Ice Dancing: Ten Fox pattern dance

This is the last dance from the set of three Bronze Pattern Dances. Here is a link to the Judge's Form where you can see the drawing of the pattern and the expectations for the dance. It has a 4 bit count and it feels fast to me. There are 2 different holds used, the waltz one like in the Willow Waltz also called closed hold and then an open hold. In an open hold the partners are lateral to each other, hips are parallel and hold square to the direction of moving but the upper bodies are towards each other and the arms like the waltz hold.

I use the next image to help me describe the direction of movement. And the dance I describe in groups of steps (that I put numbers for and the music bit count) that form lobes.

Intro steps: starting on the end line (near South to South West), not on the hockey circle as the others, 3 forward strokes towards East: Right (not starting with the regular left here), Left, Right, the last one on a slight inside edge to get you to the circle where you do a Left dropped 3-turn, on the circle, taking a quarter of that lobe. My challenge here is that I've got used to direct the 3-turn towards the opposite end of the rink, to the North, I hook it and that messes up the next step and the interaction with the partner. The 3 turn has to start with an outside edge going towards East, curving and then after the turn you end up moving towards North East not North.
1.2.3. RB Backward Progressive (4 beats, rhythm 1-1-2 in closed, waltz hold) Starting toward North East and finishing towards West. The second step should still go towards North East and my mistake is that I tend, again, to hook it to get me around quicker. Actually that makes the lobe shorter, and the upper body pre rotated and less efficient in checking to be ready for the next lobe and that messes up the next step (see the pattern here? just as the 3-turn messes up this progressive). This lobe doesn't go from starting towards East and ending towards West as regular lobes on axis. As I was saying, this is a fast rhythm, so the lobes are a little more flat than let's say the Willow Waltz.
4a. LB Backward Swing Roll (4 beats, closed hold). This has to be a correct Swing Roll, otherwise, you probably guessed, is gonna mess up the next step! So it has to start with a push straight back towards the West, and maintain a square upper body to the hips, don't allow the upper body to rotate after the push, let the lean and edge create the curve of the lobe. The free leg extend forward but knees are apart, so it looks forward- laterally. Rise on the skating hip at the top of the lobe and keep your weight over it and swing the free leg back, not laterally.The feeling is that you bring your right shoulder aligned over the left hip. The swing roll starts going deep into the middle of the rink and ends around the dot near the blue line, not farther away toward the board, so you have enough space for the next step. Update 9/9/2019 correction: sit on the left foot at the end of the edge (re bend) so you can stroke on the next inside edge not step onto it.
4.b Open Choctaw (that is while on the LBO edge bring the right foot at the instep of the left and step on a R Foreword Inside Edge (2 beats). The reason this step is called 4b not 5 is that the partner does only one change of edge step during the woman 4a and 4b. I usually enter a FI edge with the opposite shoulder forward, but in this case is important to get used from when you learn it solo, to enter with the same shoulder forward as the foot, so the right one, to accommodate the arm hold with the partner.
5.6.7 L Forward Progressive (4 beats, 1-1-2) going from parallel to the long boards (north) to the middle of the rink (west). This Progressive continues the lobe started with the FI edge. Update 9/9/2019 correction: press the edge at the end of progressive, gather and re bend to be able to place the right foot on on outside edge on the next step and stroke into it.
8. R Forward Outside Edge (4 beats)with a rise on the skating leg while bringing the free foot down at the middle of the lobe. This is to match the partner feet while he is doing a dropped 3-turn and a BO edge. On this edge my coach cautioned me to keep it straight at the top of the lobe, don't rush the curve, because right there he is doing the 3-turn so I shouldn't cut his way. Update 9/9/2019 correction: press the edge at the and of lobe, same correction as before
9. L Outside 3-turn (2 beats). This is the step I'm having the most difficulty  I'm not finishing the previous step perpendicular to the long boards, I suppose because I feel I'm late, but more probably because I'm anxious about it, and I'm not gathering so I can push into the 3-turn. I'm kind of dropping into it... Instruction: don't forget to flip the right foot on the inside edge before pushing to the left.
10.11.12 R Backward Progressive (4 beats 1-1-2)
13,14,15,16 Two L Forward Progressives of just 2 edges, so left, right, left, right (4 beats, 1-1-1-1) Here, the hips are square, upper body twisted outside (towards the partner). Corrections: don't drop left shoulder, push from the right shoulder...
17,18, 19 L Outside Open Mohawk into a L Backward Inside Edge (4 beats, 1-1-2)

