I started dance lessons like 2 weeks ago and learned my first dance yesterday.I never knew dance could be so confusing . my dance coach tells me how to do it but then i forget which foot to put first, which edge I'm supose to be on.I have another lesson next week and I'm afraid I'll forget the dance .any tips on how you remember dances.
Thanx in advance
~cutie

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Skating is suppose to be fun , no PRESSURE at all

~*Courage*~*Confidence*~*Consistance*~

For me, the easiest way to remember the dance steps is to think about them as sequences of steps, for example a forward progressive sequence, swing roll (beginning of dutch waltz), rather than LFO, RFI, LFO, RFO SR.

Throughout all the compulsory dances, there's bits and pieces that are common patterns (progressive sequences, or a forward progressive sequence followed by a forward chasse sequence on a new lobe). Learning and recognizing these common patterns makes learning new dances easier, at least for me.

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American Waltz... Once, Twice, ???? ...

Q: How many coaches does it take to fix Jen's Dance Intro-3 Problems
A: 5 and counting...

I had such a hard time with these---but say the name of the steps (the steps not the edges as jenlyon60 suggested) out loud while you do them! Trust me on this! It will make it easier! After a while, you will do them automatically!

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Skate@Delaware
Ah, show skating!!! I do it for the glitter!

I found walking through the steps off the ice, or visualising them while I lay in bed helped. My husband liked to have a printout of the pattern & steps, which he found helpful. One friend wrote out the steps and pasted them to her computer at work, so she could mentally run through a dance during the day.

But there is no substitute for simply doing the thing, over and over again - have a written copy of the steps nearby to help you when you get confused, and just do pattern after pattern.... This is also good for your stamina!

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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!

With the one dance that I attempted to learn (Dutch Waltz, I believe), my coach photocopied the pattern from the book, so that I could actually SEE the pattern and the lobes, and then she color-coded each lobe according to what I needed to do there--such as progressives, swing roll, etc. It was very helpful.

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"The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others. But it does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods or no god. It neither picks my pocket, nor breaks my leg."
--Thomas Jefferson

www.signingtime.com ~sign language fun for all!

When I was a kid we would learn the dances by following around one of the more accomplished dancers (someone who actually knew the steps and the pattern) while they were doing the dance solo.

The kids at my rink do this now and I think they find it very helpful.

All of the suggestions you have gotten from other posters should be helpful also -- it depends really on what kind of learner you are I guess -- visual or mental or oral...

Good luck and have fun dancing!!

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Is Portland the only city with it's own ice-dance website? http://www.pdxicedance.net/

What I do is I practice the dance for a while after my lesson so that I can remember the steps...also sometimes I watch other skaters who are doing the dance (but who are in a lesson so you are guarantied that they are doing the right steps!).

My skaters coach copied the pages out of the rule book with the pattern so at least she can follow if she forgets.
At least for her the main thing was practicing a few times and then it became second nature to her.Her coach also claps with the time so she could hear it better.
Good luck !!