Im going to commit to learning ice dance - unfortunately, the only rink here in Victoria sucks, and its hockey sized BUT I reckon if I can learn on this rink, I will be fine on ANY other rink (cos anything has to be better than this rink!)...

Hubby has competed at senior level ice dance previously - Ive been dragged along for a few sessions, and I can skate fairly confidentally... stopping is another matter, but Ive been told its over rated

So I have a coach/partner for now (hubby), for basic moves and lifts (already practising off ice),... and I guess that it will help that Ive danced since I was 3?

So... all wish me luck - I will try to keep updates going, but the only thing I am really petrified of is tripping over face first into the ice (Im too nervous of catching to toe picks on the back of the blade)... my 2nd hand skates are about an inch or two too long for me, and WAY too narrow - so Im thinking of buying a new pair of skates (GRAF Prestiges? Can anyone tell me if they are better for the slightly wider foot?)... $500 including figure blades - I think the extra $500 for dance blades can wait a little while!

So yes...WISH ME LUCK!! !

You will have FUN!!! The first dances are fairly easy, and the skills you learn from them you build on.

I have found that the hardest part is remembering the steps in the right order, but if your partner calls out the steps for you (and you say them also) it will eventually sink in.

Ice dance is great fun! And, it's a great way to exercise! (yeah, I like the music too).

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

ALL RIGHT CASS! Go get 'em girl!

I've got "duck feet" (triangular) and got a good fit in a Jackson C width. I went for the Competitor boot but feel it's probably a bit stiff - better suited to jumpers.

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Dianne
(A.O.S.S.? Got it BAD! )

Good for you! Ice dancing is the most fun you can have with a man with your clothes on. And it's perfectly do-able in a hockey-sized rink, although you do have to really improve your edge quality for some dances!!! And when you do get to do them on an Olympic-sized rink, you wouldn't believe how much room you have, it feels great.

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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!

How exciting - do let us all know how you get on. I am also in awe of a marital relationship that could survive on the ice . . . When I tried teaching my husband some basic skating (he loathes it), we both got so frustrated that we thought the proximity of sharp blades may be too tempting . . . . Then, we he tried to teach me bridge, we repeated the same frustration but playing cards are a lot less dangerous . . .! Lesson no. 1 for us - a happy marriage of 14 years is going strong because we never, ever try to teach each ANYTHING!

Most rinks are hockey sized. I have the opposite problem, I skate 2-3 times a week on an Olympic size rink, then I have my lessons & more often than not end up testing on a hockey rink. I hit the walls all over the place & my coach's standard joke is that he's going to make me skate on the golf course that's next to the rink so there won't be any walls to hit! It's much easier to adjust a pattern from smaller to bigger than the other way.

Welcome to the world of dance!

Ok, I'll admit that sometimes I go a bit too fast for his comfort level but he pays me back by making me skate in killian (which is too close for me yet). Although we both love the waltz hold as long as it's me going backwards.

And we can never do house projects together anymore without the urge to seriously hurt each other but skating is different!

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

Ice dance is fun, I have finally convinced my husband to do it. He is now just as interested as me and it helps that we are the right heights to partner each other well. Now if I could only lose a bit more weight so he can lift me one day ...

Good luck

Once I'd got over the baby dances (hated those apart from the Rhythm Blues) I loved it. I was always a Free skater at heart but boy did Dance tug on the old heart strings once I got into it I went from saying that no way, no how would I EVER do dance, dance was for old people and people who were to frightened to jump to absolutely, completely and utterly being addicted.

Have fun and enjoy

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The best whisper is a click

Thanks everyone for your support! Only other problem of course, is the cost - its $14pp for public or figure sesssions, and $20pp for dance club... we want to go at least twice a week... but for students, its kinda exxy... oh well, we'll get there somewhere.


Oh, and regarding the whole, not teaching partners anything - Im the same, but Im going to make a concerted effort to leave what happens on the ice, at the ice - so long as I get a reasonable amount of positive encouragement I shall be fine!

Whereas it gave our marriage a whole new lease of life once we were "Empty-nesters". And it also gives us an outlet for our squabbles..... one couple I know who are married to other people say that they fight with each other far more than with their respective spouses.

Mind you, another skating friend of ours recently married, but although her husband is also a skater, they have, apparently, no plans to take up ice dance together, "not being ready for that level of commitment".

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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!

OK.. went last night to a public session (and there werent that many people there thankfully).... and hubby tried to teach me a few things...

Well... let me just say that some teaching styles dont match some learning styles I love my hubby to death, but I think he's more suited to teaching more advanced people who "know the terminology"... and it didnt help that he said that he doesnt know why Im not getting it, cos everyone else he's taught has... Oh yes... THAT makes me feel a WHOLE lot better It was the push backwards... My leg just didnt want to push my body back... I think its something thats gonna take me a while.

Anyway, so I concentrated on mohawks and stroking... mohawks down one side of the rink (holding onto the barrier), and stroking down the other

Im getting there on the mohawks... I finally figured out that my leading leg goes straight forward, and I bring the other one in like ballet position (Im very bad... I try to do things in ballet turnout.. not good for ice skating )... so I was getting there in the end (at this stage hubby was off chatting and skating with better people )... and then of course, whenever someone came over to have a look, I messed it up!!!

I also got the hang of changing my weight over... and I only fell over about twice

So.... Im getting there... I felt a bit useless in the end though... things like dance etc come naturally to me, and its an odd sensation realising that I cant do something right away... But Im stubborn enough to want to get it right...

And also, I feel torn between wanting to keep my hubby has my partner, and knowing that he needs a better partner that what I am currently....

AH WELL!!

OH.... and I ordered in a pair of GRAF Prestige's.. I figured, $550 for boots and blades combined isnt too bad for first pair of skates (the ones I have at the moment are about 1-2inches too long, and hurt my arches 5mins after putting them on... WAY too narrow)... So, hopefully that will help.

cassarilda,

I am sure that the new skates will make the world of difference. I am not very confident doing alot of stuff, and the pain from my current skates makes it even more dreadful. I have been telling my coach how it hurts to do stuff etc, and I think she just thought I was being a whinger! (even though we are friends and socialise with each other off the ice so she knows what I'm like)...
It wasn't until yesterday when I took off my skates in front of her that she went "holy crap" and noticed the bruising all over my feet and the blisters....
So now she believes me!

I actually checked out some new skates yesterday having 'ordered' (i say that loosely as I dont even know if the shops ordered them yet) a pair of Jacksons. I was speaking to some speed skate makers, one of which used to be a figure coach and tour with Disney. Anyway he said the new EDEA ones are shaping up to be good skates and they are supposed to be wide. Anyhow we'll see how that goes.

Good on you for getting in there and having a go at it. It wont take long for your confidence on ice to improve, and my coach said to me one day the things she would teach me would just "click" in my head - and you know what, they did! So I'm sure it will be the same with hubby. I think it's just a matter of retraining the brain some that's what I find hardest!

Take care
AW1