-stroke LF outside edge
-rise on left foot over the left hip, using inner thighs, align back to circle, arched back, push left shoulder forward, right shoulder back, butt in, like not falling forward over a cliff, let foot come at instep not in front, don't rush!
-step on right pinky toe, free foot at back ankle, ideally feet parallel, pull left shoulder back, push right arm forward. Update 9/9/2019 correction: after setting the right foot on ice, lead with the right heal (push it towards your forward left (north west corner)
It took me a long time to get this. What finally made me do it, was the coach request to just do the L Outside edge, bring the free foot at the instep and hold it. This was as a result of me complaining that I never feel I'm totally ready to transfer on the new foot... In fact, I wasn't holding the weight on the entry edge... I suppose, as with the 3-turn, I was too anxious and so I rushed into allowing the weight to shift towards the new edge. During the exercise I also felt the free hip, totally opening before stepping on the free foot. The last piece of the puzzle is the strong and quick check into the turn and out of the turn, in fact it may be the first piece of the puzzle, you need this check when you bring the free foot in after the first edge...
There are two more little tricks here, at the last step. Firstly, because you step from an outside edge to an inside one, you shouldn't step too closely. You have to step few inches away so you can transfer the weight in a controlled manner. Secondly, the upper body is facing the outside of the circle during the mohawk and the last step. Now, as you rise on the BI edge you square the upper body on the hips, and you twist the upper body towards the inside of the circle as you re bend to push into the RB progressive of the new pattern.

My coach told me to think about these beginner dances as a way to build skills. A new skill that's introduced with the bronze pattern dances is the awareness of what step is the partner doing, as I mentioned few times during this post.

Corrections 03/07/2019
- flatten all the lobes a little to fill the rink, think go long
- I start to far, start closer to the middle so the 3 turn starts  at the long axis on the hockey circle
- let the first part of the swing roll go towards the center so it comes back to the axis and not crosses the axes, finish around the dot
- while re bending twist the upper body to the right, to face the long boards for the step forward iside edge
- finish the progressive around the next dot
- don't hook the 3 turn so you can keep going long with the forward steps
- don't rush the end steps
- good mowhak :) I liked this one...

Corrections 6/27/2020

- dropped 3-turns; get on that skating hip, don't leave free hip behind, don't block with upper body (push skating shoulder back)
- finish backward swing, hold the weight on skating side and rebend for a good push into the forward inside edge, perpendicular to axis
- take progressive deeper into circle to have enough space for double knee bend that now runs in boards
- don't open hip on double knee bent, push free hip forward, don't concentrate in bringing the free foot up but on bringing it down, scissor motion, lifting over skating foot
- re bend while holding the weight on skating foot, but flip from outside to inside edge
- bring progressive more around and hold weight on skating side as stepping to stroke forward
- after mohawk step near foot, don't let free foot go back

Working at my first Freestyle program part 4

This is the third lesson toward choreographing my program with coach B.

Read about the experience with coach A here, the first and second lessons with coach B here and here.

I'll put in bold the things that are new to me. And I also count the arm movement that is all new to me...
- The last element was a kind of back pivot. To come out of it I bring the feet together and push back in a landing position, and pushing the hand forward. This is arm movement number 8.
- Now I step forward and do 2 CW crossovers and a right forward swing roll  toward the center of the rink.
- then 2 left forward dropped 3-turns (from my ice dance repertoire) so I finish on a right backward edge
- then from this backward edge I go directly into a Waltz Jump. I already had a Waltz Jump planed in last week choreography, but we decided to put there a Salchow Jump instead. Here, I get a lot of speed on my dance 3-turns and I can control the Waltz Jump, especially coming directly from the 3-turn better. Or to say it like it is, I wasn't able to do the Salchow here, so we switched the jumps. Even on the other spot I feel I have too much speed and I have to intentionally slow it down...

And that's all we added. But we reviewed everything from the beginning. I'm used from Ice Dancing to follow the pattern, for Freestyle it is a little more free but it's still not always easy to keep the path and edges because of the other skaters on the ice.

We ended with filming my coach doing the program just in case I forgot the steps. He ran it without music, we had trouble with the speaker....

This was on Wednesday. On Thursday I had my dance lesson, where all we did was backward swing rolls...My bad, I was talking too much and then I've got stubborn with wanting to understand these. They are behind because I didn't train them at all whenever the hip was hurting. But finally it seams it was a good idea to keep asking questions, because I misunderstood some things. I'll work on them on Monday.

