There seem to be people who do compulsory dances and there are people who do Freeskating but how many dancers here do Free Dance and OD's? I skate in the UK and we now have separate test streams for compulsories, Free dance and variations (which higher up the levels become OD's). Free dance is my favourite (until I can master those dastardly jumps!) and I enjoy choreographing and performing OD's though annoyingly you have to test 4 or more levels of variations
(uuurghh!) before you can test an OD.
How does the system in the US and Canada (or elsewhere) work and how do all you dancers feel about the inclusion of jumps and spins in Free dance and OD's now? Does it put you off trying them (did you go into dance to avoid jumps and spins)? Or do you enjoy the extra challenge?

In the US, we don't have any tests for OD at all. Our FD tests go Juvenile, Intermediate, Novice, Junior, and Senior, and for each one there's a certain compulsory test you have to have passed first. We don't do OD or FD solo like you can in the UK, it's strictly with a partner. You can take compulsories solo, but if you later decide to take them with a partner, your solo tests don't "count" toward that and you have to start at the beginning.

Aha - I guess that explains why many of you seem to have both a Dance coach and a Free coach. Having no alternative than doing compulsory dances would drive me absolutely crazy. Luckily my coach teaches both dance and free - though he was a high level dancer himself - which suits me perfectly since I am probably a born Freeskater who dances (originally to avoid jumping) and find compulsories very uninspiring (well at the lower levels they are unless you have a partner).

So, do many adult skaters manage to find a partner to do Free dances with? We have a severe shortage of eligible men over here

In Canada, there's one test stream for compulsories which pretty much everyone does. (they don't neccisarily finish it, but almost everybody starts off anyways) Then there's the Ten-Fox Variation, and Bronze Rhythm tests which few people do, it's sort of just an extra thing to do if you still like dance but are done all your compulsories, and don't want to compete. There is a seperate test stream for free dances which mostly is just people who are competitive dancers. The competitive dance test stream goes:
Pre-Novice - stroking
Novice - free dance
Junior - free dance
Senior - free dance
I'm pretty sure you don't have to try any test for Juvenile or Pre-Juvenile. You have to pass the test for a level before you can compete in that level. (except for summer competitions)
There are no required jumps in free dances/ODs here. (you can do them, but they have to be no more than one rotation) I don't really mind the spins but I kind of disagree on them being a required element. I think you should just do them if you want to, it's not really part of dance.

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"Keep a positive attitude!" ~ Marie-France

I think it's only 3 levels isn't it - Level 1 is Variation Rhythm Blues, Level 2 Variation Canasta Tango and Level 3 Variation Foxtrot, which is silly because how many level 3 skaters do you know who can do a decent Foxtrot, never mind vary it???

I enjoy compulsory dances the most, followed by free dance. I haven't tested any variation or free yet, perhaps next winter, we'll see.

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Mrs Redboots
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yes, batikat, it is difficult finding a male adult dance partner! I am working on junior free dance for testing purposes and fun only, and I only skate with my coach. I don't know as I would trust any other male skater I know to physically pick me up!