Cool:[color=red:3f642ae615][/color:3f642ae615][size=18:3f642ae615][/size:3f642ae615]
HAD MY FIRST DANCE LESSON YESTERDAY!![color=#444444:3f642ae615][/color:3f642ae615][size=9:3f642ae615][/size:3f642ae615] To prepare me for the Adult Camp I'll be attending next week; my secondary coach gave me a "dance cram". Learned about progressives, swing rolls and chasses. It is [color=red:3f642ae615][/color:3f642ae615][size=18:3f642ae615][/size:3f642ae615]WAY[color=#444444:3f642ae615][/color:3f642ae615][size=9:3f642ae615][/size:3f642ae615]different than freeskating. Even attempted the Dutch Waltz!

Pre- Bronze MIF: Alternating 3's are getting better, just need to maintaiin the power after the turn, which is when I lose it!


Crud:
Scratch spin decide to take a week off, hopefully it will be back when I attend camp in North Carolina next week![/b]

[quote:139c4fdedf="Terri C"]Cool:[color=red:139c4fdedf][/color:139c4fdedf][size=18:139c4fdedf][/size:139c4fdedf]
HAD MY FIRST DANCE LESSON YESTERDAY!![color=#444444:139c4fdedf][/color:139c4fdedf][size=9:139c4fdedf][/size:139c4fdedf] To prepare me for the Adult Camp I'll be attending next week; my secondary coach gave me a "dance cram". Learned about progressives, swing rolls and chasses. It is [color=red:139c4fdedf][/color:139c4fdedf][size=18:139c4fdedf][/size:139c4fdedf]WAY[color=#444444:139c4fdedf][/color:139c4fdedf][size=9:139c4fdedf][/size:139c4fdedf]different than freeskating. Even attempted the Dutch Waltz![/quote:139c4fdedf]

Terri, welcome to the wonderful world of ice dancing! It is, indeed, very different from free skating, but the skills you will learn do translate and can only enhance your free skating skills.

Incidentally, the day they tell you that you look like a dancer, rather than like a free skater dancing, you'll know you've cracked it! And that is really not an easy thing to change.

I could have skated this evening, but the public session at Slough is expecting 350+ kids (thanks, but no thanks!), and I have done something to my shoulder (too much painting - but it's almost finished now) which is rather sore, so we are taking the whole week off. Given the amount we quarreled last time we were on the ice (I was too upset to post about it at the time, but we were having enormous problems with the partnering side of things, and Himself stalked off in a huff because I was unable to explain what was wrong without stopping......), perhaps a week off is a good idea! Certainly I am longing to skate again at the weekend.

__________________
Mrs Redboots
~~~~~~~~
I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

I had a clean run through!!! I am so excited! I am taking my test on August 13th and I want to pass so badly. The test is at 9:30 at night and I am naturally a morning person as I skate in the wee hours. But that's that so I am hoping for a good day.

Figureskates! I am so glad that you are feeling better! Take extra good care of yourself, rest, eat well... I am still sending vibes and prayers!
I can't wait to see those jumps!

Warm Regards,
Kathleen

[quote:6559d8b2bc="Yazmeen"]Crud: Back crossovers started out as crud, but they got better. Power pulls!!! We started those today. Good grief, that's hard!

Any suggestions for doing power pulls? I'm currently just working on right foot forward. I realize I'm just starting, but I lose speed after the first change of edge and can't keep it going. All advice appreciated!

Thanks,

Beth[/quote:6559d8b2bc]

Hi Beth

Another bit of advice that my coach has given to me (apart from the 'spring like' knees and using the ankles) is to think of you free foot as a pencil! Extend it in front of you, point your toe and imagine DRAWING the wavy line with your toe. DON'T swing the free leg around as you'll get your edge but it won't be in control ..... oh, and don't do a 'me' and try and get the upper body to do the work either This exercise is mega tough on the quads if you're doing it properly so stand by and wait for those froglet thighs to develop

L x

__________________

The best whisper is a click

This may be a dopey question, but -- what's a "power pull"? :?

Good luck Kathleen! I'm testing on the 11th, which also happens to be my birthday, but my coach has had to work during the last three test sessions, so it's now or never. The good news is, I'm turning 21 so if I fail I can have fun buying my first alcohol afterwards! LOL. With any luck I will be working solely on my Silver dances at camp. (And my stupid Intermediate moves, but that's another story).

Figureskates: keep getting better! That's an order. I want to see those half-flips and the famous waltz jump.

Speaking of Lake Placid, has anyone heard from Sally? I haven't, not since before F$W went down. I suppose I should post this at the other board too and see if Chris knows where she's been.

[quote:911a575b86="CanAmSk8ter"]The good news is, I'm turning 21 so if I fail I can have fun buying my first alcohol afterwards! LOL.[/quote:911a575b86]

Well, let's hope you do pass - but whatever you do, I hope you enjoy your first legal drink! In this country, legal age is 18, and my daughter and a group of friends, all of whom had had their 18th birthdays by then, went out to have her first legal drink, only to be carded for the first time ever - and one of their number had forgotten her ID....

To whoever asked about power pulls, they are what we in the UK call one-footed slaloms; they are also impossible and make your knees hurt.

__________________
Mrs Redboots
~~~~~~~~
I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

