Just occurred to me, given coskater's experience at mids. I've been assuming I know where I'm supposed to start--but maybe I don't!

So--for gold, which side is it?

If anyone (Leslie?) knows for sure, for both dances, please post.

Probably would be good for the other levels to be included too, so everyone is in the know going in. Can anyone tell us for the bronze & silver dances too? (is this in the rulebook or the announcement?)

Thanks for the help!

I don't know how it will be at ANs, but a good rule of thumb is start so that your first pattern/first side of the pattern is on the side in front of the judges.

So, if the judges are sitting on the right side, you start wherever you have to so your first side is on the right side directly in front of them.

This is how the referees I've known prefer it, and in 5 years of dance I've not had a problem. However, that doesn't mean some chief ref out there has a different opinion.

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Well, the problem w/ that is that both the Blues & the Viennese start kind of in the middle of the long side of the ice. I've been assuming that you start in front of the judges, as you said. But since these patterns don't go end to end (or corner to corner) like many of the dances, I'm wondering if it's different.

All of the Blues I've seen go out have started towards the judges, even though it's the middle of the ice. I haven't seen any Viennese lately, but I don't see why it wouldn't be the same.

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

I asked my coach this, and she said to start in whichever direction will have you skating toward the judges table, even if you're on the far side of the rink.

I'm starting the Fourteenstep in the middle of the rink, with the judges to the left. That way, the first steps in the pattern will be along the boards where the judges sit.

I start everything so that the first pattern or the first half of the pattern on a full-rink pattern (i.e. Paso/Starlight/Viennese/Argentine, etc) falls on "their side" of the ice. I don't think I've ever done it any other way testing or competing. So you would work your intro steps however you need to in order to make that happen.

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The first side of the pattern should be in front of the judges so I start opposite the judges. This I have learned!! When I practice I alternate from one side to the other since I have spatial issues.

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Sometimes the referee will specify where you are to start.