The adult dance/freestyle 20th Annual Motown Celebration of Adult Figure Skating weekend is coming up at the Detroit Skating Club! Amber and Allisa Czisny are returning to the freestlye sessions! I attended this last year and had a great time meeting other adult skaters from around the country!

It’s quite a year to celebrate at the Detroit Skating Club with National Champions, Olympic Medalists, and 20 years of adult summer skating at The 20th Annual Motown Celebration of Adult Figure Skating. Celebration is the theme for the 2010 event as we welcome new and old friends from around North America to a summer weekend of ice skating including figures, Freeskate, and ice dancing.

Update - 05/04/2010: Yuka Sato has been confirmed for the Jumps and Styles seminar!!! Don't miss it!

Link to documentation on the Event: http://dscclub.com/pdf/motownTango_2010.pdf

When: June 25, 26, and 27, 2010
Where: Detroit Skating Club, Bloomfield Hills, MI
Basic Overview of Weekend Events:

• Friday, June 25 Let’s Get Together Ice Dancing Seminar
• Saturday, June 26 Introduction to Figures! They’re back!
• Saturday, June 26 Spins and Footwork with Alissa and Amber Czisny
• Sunday, June 27 Style on the Ice and Jumping Fundamentals

Being relatively new to dance and never having done one of these, I'm considering it. Especially since it's in my own backyard.

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"The only place where success comes before work is in a dictionary." -- Vidal Sasson

"Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway." -- Unknown

I had so much fun last year- I encourage anyone within driving distance (I had a 500 mile drive and it was well worth it) to go.

I'd say most of the skaters were higher level than I was (I was just learning loop...) but the level of instruction was appropriate to someone doing pretty much everything. I worked on half-flip/half-lutz, while others did single or even double (quite a few double jumps, not sure if there were high doubles) jumps. If you are a medium/high level adult skater you would fit right in, if you're a low level, I don't think you'd stick out. The spins were also seperated by levels and footwork was designed to challenge your individual level of skating. It was fantastic- and they listened to the feedback of the skaters there and added figures!

I don't dance, but I watched some of the dance sessions and they looked like so much fun. I was told that whatever number of dances you come knowing, you'll probably leave knowing 3 more. Partners rotated so that everyone had a chance to dance with a partner. (I didn't see the dance seminar though...)

The evening program was tons of fun with great food and fun dancing.

I just wish I could go this year... but I can't even skate right now, much less skate at a seminar.

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-Jessi
What I need is a montage...
Visit my skating journal or my Youtube videos (updated with 2 new videos Sept 26, 2009)

We've done Motown for many years and have always had a blast. Even if you are on the fence about the skating, come to the Friday and/or Saturday night parties. Friday night usually includes some ballroom instruction. In past years they've done salsa, swing, cha cha and a number of other dances. No previous experience required. The food is great also. They have a gal who has catered it for years and is just a dear. She's even baked homemade chocolate chip cookies on the spot!

FYI...For those who attended Saturday's party last year, she was not the cook that night, so you can expect vast improvements this year.

Very fun dance weekend!! I highly recommend it!!

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Who me? Couldn't be....
http://www.youtube.com/bouldersk8r

I am really thinking about going...is anyone on here definately going? I had so much fun at the adult nationals social dance that I don't want to wait until next year!

I'm def considering it, haven't made any concrete plans yet. Need to get through law school final exams first. I personally am not the type who is totally into social dance (it's fun, I've done it at ANs before, but I'm not one to go out of my way for dance weekends). BUT I've kind of been on dance hiatus since I started law school (other than the few I've competed solo, all of which I've passed, haven't tested or worked on any new dance) and I really miss partnering. And since they have the freestyle stuff woven through, I'm very tempted.

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2010-2011 goals:
Pass Junior MIF test
Don't break anything

I'm pretty sure I'm going. I'm testing the 10 Fox tomorrow, then I plan on asking my coach to do the upper dances with me since I only know them (the ones I remember ) solo.

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"The only place where success comes before work is in a dictionary." -- Vidal Sasson

"Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway." -- Unknown

I sent my form in this past week! I'm doing the figures, jumps & spins seminars!

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I've got mad salchow disease!

Ooh, figures, tempting!! I'm more interested in the freestyle stuff, but it sounds like it's geared toward lower levels.

Last year I thought the freestyle was pretty geared towards middle levels. I had never done a flip/lutz before and we spent a lot of time on those jumps (I gave it a try...)

But during toe loop and salchow, there were definetly people doing double toe and double sal. There were 2 instructors on the ice, and they kind of worked with whatever you did.

For spins we started with a bit of the basics, but then divided into two groups- Alissa worked on difficult variations with the higher levels, and Amber with more basics with the lower levels. Alissa's group said it was pretty challenging sit spin combos.

