The link for the petition is: Click here

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Who me? Couldn't be....
http://www.youtube.com/bouldersk8r

I signed.

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"The only place where success comes before work is in a dictionary." -- Vidal Sasson

"Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway." -- Unknown

I thought that adults did not have to take the solo dance tests... is that not correct? If not, do you think people who have tested only the partnered version of the dance should be allowed to skate a solo dance event? Are they now in other, local, events?

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August 22, back on the ice!

Yes, pretty much any other competition includes solo dance, including Adult Sectionals. The fact that it isn't included at Nationals means that most adult dancers can never compete there, since partners are few and far between.

In fact, a fair proportion of adult dancers rarely practice solo, or if they do, only do bits and pieces, not whole patterns to the music. And a side effect of that is that it catches up about the time they hit the Silver dances, where even if a dance is taken Adult Track (with lower passing average and no required solo), it is expected that the tester demonstrate that they aren't just being steered around by their coach/partner. And it will be commented upon, on the test papers. "Needs more power and flow" being a sample.


I can't necessarily do all the dances that I'm working on solo to the music (although I should push myself to do so), but I at least make a valiant effort. I know of quite a few adult women working on dance where they only want to skate with their male coach during the lesson, not work on the troublesome bits of the dance(s) solo.

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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...

ˆˆˆ Maybe having solo dance at Nationals would encourage more adults to strengthen their dances enough to compete. Believe me, I was happy to get through the European without soloing it---but now I have to compete it solo! And I'm now *extremely* motivated to get it down, so as to not embarass myself if nothing else.

I signed. I know I'm not an ice dancer, but I most definitely would consider doing ice dancing when I no longer can do jumps (which may be very soon giving how my lower back is these days.)

As for the partner vs. solo thing, sorry, I like skating alone! I don't like relying on a partner. (Of course, if he's really good looking and makes both of us look good, that might change my mind...)

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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!!!

Well, I constantly do my dances solo and I have been taught that I should always be able to do my dances solo. A lot of skater's that I know do solo dance and as noted above partners are far and few between, my partner would need to be 6'1 or 6'2 and I don't think there are a lot of fellas out there at that height who could partner me.

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Who me? Couldn't be....
http://www.youtube.com/bouldersk8r

Here in the UK, solo dancing is a part of our Adult Championships, and very popular it is, too! Many skaters enter both Championships, in some cases you see partners competing against one another in solo dance. And there are always those who either cannot find, or do not want, a partner.

Like the couples, solo dancers are required to do two compulsory dances and a free dance, the duration and difficulty of which obviously increases with level.

Actually, solo dance also has its own elite Championships in this country, not held at the same time as our regular Championships, but with qualifying standards almost as stringent!

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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!

Correct about adults not being required to take solo tests. But I don't know many coaches who will even partner a student who can't even do the steps correctly solo! My dance coaches in the past have always beaten me to death with doing the steps solo over and over and over with music and without. And nowadays, no one (adult or kid) has to solo until they start taking their silver level tests so you can go pretty far without soloing. The lower level dance tests are available for soloing if you want to test them that way though.

Or if that's the only way you can test your dances. Partners (even coaches who partner) are few and far between in my city. All of the people who dance at my rink test the Solo track. Yes, if we ever want to partner we have to go back and retest with a partner. But at least we get to dance.

That's why I signed for ANs. I would have loved to have competed dance this year, but I can't find a partner and, like someone else, my partner would have to be around 6' in order to get the right line. Not too many guys out there like that. I love ice dancing, and compete solo in every competition I can. But until that day where I can find a partner, that's the only option I have. I'd love to see it at ANs! I do think it would be quite popular!

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

I'm a bit confused, we were at an interstate comp earlier this year (Australia) and were interested to see they had a Solo Dance section which was run over a couple of days. Is this thread just relating to adults or also younger skaters. My daughter is a single skater and has also done synchro but is very interested in solo dance. She started doing ballet and jazz ballet about a year ago and loves it so thinks she may also love dance. She is wondering what it would be like to skate without jumps but thinks there will be difficult footwork that will make dance interesting.

I know little about Solo Dance and would like to know more

There is no Solo dance event at US Adult Nationals. This petition is to request that the United States Figure Skating Association add Solo Dance events at US Adult Nationals.

I understand in the UK there is a very viable Solo dance competition track... including a British Solo Dance champion at different levels.

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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...

It's big in the UK, great for those who don't want to do a programme with jumps in it, but certainly no easy option.

I'm glad solo is big in the uk, I can't find a partner and probably would kill them if i did now! I'm so used to dancing alone! the odd times I dance with my coach I nearly trip him up! xx

I signed. I don't plan on dancing but I will always be supportive of aspirations in skating wherever they would be found.

pairman2

Guess I'll have to keep at this then; I could be popular some day.

Rob (6'0"--but only on Pre-Bronze) Dean

keep it up Rob but only if you want to be eaten alive!

TreSk8sAZ & I will arm wrestle for you...... (another tall girl here, also need a 6' or more partner)....

I hadn't ever planned to be competitive, and the other consideration is that I'm less than a year from being in Class IV. (What do they do with a mixed age team?) But, who knows? This is already a lot farther along than when I signed up for some LTS classes to be able to skate at public sessions safely, and to get some exercise...

Rob

I'm not sure this applies to your specific situation, but a few years back, USFS approved same sex partners for test purposes. I don't know how the rule is worded, but I think it's came about so that a female coach can partner for their female students during tests.

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Denver Synchronicity

I don't know what the USFSA rules are, but NISA rules are that you skate in the age-group of the younger partner.

Go for it, Rob - you know 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!

I was wondering how the petiton is going...Interest in Solo Dance is increasing here in Australai, my daughter is doing singles along with solo dance and a Solo section is starting to be included in most competitions here.

My daughter did a couple of dance tests recently, and had to do them with a partner, she is so used to doing the dances on her own, it took a bit of adjusting for her to get used to being partnered.

I'm all for it but...does anyone pay attention to these petitions...

and would you have to be at a certain level -like pre-bronze freeskaters can't compete at Nationals and what test would qualify you? Could you compete if you had passed solo track or standard track or adult or masters (note "Masters" means something different in dance than freestyle) track - which is only partner?

I'm thinking as long as they don't have an adult dance solo track, I'm not sure how far I can get testing solo-- as hard as it was for me to pass the prelim solo compared to partner (I passed both)

joelle (waiting till she's 50 this summer so she can test masters)

Food for thought about Solo Dance at ANs. At the Adult Commitee meeting at AN, a lot of talk was about adding a Championship Bronze and Silver event as well. And a lot of talk was about how it would affect scheduling, practice time, more officials, expenses, the whole nine yards. They said adding those events would add another day onto what was an already VERY long competition. And if they were added, perhaps some events would have to be taken away. A lot more is involved to adding on events than I ever realized, and more than most people realize. To add solo dance would being up all the same issues, especially even moreso if it's going to be judged under IJS. I also have no idea of the time, and EXPENSE of running IJS at a competition. That's why the days were so long, and the schedule had already been compacted a lot. To add in Solo Dance, something else would have to likely be taken away, perhaps Interp, perhaps something else. I support the ideas of adding the event, but it's more involved to add that than I think a lot of people realize.

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"Where are we going and why are we in this handbasket?"