hello I'm new to the forums so first I would like to say hi. Ok so I'm currently developing a new short program for a local competition coming up next month, the music I'm using is the flowing, classical kind (overused but I don't care ) and I'm just wondering if anyone has any ideas on good facial expressions to use during the routine??? I know the description is kind of general right now but any help would be greatly appreciated!!!

A good place to start is just to program some nice smiles into your program whenever you're facing the judges and doing something that doesn't require every ounce of concentration (like spirals, connecting moves, etc.).

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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

What is your music? If it a very sad piece it would be kind of silly to be all smiley throughout it. (You'd look deranged - only kidding really)

I think it's nice if you make your facial expressions an extension of your body movements. For example, you may extend one arm and open the hand, and you can look along the arm and fingers, and slightly up from the hand as it moves out and opens. Or, while you are waiting in your starting position, you might incline your head slightly and look downwards a little over one shoulder. So the emotion is acted with the head and body line, not just a facial grimace.

If you look up generally slightly above head level, towards an upper row of seating (or at the top of the hockey glass), this will keep your chin up and eyes wide, which helps a lot.

Facial expressions will come naturally when you really feel the music and have a connection with it. Always practice projecting it on all four sides of the rink, not just focusing on one side where the judges might be. I had that mistake in the beginning and it took away my focus when one time the judges and audience where at a different place and it affected my placement.

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Tim David's Website

I would probably smile throughout it unless there is a specific emotion I wanted to convey. It works great for Alissa Csizny. Like for my FS program I am trying to portray "Passion" so it would be silly for me to smile through it. You and your choreographer should listen to the music and determine how the music makes you feel. What kind of emotions are behind it. Once you figure it out, then you have to sell it to the audience and the judges. Best wishes to you.


BlackManSkating

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When skating at an unfamiliar competition rink, the general practice is to find out where the judges are going to be seated and make sure you skate your program so that the layout favors the judges' view. In other words, if you always start your program so that you are on the blue line facing the center of the rink and the judges are to your right and a little in front of you, then that's how you need to start your program in relation to the judges' area at the new rink, KWIM? That way, you will always be facing the judges at the same moments in your program regardless of which ice surface you are skating on.

Ideally, yes, you should be presenting all the time and emoting all the time. But in reality, there are times in your program that are technically more challenging than others and it is going to be more difficult to focus both on expressing and completing the element.

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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

"Terrified" isn't a good look - but hey, it happens!

And don't go and do what I did once, was at Oxford, I think, and we were doing a compulsory of some kind, forget what. So I smiled at the judges as I went past, and on the other side smiled at the officials (markers, announcer, music steward, who, at Oxford, sit exactly opposite the judges), but failed to smile at my friends clustered at the end of the rink.... and they Said Things at me afterwards.... all in fun, of course!!!! All the same, if you see friends waving and cheering, grin at them if you can.

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Mrs Redboots
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I totally agree with you, I do make arrangements too on where the judges are seated. I switch my beginning and ending pose towards them and same goes as well during footwork and other sequences.

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Tim David's Website

I think most of the time I'm usually so concentrated on my program that I don't noticed my facial expression (or the judges) much. But I DO notice when my friends are cheering for me. Most times I am in this "channeling my primary coach in his Kwan interp program" mode.

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Thank you for the support, you guys!!!

Smiling always looks great!

You can also try and look very proud, if smiling feels weird or doesn't seem inappropriate for a certain part of music. What helped my synchro team, which is huge on expression, is to listen to the music and make up a little story to go with it. Thinking of your story while you skate to the music will remind you of certain emotions, feelings, etc. that you should be able to express during certain parts. For instance, you can take a romantic piece of music and make up a story along the lines of you looking for you love, finding him, losing him, and then getting back together for a happy ending. Just an example, but try to think of something that fits the music. It may sound crazy, but it works and besides, no one but you needs to hear your inner story!

I agree that certain parts of the music should be handled differently. Someone a few posts earlier mentioned Alissa Czisny's smiling. I LOVE Czisny's skating, but her smile seems to be frozen in place no matter what the music is doing.

Like most things in skating, I believe that variety helps. One expression, frozen throughout the program, doesn't help. Changing expressions, in synch with the music, is what I look for in a talented skater.

I think of skating as a form of acting, with the full range of emotions that encompasses.

