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Arms
I've just started work on my first ever program. I've done dances and some synchro before and don't have a problem remembering step sequences, but I can't for the life of me get my arms to move anywhere.
For some reason i'm very self conscious of what my arms are doing and it gets worse when my music plays for a run through. It's really starting to bug me as I can't get over this horrid feeling that I'm looking ridiculous. I know that no one is watching me other than the coach as everyone is too busy worrying about their own stuff, but I still feel stupid. I'm doing ballet class and don't have a problem doing "pretty" arms there, but I can't do them on the ice. My only theory is the safety in numbers thing, with everyone doing it in ballet. The coach has started saying that we've got to go for the second mark (I'm assuming she's meaning presentation and that technically its fine for my standard as I can now do all the moves in it except the arms). I'm starting to panic as she's entered this for the tests which are just over a week away, so I've not got long to get over the hangup. (The only good thing is that I'm worrying about this and not the dance and moves tests I'm taking so my other coach isn't having to deal with me in "freak-out" mode). Does anyone have any suggestions on how to get over this? |
#2
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LOL! Funny you should mention this.....
I tend to be rather self-conscious in practice and always felt a bit silly with "big arms". What helped is video taping my practice and comparing "expression" to other skaters. Anything you do on the ice looks tiny from 80 feet away! Then, to REALLY open up, watch Jimmy MacElroy in "Blades of Glory"! I am serious! Now my coach and I refer to it as "Jimmy arms" Remember, it's a PERFORMANCE so perform!
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Dianne (A.O.S.S.? Got it BAD! ) |
#3
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I don't have a lot of advice, just sympathy as I struggle with the exact same thing. I think muscle memory probably applies here too. I talked to my coach about presentation and she's working hard with me to retrain me to think about this as well...the old way feels so familiar at this point. So I guess the pretty arms have to feel correct and the wimpy arms (hee) have to feel incorrect.
Nonskaters have no idea how cerebral and difficult all of this is!! So much to think about!
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Revised Official 2010 Goals checklist Skate __ New boots __ (lowering the bar for 2010 as I haven't skated in a year) |
#4
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Reminds me of my first coach yelling at me about the position of some body part or other. I replied, "I have WAY TOO MANY body parts to keep track of them ALL!"
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Dianne (A.O.S.S.? Got it BAD! ) |
#5
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I can appreciate the whole not seeing it from 80ft point of needing big arms, but it doesn't really help when you still don't actually believe you can skate, think the fact that you've reached "skirt-wearing" level is a really big achievement, and freak out with the whole thought of testing and competing a program (despite desperately wanting to because it's the whole "made it" part). I think this probably all stems from a self-confidence thing. I've got to the point where I believe I can do field moves but have yet to believe I can do a program. I've only ever done jumps and spins in isolation and having to do them to music whilst making the rest of me look "pretty" isn't exactly the easiest thing I've dreamt up (which is probably why I'm trying to do it). Think I'm about to dig out blades of glory now for my bank holiday viewing pleasure. |
#6
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LOL!!!! Exactly how I feel when trying to do camels - pinky toe, left arm, shoulders, head, right leg...yikes I don't think my brain has enough neurons, seriously!
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Revised Official 2010 Goals checklist Skate __ New boots __ (lowering the bar for 2010 as I haven't skated in a year) |
#7
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Personally, I think your concern about arms is something that will make you a much better skater. So many skaters don't even think about what their arms are doing, especially in their first few years of competition. I'd suggest spending your next two lessons doing nothing but having your coach decide exactly what your arms are going to be doing at every single moment of your program. Take notes and get the positions into muscle memory. Then, when you get your first performance video, go through it and take notes on where your arms still look awkward. You can go back to your coach and ask for help on those arm positions or you can watch videos of your favorite skaters and see what they're doing with their arms and copy it. I've always had the same concern about arms, and I find that they keep getting a little better each season as I keep watching my videos and tweaking.