Friday the skating session is always crowded so I cannot do Ice Dancing or moves... It's good to have a program to work on, even if I train just parts of it. I did all of it a couple of times but adjusting the pattern to avoid other skaters. When I tried it with music, going off pattern took me off the beat. So, hopefully I'll find the time and space to put it on music on Monday.

But on the crowded session on Friday I had enough space to work on coming out of that edge like pivot and pushing back. For some reason I kept wanting to step forward. Then, there is stepping forward CW and crossovers CW, that is the "bad" direction. So I took the time to work on crossovers separately. Then I worked on the dance 3-turns which I tend to hook  and they are very curved at the exit edge. I need too make them straighter. I'll need them like that (linked together, and 4 not just 2) for the European Waltz. And of course I had to learn to do the Waltz Jump, from the 3-turn edge. And I also worked on jumps. I've heard that having a program motivates you to work on elements. And it is SOO true. 

Working at my first Freestyle program part 3

This is the second lesson with coach B that is doing my program's choreography.
Read about the experience with coach A here and the first week lesson with coach B here.

We started by reviewing what we've done last week. At the end of the first week I filmed the coach doing the choreography so I'll have reference. I learned the steps reasonably well. I asked for help in the arms movements  that I numbered last week 1, 2 and 3.

And here are the next steps, I put in bold characters the things that are new to me...
- after the spiral like step I continue with a left forward mohawk,  step wide for a power push with one hand over the head movement 4.
- back crossover and step forward on the right foot with both arms 5 coming from low to lateral. This step brings me to the right hand and forward corner from how I started in the middle facing the judges.
- step on the left with some arm movement 6 that waves somehow, forward crossover with long inside edge. That is right, left and stay on the left and continue holding the inside edge and bring the right foot forward. I'm always tempted to put the right foot down and even if I don't, I usually mess up my balance, so my flow, and the arm movement 7 associated with it... All this brings me towards the center again.
- right forward mohawk, back crossover, back edge, Waltz Jump
- left forward 3-turn and wide step and ride backward on the inside edge,  on a bent right knee (similar with a back pivot maybe but in a lunge position not putting the toe pick in the ice)  twisting the upper body with arms lateral, palms up. This is soo pretty! And I am now in the right corner but back to the initial center position.

Some things that caught my attention:
- I noticed about many steps that they have a rhythm like short step, short step, hold the edge...  And it makes sense since my music it's waltzy.
- Some of the arms movement are ballet inspired done with a square upper body. Others, those with a wavy motion use the shoulders and breathing to initiate them.
- Breathing is a very effective tool for enhancing the movement. For example on the first element: arms up with inhaling , then arms down and initiating the pivot with exhaling...
- I was asking about keeping the body tense. I was wondering about it for a while and he said that it's tense, but not that tense. There is a balance between softness and stiffness. So you should be holding some tension so you can control the movement and extend, but then release it before it becomes stiffness and  actually would stop the movement. This goes hand in hand with the breathing... Theoretically, I knew it was something like that, but I was actually able to see him doing it and copy some of it. Then of course, I loose it when I try on my own.
- I was pleasantly surprised that I learn the choreography reasonably quick. That was a big worry for me. I haven't done any sports, dance, music or performances as a kid, so I really have nothing to build on. I did my rink adult group number at the annual show and I was really, really bad in picking up the choreography. Then I did some contemporary dance class last summer and I was quite overwhelmed. My regular skating, with my main coach, is MITF and pattern dances, that are all, for my level, very repetitive steps. When I started with the first Freestyle coach, coach A, I was still getting overwhelmed. But somewhere along the way it got better. Firstly, while not rocking science I've never had to do connective steps and weight shifts to change the direction, so I had to learn them and give them a little time to became comfortable. Then, I literally told myself to not be overwhelmed. And it worked, I can follow along for a bigger chunk of the program then I expected. I realized I'm getting stuck on things I cannot do, not on choreography.
- I'll ask my coach on my next lesson if he has any advice on how to approach the process of learning a program. I would think firstly is to learn the elements and the order of the steps. Then add arms, put it on music and add expression. But I suspect, as in Ice dancing there is a back and forth approach.
- And related with learning choreography, I asked my ballet instructor if he has any tips for beginners, more exactly what to pay attention to. I already told him that my goal is to improve my posture and hand movement. He said that it is more important to get the rhythm. The exercises I'll learn the more I do them. Something to think about...