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I think at a beginning level, if you can smile or even keep your head up and not look like a deer caught in headlights, you are doing very well. Very few skaters even on an elite level have much of a facial expression.

j

You know who has some of the best expression and musical interpretation...Tanith Belbin! She's wonderful at matching the music perfectly whether skating to classical, a funky modern piece, whatever. I think her expression and style is what makes her my very favorite skater and her and Ben my favorite team!

I adore those two, they have great expression!

I just need to stop looking as if I'm on a chain gang forced to walk 1000 miles with no water.

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Whenever I skate, my facial expressions match the move. And my tongue tends to stick and out and flop all over the place. I never noticed this before, but if I'm going into a waltz jump, I stick my tongue out an up a bit. If i'm doing a spin, it's out and to the side. Somebody pointed that out to me, and now it's made me incredibly self concious, thinking if I do it at other times too. So I would say to try to avoid sticking your tongue out at the judges, might not go over too well. And fi smiling feels too weird, try thinking of something that your music reminds you of, and your facial expression will change to match.

Eh... I think her expression is way overkill perky (take the Amelie FD, for example) 90 percent of the time. Dance, especially, is about actually interpreting the music, not just smiling as much as you possibly can or overdoing every tiny musical cue. It's good to overdo things a little, just to project, but she takes it a little far (Ben's expression, coincidentally, is usually spot-on). If you want to look at more natural presentation, check out Virtue/Moir's Valse Triste FD (from last year) on youtube. They have aways to go with their presentation, still, but they do a pretty good job of interpreting, but not overdoing, the music. For singles skaters, watch Michelle Kwan. Her expression and presentation -- almost alwyas very natural and not forced -- is what made her great.

That said, I wouldn't worry too much. I'd try to smile a bit, if it matches the music, and definitely do your best to look confident, but subtle, natural facial expression comes only when you truly understand the music, and that's something that usually comes with maturity -- so you're certainly not going to develop it in a month. IMO, I notice a skater's body line -- their carriage and posture -- far before I notice their face.

As a judge, I appreciate it when skaters try to have facial expressions that match the music. On the other hand, I'm just happy when they don't have that "I'm only out here because my coach forced me to do this" look... or the one of terror, or the one of boredom. If you can hold your head up, occassionally make eye contact (or what looks like eye contact) with someone or even just look pleasant through most of the program, most judges I know will be impressed. And very few skaters I've seen ever make it through the program without getting that "I really have to focus here" look just as they set up for what they perceive to be the hardest part of a program or dance.... which is sometimes a tip-off to the judges that the skater could have problems with the upcoming element or section. Try to remember we do this for FUN! And make it look like it is fun, which generally takes some of the tenseness out of your body and makes it more fun/relaxing for the audience -- including the judges -- to watch.

Thanks for the input - very informative

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Tim David's Website

thank you for all of the advice! I really appreciate it

Coming up with a story for your program that gives each move and section emotional meaning is a GREAT tool! It will make your program make sense to everyone even if they don't know the actual story you are portraying.

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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

I think if you truly feel the music and can bring out the emotion in the music, whatever it is, your facial expressions will come naturaly. Of course, everyone will have a different reaction to your music ( i have a piece that i find very sad/wistful that others find beautiful/happy) but if you portray the emotion the piece invokes in YOU the judges/audience will like it. Pour your heart into your performance, give it everything, then your artistry and expression will be natural.

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Flik

LOVING premed and get to skate so much more.

I wish you hadn't said that.... thinking of me on Sunday!!!! There is one bit in our free dance... at least the lift is as far away from the judges as it can possibly be and the step I hate starts with my back to them (the judges at Bristol have to sit at one end of the rink, as there are pillars that block the view if they side in the traditional side-on place).

Seriously, though, that's why Interp can be a lot harder than free, despite the allowed elements being lower - it's really hard to stay in character throughout the piece. I remember totally falling out of character when I was doing "Look at me, I'm Sandra Dee" and actually took off my 3-jump (waltz jump) and there was air! I was so pleased I grinned my head off, which wasn't what was wanted.

And, of course, if we don't have fun out there, nobody's going to have fun watching us skate.

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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!

You'll be wonderful Mrs. R., (as will your partner)...

How kind. I wish.... but we'll have fun trying, whatever. I hope to have a video, if I can get someone to take it, but am not guaranteeing it.

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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!