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"You don't have to put an age limit on your dreams." - Dara Torres, 41, after her 2nd medal at the 2008 Olympics |
#8
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Strangely this morning, it did all seem to work quite well with arms and legs moving at about the right times. Though just as I was starting to feel pleased with myself, I was being reminded not to look at the ice. When I suggested that it was getting to be a bit too much to expect arms AND head to be doing something, I was reminded that I only had 6 arm movements in the program and that I should always have my head up regardless. I'm pleased to hear that if I keep worrying about my arms that they will improve. It's just a bit of a shock to me that having spent so long worrying about getting the feet to do something right, that I've got to worry about my arms as well. (Thankfully it's nearly summer and I can start doing some English style figures again and start glueing the arms at the side - which is just as hard as trying to move them!). |
#9
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I remember what a challenge it was to get myself to be more physically expressive on the ice. Like you, I felt very self-conscious about it. I was also embarrassed to look at my arm and body movements in the plexiglass "mirror" at the rink because I thought it made me look vain, LOL! What I eventually realized is that every other skater has to do the exact same thing, and they all understand why we have to do it. Plus, they really couldn't care less; they are too busy practicing their own stuff.
A few years ago I gave myself the challenge of "taking up more space" on the ice. I have always been uncomfortable calling attention to myself or being "showy", but once I laid down the challenge and made myself really extend those arms all the way and make my movements "big", I created a new comfort zone that has freed me ever since. It's so worth it!
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"You don't have to put an age limit on your dreams." - Dara Torres, 41, after her 2nd medal at the 2008 Olympics |
#10
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If you don't feel comfortable going for showy, artistic arm movements yet, just try keeping them up and not letting your hands go droopy. I remember a former coach telling me that I couldn't go wrong with the "hands on table" look. It makes you look poised and confident (even if you don't feel that way!).
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#11
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i, too, feel really uncomfortable with my arms. i guess i'm a good skater by most standards, but I still feel stuck in the super-awkard-just-grew-6-inches-in-a-year stage i started in. what's helped me is watching videos of famous skaters, picking one arm motion that they did that i liked, and practicing it. then, you can build from there. it seems to make more sense after i see it being done than if i have to "create" the movement myself.
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#12
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Great advice !!!
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http://www.youtube.com/user/alaskanmom |
#13
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The really annoying thing is that just when I think the arms are moving correctly I get reminded that I need to look up as well. I'm beginning to think that skating is just getting far too complicated. It was quite easy when all I had to worry about was what my feet was doing and having two of them was hard enough! |
#14
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Forgive me if this is a dumb question, but. . . why would you be looking down in the first place? If you're always looking up whenever you skate, then it's something you won't ever have to think about (and looking up at all times will also keep you from getting run over on busy freestyle sessions, LOL!)
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"You don't have to put an age limit on your dreams." - Dara Torres, 41, after her 2nd medal at the 2008 Olympics |
#15
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I think for me at least (a perpetual looker downer) its not a matter of "why are you looking down" its "how can i make myself look up". I don't watch my feet unless its a step sequence, I'm not scared the ice is going to move away anymore, but I look down. It's not something I don't have to think about. I have to think "look up" more than ANYTHING else in my entire program. And my new signature move- my HEAD is up- but every photo looks like I'm skating with my eyes closed because my EYES are still looking down.
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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) |
#16
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The bit I don't get is that I don't even notice that I'm looking down, because it's not really down, down, it's just not up. Because of this, I'm perfectly safe on a really crowded freestyle session (although for a leftie I don't think this is ever true, I've just not got very good nerves to get myself into trouble), but I don't look up. I think it's probably something to do with just having poor posture to start with, so my back is hunched and rolled and my head is down. I probably look something like the caveman on the cornflakes ad. But I do agree I should practice looking up more to make that bit of it second nature. |
#17
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"You don't have to put an age limit on your dreams." - Dara Torres, 41, after her 2nd medal at the 2008 Olympics |
#18
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Yup, me too - muscle memory from skating crowded public sessions and watching out for small children...looking up actually feels scary to me
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Revised Official 2010 Goals checklist Skate __ New boots __ (lowering the bar for 2010 as I haven't skated in a year) |
#19
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http://www.youtube.com/user/alaskanmom |
#20
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That's a good rule.
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"You don't have to put an age limit on your dreams." - Dara Torres, 41, after her 2nd medal at the 2008 Olympics |
#21
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I asked my coach about this recently and he told me to get the feet moving so comfortably that they do what they do from muscle memory and then you can move the upper body artistically. A coach in Lake Placid, when asked to add "arms" to a program, states that she will add "body movements." Think of adding body movement, not just "arms." I think both pieces of advice are good.
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#22
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If it makes you feel any better, basically all of the good skaters at my rink struggle with arms. We were working on movement off-ice, and no one was comfortable with it. These are girls who have been skating like 7 years and land most of their doubles, so you are far from the only one who has a hard time with them.
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