Bouncy, because that is what I still feel after Sunday! Flat, because I was so exhausted yesterday!

Flat: Our couples' lesson was cut short as Husband had a meeting and had to go to work early, and for once the coach couldn't start early. But that was okay; I had the last 10 minutes on my own, and we got enough to practice on anyway. We tried to listen to the music for our new free dance - not that I want to start choreographing it as yet, but just to get a few ideas - but someone started up with a very loud drill (they are repairing the boards), and it was impossible! Coach has taken the CD with him to have a listen.

Bouncy: Started to work on a couple of choices for the spin - we are still not winning on the waltz-hold spin, but may be able to do it if we go into it hand-in-hand. Failing that, we will do a similar spin to this year's, only then make it a change-foot! Which might even be more fun to do..... you start off linking left arms, do 1 or 2 revolutions, then quickly change feet and arms! I got too giddy to continue with spins, so we started to play with lifts, and lift dismounts - we now have a dismount for the first lift, although we may decide to finish with it again and not need it, and we actually did our 2nd lift, on the ice, moving! But very badly; Husband still hasn't quite worked out how he needs to be on the ice. That will probably be a carry lift, and we'll try to get more turn on our other lift.

Anyway, we have loads to practice, and it's all good fun!

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

Bouncy:
PASSED my Gold moves test. And the Willow Waltz.


Flat:
How is it that taking ONE week off of working on my program can affect my endurance so much? (And why does it take months to build it back up?)

I must be old.

I ain't the years-it's the mileage!!!

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

Bouncy: Nothing much, other than getting a few more well wishers from the Monday night session.

Flat: That's how my edge feels like on the 4th step of the 5 step mohawk!!! GRRRRR!!! Must fix it before next test.

Also, the public sessions are getting more and more crowded, even at my weekend rink. Am rethinking my practice sessions schedule so I have better ice quality time (and still not fall asleep on the ice...LOL!!!) Right now, I'm getting tired out from dodging Gretsky-wannabes. GRRRR!!!

The only good flat... is flat on my back in my nice comfy bed!!! AHHHH!!! So need sleep!!!

Edited to add: Congrats to pennybeagle on passing her Gold Moves test and the Willow Waltz dance test!!! Phoenix for her Blues!!! YAAAAAAY, you two!!!!

__________________
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!!!

Bouncy: Passed my Blues on Saturday (see other thread) w/ points over & everything, which I never get. Am still flying high.

One of my choctaw exercises is finally recognizable, if still not quick, and I'm able to add a bracket/bracket into the middle of it, which is more fun than it looked like it would be when demonstrated!

I don't think anything's too flat right now, I'm still too dizzily happy!

Congratulations, pennybeagle! Are you going to continue on the standard track?

Bouncy: Had a great time at the Halloween Classic this weekend (see other thread). Worked on improving my crossovers yesterday in lesson. I need to push under more on crossovers instead of backward, which will hopefully fix my posture and scratch problems. Landed some loop jumps, which were on vacation last week - good thing I didn't do FS at HC.

Flat: Backspin still MIA. I feel like the problems with it started after I last got my blades sharpened. The guy said he didn't change anything (depth, etc.) so I have no idea what could have happened. Of course, the sharpening also coincided with the time I started putting much more focus into moves and stopped practicing the backspin as often as I had, so that could be the reason. My salchow is also messed up - that's another thing I haven't been practicing much lately, but I've been able to do it for 3 years!

Congratulations!! I actually like the Willow but am sick of doing it. I'm testing the Willow in December apparently.

Bouncy:

My sit spin has come home to stay and has shown up at three skating sessions in a row. It's more centred than my upright spin.

And speaking of Moves, I'll talk of Skills and actually admit that I did power circles that didn't make coach cringe. That stop at the end though, I'll never get that. Therefore it was the thing that got picked apart and not my crosscuts, for once.

Flat:

Backspin has left. I guess my body can't handle all the spins at the same time, they must fight amongst each other. My legs are tired, I ran on the weekend.

Thanks everyone! Yep, I'm doing standard track now, although I'm quite sick of this set of moves. Looking forward to the novice set!

Flat

I called the rink today, still no answer.

So I called the skating director at home and asked her what was up with getting the ice back to normal from the hurricane and she said that the insurance adjustor was out there as we were speaking assessing the total damage. The roof stripped off and then it rained so pretty much everything was ruined. Nice. She did say that stuff dried out now and the refrigeration system is working. But...

It'll be at LEAST 2 weeks before they think they can start on the ice. So they're thinking the rink will be open in a month. That'll make TWO WHOLE MONTHS without skating. Plus it's the holiday season - I've never skated through the holidays and I was so looking forward to it.

Obviously the holiday show is cancelled.

Bouncy

There's a local rink that I'm going to try this weekend but it's *gasp* teen night. I'm 24...I'll try to pass off as a 19 year old *snort*. My old rink is going to announce when they'll be able to reopen this week so I might have to go back there. Ick. Stupid hurricane. But I do have some options at least.

