I knew this would be the place to come for some encouraging words!!

I've been skating my whole life, but I've been focused on synchro only for the past 11 years. I went up through Canskate and Canfigureskate and then quit to just do synchro. Although I've been skating for 16 years, I've never tested anything! So I bit the bullet and called a coach today who is willing to take me on for skills and dance. I have my first session tomorrow, and I'm so nervous and freaked out! The world of singles skating and testing is totally foreign to me! Help!

I totally love singles skating (and when i started out my coach thought that i would definately go into synchro). With the skills that you've learned in synchro you will probably have pretty good basics and that will make all types of singles skating much easier. Good luck and most importantly have fun! Definately let us know how it all went.

You will be just great with singles and dance! I think you'll love having a new focus, and you will certainly zip through many early tests and have a great sense of achievement. The hardest part was calling that coach and making the decision. Now comes the fun!

You're going to have so much fun. The hardest part is to learn (remember) the patterns, and once you've tested it you can forget it forever. Some judges aren't so picky on the pattern either as long as you show that you're a strong powerful skater with good edges.

Oh, the skills music just sucks, you're going to love waltzing 3's and mohawks

Hehe, thanks, guys! It's not so much the skating I'm worried about...I already know the Dutch Waltz and I've tried tne waltzing threes and mohawks (that music IS terrible). I'm just nervous about the environment. I'm used to doing everything skating related as a team, not just by myself! But my first lesson is today, so here goes nothing!

Oh, that is different. Singles skating is so much of being on your own, go out on the ice, skate around, take your lesson at the appointed time, then practice, again on your own. If you're lucky, there's other skaters doing the same things you are so that you have "company" so to speak, when practicing a dance, but so much of singles skating has to be self motivated.

Hope you had a good lesson, pleae post!

Full steam ahead! Learned the Dutch Waltz, Baby Blues, and Canasta today, and my coach is trying to get me into a test day in May. It was great! My coach is really nice, and I already feel like my skills are improving. He is able to point out little things and give individual attention that you can't get at synchro practice. My knees are killing me because I've been off the ice since synchro ended a month ago, but it's a good hurt!

My daughter started out as a synchro skater many years ago (it seems) and got involved with dance to help her with synchro. She loved dance so much that she quit synchro, focused exclusively on ice dance, and medalled with her partner in ice dance at Nationals in Dallas this past January. She and her partner have also received teo NACS assignments. I'll give you the same advice that my wife and I gave my daughter - have fun.

Yay! Passed the prelim dances with flying colours. Apparently my "tango expression" was very evident on the Canasta (who knew?), I had nice lobes and extension on the Baby Blues, and nice knee bend on the Dutch Waltz. As my coach and I watched the Jr. Bronze tests after I was finished, he entertained the thought of teaching me the Swing and the Willow on the spot and seeing if they would let me get in on the test session. Lol. Now no ice till June, and then hopefully I'll get Jr. and Sr. Bronze out of the way.

Many congratulations!

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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!