I thought I'd start a thread just for us dancers, since quite a few of us seem to be doing it, and we're such a special crowd! Talk about what you're working on, what you're loving/hating, if you compete, general chit-chat, the usual!

I started dance this spring and I'm working on my Junior Silver right now...The American, Rocker, and Keats. I'm testing all three in a month...yikes! I don't compete dance; I just started taking the tests to improve my skills for synchro, and so that I would have some qualifications to begin the road to becoming a synchro judge. Now I've gotten a bit addicted and can't quit! Lol. My goal is to get my Golds, and we'll see whether or not I go for my diamonds depending on what life is like at that stage of the game. My more short term goal was to be working on Senior Silver by next May, and I think I'll get there, providing test day goes well!

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~No thinking, breathing, or hesitation!~

Hey luna baby. Know who this is?

I love dance yayayay
I took a 5yr break from dance while I did synchro and now I'm back. I'm working on my diamonds... specifically the ravensburger. Hopefully next week I can learn a new one. I only skate 1hr a week though so it sucks. I need to learn partnering... eeeks

Hey luna.. wtg on getting all those dances. I wouldn't worry about jr silvers... they are piece of cake!

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There is no try, only do.

As long as I don't kill my coach on the Rocker. Came close yesterday. Lol.

And of course I know who you are, silly!

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~No thinking, breathing, or hesitation!~

Who are u do you know each other?

I Am working on my baby blues and swing dance but im not just an icedancer i do other stuff too like jumping and spinnning!

Im working on my Junior silver dances!! i had to takr the european 3 times to get there!!

I'm not on Jr.Silver yet, I'm on Sr.bronze and the outraegouly fun Ten-fox! Ugh I really don't like that dance, I like the 14-step much better.

Yay! A dance-thread! (thanks, Luna_skater).

I'm working on my diamonds (having blast with Romantica right now: at one point it was my ultimate skating goal so I think I'm still sort of in awe at the fact that I'm actually working on it) and I'm trying to finish up my Golds in the US (I've tried Westminster 3 times now... I like to freak out on my solo test and trip on the rocker - last time, I tested it with 2 international dances and passed both of them, just not the West).

I compete recreational dance: mostly solo and shadow dance. I'm competing Chacha Congelado solo in a couple of weeks (not a dance that I've ever really trained and I try to avoid spending too much lesson time on competition stuff so my Chacha's interesting to say the least but it's one of the few local dance competitions that I'm eligible for so I'm doing it).

I starting to try put together a Starskate gold dance biathlon entry with another skater. We'll have to see how that goes: we can walk through the Paso and half the Westminster... Call it a work in progress.

I'm Half-way through my Senior Silver Dances at the moment.

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beks~
"winning isn't everything... wanting to is."

" the only place where success comes before work is in a dictionary"

"It’s not necessarily the amount of time you spend at pracitce that counts; it's what you put into the practice."

I can't decide whether or not I like the fact they've eliminated solos from Canadian dances. I KNOW I would freak out because I am absolutely petrified of being on the ice by myself. I've never had to be alone on the ice for anything and the thought horrifies me. I am dreading the day when my coach decides its time to start testing skills, because I don't know if I'll be able to handle it. But, OTOH, I'm sure I would be better for it in the long run, having gotten over my fear!

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~No thinking, breathing, or hesitation!~

I'm on Sr.Silver dances. I just failed Starlight a few weeks ago! I'm happy that they took out Solo dances in Canada. I always used to get so nervous for those! At least the dances are getting a bit more interesting. I don't compete dance. I want to pass Diamonds too... eventually! lol

Caitlin

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The passion for perfection The dream to be the best there ever was That is the flame that burns within me That is what I skate for

My daughter always did her best when she had the ice to herself because she hated being interrupted by other skaters, or having to adjust her pattern for them. In her warm up for Juv moves, she was even knocked down very hard by another skater who wasn't looking. Maybe if you try thinking about it that way it will help. No on in your way, no one to look out for!

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It's not so much that aspect of it, as it is the fact that my entire career has been in synchro, and now I've been testing dance, so I don't completely trust myself to do the steps without the "security blanket" of someone right next to me. I just have to convince myself that I can do it by the time my first skills test rolls around!

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~No thinking, breathing, or hesitation!~

I love to Dance !
What dances are you all on??

Well, it looks like I may be the first American dancer to reply to this thread- ironic, since the American is one of the dances I'm currently working on. I'm on my Silver test, which I think overlaps the Canadian Junior Silver and Senior Silver. Silver in the U.S. has the Rocker, the American and the Harris Tango. I passed my Rocker in August, and I was planning to take my American in December. Now my coach says my Tango looks better (it should- I've been working on it ad nauseum) and he thinks it's the stronger of the two now. So I'll probably take that in December instead. That'll be good, because then my club has another test in mid-January, toward the end of my winter break. I can spend winter break working hard on the American and test it then. I've worked a lot on my Blues, too, so coach and I are hoping to get that done in the spring sometime.

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Shae-Lynn and Victor: We knew you were champions, and on 3/28/03 the whole WORLD found out! Thank you for twelve wonderful years!

