what's your favorite dance boot and which one do you use?

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To be completely honest, my favorite dance boots are my worn-down freestyle boots. I wore GAMs for my freestyle boots for two years. When I got new boots, I had my dance blades put on my freestyle boots. They aren't stiff enough for the doubles I'm doing, but they are so comfortable and bend so well that I won't change again until I have to. This may not help if you are getting your first pair of boots, but all of the dancers I know (including some national/international level dancers in the U.S.) feel the same way I do. You just can't get the same crease and bend with new boots, even if they are specifically for dance.

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"Without a struggle, there can be no progress" ~ Frederick Douglass

I used to use Wifa Super Goldstar which were nice BUT I was going to get the Harlick customs with the dance back stays and the scallops at the ankle.

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The best whisper is a click

I have Jackson Elite Plus Dance (I think that's the name) and Ultima Dance blades and I really like them.

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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!

I wear Gams, which are good all-round boots. But with Team Precision blades - I'll go for those again, I think, or for Coronation Dance as I really don't need more blade.

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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!

I had Coronation Dance for Bronze and Pre-Silver (Hickory, Willow, Ten-Fox and FOurteenstep, Foxtrot, and European) and they were great. I wore them out right around the time I started working seriously on my Silvers, which is about when I had been told I should consider upgrading to the MK Dance anyway. I still wear them to teach, as they're short enough that I don't worry about tripping over the heels but they've got enough of a toepick that I can reliably demonstrate spins and single jumps.

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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!

Thanks, CanAmSk8er - you've confirmed what I was pretty sure of, that I don't need to upgrade my blades this time round! Team Precision or Coronation Dance (whichever is cheaper!) will do me fine for the next few years. I'm not quite ready to get new boots and blades yet, though - probably in three or four months' time.

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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!

I have Klingbeil custom boots (3rd pair) and Ultima dance blades.

Used to have MK dance blades but changed to the Ultima about a year ago.

Oh yes, blades! I used MK Dance (the old versions, I believe that they've changed) but if I got into it again I would LOVE to try the Ultimas. I liked the MK Dance blades, they were very comfortable to skate in AND I suddenly didn't struggle as much with 3-turns AND I didn't stand on my blade and give myself a skull fracture in the 14-step anymore (not an ideal dance to do in Gold Seals )

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The best whisper is a click

The Ultima dance blades are flatter than the MK dance blades... Ultimas have an 8-foot radius as I recall and the MK dance has a 7-foot radius (or at least used to). The new model changed the toepick to be less extreme than on the model I have.

Loved my mid to late 80's vintage MK dance blades MUCH more than my 2001-vintage MK dance blades.

But about the only time I really FIND the toepicks on them is on my back cross-rolls and the occasional RFI3 in the Tango, and I'm finally starting to break the bad habits in both of those.

Is it the Ultima dance blades toepicks that are less extreme, or the MK dance blades? How about the thin-ness of the Ultimas as compared to the MKs?

I am considering dumping my MK Dance (HATE the toe-picks -- there is NOTHING there when you need them (like for synchro) and the rocker is kind of severe...

consdering Dance boots, too.

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Is Portland the only city with it's own ice-dance website? http://www.pdxicedance.net/

Yeah, they did change the MK Dance. That's why I went to the Ultimas, my coach said a lot of people didn't like whatever it was they changed about the MK and he heard they were having some quality-control issues with MK. I can't really compare the Ultimas to the MK, b/c my Mk's were almost three years old and should have been replaced about six months before I finally did it, and the guy I had had sharpen them in a pinch (and only because I knew they were on their last legs anyway) screwed up the rocker. So the Ultimas were a big adjustment, but I really do like them. The only hard part is that like someone else said, I could use a slightly bigger toe pick for synchro. But it's not a big deal.

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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!

MK Dance toepick much less extreme. But like I said, I really haven't noticed the difference in the toe pick that much. Ultima appears to be more of a "standard width" blade than the slim-line MK dance, but again, I really didn't find that to be much of an adjustment issue.

The difference in rocker was the only issue I had... and for me the Ultimas have been much more stable. But then I'm rather chubby.

I had my Klingbeils customized a bit extra for the dance, also. I had them cut about 3/4" lower all the way around the top, with a bit more cut-down in the back. No scallops, but haven't really noticed not having them (I've never had the dance scallops, so can't say if I'd find them beneficial). For me, the Klingbeils were comfortable from day 1, especially once I replaced the slick nylon laces with a cotton blend lace.

Presumably - JenLyon, or Tashakat, or anybody who's seen me/us skate recently - Ultimas would also be rather too much blade for me, no? I've been very happy with my Team Precisions, but they are on their last legs, and when I get new boots later this year (I hope), I'll replace them, too.

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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!

Ultima makes a Synchro blade that you might consider as well. I skated in MK Team Precision blades before I switched to Ultima, and I love my Ultimas. They come highly recommended by synchro skaters, and I did all of my dances and skills in them.