Working at my first Freestyle program part 2

Read "Working toward my first program" part 1 here.

Firstly, I decided to change the music, as the first choice was some delicate piano sound with two big orchestral accents and I was afraid that if I won't be able to align some dramatic elements exactly over the big music accents it was all gonna look silly. I also hired another coach (coach B) because coach A had to travel and I really really wanted a program NOW.

Coach B jumped directly into choreographing the program. I wrote in my previous post, the one reviewing the last month,  "The coach I hired now, coach B, is a quite experienced choreographer and performer, still settling in my city, so still approachable as price. He has such a beautiful style with lots of upper body movement! I first tensed up, thinking I won't be able to do much of what he showed me, but he broke down everything and he said that whatever I won't get comfortable doing in few weeks we'll change. So I take it as an opportunity to learn new elements, even if they are not gonna get used."

I feel that everything he's asked my to do up to now is new! I'll put everything new to me in bold.
First week:
- I start in a curtsy position (yes this is new, I never curtsied before) with the weight on the right foot, facing 45 degrees to the judges with the arms on chest and looking down towards right. Then arms ballet style, up and lateral,  and when they get there, pivot towards the left keeping the palms up. The trick here is to change the weight from the right foot from the curtsy to the left toe pick for the pivot. Also challenging at this point is to melt the arm movement into the pivot, and to stop the pivot when facing the judges. I'm surprised that for the pivot, that is not a challenge, I have 3 things to work on...
- Then, 2 inside edges (left, right) with arm movement 1. I enter the forward inside edges with the opposite shoulder than the skating foot in front, as usual. But now, the arm behind has to came around to the eye level and forward (meaning from the heart). We said we'll work more on arms later, for now it doesn't feel I do anything similar with what he's doing.
- Inside spread eagle (yeap, I've never done this) with arms laterally, palms up.
- Toe pick turns. This means to step on the left foot and turn on the flat of the blade then step and turn on the right toe pick, and repeat. These are done on a line. I'm cautious doing them but I can do them. Will I be ever able to do them on the music beats as coach B does them? Especially because it seams to be a very quick transition between the spread eagle and the toe pick turns.
- Forward outside 3-turn into a stop. This was supposed to be a back stop, but it transformed into a lateral one that I can do. The 3-turn has to be small and curved and I have to hold my weight on my left foot before my stop. I filmed my coach doing the steps so I'll remember them and he actually did a little 2 foot spin into a stop instead of the 3-turn, but I think I would try for the 3-turn for a while because it seams useful to learn it.
- After the stop there is some pointing towards the judges 2 (sending love). The coach will need to teach me that. I'm so new at this that I cannot copy it from the video :(
- Then it would be a 2 foot spin in the opposite direction than my normal one. I'm soo overwhelmed by now, that I don't want to do it. Because everything is new I feel I'll have no energy left for the actual elements I have to do for the test...
- Next there is a step like a spiral with arm 3 on the right foot with the upper body and free leg parallel with the ice, but keeping the skating  leg bent, looking down and the arm from the skating side extended forward.

At his suggestion, I filmed my coach doing my program, so I can reference it while I work on the steps. I'll let you know how it goes!

Skating "off" days

This week I skated Monday through Friday. I was saying in my previous post that last month I skated very little. Plus I had a fall and I still have a little pain so I tried to not work that muscle too hard. Good news, it's getting better quicker now that I didn't skate and let it rest.

Anyway, last week on Monday, I started slowly and carefully, I didn't try to work on anything, or even review anything, but feel the ice and my body. I ended up reviewing all the Pre-Juvenile MITF, the Ice Dancing warm-up. Tuesday I had my first lesson with my new choreographer but I had half hour to myself  and I went trough all the moves and dance exercises again. It went well. I don't usually skate on Tuesdays because I figured a while ago that I sometimes get tired by Thursday when I actually want to be fresh for my weekly lesson. But half of this Tuesday was just learning choreography, I didn't feel I was working much. Wednesday was one of those good days. I think all the moves would have passed the test. I also got to the actual dance, the Ten Fox and finally got a good pattern and speed into it. Thursday was my usual lesson, and I was a little "of". I didn't feel tired. Friday I felt very tired, the muscles were both hurting and slow, and my energy low. So I figured that I must have been tired on Thursday too...