[quote:ffd9ca0c1c="skatin' mom"]This may be a dopey question, but -- what's a "power pull"? :?[/quote:ffd9ca0c1c]
It's a move where you switch edges on one foot (inside to outside to inside to outside, etc..) and you gather power from each lobe of the edges. It's actually a lot more complicated than that, but only if you're doing them. They make your legs tired really fast..

[b:ffd9ca0c1c]Cool![/b:ffd9ca0c1c][list:ffd9ca0c1c][*:ffd9ca0c1c]I found the magic trick for my backspins! When I turn for the the LFI3 from the pivot, I [i:ffd9ca0c1c]push[/i:ffd9ca0c1c] CCW with my freeleg/hip and that straightens me out! Another adult skater with really good backspins (one of the few that actually spins on the right edge..) also agree with me on this! LOL she said that with an LFI3 without the pivot, I can kick really high and it's [i:ffd9ca0c1c]fun[/i:ffd9ca0c1c]! I got a couple that finally spun on the sweet spot when I pulled in! Yay!
[*:ffd9ca0c1c]Back cross-strokes are getting better!
[*:ffd9ca0c1c]Dunno why, but waltz jumps were flyin'! Whee!
[*:ffd9ca0c1c]Loop. Had a couple good ones..[/list:u:ffd9ca0c1c]
[b:ffd9ca0c1c]Crud[/b:ffd9ca0c1c]:[list:ffd9ca0c1c][*:ffd9ca0c1c]Falls on the backspin. When entering it, I'd kick out too hard then [i:ffd9ca0c1c]FOOM! [/i:ffd9ca0c1c]Bodyslam! After the second one, I decided that maybe that was enough... Surprisingly, it didn't really hurt, but I was getting awfully close to hitting my head, and didn't want to press my luck. :wink:
[*:ffd9ca0c1c]Flip. (Or more specifically, that #($*&% LFO3 before the flip..) Ewwwww.....what's more frustrating is that there was another skater there taking a private lesson who was landing pretty good flips, and she couldn't even do proper back crossovers or a scratch spin....grrrrr, why are they so easy for some people?
[*:ffd9ca0c1c]Every other spin other than the backspin. For some reason, nothing else really worked...and I had the sit spin so good yesterday!
[*:ffd9ca0c1c]My lack of runout on my jumps (other than the waltz..) I've to figure out what I'm doing wrong here..[/list:u:ffd9ca0c1c]
Anita

...... erm, that's it really!

After paying £15.60 for a train ticket ESPECIALLY to go into the rink for a lesson I got there and coach was being coached himself! Not only did I NOT get a lesson but he had someone on there that I don't like skating at the same time as (does that make sense?). Even though my friend's music was on she still skated straight into him and didn't even TRY to take avoiding action or apologise!!! Add this to the fact that I'm CONVINCED that my blades are totally wrong, the fact that I managed one 'decent' scratch and one 'decent' backspin before wrenching my knee again on a WALTZ JUMP landing .......... and you can probably guess my mood right now. I probably 'skated' for no more than 10 minutes in total! Then things got even better ........ went along to my hairdresser (of 12 years) to find that he had closed his salon down and hadn't even bothered to contact me Right now my feet are sore, I'm tired, I'm fed up, I hate skating ........ ok, I'll shut up

Just hope that the rest of you are having a slightly better time of it!!!

L x

__________________

The best whisper is a click

[quote:dc8bfd669b="skatin' mom"]This may be a dopey question, but -- what's a "power pull"? :?[/quote:dc8bfd669b]

It's pure torture!!!! :wink:

Forward power pull: Stand (a small push helps to start) on one skate with your free leg out front. Swing your arms, torso, and free leg back and forth. Go from outside edge to inside edge on your skating foot. Accelerate. (Sure!!!)

You can get an hours workout in about 10 minutes. :wink:

They say backward power pulls are easier.