Footwork was probably a bit basic for you, iirc you have senior moves? We did counters and rockers on the circles, but the sequences were just the idea of what a footwork sequence was.

__________________
-Jessi
What I need is a montage...
Visit my skating journal or my Youtube videos (updated with 2 new videos Sept 26, 2009)

Sometimes it's good to go back to basics too, and it's something many of us adults rarely find time for in our lessons or on the limited ice time we squeeze in. And I know a lot of issues in my singles need fixed or I'll never get the doubles (i.e. I pull up from the shoulders, not push up from the legs, and don't use my arms on single jumps because I don't need to in order to get up/around).

I'm very interested in what Alyssa says about spins, since it's really a strength she has (she defies physics, the longer she's in a spin and more complex of a position she switches to the faster she rotates, most people slow down).

And for dance, since it's DSC, you never know who may be around on the dance sessions. (OMG if I could do my favorite dance with Charlie White, it would be so worth it...they skate at Canton but I think DSC is still his home club. Or Jerrod Swallow, I used to be in awe of him and Liz when I was a kid and they were training in Cleveland. I'd love to get a lesson from him.)

__________________
2010-2011 goals:
Pass Junior MIF test
Don't break anything

I just find this amusing - that you were in awe of him when you were a kid. My perspective is a bit different - his older brother was in my class in high school and although I did not really know either of them well, I do remember him being a little kid.

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"The only place where success comes before work is in a dictionary." -- Vidal Sasson

"Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway." -- Unknown

To clarify, it wasn't crush-awe, it was "holy crap I want to skate like them" awe. My crush-awe back in those days was a super hot male ice dancer who competed novice and maybe junior, coached a bit here, and is now an attorney somewhere (he's got to be around 40 now).

__________________
2010-2011 goals:
Pass Junior MIF test
Don't break anything

I was talking more about the age thing than anything else. In other words, I'm old.

__________________
"The only place where success comes before work is in a dictionary." -- Vidal Sasson

"Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway." -- Unknown

I'm definitely attending the event again (and helping out behind the scenes). I'm going to "attempt" the dance portion on Friday. We'll see how that goes! LOL!

Oh for me, it is/was crush-awe. I see him regularly at test sessions and lose ALL composure. I'm like a Taylor Swift-created freshman in high school attempting to talk to the senior quarterback.

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Champagne in 2005, 2008, 2009 - who's next out of the pre-bronze club...?

Wang chung!

I heard that Yuka Sato is going to run the jumps/style seminar! Soooo excited about that!

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I've got mad salchow disease!

Quite true! Though I've kind of given up the idea of ever having any doubles. One can only do a 1.5 salchow for so many years ...

STFUOMGWTFBBQ. I LOVE her. Wow, now I am much more tempted to go!

Sigh... Now I really want to go. Although I haven't been skating regularly since December? - maybe October? Plus I'm awaiting new skates which means unless I find a magical money tree somewhere, I'll have to wait. Those of you who do go, must bring back a full report on how it was!

I just heard that Jeremy Abbott will also be teaching the jumps & style clinic with Yuka! I think I've died and gone to heaven!

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I've got mad salchow disease!

That's what we figured would happen last year- he had just moved to DSC right before the clinic.

Man... I wanna go. Can someone please come help my PT figure out what is wrong with my hip, so that she can then fix it and I can skate again?

I'm so bummed. It was awesome last year (and working with Jonathan for "style" was great) but Jeremy and Yuka? That will be an exciting clinic.

(I also really wanted figures. I'm sure many people suggested it, but Paul told me I was the first one who brought it up to him, when I told him that alot of adults really want to do some figures)

__________________
-Jessi
What I need is a montage...
Visit my skating journal or my Youtube videos (updated with 2 new videos Sept 26, 2009)

$#(#$)@*$()#($)$!!!!!!

I really, really want to go. I wanted to go originally for the dance sessions/lessons, then I wanted to go for the figures (the few lessons I've had on them have been tremendous, and I lurve my scribe, as unforgiving as it is), and now there's another reason to go--Jeremy and Yuka.

But I simply can't go. And I'm ticked off about that, but there's no getting around it without either spending a ridiculous sum of money or making some people VERY unhappy. . .

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"Go wash an elephant if you wanna do something big." -Baby Gramps

Still trying to figure out what to sign up for...has anyone been to any of the social events? I was just wondering if it would still be fun even if I didn't know anyone. It get the impression a lot of the same people have been going to this weekend for quite some time.

I went for the first time last year, and had a great time. People were very friendly at the social events. amd I met lots of new people. I did ice dance, and dancers make a point to mix, both on and off the ice - maybe Skittl can comment on the freestylers, since I know it was her first time, too.

I SO wish I could go again this year, but can't - conflict with a wedding. I'm jealous of all of you who will be there! I plan to be back next year!