Ok, so I found out today that the skating camp i'm participating in is having an Exhibition this Friday. Each skater will do an interpretive/improv program...I think we get to hear the music 3 times before performing it.

So i'm excited about being able to perfom, but this is my first ever performance, and it will be a solo.. Obviously, I have no program. But I'm very musically inclined!

Does anyone have any tips for doing an improv program????

I can do all elements from USFSA Basic 1-8, waltz jumps, toe-loops, salchows, inside spread eagles, lunges, forward and backward spirals and all my forward three turns. I could manage a spin from a pivot, but it's just a basic upright spin that is centered only half of the time.

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When you listen to the music, pick out a few places for things such as your jumps or spins or a spiral and then connect it with *nice* skating

I love doing these. My secret though is that I skate an existing program that sounds remotely like the mystery music. Then I don't have to think of choreography and just worry about when the music is going to run out. I have a lot of programs in my repetoire though.

Practice having little choreography themes. The idea is to get used to moving from one element to another with good basic skating in between.

Ie: alternating outside three turns down the centre of the ice with an arm flourish and glide on the end. (straight line)

2 foot spin or one foot from pivot, exit nicely, 2 crosscuts, step to spiral, step to other foot pretty glide, pivot ( serpentine)

Inside spread eagle to lunge, get back up, mohawk to back spiral (circle)

two waltz jumps in a row on a circle in front of the judges (impressive)

I don't know what's on basic 1-8, but there's nothing wrong with very good crosscuts, looking up at the judges and audience and smiling and enjoying yourself.

Practice a good ending pose, finish strongly and act like it was all brilliant!

An interp competition is so far my absolute favorite thing I've done in skating so far.

My tips
- try to remember to use the ice. If you feel like you've been on one side too long, go for a spiral!
- figure out some sort of footwork that you can put in fast or slow. Know it ahead of time. (I just did the ISI FS3 mohawk combo)
- Try to have everything that would be in a program. I realized towards the end of mine I had spun twice but only done a single jump- so I threw in a jump combo to even it out.
-Look up, smile, act like you've been rehearsing this for years, have an idea of where the music ends, and try your best to stop on time.

HAVE FUN!!!!

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Do they give you a list of required elements? If so, listen to the music and work out where they will go first. Before the competition, think of transitions you can do and are good at - spirals, hydroblades, teapots (shoot-the-duck), drags (lunges).... and see if there's anywhere obvious to put those.

Practice simple step sequences, too - but keep everything very simple. If you have to slow down to turn, then don't turn except in a place where you can slow down, if that makes sense.

And whatever happens, relax and enjoy it! If you mess up (and you can't mess up as badly as I did the one and only time I tried impro - it worked great in the dressing-room listening to the music, and okay in the warm-up, but we will draw a discreet veil over what happened when I went out there to skate!) - so what? It's only a game!

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Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

Thanks for all of the great suggestions! I especially like the inside spread eagle - lunge - mohawk - back spiral sequence...That will turn out nicely!

What constitutes a footwork sequence, and can I throw stuff like ballet jumps and mazurkas into the footwork??? Perhaps just some alternating 3-turns and mohawks??? I wish I could do stuff like brackets and rockers....

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Don't worry about brackets and rockers- just be confident with what you have and it's going to be great, don't throw in anything you haven't done a million times. (When I did mine I was constantly working on a backspin, but I didn't have it yet- I sat in the locker room telling myself "don't do a backspin, no matter how good you hope it might turn out".

Footwork is any of the connecting moves. 3-turns and mohawks, you can do your gliding moves there too. Since interp isn't judged like a program you don't need to worry about requirements like "straightline footwork goes line to line" but it does help the judges eyes to see all the parts of a program- footwork will be your connecting steps- rather than just skating from one point to another do those turns or gliding moves, ballet jumps and mazurkas are perfect for here. It makes it look more polished.

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-Jessi
What I need is a montage...
Visit my skating journal or my Youtube videos (updated with 2 new videos Sept 26, 2009)

I don't even think this event is being judged...lol. It's more for the kids to be able to show their parents what they learned at figure skating camp. I know I'm making a bigger deal out of it than it needs to be, but it's my first ever performance and I want to do great!!! Most importantly, it will be tons of fun.

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I competed against (LOL -- with) Jessi for the interpretive event and totally had a blast!

My strategy? Do the cha-cha. Do it to fast music, do it to slow music, but it's a guaranteed footwork sequence, LOL! And it was something I knew and could do in my sleep -- to fast or slow music.

Use pretty arms -- if you're stuck for a second and need a moment to think of something to do next, do something grand with your arms. So many skaters totally forget to use arms, so you'll look really cool if you use yours.

Mostly -- have fun! It's a really, really fun event to do -- if I ever compete again, I'll be doing it for sure!

I've done quite a few improv comps and while I can usually work something out to the music while listening off-ice, it is nothing like what happens when I get out there and immediatley forget everything I've just planned.

In our comps you are usually limited to just one jump (at the lower levels) which can be a 3-jump (waltz) or toe-loop or salchow and two different spins. Everything else had ot be connecting moves, 3 turns of all sorts, spirals - very useful for covering the ice surface, ina bauers and spreads if you can do them (I can't!) and drags (Lunges) and any other footwork you like (any of the field moves are good fallbacks).

I usually did quite a lot of 3 turns while trying to think of what to do next and the most common problem was actually running out of music before I'd done the 3 compulsory elements.

The best way to practice I found was to improvise to other people's music while they did their programme. Just try to keep moving with their music til it finishes - if you find that easy you should be OK at improv but if you find it hard then you probably need to plan your programme more in advance. I often used the starts from one of my free dances and adapted it to the tempo of the music. Some people generaly had an entire programme plotted out in advance before they even heard the music and used it whatever the music - just adapting speed and arm movements to suit.

Also it is good to have some simple steps with some good arm movements and moving the whole body up or down, closing in and stretching out etc.

Try to simply move with the music and make your arms movement match the rhythm and tempo. The arms are vital!

And smile and project how much fun you are having!