The concept of Power in Figure Skating

I test both MITF and Ice Dancing at the standard requirements, as kids test them. My goal was to get to skate likeas the kids do. I didn't know the name for "it", I just knew that adult skaters looked shy and kids were going for "it". This "it" is called power.

As I said in the previous posts,  I tested Preliminary MITF  first on June 2017, and got a "retry" and I tried again and passed on October 2017. The only reason given for the retry was "lack of power" on 2 elements. There are adult versions of the tests with slightly different elements and requirements. The biggest difference is the power expected. So were the standard test requires "power", the adult test requires "flow".

I've tried very hard to figure out what "power" means. Ballet dancers famously require lots of power to be able to do what they do, but then, they have to look gracious, like it's actually easy. In skating,  while learning the power concept, the instructions are to be aggressive, attack, push, sell it, pretend to be (overly) confident. When preparing to take again MITF test that I didn't pass, I was telling my coach that I literally don't understand the concept.

It just happened that I was just talking with a skating friend and she was saying that the skating culture sometimes develops aggressive personalities. And I've recently been bothered by few episodes of aggressive behavior on ice. And I'm wondering if it's partly because of the words used to ask for power. I'm still trying to figure out what power means, and I don't think is aggressiveness.

They may not be the best words to describe it,  but I think power in skating is controlled speed (holding the extensions and tension in the body and the speed will all increase while one progresses in skills). And I think it comes from 2  different places.  
The first one is technique, that gives the control:
- alignment over edges. Knowing the points of balance going forward (back of your foot arch) and backward (front part of your foot arch). And how to lean to maintain the edges.
- posture and core engagement
- pressures into ice. Not once I heard about pressing into ice ore bend your ankles as a beginner. I heard bend your knees. You actually use the knee as a piston to push into the ice and the ankle to grab and hold that pressure.
- edges: correct lean of the body and speed that maintain the edges
- tension in the whole body helped by holding the extensions and pointing the toes
 -my coach's advice on how to work on things to progress is to approach it from 2 sides and go back and forth between them
1. work on technique at comfortable speed
2. do the same elements with more speed over your comfort level

The second one is speed (exuberant speed - the love for skating) I feel seeing power in skating is like seeing a wild horse running. I definitely don't see them being aggressive.

On the other hand sports are competitions and one needs to be aggressive or assertive to compete, but that's another story. Maybe the teaching to compete should be separated from the teaching of skating technique.

Working towards my first program part 1

If you've red some of my older posts, you know that I was doing Freestyle group lessons for 5 years, then I hurt my left ankle so I stopped jumping and spinning. I started Ice Dancing and MITF (moves in the field). That was more than 2 years ago. I've always had the intention to come back to jumping but there is just so much training time in a week and I was filling it with Ice Dancing and moves. Now, as I hurt my left hip 6 months ago and I couldn't work on power and extension that I need in Ice Dancing and MITF, I was thinking how to still learn something while not pushing my body physically. So I thought to to link all I have together and to have a program choreograph for me. It's gonna be an USFSA pre-bronze program for testing. I wanted to maybe be able to use it as an ISI Artistic program to show it at my rink very casual summer competition, but I think the requirements don't mach.

An USFSA pre-bronze Freestyle test doesn't actually require a program, but you can do one, if you choose. The requirements are 2 jumps (could be 2 half jumps, so easy jumps), 2 spins (I think they require a 2 foot spin and an one foot spin), forward and backward crossovers and a spiral or lunge. The program could be maximum 1.40 minutes. My choreographer/ coach would like to put 3 jumps in, just in case I mess up one, so those plus the spins will take a lot of time. It's not gonna be much time left for the artistic side. An artistic programs requires strong edges, flow, choreography, innovative moves and musical interpretation and is has no score for the technical elements.

My goal in doing figure skating in general is toward enjoyment and self expression. That made me want to progress as much as possible so I can move more freely and securely. I use the process of testing to structure my training and progress. Similarly, I would like to use the process of learning and showing a program not for competing but for developing knowledge to choreograph myself, again not for a competition program but for moving around the rink for my own enjoyment.

I work with a new coach because my main coach doesn't do programs (he is a busy Ice Dancing coach). We had 4 lessons and we plan on few more before really choreographing the program, just so he can see what I can do. But he's teaching me in between all the planning, both technique, and how to approach the elements so I can eventually put them together myself.

The first lesson was about arm movements. He was asking me to do things I know (like power crossovers) and he showed me different arm movements to add to those. Meanwhile he also judges the quality of my elements. He introduced the choreography concept of stepping outside the circle, making a new circle, so creating interesting patterns on the ice, while teaching some arm movement on left forward crossovers and then step on a right forward outside edge.