So, I'm trying to analyze my skating days in the sense of when my body and mind is at theirs best and I can push, and when they are "off" and I shouldn't push. Looking back, I think I injured myself in "off" days. So I really want to be able to identify them and last week, on Thursday I wasn't able to.

Clear reason for "off" days is if my muscles are tired. I find it interesting that I don't always realize my muscles are tired. They are not sore, but I feel heavier, slower... These are always "off" days

The next reasons are also clear but some days I can make it work trough them better then other days. these reasons are if I'm tired, I haven't slept well or enough or I'm sick.Then, if I'm distracted or frustrated from the life outside the rink or the rink,  so I'm not concentrating enough.  These kind of days I have to take it easy and let it go where it goes. These days could became either average, "off", and sometimes they became "good" days.

Another situation is if I didn't skate few days  and I'm not tired, my mind is there, my muscles are rested.  I still have to take it easy, to take the time to review the basic skills (edges) before pushing. These kind of first time on ice days, are never good "pushing days". They are average but I can push them into "off" days easily...

The week skating schedule affects all this, and if the schedule is consistent I can get to where I can plan a little. I don't skate Saturday and Sunday, as there is no convenient ice. Then Monday has to be a slow, feel the ice, review the basics kind of day. If I have few good skating weeks, then I can handle skating on Tuesdays too... otherwise, it's better to skip it. Wednesdays are usually good days. My lessons on Thursday are either slow teaching moments so then Friday I'm not tired, or push for progress moments and then on Friday I'm excited.

It's sounds doable. I just have to listen to my body and take it easy when I'm tired. Otherwise it seams I get into a vicious circle and I get even more tired so I end up having more "off" days. And risk falls and injury...

Monthly skating review: progress and goals adjustment

I start each "skating month" with reviewing the previous one and then planning the current one.

I didn't do much skating last month. On the first week the rink schedule was inconvenient, then I was taking it easy because I had some pain from a fall in December. Then I fell again :( and decided to rest for few days to see if I don't come back to regular form faster. And then we had the polar vortex! The rink was closed 2 days.

Ice Dancing: I'm working on the Ten Fox. We tweaked the pattern, mostly the 3-turns placement. The outside mohawk is fine! As I still work on the pattern and I was protecting the hurt muscle, I haven't got yet to go full power and speed and I'm not on time yet. Also I didn't partnered yet. I feel the coach pushes on each lesson for a better backward skating, Higher extension, pointed toes, re bend before the new push, less time on transitions between lobes, and of course the posture.
I asked start to work on the European Waltz,  which is 3-turn after 3-turn because I wanted to work on something that will require patience, not power. My problem is that I don't re bend when stepping from backward to forward. That is both after the back edge, before the 3 turn, and in between the 3-turns on the end pattern. I can do it at slow speed, and I also train it off ice. So it's gonna take a lot of repetitions done correctly, at slow speed first, to get it in the muscle memory.

MITF: As much as I don't want to accept it, the truth is, I cannot make them better if I cannot put power into them. And if I have any kind of pain, I can't... both physically and mentally. So, they are right there, almost ready to test, from a year ago, jut not quite there.

Freestyle: I've had just one lesson, on the first week of the month. We reviewed things that we've done before and I made it clear I wanted the Pre-Bronze program so i can test it. And then my coach got sick and then he had to travel. So I hired somebody else. And he got straight into the program! My goals from doing programs is to learn new elements and how to link the elements I have. And I actually want to work with many coaches/ choreographers because I feel they all have different styles. The first coach, let's call him coach A, I worked with, was specialized in adults. The coach I hired now, coach B, is a quite experienced choreographer and performer, still settling in my city, so still approachable as price. He has such a beautiful style with lots of upper body movement! I first tensed up, thinking I won't be able to do much of what he showed me, but he broke down everything and he said that whatever I won't get comfortable doing in few weeks we'll change. So I take it as an opportunity to learn new elements, even if they are not gonna get used.

Off Ice: I did 3 weeks of ballet now. Overall I love it, but it is as tedious as the skating, if not even more. My goal here is mostly to improve my posture, upper body  movement (as I tense and rise the shoulders) and learn some arm movement. But my mind gets lost in between remembering the exercises, actually doing them correctly, so for now I keep forgetting about my posture..

I think this month I have to be patient to consolidate what I have in dance and moves and I think the progress that I crave and push for, will happen on it's own. And I have now the Freestyle program and the ballet to keep things interesting.