The other good news is that while the show is being cancelled, the skating director says they're going to do a show anyway when things get back to normal - I said we should do a post-hurricane "we made it" type of show and she liked the idea. At least now I'll be able to participate in the show (I had to withdraw from the holiday show for unrelated reasons) and I won't be pigeon-holed into Christmas music, making my duet easier - I'll have to rechoreograph the whole thing, but it was fun doing it so who cares.

Sigh...WHAT I wouldn't give to be skating right now....

I am battling some health problems and took about a month off... I am not better, but I did get back on the ice last week. I skated again on Monday...

Bouncy:
Over my "vacation" my spins have become incredibly centered and fast. My change sit was so good my jaw dropped in shock afterwards! LOL This most likely was a one-time thing and my spins will revert backwards tomorrow...

Flat:
Mentally I am having so much trouble with alternating 3-turns!!! Arg. I can do all 3-turns on their own, my 3-turn entries into jumps are good, I can do forward 3s to back 3s... Just no alternating 3s!!! I find it impossible to step forward. My coach agrees that it is mental, and thinks I should just forget about it, but I can't help myself from obsessing...

__________________
--
Natalie

http://www.ILoveTaB.com

Bouncy: Made it back to the rink-still with this cold in tow but it's not as bad and I have some voice back...my kids better watch out! Hmmm, where to start??? Crossovers: I did an exercise where you leave your legs crossed and you do a circle, then you stroke, cross your legs and go around the other way because my crossovers have been really off....and this helped me get the feeling of being on edge. So then I did a few laps of alternating crossovers which were better. Back crossovers were good until I CLICKED and went down on my right hip (last week I feel on my left hip on a spin). So now I'll have matching bruises. And I wasn't wearing any padding (duh, just working on basics).

Spins: I finally managed to get that free leg up! I guess it had to work on it's own speed. Then I did some (attempted) sit spins from the whole back crossover she-bang and I actually felt like it worked better and lower! Need to get it on video so I can compare.

Flat: Backspin is nowhere near close right now....and I'm back to scratching my toepicks on back crossovers and my waltz jump...but considering I've been sick, that's my excuse and I'm sticking with it (for today). Mohawks were sub par (blech). I wasn't too tired when I finished, did manage to drink tons while out on the ice. AND, they locked the music cabinet and there was no way to turn on the little boom box so we had NO MUSIC!!! (makes scratchy toepicks even worse to hear!)

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

Bouncy:
got the beat for the dutch waltz today , coach was happy with my program and axels

Flat:
coach is adding another axel in my program ,camels were horrible, trying to do split jumps which isnt really working loll

~Cutie

__________________
Skating is suppose to be fun , no PRESSURE at all

~*Courage*~*Confidence*~*Consistance*~

First things first:
Congratulations Pennybeagle!! Wasn't it about a year ago that you passed the Silver moves and free?

Bouncy:
Mostly everything was good today, moves , spins ('cept for the sit )
jumps and program runthrough.

Flat:
I normally don't skate on Tuesdays, since it's Learn to Skate and there are several skaters on the freestyle before. So having to watch out for the clueless ones are a pain!

__________________
Adult Nationals, 2009 "The Time of My Life"

Congratulations pennybeagle and phoenix - what an achievement for you!

Bouncy - lots bouncy this week (not least the back CW crossovers bouncing up in the middle - erkk!) Have managed two dance practices with DH, and our dance coach was suitably impressed with the improvement in our basic stroking together. (I had hoped there was visible improvement - we'd worked hard on unison and it certainly felt better.) She started us on dance chasses - him forwards, me back; and they are so much fun!! And so fast! We did about a hundred more laps of them today. My legs ache. No wonder.

She also started me on back swing rolls. To my surprise, I kind of managed them. Now I have this exercise where I do one left back chasse, then one right one, then one left back swing roll, then one right one, right around the rink. That exercise ought to be in the "flat" section of the practice report, I'm guessing.

And we were finally allowed to play with the Dutch Waltz. Also the Canasta and Fiesta Tangos. All at once. None of it competently done, but heaps of fun nonetheless.

Not much flat this week (apart from aforementioned back crossovers).

One week heading towards ok, the next urghh (today). I guess this is what happens when you only skate once a week after a 4 year break.

flat - spins were very off today. I was having trouble stopping myself from falling off edges. I keep dropping my hip and shoulders. Must get a coach so I can start correcting these errors that are creeping in.

bouncy - started rereading Choreography and Style for Ice Skaters. I've been taking ballet classes of late and it's about time I started working in some of the things I've been learning (though while I was overseas a coach asked if I was an ice dancer, so it must be paying off - I've never taken an ice dance lesson in my life! very pleased). Tried out some spirals for the first time in 4 years, were not too bad at all. Some additional height today on the flip, salchow and waltz/axel prep which was good.