[b:3a5eeef183]Cool[/b:3a5eeef183]
* Worked on deathdrops and flying sitspin this morning. A flying sit is one of my ultimate goals in skating, so starting on it was exciting.
* Did a few [b:3a5eeef183]perfectly[/b:3a5eeef183] centered sitspins.
* Loops were enormous.

[b:3a5eeef183]Crud[/b:3a5eeef183]
* Lutz. I was leaning sideways on every one of them, so I kept two-footing.
* Axel. Enough said.

Back power pulls are MUCH easier than forward for me.

A pretty good lesson for the 3rd lesson of the week. Especially considering I really didn't get to practice much inbetween lessons.

[b:cf3c0af65b]Cool: [/b:cf3c0af65b]
* 14Step: 2 sets of 2 patterns to the music + some w/o music. I've skated it better overall, but the open mohawk was good today.

* Alternating Back Crossovers... : Coach was pleased with my first run-through so that's all I had to do. He said they were nice and fast but that I could still stand up straighter.

[b:cf3c0af65b]There: [/b:cf3c0af65b] (i.e. the halfway in-betweens)
* Forward Power-3s: The left side was good. The right side is getting better. Of course, before my lesson I did several right side sequences w/ no choctaw problems, including one just as my coach got on the ice. But as soon as I got in lesson, old habits returned. I started playing around with the end-pattern connecting steps just for fun.

[b:cf3c0af65b]Uncool: [/b:cf3c0af65b]
* Foxtrot: No patterns to music today. We took it off pattern and worked on my RFO cross-roll into the LFO cross-roll 3. I realized after my lesson yesterday that I wasn't squaring off my hips enough as I skated onto the LFO cross-stroke to do the 3-turn. Plus not bending the knees enough.

Over the weekend I'm going to work the dance to music...

I told my coach I'm going to get me a warm-up shirt with the words "Bend your knees" on it. Actually a pair of gloves with that on it would work best.

deleted

Had pairs lesson and went through the program, making sure we were both skating the same one - which has been a challenge as we have had three in the last couple of months. Put in some hoppy dance steps and double threes in the footwork, added the spiral sequence, another lift and a throw. The strangest part is practicing the program on my own. Anyone watching would wonder what I was up to!

Cool:

Actually getting height on my toe loop. Changing my arms around really helped (thanks for the tips!). Now, I've just to get the pulling in part down.

We learned a layback spin! I don't think it's even a freestyle instructional skill, but the instructor thought we might enjoy it (and we're all female, LOL!). At first, she had us skate forward in the attitude position and then try spinning with our leg out but with our upper body straight, just to get a feel for it. My first try went well, so I decided to try bending back, which led to the cruddy part of the lesson - see below.

Waltz jump continues to improve - getting more height.

Back crossovers are getting faster.


Crud:

My scratch spin appears to have abandoned me! Ugghh! And especially when my instructor was watching me. I've got to figure out a way not to get off balance on my blade and to also stop whacking my left leg w/ the end of my right blade. Ouch! Add another cut this week.

I fell doing the layback! I probably shouldn't have tried to lean back just yet, as I got kind of disoriented coming out of it and must have caught/tripped on my toe pick while exiting the spin. At first, I thought I was going to fall backwards and tried to shift my weight so as to go forward - and I landed on my left hip/knee. Good thing I wore leggings that day instead of my skirt.

Well, off to practice on Sunday! Got to solve my spinning disability.

Cool:
I passed my adult pre-bronze free skating test this morning! I was so sure I was going to fail because any progress I'd made on my 1-foot spin had desserted me last night, and still wasn't with me during my practice and brief lesson this morning. My poor coach was about ready to tear his hair out. Even my waltz jump had nearly desserted me; on the first one last night I barely landed on my toepick, tipping forward.

But I went out and did everything as well as I could, and got some nice comments from the judge. She had me try the 1-foot spin twice, and I was about at 2 revolutions, but I suppose the rest of the test balanced it out. Actually, the 2 revolutions was about 1 1/2 better than I was getting last night! My coach said to me afterwards, "You really [b:4e968af46f]do[/b:4e968af46f] skate up!" I think I was most happy about landing my jumps pretty well and doing my backward crossovers on relatively bad ice. And surprised and happy at the judge's comment that I have good posture. 8)

On to the bronze moves, since I don't expect to get a toe loop, salchow, and flip, not to mention a backspin, by the end of August!

Good luck to anyone with competitions or tests coming up, especially any adults trying to beat the September deadline!

Pat
(planning never to do another 2-foot spin in her life!)