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~No thinking, breathing, or hesitation!~

Here is a link to the Ultima Ascend dance blades, which are their original dance blades. These are the ones I have (only in black finish)

http://www.skate-connection.com/figu...fb_ub_asce.htm


This is their new more advanced dance blade

http://www.skate-connection.com/figu...b_ub_dance.htm

and here is a link to their Synchro blade

http://www.skate-connection.com/figu...fb_ub_sync.htm



Gary just bought these...

Thanks. Anyway, there's a few months yet before I need to decide.... hopefully by the Mountain Cup I'll be in new boots and blades, but if not, it will be "sometime between Bracknell and the British Adults", no doubt.

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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!

Hi -- I'm bumping this up because I just got my new dance boots this week!! I got SP Teri Dance (does anyone else have these?) -- my current boots are SP Teri Super Teri which I got 15 years ago and have held up well through the years. The new Teri Super-Teri seemed really stiff to me, and I thought the dance boot seemed softer and so I got fitted for those during Nationals.

So they came this week and they are really beautiful boots!! Had them heat-molded at a local shop (good guy there) and they feel great!!

So now I am still obsessing about Dance Blades. I am currently using the MK Dance, which I am not really thrilled with, although they are okay, I feel like I want to try something else. (Flatter radius? More and bigger picks? I don't know... I like the shortness of the blade -- that is not a problem)

I know the Ultima Dance has been discussed a lot on this board and that people seem to like it. The guy at my shop said that he doesn't like Ultima and doesn't sell them or advocate them in any way. I know that they are noisy adn that the blade is very hard. There have been some problems with the chrome plating, or at least that is what I have heard.

So I am now wondering about the Wilson Super Dance 99. Has anyone on this list tried it? Do you know anyone who has it?

I read something today (on-line, probably not the best place to find good info, but it's what is available) that the regular Pattern 99 has a very low stanchion and so the boot is not as far off the ice as on any other blade which makes it hard to do edges (?). I had never heard that before.

Any experiences or comments would be helpful.

Oh, the guy also said that everyone loves the Parabolic blade -- he thinks it will be the "blade of the future" -- meaning at some point, all blades will be made with this Parabolic profile...

For me, it just adds to the confusion.

Thanks.

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Is Portland the only city with it's own ice-dance website? http://www.pdxicedance.net/

I don't know about them being noisy and there WERE problems with the chrome plating flaking (it didn't affect the performance) but that's ages ago and as far as I'm aware that was solved a long time ago.


That's all very well but where are these wonderful skate guys who are going to grind them properly? I find it difficult enough to get 'normal' blades done correctly

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The best whisper is a click

I spoke to my fitter about parabolic blades a couple times - and he's not yet convinced. He is reserving final judgement until he tries a pair himself. There are a couple skaters at the private rink he works at who have them, but there doesn't seem to be any real difference, other than the claims on MK and John Wilson's websites. He said it may be that the skaters who have them are not of sufficient level to feel the difference and use it to their advantage though, so it's hard to say for certain.

I imagine a large part of it is a matter of preference...regardless of which is "better", there will always be some who prefer either side of the argument.

Don't know where your guy got his information, but the British squad skaters I know absolutely loathe Parabolic blades, and say No Way.... they've gone back to the MK Dance blades they've used since childhood.

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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!

I have Ultima Ascends. After about 9 months, a big flake of the metal (the actual steel, not the chrome) came out right after a sharpening. I could still skate on it (in fact I tested on it!), and meanwhile they ordered me a new pair. The last time they were sharpened, he pointed out that on the very ends the chrome had started to flake a bit. He said if it continued he'd order me another pair. So I don't know if I just have extremely bad luck, but that makes 2 pairs that seem to still have issues with the metal.

HOWEVER, I look at it like this: I got a free pair of blades after 9 months, so I got almost an extra year out of this before I'll need to buy new ones (maybe more if this chrome on the tail keeps flaking! Come on, chrome! )! I love the blades & the maneuverability on the ice. So personally I would still recommend them.

I've seen that behavior with other pairs of Ultima Ascends within the past year or so (not sure about lately).

I got the black Ultima Ascends (solely because that's what the shop had in stock in my size, at the time I bought them) and haven't had any chipping/flaking problems in the 18 months I've been skating on them.

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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...

I have the Wilson SuperDance 99 blades; am on my 3rd pair in 8 years, and absolutely love them; am not even tempted to try anything else. They are very fast and turns are quick and easy; wouldn't trade them for anything! They have the 8" rocker comparable to the Pattern 99s.

Thank you!! This is exactly what I was looking for -- someone who had tried the Wilson Super Dance 99!!

I'm glad to hear you like them.

Now I want to know more about you -- what level are you skating on?

Have you tried the MK Dance at all? (Probably not, or you would have said so).

Anyway, thank you!!

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Is Portland the only city with it's own ice-dance website? http://www.pdxicedance.net/