My coach and I picked this at the last minute, and I thought it would be fun. Now, I'm having second thoughts because it's SO FAST that I feel panicked the entire time...doh!
Hopefully, it will be "fun" and not "frantic" by the time April rolls around.

In a piece like that you realy have to keep your feet under you but the big thing is to sell it honey, you realy have to enjoy the music in order to sell it and make others realy take notice of you. don't forget, Never cut your head off....The face that launched a thousand ships works on the ice too.. Good luck and don't forget to come and say Hi...

It looks as though we are coming! Husband said last night that he thinks we'll go - he's going to talk to his colleagues at his Kansas City office to see if there is any chance he can blag a freebie, but even if not....

I'll believe it when we've the tickets booked, but it is now "probable" rather than "possible"!

It'll be great to see all my friends - and so many friends I haven't yet met in the flesh (Looploop, NoVaSk8er, Skaternum, Michigansk8er, to name only a few....)....

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

Mrs. Redboots, I am glad you will have the chance to go. I went and watched for the first time last year and I had great, great time.

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Keeping School Figures Alive!!

Yay Annabel! That's great news!

I look forward to meeting you.

Patty

Yay!!!!!!!!

How fabulous! I'm not skating this year, but you may have just convinced me to fly out for a few days to see my friends skate and meet you guys in person! KC is pretty cheap to fly into, and I'd only need a few nights in a hotel. Maybe I can bum rides to the arena, so I don't need a car. Hmmm, this is starting to seem really do-able!

Hope you can work it out!!!!

Oh ... the thought of having the Other Woman in Kansas City for AN is very exciting indeed!
We've spread mischief and waggery up and and down the East Coast ... now we can branch out to the Midwest.

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Doubt whom you will, but never yourself.
"Do what you love, and you'll never have to work a day in your life."
-Haha, I've *arrived*! I am listed as a reference on Wikipedia.

<insert evil laugh here> It does have potential, doesn't it??

I will be going @ Gold Ladies II (3rd year) and if many gods smile upon me I might make Championship gold, I have once before. Masters Interp II hoping to improve on last years performance they have slowly been better from 8th to 4th last year.

Good luck all.http://www.skatingforums.com/newrepl...te=1&p=215219#

I think I responded in the wrong thread! I AM going to AN this year, my first as a competitor! I'm in Bronze I and Interpretive. My expectations are low for placement, but my anticipation is high, as I cannot WAIT to attend this event and compete! For the 100% dork factor, I have dreamed about doing this since I first met MichiganSkater at AN in AA in '99.

I've had some "commentators" dismiss this accomplishment as "any adult skater can go if they have the money for the entry fee." I guess in part that is true, but I took some pretty hard tests (for me anyway) to qualify and swallowed my fear to send in the forms. It's an accomplishment for me darn it!

I can't wait to meet everyone!

Mel

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

Wang chung!

Mel on Ice, you rock!! ( head banging) That's the attitude!!
I'm looking forward to seeing you at AN.
Happy skating!
Becca

That is so lame. Yeah, anyone can go ... but, like you said, they must have passed the required tests. What's more, it takes more than money to be able to get out and perform in front of judges and your peers. I would tell those "commentators" to stick it, but hey, that's just me.

Good for you for signing up for AN. I hope I meet you there and that you have a wonderful time skating!!!

Mel,
Just becuse you don't have to qualify before you go to Adult Nationals does not mean that it's not a serious event for serious skaters. We're not the kids, we're adults. Their system is not ours, and for good reasons. The adult movement is also relatively young in USFSA time (comparable in many aspets to geological time). Another great difference between us and the kids not always mentioned are the numbers of participants. Although there are many more than ever expected, there are still not numbers (among other things) to support qualyifing evets for all levels. We also want to encourage the growth of the movement, and many feel that quals at all levels would hinder this as AN is a such an enjoyable event for us all.
Also, "any" skater can't just pay and go. Like you said, you first have to test - for bronze, that means that many of you have taken and passed 4 tests. You also need a music, a program, then there's the costumes... And once you're there, there are initial rounds then finals.

So join us and enjoy yourself!

I've heard the same thing! Adults are dismissed, but the kids are fawned over, and given lavish gifts when they test high enough to go to non-qualifying regionals. And the difference is what?

I'm glad you are going!!!! Good for you for having a goal and accomplishing it. Yay Mel!!!!!!!

