Skating technique: Intermediate Chasses and Progressives (Ice Dancing)

As I didn't work much on Ice Dancing lately, it seems I regressed. My coach said so, but I do feel it myself. I don't balance the positions as fast as before, or at all. 

My coach starts every Ice Dancing lessons with 15 minutes of some the basic steps, whatever the time allows: stroking,  chasses, progressives, swing rolls, 3 turns... And on my last lesson we did forward and backward chasses and progressives. Seeing my disappointment after so many corrections, my coach said that some of these, are new corrections, plus he's asking more from me then before (extension, timing, geometry and better transitions between lobes). That may be so (it is so), but even not trying to incorporate these new corrections, I felt unsure. Luckily I have my notes (on paper and here on the blog) and as I went back and review them, I was able to correct many things.

Here is a review of beginning technique of these steps:
Balance point on blade for forward skating is the back of the arch of your foot and for backward is the front of the arch of the foot. This I do.

Posture: lift ribs up, ached back (push shoulders back) and core engaged. AND look up...And keep a controlled tension (engagement) in all the body.
Posture forward: torso a little forward, allow the lower back to curve to accommodate the leg rise back
Posture backwards: torso straight, feels like leaning back, lower ab engaged, butt in, like ballet, push the heals back to balance, after push, don't let the free hip go back.
This I've lost and I really feel that nothing will work if this is not "on"

Stay square on the circle you are forming (mostly square, just a little twisted into the circle, more like lean into the circle then twisted). I've allowed myself to twist too much into the circle, as for crossovers, and then I cannot untwist it all, and twist it all the way for the next lobe when I change the lobes without loosing balance.

Press into the ice. This would help with keeping the tension in the body.

Bend the knees more! HaHaHa... and more... That actually made a difference in stability

Press the boots together before each push, helping with the tension...

Push the whole body, like it is a wall.
-Forward: feel that the push forward pushes the knees, tailbone, middle of ribs 
Backward: push from the upper thigh, feel that the push backward pushes the heels, tummy (lower -back sides), shoulders blades, don't let the free hip go back after the push.
- push perpendicular away from axis
- at top of lobe push along the axis, don't hook

Geometry of the lobe and timing (count 1-2-3,4 and 1-2-3,4....)
- initial push is before the axis
-  second step is at a quarter of the lobe at count 1
- 3rd step is at half, top of the lobe, at count 2
- start rising approximately at an eight till axis
- at "and" re bend and push before reaching the axis

Extensions: HOOOLD...
- hold each extension, on each step

Re bend before the push
- re bend while on one foot, then push, or don't re bend while you push
- keep the weight on the pushing foot
- Forward: after re bending, flip the pushing foot 45 degrees  so you can push  on an outside edge


And particular corrections for each step...
Forward Chasse:
- hold the first extension extension longer1 beat
- lift the chasse foot higher and hold one beat
- start rising at a eight till changing lobes,
- change upper body while rising
- re bend after rise
- after re bending, flip the pushing foot 45 degrees  so you can push  on an outside edge
- keep the weight on the pushing foot

Forward Progressives:
- geometry
- push perpendicular to axis and along axis at middle
- hold first extension 1 beat
- start the under push while still extending, and "fall" on under push, let the hip go under
- hold under push
- under push not lateral but to the back
-  under push extension not lateral (as for crossovers) but more to the back to match the partner

Backward Chasse:
- geometry and push
- finish perpendicularly to the axis of travel
- push straight back, perpendicularly to the axis, not around
- step on outside edge (keep weight on the other foot until pushing)
- rise on the outside edge to bring free foot at ankle
- flip on the inside edge, bend into the knee and ankle and keep the weight on inside edge until push
- inside edge bring boot higher (sole of free boot over the skating boot)
- don't lean out of the circle on inside edge, feel the weight under your armpit, like somebody pulls your arm
- change arms between lobes while rising
- extend higher

Backward Progressive:
- same...
- point the toes on both inside and outside pushes

Skating technique: Beginner Back foot Spin and the Change Foot Spin

A requirement in ISI Freestyle 3 level is a Change Foot Spin that is a tree spins combination: from forward one foot spin (free foot at ankle or crossed) to back spin (free foot at ankle or crossed) to forward spin again. Each has to have 3 revolutions. Another requirement is that each spin should not be started further away then hips width.

My old way of doing it in Freestyle group class was from a short forward inside pivot-pump lift the right foot to the left ankle (so forward spin) and hold 3 revolutions, put the free (right) foot down on the toe pick and do a quick back inside pivot style pump, lift the left foot at the ankle of the right foot and hold 3 revolutions, then again forward inside pivot to forward spin. Here is my video:

As I was saying in my previous post, there are  some tricks for these spins, both forward and back.
- finish the pivot bringing the foot that pumps to the ankle of the spinning foot, before lifting it (so you won't throw yourself off center)
- the spinning is happening on the middle of the blade not on the ball of the foot (as the forward spin)
- keep the weight over the spinning foot
- keep the upper body square over your hips
- press into the ice
- lift the upper body (that would hopefully help keep it straight)

