I need advice. The synchro team I am joining is moving to the adult division this year. This means I need either my preliminary moves, bronze moves or preliminary dances. Currently, I have my pre-bronze moves. Do you think it will be easier to pass preliminary dances or bronze moves. I just started working my bronze moves and they are still really ugly and really difficult. I have until December 1. Any thoughts?

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It depends. If you work hard enough, you can probably take a shot at your Bronze MIF. Think about it: you have until Dec. 1st, which is just roughly five months away. Maybe you can try to aim for testing them sooner so that you can retest them just in case...

As far as dance is concerned, the Preliminary dances aren't that hard. I'm teaching them to two of my students and they picked them up pretty well (timing, steps, etc.) after about two weeks. I'm sure that if you got with a decent dance coach, you could probably knock out those three dances easily. If it makes you feel any better, I passed four of my dances in 9 weeks and I'm now working on my Pre-Gold dances. I owe it all to my coach who forced me to work my butt off with the goal of testing at every possible test session.

IMO, I think you should test whichever test you feel more comfortable and confident with. Sure, work on both as hard as possible like you intend on testing both, but if you're still feeling uncertain about one, put it off and take the other. Or hey, why not try testing both? You never know unless you try...

Good luck!

I tested the first two of my preliminary dances less than three months after starting in with my current coach. I still haven't tested pre-bronze moves, though that's for reasons not entirely due to my difficulties with them. Starting from nothing, the cross-behinds on the Rhythm Blues took me a couple of months to be completely comfortable with, so the third dance took longer than than the first two. I've been a musician of one sort or another for many years before skating, so at least keeping time wasn't an issue...

I'd guess the prelim dances would be faster, but it would depend on what you find easy and hard...

Preliminary dances definately easier than bronze moves. Especially if you do them with a partner. Working on dance will improve your moves.

j

I'm a Silver level ice-dancer and I've been working on Bronze Moves for 4 years.

The preliminary dances are definitely easier and a worthy goal as you will use your dance training for synchro no doubt.

Good luck.

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Why not try for both? Especially if you have more than one test session available before December.

I guess I'm in the minority as I found the Bronze Moves easier than the Prelim Dances! Passed Bronze Moves on the first try. I did pass the Dutch Waltz, but did not pass the Canasta or Rhythm Blues. My problem is keeping count/rhythm . But if you can do that easily, and you have decent edges and don't forget the steps, you should be able to do the prelim dances without much trouble.

Thanks. I think I'm going to shoot for passing the preliminary dances while continuing to work on those bronze moves. I know my coach would definitely push for the bronze moves but they are so far from testing it is not even funny. Hopefully if all goes well and work doesn't get in the way, I want to have the dances tested by September when the synchro season starts. I'll run it by him at my next lesson and see what he says.

On a related note, do you think an ice dance coach would be offended if I said I wanted to just pass the preliminary dances and then stop?

__________________
Happily defying the laws of physics when I skate...and not in a good way

If I could meet ole Axel Paulsen, I would kick him in the teeth

President and Founding member of the I hate Toe-Loops Club

Still a member, but trying to get out of the Pre-bronze peanut gallery.

Visit my skating journal

It's your money. They are your skates. It's your pursuit.

Nuff said.

j