Hi all!

One of the clubs in my area is running their own LTS program, including Dance 1 - Dance 4. I'd really like to sign up for Dance 1, but I want to make sure that I'm not getting in over my head. What skill level is generally expected for the dance classes?

Thanks!

In the USFS Basic Skills program, Dance 1 is the Dutch Waltz, Dance 2 is the Canasta Tango, Dance 3 is Rhythm Blues, and Dance 4 is the Cha Cha. None of these dances require backward skating. You need to be able to do basic stroking, forward progressives (kind of like forward crossovers), and forward outside and inside swing rolls (which require being able to hold one foot edges). Other steps are chasses, slide chasses, cross rolls, cross behind steps, and two foot slaloms. They'll teach you those steps in class.

There's a rink in my general area that requires skaters to pass Basic 4 before they're allowed to take dance classes. That would include forward outside three turns, but you don't need those for any of these dances.

All depends what dances they're covering at those levels. From time to time, and in different countries, which dance is in any level may change despite the ISU.

Wikipedia reports these levels

* Level 1: Novice Foxtrot, Rhythm Blues
* Level 2: Canasta Tango, Dutch Waltz
* Level 3: Golden Skaters Waltz, Riverside Rumba
* Level 4: Fiesta Tango, Swing Dance
* Level 5: 14 Step, Willow Waltz
* Level 6: European Waltz, Foxtrot
* Level 7: American Waltz, 22 Step
* Level 8A: Rocker Foxtrot, Blues
* Level 8B: Tango, Silver Samba
* Level 9A: Kilian, Starlight Waltz
* Level 9B: Paso Doble, Argentine Tango
* Level 10A: Viennese Waltz, Quickstep
* Level 10B: Westminster Waltz, Rhumba
* Level Gold Bar 1: Austrian Waltz, Cha Cha Congelado (must be skated as a couple)
* Level Gold Bar 2: Ravensburger Waltz, Yankee Polka (must be skated as a couple)
* Level Gold Star: Golden Waltz, Tango Romantica, Midnight Blues (must be skated as a couple)

So, it's not until Level 4 that you get to any backward skating (Swing Dance, Fiesta Tango). This is the first level that actually has a skating turn - a mohawk. Level 5 you get a 3-turn.

(Oops, forgot, if you're female then you get a 3-turn in the intro for the Swing Dance - but that's because you can do them - and your partner is only there to show you off. Females generally get the more difficult steps.)

Back to your concerns…
Level 1 Foxtrot - run and a swing on each leg
Rhythm Blues - run, glide, bend of skating knee, inside edges, cross-behind

OK, I'm simplifying here, there's a bit more to it to skate them with some style, getting the timing right, bending, not catching toe-pick, skating the pattern, not getting stuck in the corners, holding your partner correctly. Even more difficult to do with a partner - you will get something wrong and mess up their steps - or vice-versa. As a novice you're going to be pleased that you make it round and frustrated that it's not as easy as it sounds. If you enjoy it then you're going to be hooked. Even more fun with a partner

So, you should be able to skate and hold an edge on either foot and to be able to do a run. Being able to make it round the rink is also an advantage. Don't forget that if you could do the steps then you wouldn't need the lessons. It's about learning. The more competent you are technically then the easier it will be.

Go for it!

Page 7 of this PDF tells you what the LTS dance curriculum has.
http://www.usfsa.org/content/BS-overview.pdf

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Thanks for the information! I'm mailing in my registration, then - I can handle all of that, and I'm definitely past Basic 4. I have a solid music background, and a smidge of ballroom training, so I'm hoping that'll help.

I was concerned that I was going to show up, only to discover that you needed to already know the 17.5 step mohawk sequence or something - I feel much better now.

Whee! I'm so excited!

For info, these are the NISA (UK) test levels. As far as I know, the Riverside Rhumba and Golden Skaters Waltz aren't skated in the US.

Thanks for that wiki link - it's good to have all of the NISA test level info in one place! Not easy to find.

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(1) It's completely impossible.
(2) It's possible, but it's not worth doing.
(3) I said it was a good idea all along."
- Arthur C Clarke

They aren't tested or competed in the US, but they are skated!

