This is a bronze (or 3rd level) dance. I think of this level as an beginner-intermediate. It is done in a waltz position with a partner or can be done solo. Here is a link to the judges form with the pattern:
https://www.usfigureskating.org/content/willow-waltz.pdf
Starting point: facing the short board and having a third of the length of the rink in front of you (you are on the blue line) and a third of the width of the rink on your right (where the red X is).
1. LF stroke toward North-West corner
2. RFO swing roll with the edge starting towards North and finishing towards East
3. LFO dropped 3turn starting towards East and finishing towards North
4. RBO progressive starting towards North, finishing towards South
The pattern dance: It's easier for me to remember the lobes than the steps, so here are the lobes with the numbers representing the steps:
1.2.3 LB back chasse (6 beats, rhythm (2-1-3) starting towards South, finishing towards North, the second step should happen at middle of the width of the rink. On both back chasse and progressive I get the corrections to lean into the circle, to hold the extension and to finish the lobe.
4.5 RBO to LFO turn forward (6 beats, 3-3) starting towards North, finishing towards South
I had problems with this lobe for a long time because of 3 errors. First, my back outside edge wasn't strong enough (see the description on the previous post on the outside Mohawk). Second, I didn't understand how to gather/ draw my feet underneath me when going backward. While rising and pressing with the skating foot into the ice again, with the weight onto the skating hip, you engage the core and the abductor muscles (inner thighs), so the free foot comes in effortless. Third, I wasn't re-bending underneath me, I was rushing and dropping forward out of control and blocking my partner. Another constant correction was to first turn forward just the upper body, while gathering/ rising over the feet and then re bend while still directed backward, just then step forward (so turn) the left foot.
Update Dec 26, 2018. I've got a new correction to this step forward, and that is to step on an outside edge, that's the point of all the other corrections...
6.7. RFI slip chasee and stroke LFO (6 beats, 3-3) starting towards South finishing towards East. Again I had to learn to draw/ gather/ rise when finishing each step and re-bend underneath me so I can have a strong push into the next step, especially important before the 3 turn
Update Dec 26, 2018. It seems that my slip chasse was usually flat not on inside edge, so to correct that I was advised to use the upper body, push the right shoulder forward.
Update Aug 27, 2018. Tracking is a tearm used when partnering so one partner leads (the one that goes backward sets the pattern) and the one that goes forward follows. The follower tracks don't go over the leader tracks. They are all curved as the edges, and they start on the inside side of the leader tracks, they meet at the top of the lobe, and, then they go towards the outside tracks of the leader. On Step 7 the woman stroke stars towards left , Step 8 (the first edge of the 3-turn) towards right.
8.9.10.11. (9 beats) 3 turn and back progressive This is a bigger lobe than the rest. 8. RFO dropped 3 turn (2-1) starts towards East and finishes towards East. Whaaat??? It is counter-intuitive for me but works. My coach says not to turn around, just backwards. And hold that RBI, don't drop (collapse) the dropped 3 turn second edge. After the initial stroke (that should be a stroke not a step), you gather/ rise and twist the upper body toward the inside of the circle on the count 2 1/2. The 3-turn turns on the 3rd beat. Then continue towards East the first edge of the 9.10.11 LBO progressive (2-1-3), which ends towards West. Say again??? Again, it works. You'll change direction after you start the edge, not while you start the edge.
A thing I don't like about this dance is here, it changes the waltz 6 count and rhythm during the progressive.
12.13.14.15. (9 beats) back chasse and stroke forward Again a bigger lobe.12.13.14 RBO chasse (2-1-3) starts towards West, finishes toward South, along the long board. And again it's important to draw/gather/rise and re-bend after the last step of the chasse to be able to step forward in a controlled way. You gather pointing towards East, then you step forward 15. LFO (3 beats) towards South finishing towards East- you stroke towards the middle of the rink.
Update Dec 26, 2018.To control the step forward, i was advised to step with a squared upper body, so right hand forward somehow, then use the upper body to check the finishing of the outside edge
16.17 two forward strokes RFO to LFI . 16. RFO starts towards East, finishes toward South. 17. LFI starts toward South, finishes toward West. Very important to draw/ gather/ rise and re-bent after each step. After 16 there is an outside to inside transition and after 17 an inside edge to inside edge transition and you cannot bring the feet very close together as on outside to outside transitions. After 16 you need to either flicker a little the right foot from the ankle towards right as you push, either to kind of cross forward like in a progressive the left foot. Finish the inside edge (17) with the foot pointed at the boards. Is important to bring the feet together before the Mohawk and bend so you can get an inside edge.
18-19 RFI open Mohawk (6 beats 3-3) starts going toward West and finishes toward South. I was obsessed with this open Mohawk when I was doing the Swing Dance, a pre-bronze, level 2 dance. At that point I was transitioning from my 2 young coaches (one girl and one guy as partner) that were moving away to my 2 experienced coaches so I was asking them all but I didn't really get it. To my disappointment, my main coach ended the chapter saying that what I was doing was acceptable for that level. But he promised we'll fix it in the Willow Waltz. I was doing a Free Style kind of Mohawk, where the free foot doesn't really touch the arch of the skating foot. What it came down to was when to press into the ice and when to the rise... again.
So you have to press into the ice and rise on your knee as you bring the new foot in, and at the moment of transfer do a little, but tiny, plie (basically a re-bend), then rise again on the new foot. My main coach doesn't really do a plie, he seams to be in control from maintaining the pressure into the ice with the leg straight. Maybe I just cannot do it his way, still, I achieve the exit from the mohawk on a straight leg and I like the plie...
Update Dec 26, 2018. Guess that, at some point I lost my beautiful Mohawk, so I had to correct it again. Firstly I wasn't using the upper body to hold the first inside edge. As on the slip chasse, I had to make the right shoulder go forward. Then, I stopped doing that mini-plie so after I changed the edge I was left on an bent knee and not a beautiful extension of the free leg. That plie gives me a moment to press into the ice, so then I can straighten the skating leg knee and use it as a lever to hold the extension on the free leg.
20.21.22. RBO back progressive (6 beats 2-1-3) starts towards South, finishes towards North.
Exit steps: After you finish the back progressive you skate just the first edge of the chasse, then you step forward.
Looking back, when working on the 2nd level dances, my biggest problem was skating backwards. Skating with a partner in a waltz position felt like I was being pushed back, because I wasn't' skating backwards strongly enough. On this 3rd level dances, I had to strengthen both my backward skating AND forward skating, what was "acceptable" at the previous levels didn't carry my trough this level. It is all that draw/ gather/ rise and re-bend to push stronger.
Update Dec 26,2018. Close to the test I"ve got lost of correction on holding the extension both higher and for the correct amount of beats.
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