Congratulations, Pennybeagle. I can do the Willow, although it's certainly not at test standard, but Gold moves.... wow!

Bouncy: New spin is going to work! It's only a variation on the very simple spin we did before, but does involve a change of hold and a change of foot - right now we are working on getting 2 revs on each foot, which we even managed once! And with 6 months to get it up and running.... we've stopped worrying about it!

Music plays great on rink player, and although it's going to be hard work, we can do this! Husband's coach likes my choice of music for his free programme!

In my lesson, I did really nice back cross-rolls, all flowy and on edges. Only snag was, my knees were too straight, I know.

Flat: I'm sure there's a mouse in this room! A live one, I mean, not the computer variety. Not that I'm scared of mice, but I'd still rather not have one running round.....

In my lesson, my back cross-cuts varied - I could either do them, but scrapily, or not scrape, lurch forward, and not do them! Duh..... Worked on the end pattern of the Fiesta, which is what I seriously need to work on right now, and I wish I knew how I was going to fix all that's wrong with it! I mean, I do know what's wrong, but fixing it.... sheesh....

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

Bouncy: Well, in this case bouncy is not good as that's what I did on the ice this morning! Tripped over my partner's foot & did a nose dive taking the brunt of it on one knee. Normally I'm a 'get back up & do it again' person, but this one took a minute to shake off & be able to get up. And coach, who is also normally a 'get back up & do it again' person, actually got me an ice pack & sat me down off the ice for a few minutes!

The good kind of bouncy: Our skating is starting to gel a bit, & skating together is getting easier. Our timing is naturally different, so it's been a process to get our unison to match. I got a small lecture: "you have to learn to listen to your partner and follow him. When his foot hits the ice, that's when your foot hits the ice. When his leg swings, that's when your leg swings." I am by nature a take charge kind of girl, so this will be very good for me to learn how to be quiet & let someone else be in charge.

Mrs. Redboots: I woke up very early Sat. morning to the sound of *something* in one of my cupboards. Sure enough, opened up a door to find Mr. Mouse staring right back at me, in the middle of chewing his way into a box of pasta! I'm always amazed at how they're so bold. Put a trap out w/ peanut butter, which blapped him within the hour. Now I need to get some poison for the attic which is how they get in. Ick!!

Bouncy: My retarded waltz jump now has a retarded baby brother! Today I learned how to do a toe loop and I didn't die! I do my toe loops out of waltz jumps (I have decent flow) mostly because my FI3s don't exist yet.

I can do a one foot spin pulling my knee up now.

Flat: Things one must not do on toe loops:

• Rock off the toe pick
• Land on my left foot
• Try to rotate before jumping
• Land on a flat (owie).

Hey, that's awesome! I test my Gold MIF tomorrow. . .
So what's next for you?

What stop at the end?? Is there a way you're supposed to stop at the end of the power circles?

Sorry to hear about your health problem... but glad you're now well enough to skate again.

Bouncy: Well, not me!!! I was sleep skating again!!!

Flat: Back to working on Bronze Moves!!!

And I got some work to do on both the forward and back crossovers... Secondary coach emphasize on my back crossovers this thing about "bilateral" skating and how she should not be able to tell which side is my weaker side. She said I was not twisting my torso into the circle (sorta perpendicular, but definitely NOT parallel to my foot.)

As for my forward crossovers, she says I need more extension. Okay, at least it's not so bad that she thought of "wee wee" legs, though it was very tempting to do that bad habit again, I wouldn't let it.

Flat on my back in my nice comfy bed is where I want to be this morning!!! (My lower back is hurting... already called my chiro...)

__________________
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!!!

That's the Swing dance I think.

Doubletoe, the stop at the end of Power Circles is a RFO T stop, right foot in front. Quickly. nope, quicker than that. Try again. Stop dead and keel over on your nose is a nice attempt.

Flat I didn't skate today, life got in the way.

on the upside, I am doing laundry, so those that skate with me will no longer be offended by my skate bag stench.

[QUOTE=slusher]

Doubletoe, the stop at the end of Power Circles is a RFO T stop, right foot in front. Quickly. nope, quicker than that. Try again. Stop dead and keel over on your nose is a nice attempt.
QUOTE]

Hmm. . . I have no problem with a RFO T stop since it's the stop I use all the time, but my coach has never made me come to a stop after the power circles. I'm just supposed to glide for about 4 seconds and then make my way back to the center of the rink for the next one. I'm testing my Gold MIF tomorrow so I cetainly HOPE that stop isn't expected!

I've trialed USFS Intermediate MIF (including the power circles that are also on Adult Gold MIF). There isn't a required Stop as part of the move for either one.

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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...

Ah-hah! So *that's* what Coach meant when she said that once I have this under control I'd be able to do most of ***didn't-catch-name*** Dance! (That will be some time.)