As an over-the-hill beginner, I hope to venture into Interpretive since I will never be able to compete in other areas with those who started younger and have more years on the ice.

Since my schedule is pretty much full up right now, with working full time, skating 4 times each week, and trying to keep a household together, I don't have time to take a formal class but need to learn more about dance, creative dance, and performance to enhance my Interpretive skating. I have got the technical side covered with my coach and I picked up a couple of basic ballet DVDs for form and posture but think I also need to add something for "creative dance", something I can do mostly at home.

Have any of you tried any at-home creative dance DVDs? Any that you particularly liked or disliked?

Thanks!

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Dianne
(A.O.S.S.? Got it BAD! )

Hey Fellow AOSS!

Interpretive is a great idea! I don't know too much about being graceful but I try, sigh
I rather liked the Zumba tapes as starting simple enough for a clod like me to keep up for a little while

Also try 2 foot slaloms with 2 foot F/B 3 turns, brackets and rockers. Saw a beginner win interp once doing these with head up, a big smile and good arms agains a gold and 2 silver skaters!

HAve FUN
Lyle

Have you just tried skating to a piece of music while on a session and seeing where it goes? Moving your arms, doing turns, etc. That I have found to be way more helpful for interpretive programs than creative dance, ballet or whatever else.

Personally, I find creating a character is far more helpful than trying to skate to the music (which I can't do anyway). Mind you, when I was being Rizzo from Grease last year, I actually jumped my 3-jump instead of stepping it (normally it jumps quite beautifully in practice and gets stepped in competition), and was so pleased with myself that I fell right out of character!

My most successful programmes have been Puppet on a String, Jake the Peg and Master of the House, all involving capering around being funny rather than actual skating.....

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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!

In Canada. creating programs with a character isn't recommended. Our interpretives are to move to the music and interpret the style, mood, etc. For example, if you were doing Grease, you would want to have moves that would have existed back when the music was around. Lyrics help to figure out what kind of moves to you. Yes, you can think in your head Rizzo, but you wouldn't put on a full Rizzo costume. We were told that people should be able to figure out what you are interpreting if you were wearing a plain black dresss

That's the same here if we call it "Interpretive", but the kind they do at the Mountain Cup is more what used, here, to be called "Artistic" but latterly is called "Exhibition", only you are only allowed hand-held props.

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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!

jp1 is correct - in Canada Interpretive is different. A lot of the Interpretive I see the young people doing are pretty "simple", almost pantomime. What I want to do is more along the lines of "modern dance" on ice, a bit more “artistic”, portraying the feeling of the music rather than the lyrics. I may get short down for it - we’ll see if the judges can move beyond kiddie programs into something more adult LOL!

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Dianne
(A.O.S.S.? Got it BAD! )

I rather like the TV programme "So you think you can dance". I know nothing about dance although I've got my first interpretive test, and when my test sheet talked about my lack of use of "space" I had no clue what that meant. I was happy that I'd done all the footwork I was supposed to. From watching the tv show, I get the idea of space and being grounded meant (Mia ) , and that actually doing nothing can mean something.

If I would take dance lessons for the purpose of interpretive, I would take modern dance. Like others said, in Canada, it's more akin to put the music on and move to it, instead of creating a character piece. There are still to many character pieces around, but they're gradually getting away from trying to emote to every word spoken.

I went to an adult seminar this past spring, and one of the things mentioned about "space" was not only ice coverage but vertical space...from down low (as in lunges and shoot-the-ducks) to reaching up (as in to the heavens with your arms while looking up). It made lots of sense. Many people keep their movements small and close to their body and don't really open up or look around much when they skate. You could expirament with things like that.

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Skate@Delaware
Ah, show skating!!! I do it for the glitter!