My private coach wants me to start with a forward spin from winding up from back crossovers, hold 3 rotations, put the free (right) foot down for a short 2 foot spin and pick up the left leg for the back spin for 3 revolutions, and same again for another forward spin. This last spin should be held as long as comfortable to give the impression you are in control. I cannot do it... Firstly, starting with winding up from back crossovers, I have too much speed to control the change of foot. But even with my regular slow pivot entrance, I'm off balance on that 2 foot spin in between the first forward spin and the back spin. Then, I often allow the left side to go back, instead of holding it square.  He also says I'm not pressing into the ice, that's probably why I like using the pivot, because I press into that and I re balance.  Also I'm still rocking back and forth on my blade, the coach says I'm too forward on my blade. I do occasionally hit the sweet spot that is more towards the middle of the blade... As I start the spin (I'm still talking about the back spin) from the pivot, I have the toe pick in the ice, and I think it is quite impossible to hit that sweet spot and balance of it going from the toe pick over the place where the blade is most curved. And that is why I rock back and forth...

My coach from the summer group class said  to hold the arms out laterally for the whole first forward spin and during the transition to the back spin, maybe even on the backspin and bring them in just for the last forward spin. That's actually helping a little. I spent few month on this on group classes, few years ago, then stopped doing it and it was lost. So I had to spent again, few months to get it but this time with more awareness of what I was doing.

Despite all the "challenges" I was having, my private coach wanted me to stick with this back spin without the free foot crossed, until I've got comfortable, so the fear was almost gone. I don't know if you can read the frustration between the lines. Just in case you cannot not, I'll say it... Learning the back spin and the change foot spin as describe in these 2 last posts, must have been the most frustrating time in my skating. And it took me between 6 months and a year to get to the point described here. But then, when I started to do the back spin from an inside 3-turn (that gets you on the sweet spots more smoothly, plus it's crossing the free foot by itself, literally), everything got on a path that made sense.  I will describe this intermediate back spin with the free foot crossed, so the back scratch spin, after I describe some more beginner stuff, plus I progress a little more, so I'll be able to describe it a little better.

Mid month update

Many updates to the plan for this month...

One of the kittens I took in, didn't make it. I'm terribly sad. I'm not gonna go into details. I'll say that I did the best I could, but I wish I could have done more.

The skating goes reasonably well. I still skate only 3 times per week and I work equally on everything, as planned, so as I said, I don't expect much progress.  I still start with a little Freestyle. Then I do the moves  without thinking  to make them ready to test. My private lessons, as always when I don't ask for something else, went towards Ice Dancing. My coach is primary an Ice Dancing coach so that's were he goes. But I have no complains, I actually felt progress in Ice Dancing! We've started to partner the Ten Fox!

I've registered to a Freestyle group class, starting next week. It is Freestyle 4 on USFSA not ISI that I was doing until now. It works on the same things the Loop Jump, Sit Spin and Back Spirals. So I'll get help on those, and also it will add an extra skating session per week but an easy one, because in the group classes there is some lost time and the class is just 45 minutes to start with. But that is not even the reason I registered to it.

The reason is that that rink (not my home rink), has an annual production of the Nutcracker in December, and I wanted to be in it. The requirement is to be registered in their group classes. I'm very excited about it, because I love ballet in general, I also love winter and "that time of the year". But it's a big time commitment. I plan to enjoy every second of it! That is a new thing for me, skating for my own enjoyment, that I first mentioned here. And because I lost my regular private lesson this week, due to Columbus day scheduling, I also planed a lesson with the new coach that works with me towards skating for my own enjoyment. I mentioned my first lesson with him in the plan for this month.

There is more... That is Figures. That is the old style tracings that were done in the past including in competitions. They are not popular anymore but they are the foundation for the skating edges. A friend told me she is doing them at a certain rink and it would be easier to keep using that time slot if more people would join in. It is too far away from me and not fitting my schedule, but it made me think that the Figures are easy on the body so I can add skating time to my 3 days of skating I do now, without being afraid I hurt my hip...  I asked my coach about figures and he teaches them. He also said that there is no way he can teach all (Ice Dancing, Moves, some Freestyle and Figures) with one lesson per week so I would have to add one more.


Feels like a lot, but I think I will be able to enjoy it all for this next two months (until the show), IF I don't expect and push for progress.

Skating technique: Beginner Back Spin from Back Pivot (free foot not crossed)

The back spin is a difficult one for adults. For counter clockwise spinners, it spins on the outside edge of the right foot, just back of the ball of your foot. You should shift the weight so the right side of the mid and lower back is over the skating hip and foot, and that is the axis around of which you spin.  Oh, yes... the feet should be crossed at the ankles, left over right... very scary.

Next are few approaches that I remember for learning the back spin. Different approaches work for different people.

Beginner back spin (free foot not crossed over the skating foot):

The first approach to back spin is starting with a two foot spin, lift the left foot so you'll continue spinning on the right. This was also the first approach for the forward one foot spin. I could never do it, for both forward and backward spins. I balance the two foot spin between the left inside edge on the ball of the left foot and the inside edge on the tail of the blade of the right foot. So, how to get to the outside ball of the right foot? Maybe if the two foot spin is done on the center of both blades...
And here is a video with me trying and not succeeding much.

