Searching for confidence to test the Willow Waltz

I'm registered to test on December 23rd, that's this coming Sunday, and I haven't felt fully confident yet. But I think I've found out why and I fixed it, hopefully... And that's besides dealing with the hip injury for the last 6 months that made it difficult to work on power and extension.

Before I was skating myself I was thinking of skating as floating, like few long steps (strokes) that go on (float) forever. When I started Ice Dancing I was shocked of how qick the steps were one after the other. And they still float! I don't know if that makes sense... Anyhow, the pattern dances have a set rhythm and tempo. When we first learn them, we count, and then we use music that has the required rhythm and tempo. When we count we can re adjust the counting if we make an error. When the music plays if you make an error you are gonna be late (or early), then you'll have to adjust the skating. Now, honestly I never focused on doing the pattern dances on music on my own. I mean, I tried but not very successfully.  I felt I was concentrating on learning sooo much and I was able to follow my partner/ coach when we were doing the dances as partners so I let it go. I thought it will come later kind of on its own or at least easier.

When I tested the first bronze dance, The Hickory Hoedown, in March, I went in quite confidently. I didn't get nervous while waiting and the first part of the warm up was fine. Then they played a song in the rhythm of each dance was being tested by the group on ice, so I tried the dance on my own. I fell behind the music and I panicked. Luckily my coach realized and partnered me (it was a different rhythm but he counted) and I relaxed. I did well on the test and passed and I didn't think of that moment of panic again. But I think I unconsciously worried about this solo music thing because I never solved it. I just realized this last week, as I was still searching for my confidence to test the second bronze dance, The Willow Waltz.

I had a lesson on Monday that went well. Tuesday it's a day when the ice is fairly empty and I can play my music without worrying I bother people.  So I decided that is the day I'll conquer the solo dancing on music. I dug deep to remember the instruction and corrections I had from my coaches in time. One was from my previous coach and it was to count the correct rhythm but at a slower tempo and progressively to increase the tempo. Actually she counted and clapped the hands, and asked me to count and to go when I feel I can keep counting on the same tempo. Then she increased the tempo. It took her 4 patterns to get me to the right tempo but amazingly, it felt easy. I'm not sure I was very precise in doing that on my own now but I did the best I could. The second correction was from my current coach. He said my counting is off. I need to relearn to count with the music playing to get the right rhythm and tempo. So I spent the whole Tuesday session working on all these. I must have done 50 patterns (some double as the test requires) and I don't think I usually do more than 10. I was sooo tired but I felt I was starting to get it. I was waiting for my next lesson, on Thursday, to see what my coach's thinking. I skated on Wednesday too and I was as I expected quite tired. All those patterns I've done on Tuesday really killed my quads. Thursday I was still hurting but my solo dance on music was perfectly fine! My coach seemed surprised I made such a big deal about it so there wasn't too much celebration about me conquering my fear of solo dancing on music. Maybe that's why I'm writing this. It was a big milestone for me so here I am celebrating! And I suppose I should take my coach's reaction as a vote of confidence, that he knew I could do it. Working on the dance partnering my coach, he kept pushing me to put more power into each stroke. I thought I was tired and I tried not to let my confidence slide again. And I was right. Skating on Friday almost brought me to tears from the quads pain. I took it easy and it mellowed towards the end of the session. Can you believe I took Pilates after?

I'm happy I did this fixing of solo dancing on music, and I'm also happy I didn't do it on the last week to get myself that tired just before the test. And I'm so very happy my hip holds up fine with all this work.

Yesterday's lesson was good. I definitely feel more confident with the Willow Waltz. The only correction from my coach today was to sell it, look up and smile. And I still have a lesson on Thursday. I don't know how to train this week yet. I don't want to over train. I plan to listen very carefully to my body, and take as easy as I need too.