Ice Dancing: Ten Fox partnering

Because of this quite bad cold I've had I've skated less then usually. On Monday this week, I was still feeling congested, week and tired. I decided not to cancel my private lesson but I really couldn't skate with power. My coach decided to teach me the next dances... the Fourteen Step and the Foxtrot. I'm so excited, they look like lots of fun. But I still have to test the Ten Fox.

Here is were I described the steps of the Ten Fox. In this post I'll go over the partnering from the female point of view as I took notes and I remember. During the learning process I found out that I misunderstood the corrections many times. This is my understanding at this point...

Intro steps:
- Right stroke , Left stroke while the partnered are positioned laterally from each other and hold hands
- Right stroke on an inside edge, curving to get ahead of the partner
- LFO dropped 3-turn that will bring the female in front of the partner and in a waltz hold (I misunderstood at first that I really have to get in front of my partner, I was thinking ahead, slightly laterally, following the hockey circle, but it is more then that)

1.2.3. RB Backward Progressive On my own I tend to hook the lobes as I start them, but with a partner, it seams I go mostly straight. What I was asked several times, was to push, stroke, put power into it.

4a. LB Backward Swing Roll attention here to start the Swing Roll pushing backwards, perpendicularly away from the axis, and holding the upper body square and strong, don't allow it to rotate ahead of the edge. The female cannot twists the upper body, the partner is stuck in the back following her tracing, he cannot twist. Same is true for the end of the Swing Roll. Hold the upper body square, do not twist. I was really used to twist here especially as the next step is a step forward so twisting would put the upper body in the right position for that step.
4.b Open Choctaw R Foreword Inside Edge. On this one I've got the two correction of the same kind. At first I was to eager to step forward, as I said for the previous step, I was rushing to twist already and to step, probably wide stepping to, so I've left my partner behind. After I corrected that, I was still leaving my partner behind, as I didn't curve the inside edge enough.
5.6.7 L Forward Progressive Here I've got the the opposite kind of corrections. At first was to wait for the partner to finish the progressive, don't rush to cut his way. Then I was waiting too much, I was tucking behind him.
8. R Forward Outside Edge The first correction I've got here was again to wait for the partner. Then, I used to hook the pattern, the curve, at the middle of the lobe, to get me on a straighter line so I can stroke easier for my 3-turn.  But the partner is doing his 3-turn right there, so I had to keep the lobe straighter at the middle. Curve it afterwards by pressing into the ice and allow the upper body to turn to the right to allow the partner to catch up.
9. L Outside 3-turn Stroke strongly into the 3-turn. It's tempting to want to go around the partner, so towards the right, but the partner will be moving so that is too far away. Then I was also trying to stroke towards the left of my partner. No good either. It starts like that but as the partner moves that is too far left. I get it correctly if I try to align my upper body with the partner upper body. Works like a charm. Now as I rise to turn I have to get closer to the partner. That is very uncomfortable yo do for me. I started to get better at it, only to be corrected again. I was forgetting to bring the hip closer too. The whole body, as it rise has to get closer to the partner, the hips get lateral and the upper body aligned.
10.11.12 R Backward Progressive don't stop/ relax here. after the 3-turn, keep stroking.
13,14,15,16 Two L Forward Progressives Step forward after the back progressive, not towards the left, so you don't leave the partner behind. Also, these steps need to be stroked, both the push and under push. The lower body is square to the direction of travel, the upper body is twisted towards the partner, the upper back curved, so the partner can grab it. With each of these steps, the female needs to go a little ahead, before the Mohawk she should be ahead of the partner, so she can have space to bring the back foot in for the Mohawk.
17,18, 19 L Outside Open Mohawk into a L Backward Inside Edge Hold the upper body position for the mohawk and the inside edge.




I used to think that if I would do the steps correctly (but really correctly), I shouldn't have to think too much of partnership, and everything would fall into place. But that doesn't seam to be true. Also, for the more complicated dances with more turns, and they do get more and more complicated, it is important to know what step the partner does when you do your step. It is not as easy as paying attention to the partner. It is more a choreographed partnership.