Cool:

My Axel has decided to return again and its big! I can feel the air time--- so cool !!
My Spiral has improved again... I can straighten my skating leg now and so I can get on a better edge with more extension...
I have figured out that I have been trying to put my weight in the wrong place in spins... it should be on the ball of your feet right? I have been pressing very hard on my toes for dear life.... now my toes don't hurt so much trying (in vain ) to keep balanced...
I am practising my back sit... my friend told me at the end of a spin combination that everything was very good, except the back sit... so I got to make it perfect and its coming along except it makes my right leg ache...

Crud:
Since I got my axel, I decided to try the axel-half loop-flip... but my Half-loop is so terrible I always end up doing the jump combination in a circle with the radius my height... awful... I want it straighter...
I need to get used to placing my weight differently on my spins... maybe I can get my spins to be consistent... finally???
My double salchow is on and off... looks like it isn't as coming along as I thought it was...
Double toe-loop is back to revising toe-loop basics... arrgh so many problems, now when I pick with my leg straight, my left leg swings wildly on the landing...

__________________
~
Tidesong

[quote:362a08710f="TashaKat"] Right now my feet are sore, I'm tired, I'm fed up, I hate skating ........ ok, I'll shut up

Just hope that the rest of you are having a slightly better time of it!!!

L x[/quote:362a08710f]

Well, you sound exactly like I felt last Sunday - and after a week off the ice (planned, although we could have gone to your rink, or to Slough), I am actually nervous about going back tomorrow. I feel quite sure I shall have forgotten everything I ever learnt! And my shoulders are sore, and I have a backache - this is, of course, due to not having taken much exercise except for painting the bathroom (it's finished!!!!!! And it looks fantastic :-) - hang on, I'll go and take a photo or two..... No I won't, there's washing hanging up over the bath which ruins the effect! Oh well, tomorrow, perhaps.

Anyway, I'm dreadfully feeling the lack of exercise this week, and rather dreading going back tomorrow. Last Sunday morning I was really convinced I'd hung my skates up for good - I'm very tempted to say I have, but whatever would I do for exercise then?????

__________________
Mrs Redboots
~~~~~~~~
I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

For Thursday...

[b:0d8b069bc4]Cool:[/b:0d8b069bc4]Finally starting to get that nasty choctaw after holding the BI edge. Moves coach made me do alternating FO3's...and she wants them done RIGHT...but the arm position she had me on made it easier for me to get the BI-FO choctaw for the next FO3. I hope that it stays that way... I got lots of moves (and the flip jump) requiring good FO3's...and the choctaw will certainly help with my spin entry! She also said that if I have more control on my FO3 and my BI edge hold that I would turn my "not bad" salchow to a "good salchow."

I had one very GOOD spin... not because of the spin itself but because of the entry. It was easier getting the BI-FO choctaw. I'm so surprised that I even got THAT!!! Let's hope it will stick this time around...

[b:0d8b069bc4]Crud:[/b:0d8b069bc4] Back crossovers... well Moves coach said it is better but it's still crud... I'm starting to finally get around the ends of the rink, so that helps a bit. (She had me work on leading with my back arm.)

The other crud...Mistress Coach isn't teaching me this week either (because of hockey camp.) I hope to get tortured by her this coming Thursday!!!

For Saturday:

[b:79e71ad294]Cool:[/b:79e71ad294]I almost had the rink ALL to myself as I was skating at a FS session that was intended for the younger kids who are preparing for Regionals. Guess they all skated in the mornings, as pretty much only about 4 people totally showed up for the two FS session. One of the skater pretty much had the rink to herself for at least about 20 minutes before someone else came on the ice to skate.

Because of that, I was able to practice those dreaded back crossovers w/o worrying about hitting anyone (well, except for that one skater, but she was far enough away from me and she skated well enough to know how to maneuver away from me!)

Sit spins: Stayed in the middle! WOO HOO!!!

[b:79e71ad294]Crud:[/b:79e71ad294]The whole entire session...just couldn' skate well enough. Maybe it's because I could now clearly see all the mistakes that I've been making on the ice. The scratch spins weren't THAT bad, but bad enough that I knew I was traveling from SF to NY if I didn't stop spinning! In fact, I had some pretty good ones too!!! Pretty much stayed in the middle. Didn't feel much like jumping, fell on the ice doing 5 step mohawks, my FO3 were a BEAR on one side and much better on the other, and I could HEAR all the mistakes on my back crossovers (though I was able to correct myself and go on...) Oh, those toe scratchies!!! YUCK! YUCK! YUCKO!!!

Hamstring was very tired and very sore afterwards. Uh oh...

Guess empty ice session also doesn't motivate me either...at least not without a coach on the ice with me!!!

Cheers,
jazzpants