Riverside Rhumba shows up at some ice dance weekends. Golden Skaters Waltz is fun and nice to know if you want to skate to "real" music, since it can be done to a little faster tempo than the Dutch Waltz. It looks like the group adult dance number in my rink's spring ice show will use Golden Skaters Waltz this year.

Note, do not confuse the Golden Skaters Waltz, a preliminary level dance, with the Golden Waltz, which is an international level dance and was selected for the Compulsory Dance at US Nationals and Worlds this season!

It should, in fact, be skated to the Westminster Waltz music. At one stage, it had the alternative name of "Preliminary Westminster Waltz". Significantly faster than the Dutch Waltz which, in the UK, is done to the European Waltz music, as is the Willow Waltz.

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Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

You also mentioned a smidgin of ballroom. We're currently trying it the other way round: ice dance for years, now trying ballroom.

Main difference is that ice dance has set patterns, you're always travelling over the surface, the turns seem to be the other way round - and a ballroom floor is more forgiving than ice.

The novice level ice dance routines are fairly easy, but it does help if you can remember them. The more complex sequences do come later. A problem then can be that you mix the dance patterns and start doing one in the middle of another just because there's a similar step sequence.

Anybody tried any roller dances on ice?

No, but I've done ice dances on quads and Picskates.

Kay

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I haven't tried roller skating (no picks? no tail? scary!), but don't some of the roller dances (eg: 14step) carry straight over to ice?

Okay, to help out the head-scratching Canadian: what is a Novice Foxtrot? Never heard of it ... Our first 3 dances (preliminary level) are basically the Dutch Waltz, Baby Blues and Canasta Tango. The music of which has been known to drive me screaming from the arena

My DD is qualifying as a Canadian evaluator and is every curious about international differences, she's interested to know more about this one.

I was a roller dancer as a kid. The Fiesta Tango is one I've done in both disciplines

Many of the roller dances are taken from ice dance. The 14 step is the same on both, and Rhythm Blues was a roller dance first, then ice. One of the first roller dances, the Progressive Tango, can't be done on ice, as it requires tapping the L and R front wheels on the floor.

I also haven't heard of the Novice Foxtrot; think it's a UK dance. Just for clarity, the "Baby Blues" is a nickname for what is officially the "Rhythm Blues."

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I just googled "Baby Blues" and found it in the Canadian ice dance program. Maybe one of the Canadians here can clarify. SkatingForums is where I read that it's a nickname for the Rhythm Blues.

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Baby Blues and Rhythm Blues are two completely different dances.

Very Good Dance Pattern site

Thank you so much for clearing that up!

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The Novice Foxtrot is the first dance you learn in the UK. It is danced to the Keats/Bronze foxtrot tempo, and the steps are very simple:

LFO-RFI run
LFO swing roll
RFO-LFI run
RFO swing roll
[repeat all the way around the rink]

The pattern is fairly optional. However, for tests, the sequence above is fitted into each end/width of the rink (so you need decent edges if you're on a smaller rink!), and then you repeat the pattern as needed down each side/length.

__________________
"Every revolutionary idea seems to evoke three stages of reaction. They may be summed up by the phrases:
(1) It's completely impossible.
(2) It's possible, but it's not worth doing.
(3) I said it was a good idea all along."
- Arthur C Clarke

The problem with the Novice Foxtrot is that although the steps are really easy, once you have to do it to the music it suddenly becomes much harder than it should be for something called 'novice'! The music is quite fast for the alleged easiest dance, and it always ends up rushed, and in my case the runs (progressives) become regular crossovers very quickly.

Between that and the cross-behinds in the Rhythm Blues, the Level 1 dances in the UK can be quite problematic. I'd much rather the Level 2 dances (Dutch Waltz and Canasta Tango) were the first ones, as they're much easier for me! But the chances of me ever testing are vanishingly small, the question is academic anyway!

Come live in Canada - we'll take care of you - our first 3 dances are the Dutch Waltz, the Canasta Tango and the Baby Blues. That's our Preliminary Dance test !