TO GO, Nutty-ducky!!!!!!

Passing tests is always exciting. It lets you know that you have accomplished new things.

Keep on, keepin' on........................

Congrats to you, nutty-ducky!!! WOO HOO!!!

Cheers,
jazzpants

8) Well done What do you go onto next, is it the 'Star' awards or Bronze 1?

I tend to get my dresses from Kev at Topskate he does some lovely dresses (this is the one that I'm buying next)



plus he sells tights, Harlick boots (you won't need these just yet) and the new John Watts blades. He's a really nice guy, I bought my Harlicks from him recently and a couple of dresses, he reasonably priced and very honest - his daughter is a skater which is how he got into 'Topskate'.

One thought, though .... do you really need a dress at the moment? How about a couple of 'ballet' wrapover skirts (I just got a beautiful black one with red rose print for £17) on top of leotards? The dress will need to be washed every time you wear them which means that you will probably need more than one PLUS wearing a skirt/leotard combination means that you can eke out more outfits from just a few basics. Your coach probably wants you to wear a dress so that he can see your line (ie to see if your leg isn't stretching properly) so the leo/skirt combo should be fine I'm an adult so tend to wear skirts for free and dance (in the misguided belief that a scrap of chiffon hides my buddha butt - it (the skirt) actually spends most of it's time up around my waist during my programme!). A lot of the kids wear shorts over their leos or catsuits, or leggings or just leos with a t-shirt!

Another thing to consider is NOT to buy competition grade (thinner) tights!!! They ladder very easily, I have a contact number where you can get Capezio tights cheaper than in a dance/skate shop so I'll look it out. I prefer to wear Mondor 'thicker' tights for practise, you can get them in footless, stirrup or OTB (I have all 3), they last forever and keep you warm

Lx

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The best whisper is a click

hi everyone!
i also forgot to say that my sister passed her Grade 10 aswell!
oh and thanks for all the well dones! i am very happy!
Mrs Redboots - Yeah i hope i am posting soon that i have passed my Level tests! i cannot wait now!
TashaKat - Well my mum said to me that she is going to try to make me a dress and all i need is a leotard and a wrap around skirt.
oh and i think that the dress that you are going to by looks dead nice! oh, and i already thought to myself that if i buy a pair of tights i am going to get the thicker pair, not the thinner pair cos i thought that they would ladder too!
thanks everyone,
cat