I am curious about the solo dance tests in the USFSA track. Can anyone tell me more about them? Do you have to test the equivalent partnered test before you test it solo? What is the point of testing solo, is it to have another credential, since it is harder to solo? Please tell me if you know anything! Thanks

The solo track was created so that in an area that didn't have male partners, the dancers could still test. It's a completely separate track than the partnered track. If you start on the solo track & then decide to do the partnered one, you'd have to start over at the prelim. level. I'm not sure if you could switch from partner to solo at whatever level you're at, or if you'd also have to start over.

Personally I don't see the point, unless there is no one to partner with, since to me ice dance is about skating with a partner. But some people enjoy it.

I don't test, but my interest in dance is to skate solo. For me it is about improving my skating skills and learning to flow over the ice more gracefully. I love dance patterns and have no desire to partner w/ someone.

Kay

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I was under the impression that in the US, there are still some dances in the regular (partnered) track that you have to both partner and then solo, just like it used to be in Canada. I thought that's what the first poster was asking about, but I could be wrong!

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starting at silvers i belive in the US dancers have to solo as well as partner the dances when they test.. i think it is to demonstrate that you are able to skate as well if not better by yourself than with a partner...it proves that you don't have to rely on your partner to drag you around the ice

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This is true, but there is also a solo track as described by the other posters. It is entirely separate from the standard track. It's great if you don't have/want a partner -- dance can teach you a lot about just good old basic skating.

You can start taking solo tsts at the level you've reached partnering. For example, if you've passed, say, one Bronze dance, you would start your solo dances with the Bronze tests- or, if you wanted, at the beginning with the preliminaries. (You can't, however, just jump in anywhere in the middle). It doesn't work the other way, though- even if you passed your Gold test solo, if you found a partner an wanted to compete, you'd have to have your tests passed the regular way, and if you hadn't taken any, you'd have to start with preliminary, regardless of what you had passed solo.

I've tested more times than I care to count at my own club, and several times at another club in another region, and I've yet to see anyone take a solo dance test. But I've never skated at a club without at least one male coach, either.

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I have seen solo tests and also skate at a club that doesn't have a male coach -- that's what you get when you live in Portland, OR (where we only have one male dance coach in the entire area!!)

So now there are also same-sex partners, if that partner is your coach. I have also seen this. The coach wore pants, just for the sake of some sense of normalcy!!

So, any male coaches out there looking for a place to teach? You're hired!

You may also be interested in solo dance in the UK, which has been an established sport in the UK since around 1995, and has had its own test track since about 2000. Some of the dancers only do solo, and the standard at the top is extremely high - boys and girls both do it. You can see some photos from the last National Solo Dance Competitions on www.icephoto.co.uk (button to top left to view dance). More freeskaters are now turning to dance and doing it solo alongside their freeskating, and of course for the free dance they can bring in some of their advanced spins and footwork. The spins are supposed to be "dance spins" which means they dont follow freeskating rules (people take up interesting spin positions with arms/hands etc.)

What often happens now is that the very talented solo skaters will dance solo up to 14,15,16, winning a few medals along the way, and then later pair up with a partner; often with equivalent success in couples competitions.

In order to compete as a couple, they have to take competition track tests, at the level at which they wish to compete (novice/primary/junior/senior). These are harder than the equivalent non-competition couple tests.

IMO, the move to solo dance has benefits, but it has also been very bad for traditional dance clubs and couple social dancing. This seems to be very much on the wane, which is a shame, and also the younger male coaches seem to be getting very lazy and reluctant to partner. But it does mean that dance is open to many youngsters, particularly (but not solely) girls who would previously have had no chance to compete at an advanced level (due to not having a partner).

Hello everyone. Even though not a skater. I have often dreamed of being able to skate and even to skate Partners.

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If you're interested in skating, I'm sure there's a rink around you that offers group lessons and rental skates (in case you're not sure whether you want to buy skates). Some figure skating clubs also have a dance session (or more) and sometimes allow guests on to take lessons.

You should try it out if you are interested! It's a great way to get some activity and to meet new friends of all ages and backgrounds. A lot of the people that I have met at the rink are people that I might not have otherwise met (since I stay at home al lot during my free time) but they are great fun to skate with and hang around with.

(Sorry to get off topic...)