 BUT, this approach was the least scary so it is worth trying it even just to get you started. It also bring awareness of were the weight should fall and that is on the right side, and hip. You can also stand by the board, hold onto them and lift the left foot.
Another thing worth mentioning is that the free foot should be brought straight up, near the ankle of the skating foot, not back as I did of my first try.

Then you can try a back inside pivot into a back spin.

At first I just did lots of back pivots pumps on a spot, trying to put my weight over my right foot in between the toe pick and ball of the foot on an outside edge (first part of the video).

Second part of the video is few back pivot pumps into a back spin. The trick here is to finish the last pivot bringing the left foot near the right while still on ice, if you try to lift it while feet are shoulders apart, it will trow you off balance. Still, I feel that doing more then one  pivots pumps will take your weight off the toe pick as you push around (you can see this clearly in the video), so will take you off balance. I actually started to be able to do it only after I started working on the "Change Foot Spin"  from ISI Freestyle 3 level. That is a 3 spins combination: a foreword spin to a back spin to a forward spin. I'll describe it one of my next posts. For now, I'll say that it seems that doing the regular, forward spin first, put my upper body in a better position, that I kept then for the back spin. That position would be square, straight over the hips...

For me the best outcome was to spin after just one pivot pump and that's the third part of the video. I will add that it took me months to get here, practicing 2,3 times a week...

Here is a video from you tube, first part is the back spin from back pivot, second part is the more advanced scratched back spin. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZjTbmFRpEE. He holds the upper body twisted a little towards right. I have the feeling that when I first started working at the back spin, I was over rotating the upper body and stop it towards my left side. So, I suppose, try for the upper body both square and hold to the right, definitely not to the left.

Monthly skating review: progress and goals adjustment

I wrote a post in the summer about my other passions, besides skating. One of them is helping alley cats. My skating plan for last month got derailed by 3 orphaned kittens, 3 weeks old, needing assistance. That is bottle feeding every 3-4 hours, including during the night. They are doing fine!

The skating wasn't much  for first 2 weeks of the last month, when I've got the kittens, I was just too tired. Then, as they started to sleep trough the night, I've followed the skating plan from last month to build up my skating (muscles, balance and stamina). And it didn't go to well... I was slow, stiff and nothing I've tried to do worked. But then, finally, this week I've got my soft knees back... I'm not daring to hope that it will be just smooth sailing from now on, but at least I know I can still get better, because, honestly, I was kind of giving up hope.

I've started my sessions with a short warm up. Then I did Freestyle not moves, as I used to do. I did two to five jumps of each, trying to maintain and gain more confidence on the Waltz Jump and Salcow, improving the Toe Loop that I can do but it is hesitant, and trying to get the Loop back. I didn't work with my coach on them, there is just not enough time. Then I did few spins of each (scratch, back and some idea of a sit). Next were the Moves, but as I said I couldn't get myself to put power into them. I've also became impatient with the 3-turns. Then, I've run dance exercise and the Ten Fox. The one little piece of bad news is that I "feel" my hip, meaning I had some pain that I hope is just building the muscles not the old injury acting up.

On the week my skating didn't go well I didn't get to see my regular coach and I've asked another coach for a lesson towards learning to "skate for my own enjoyment". I wrote about that idea last month and during the summer. I didn't get into competing, there are no adults at my level that I know and compete. The only way to motivate myself was trough following progress and testing. When that doesn't go well I get frustrated. Anyhow I always wanted the artistic part of the skating, the self expression and emotional involvement. And I'm soo relieved that the new coach understood what I wanted and had a plan. We did simple exercises involving the whole body and the "soul". That's exactly what I wanted. I wrote about my desire to involve my soul in a post in the summer, but I didn't mention it to my new coach. I was quite surprised he went there, and pleased. I'll continue working with him but not on a consistent way.

Before thinking of what to do next month I have to accept that I still have to restrict my skating schedule to 3 times a week to allow the hip to have rest days. I also have to accept that I HAVE TO DO the off ice strengthening exercises consistently.

Even when I was skating 6 sessions a week I felt I needed to prioritize whatever I wanted to push for improvement and test. I cannot decide now, with only 3 skating sessions per week, if I should push something (moves, dance or Freestyle) or continue on working all of them expecting slow(er) progress. My desire and what logically made sense to me always, was to work on everything. My coach also supports this. But, in the past I've just felt that I've did better on focusing on something specific. That of course could change, so maybe I should give a try to balancing working on Moves, Freestyle and Ice Dancing. Interestingly when I was telling my coach that I was puzzled how two weeks ago I couldn't make myself skate well even if I was rested and not hurting, he mentioned somehow, I don't remember the exact words, that I was maybe "too eager". Working on everything would mean giving up on the idea of testing the moves at the end of this month. I am so "eager" to test them!  I felt almost ready to test them before hurting my hip (that was a  year and a half ago). Then I felt really ready to test them at the beginning of the summer, when I've registered to test and found out two days before the test day that I couldn't because of some scheduling error.


It seams I don't have a plan for this month. Work a little at everything and enjoy!