Yah... and I would LOVE for those "commentators" to go thru the adult track and takes those GAWD AWFUL moves and FS tests!!! That'll teach 'em!!!

Go kick some ice butt at AN for me, Mel!!! You enjoy your first experience at AN!!! You deserve it, girlfriend!!!

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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!!!

Those "commentators" are misinformed. YES -- when AN was just starting, anyone who had the money to go, COULD go.. but since the minimum level is now passing the Bronze freestyle test.. it IS an accomplishment to be allowed to compete at AN! Next time someone says something like that.. tell them they are WAY behind the times and need to read the entry form or rulebook.

Not to mention, for most adults it's hard to 1) pass the tests (at some point in their skating careers -- whether as a kid or an adult) to qualify, 2) get the time off from "real life" to go, 3) conquer the nerves to go the first time and 4) remember to send in all the forms on time!

But once you go -- you'll be soooo glad you did! Hope to meet you there! What level of Bronze are you skating (I, II, III)?

By the way, one year, there was a woman who competed in Bronze II and had only a waltz jump, toe loop and one-foot spin in her program. She wasn't terribly fast, but she REALLY sold her program and looked like she was having the time of her life skating on the 1980 rink in Lake Placid. She received a loud ovation when she finished.. because everyone THERE knew what it took for her to even get out on that ice and compete. Too bad your "commentators" don't know what it really takes for adults to compete!

Are we going to try to arrange a SkatingForum get-together?

(Two months from now, we'll be in Overland Park! )

Yes please! I do know some of you "in the flesh" as it were, but an awful lot of you are friends I've yet to meet, and I long to know who you all are. Is it really only two months - help! I think, somehow, I won't be competing in our club's Opens this year unless I can get my act seriously together to get some music cut in time....

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

Actually for the first year or two the only event open to all was interpretive, and then it was no picnic. All the levels, no test through master skaters were combined , and there were also qualifying and final rounds. The third year the interp events were divided into adult and masters, and the qual and final rounds continued 'till 99. For all the other events you still had to have the tests.

I'll be there in Gold Ladies I! (I'm doing Champ. Gold at the midwestern sectionals but I don't expect to place high enough to make it to AN in the Championship category!) I've been to AN twice before (2002 & 2003, both times in Silver I), but this will be my first time at the gold level.

I'm not doing Interp this time (for money & time reasons) but I'm actually really looking forward to getting to just hang out and watch a lot more of the Interp & other events. The previous times I went to AN, I skated in a qualifying round on Wed, Interp on Thurs, and a final round on Fri, and did practice sessions each of those days, so I felt like I didn't get to just relax and enjoy watching until Saturday!

Originally there were no Pre-Bronze tests.. and we didn't even have Moves yet. But we did have the option of doing figures. It was so much fun to have a REAL figures event with other competitors at roughly the same level. And yes, as Flo says, the Interp. events did have everyone from Bronze up to Masters... and we all knew the Masters and maybe a Gold skater would medal... but it was still fun to go just for the experience and you could say you had been to a National event JUST FOR ADULTS!!!

Hey Skaternum!!!!!

I need a roomie for the event. I'll bring the Bailey's, OK? I wonder if there's a Swiss Acres in in Kansas City....hmm....

It will be worth going just to see NoVaSk8er's debut!

BTW, here's my roll call info:

Event: Gold Ladies I (and maybe championship if the planets align correctly)
Music: Asturias from Suite Espagnole -- Albeniz
Planned Elements: axel in combo, flying camel, double loop (AS IF!!!!), layback, spiral and footwork sequence, double salchow (who knows?), split jump, and camel-sit-Yspin-backsit combo.

Also doing Masters Interp ... music choice is CLASSIFIED

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"Gravity is a harsh mistress." -- The Tick

Gulp ... I hope not to disappoint, then. What pressure!
Oh, I love your music choice, by the way.

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Doubt whom you will, but never yourself.
"Do what you love, and you'll never have to work a day in your life."
-Haha, I've *arrived*! I am listed as a reference on Wikipedia.

We will have to miss the Wednesday, as we've just realised that our own Opens are 11-12 April, so we can't get away until the Wednesday. So if we are to have a Skating Forums get-together, could it be on the Friday night?

We're hoping to join in the social dancing on the Sunday morning - anybody know what I should wear (leggings? practice dress? dance skirt? posh frock?). Whichever, I will, of course, be wearing red boot covers!

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