(My apologies to those of you who have seen this question elsewhere!)

This is a question for the pairs skaters among us. In this country, even pre-Bronze ice dancers (called "Elementary") are required to do a free dance in our Adult Championships, and great fun it is, too. The only required elements are a step sequence (this year a mid-line step sequence; last year it was diagonal) and a spin of at least 3 revolutions.

Husband and I have done a Scottish dance, and so it works for our spin to be an FO upright spin, arm in arm. Which is gradually getting better - we can even bring our free legs in front, so it looks more Scottish.....

But what we can't do is a conventional pairs spin in waltz hold. We know how to do it, but it never works! I usually end up under his right armpit (very niffy!).....

Any hints? I should add that neither of us can spin worth a damn solo - Husband sometimes can if he remembers to keep his centre of gravity over his skate, but all too often his body is all over the place. I'm not sure why I can't, but I suspect it's for similar reasons - plus I tend to bottle out if I do start to spin!

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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!

Hmmm, I'm not sure what you mean by a "conventional pairs spin in waltz hold." That doesn't sound like a pairs spin; it sounds like the dance spins I've seen, and I know nothing about true dance spins. True pairs spins are other positions, like camels, facing camels, pair sit, pair back sit, and a variety of other weird positions. I've never done a pairs spin facing each other in anything resembling a waltz hold. (We have done one where we face each other and he wraps one leg around my waist, but I don't encourage anyone to try it! )

In the UK it's the first "pairs spin" you would normally learn, and very difficult we found it too Annabel, we could do pair camel and 3 different variations but the face to face spin was the hardest thing for us, unfortunately we found no magical solution, we just found as with the solo spin it was just a matter of working on it over and again, you end up getting a feel for what is happening on both sides and automatically correct it.

Our coach was always insisting that we keep the free leg to the side (I think she was worried I might knee him in a sensitive place) I suppose it looked better too but we found it better to take the free leg back a bit, but I think technically it is more correct to the side.

On the brighter side, if you end up under his armpit, you could always use that move to your advantage and make it into a variation, where maybe you end up behind him. You would be surprised how many variations we found simply by accident.

So what is the first pairs spin that is learnt in the US, then? If it's easier than the one Samba and I are talking about, it'd be well worth learning.....

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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!

The first pair spin we learned was a tango camel. In it, the man is in a "normal" camel position, spinning CCW on his left foot. The woman is in a back camel position, facing him, spinning CCW on her right foot. Thus, they're making a mirror image of each other. The extended free legs are touching, and the extended free arms are joined by holding hands (his left; her right). If you can get into camel positions, I think this is easier.

We never mastered that one either, spinning in effect backwards on my right foot with the fear of someone falling on top of me, scared me to death, I would only do the one where we were both on the same foot.

If that's what you guys do for starters no wonder you have such good pair skaters over there.

If you can crack that one Annabel then you have my full admiration.

Cheers
Grace