If your Silver includes the rocker, harris, and american it would be the equivalent to our Junior Silver dances, our jr. silvers are the rocker, american, harris tango, and the keats foxtrot. Our Senior Silvers include the Passo, Starlight, Killian, Blues and I think the Cha Cha too, you only have to do 4 out of those 5.

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beks~
"winning isn't everything... wanting to is."

" the only place where success comes before work is in a dictionary"

"It’s not necessarily the amount of time you spend at pracitce that counts; it's what you put into the practice."

wow, great idea for a thread!
I love dance soooo much... I used to compete, but my partner quit, we didn't get past sectionals at all
since then I've competed in a couple solo dances, and I'm actually just trying to figure out if I should compete in one next month...I love it, but the dance would be the quickstep which I failed twice, and is my least favourite gold dance...ah well, I'll probalby pass this one up
For tests, I've got one gold left, and I'm starting to work on my diamonds - I learned a veeeeery sloooow version of the Yankee Polka this week! that was entertaining! my favourite's probably the Austrian...twizzles are fun lol
loving the dance chat!!
xoxo
Catie

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hehe i'm american too...duh, anywho....uhm yeah i dance...i am working on getingm y pre silvers tested...they are semi over due. and yeah...hmm i don't know what to say...my name is jessica.

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Waffles & Vodka

Breakfast of Champions

For us British adults, although we do test and compete - see this week's lesson thread about yesterday's Oxford Seniors - social dance is The Thing. You can do lots of dances on a social dance session that are nowhere near ready to test or compete, and in a way it's one of the aims of our lessons and practices, as it's an end in itself.

Speaking personally, I'm rather stuck on the Swing Dance/Willow Waltz/British Waltz/Foxtrot sort of level; I highly doubt, actually, that I'll ever be much better than that, but I do enjoy trying! Now, if only I could learn to control my fear of 3-turns, and my inability to control Mohawks, I might get somewhere.....

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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!

OK, let's talk twizzles!

I'm not far enough along in dance yet to have learned how to do a proper twizzle, but I've been struggling along with my own version of them for years in synchro. I was feeling half-decent about my left twizzle, and now my coach has gone and thrown in a right foot twizzle into the program! Arrrggghhh!!

Any tips? I've been told various things like, "It's all in the shoulders" and "Keep your weight on the ball of your foot." I find that I get caught up and don't do a full rotation on my right foot, and end up stepping out on the left foot to complete the rotation.

To clarify, since I know there are different sorts of twizzles, this is the kind where you do a right outside swing roll into a one-rotation inside twizzle.

Any words of widsom would be appreciated!

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~No thinking, breathing, or hesitation!~

I'm working on a few twizzles...specifically from the Arg. and Rav Waltz. I think that aside from the "spin" feeling you get as you pull in the extended free leg - I also need to feel the correct weight placement on the twizzling foot.
I love working twizzles!

Question for the Canadian skaters - they took solo dances out of tests? Here in the US - you don't have to start soloing until you are working your Silver dances. (American, Tango, Rocker)

Happy Dancing!!!

Karen

Yep, no more solos for us! However, there is a point I am a bit confused on...

...At first, I was under the impression there were no more mandatory solos, and the judge could also no longer ask for a solo. However, on the SC site it says that if you are over 25 and asked to solo, you don't have to. This implies the judge CAN ask for a solo. OTOH, the rule is from a year or two years ago. Anyone know for sure?

So to answer your question...there are no more mandatory solos, but I'm not entirely clear on whether the evaluator can ask for a solo if he/she would like to see you do it on your own.

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~No thinking, breathing, or hesitation!~

luna_skater wrote: "Any tips? I've been told various things like, "It's all in the shoulders" and "Keep your weight on the ball of your foot." I find that I get caught up and don't do a full rotation on my right foot, and end up stepping out on the left foot to complete the rotation."

I would love to know the answer to this also! I have a twizzle in the footwork of my long program where I step forward on my right inside edge and twizzle two times around counterclockwise. I always seem to just survive the twizzle, but it never feels like I'm in control of it.

Can anyone help us??

I want to start dancing when I learn my basics.
Clara

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Ice Dancers rock my world!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't take dance lessons like I wish I could, but I just do sessions on Tuesdays. I know the dutch, the fiesta, and the rhythm blues. I cannot remember the canasta for the life of me!

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- Ashley

At mariposa all the dancers are know as Prancers. lol

Im a competative dancer and i train with Dave Islam. Right now im working on my Passo and i think its one of the easier dances but it is fast. Any other mariposa dancers out there??

In the descussion about judges asking for solos, well it is the same, Judges are still allowed to ask for the skater to perform a solo.


o and for all you who are having troubles with your twizzles make sure that u stand up and dont slouch, keep ur head up and go into the twizzle with a slight edge, depending on the kind of twizzle you are doin ie. right inside, left outside. Also i have noticed that different arm positions change the control of my twizzle, when u have time, experiment with different arm positions and see which suites you best. Im hope that helps!!