The second lesson was about turns (steps). Programs ask for a step sequence made of turns (like mohawks and 3-turns for this level). The same turns  are used between jumps and spins and are called transitions. Again, he judged what I can do. For example I can do Ice Dancing 3-turns (dropped 3-turns) faster then the Freestyle power 3-turns... He put together a third of the rink circular step sequence that was 2 strokes, right forward mohawk, 2 right backward power 3-turns  and a double back 3-turn. We got stuck on a pretty flourish on the inside edge of the double back 3 turn. That I could almost do :) And I've got an update on the 3-turn instruction that was all things I knew. But just hearing it from a different voice sometimes helps. I told him after this lesson that I would like easier steps (then back power 3-turns and double 3-turns that I never did before) so I can have more speed, less struggle and feel more artistic. I think one of the purposes of a program is to push you to improve your technical content. I just feel that this being my first program, I'm all pushed already. We decided on the music. I had in mind a piano intro to a song I love but was just 1.30 min. The coach wanted 1.40. So I tried Audacity software for the first time. I was trying to add  from the main song and cut from the piano intro but it seamed to have no focus. Then I tried to chose a part from the main song and I didn't like it. I ended up copying a little of the piano music and pasting it somewhere. Now I have 1.45 min and it's fine as long as I don't move the first 5 sec. I think it's actually great to have 5 seconds to breath before skating.

The coach saw me trying some Salchow jumps just before starting the third lesson. He asked if I wanted any help. I hesitated because I didn't do jumps in a while and I was struggling to remember the entrance and the motion of the jump but I said yes. I was also planning to work on jump technique with my main coach and I was worried not to get confused between the two of them. But I'll have to put jumps in my program and with my main coach I work hard on dances, it doesn't seem I'll do Freestyle soon. I was again happy with him refreshing what I knew. He also added to it! And I felt it helped... Then he gave me some steps that  would potentially work on my music. I was soo happy that I learned them quickly. It was a huge worry for me that I won't be able to remember the choreography. But, I have to say, I really think he explains it so it is easy to remember...

Last week was about how to continue after a jump landing. And the coach gave me 3 options. Step forward on the left leg and continue with forward crossovers on a new circle. There is a little bit of a tricky part when changing the orientation of the upper body. I definitely needed it explained. The second option was to step into a left forward power 3 turn and change direction. AND, the third option, a tap toe for those times when you don't lend perfectly... As I said, I feel he teaches me strategy and choreography options. Exactly what I asked for!

One thing he insists on from the first lesson, and I'm not doing it yet, is to add an intro and an ending to each element I do. So, few strokes, add arms, turn, then jump or spin, then few steps out and arms again. I think it's a very good advice to get used with connecting steps.

Exhibition: Canasta Tango Demonstration

Last Sunday I demonstrated the Canasta Tango in an exhibition. My new coach, the one that's gonna choreograph a pre-bronze program for me, is very involved in the adult skating community. He coaches many adults, I think, mostly adults, including a group that does ice theater. Some of his students will go to the ISI nationals and they decided to do a dress rehearsal with their numbers. And they had extra ice time, so the coach asked me if I wanted to demonstrate a dance, since I don't have a program just yet.

I hesitated for just a second, because of old thoughts of not feeling confident that I have that much skating skills to show. I will have to add that I've never been in a show as a kid, the only shows I ever did were the adult group numbers at my rink. But I realized, because this exhibition was between adult skaters, it was a perfect opportunity to check the waters, to see how I feel now, and to work on building confidence.

I choose Canasta Tango because for now, it's my favorite dance from the first nine I know. I also like the Willow Waltz but it's a more difficult dance and I wanted no pressure. Let's see what pressure I'm talking about:
- I used to get very nervous at both the group number at my rink shows and the tests I took.
- It would be my first time on ice by myself. At the Ice Dancing tests I had the coach there as my partner, and at the MITF tests there were 3 of us sharing the ice.
- I just started with the new coach to work on arm movement and presenting. And we started from nothing, as I haven't taken dance as a kid. I could have kept it simple with just lifting the arms in a ballet position at the beginning and presenting at the end, but I challenged myself to do a little more. To add to the pressure, I choreographed that myself, because I didn't see my coach again before the exhibition. Tango asks for sharp movement, I worked at it at home, in the mirror, but didn't look right so I did more of a flamenco movement that is softer.
- I have no experience in skating on music on my own. I sometimes try to do the dances on music but as I work on correcting a million things, I usually lose the rhythm. The music was not a priority because I know at test I have my coach there to keep the rhythm.
- I decided to wear a dress that I made and I love it, but... I had a sample fabric that I couldn't buy anymore, and while I first meant it to became a skating dress, I decided to let it be a regular dress so I can wear it more often. For skating is mainly it is too long and not tight enough.

How did it go?
- I wasn't nervous but I wasn't at ease either. I felt a little award.
- The restart of the music gave me an adrenaline rush. The first version of the hand movement was more controlled, the second time I rushed, I didn't extend as much, maybe was more tango like? But hand movement needs work.
- I blame being ahead of the music on the adrenaline rush also... but I knew skating on music needed work. That's one of the reasons I want a program.
- I got distracted as I got cheers in the middle of my third pattern. I thought they expected me to finish after the second pattern. It seems though, that Ice Dancing etiquette is for the spectators to cheer when the skaters are closest to them, because there are no focal points like spins, jumps, spirals to cheer then.
- I love taking videos of me skating because I see clearly what needs to be improved.
- The pattern of the dance and edges weren't totally correct. I wasn't even trying because I didn't do this dance in  a while, I didn't have time to work at it and I didn't want to put pressure on myself...
- It didn't look polished and I didn't expect to. The thing that hit me was the lack of toe pointing. I'll definitely work on that... Then my posture... I work on it continuously but it seems I have to work harder.
- Commitment to the music and character and presenting... I think that would do wonders and I see two ways to work on this. Firstly my new coach asks me to present everything I do on ice. Like when I do MITF, a spin, a jump, to put them in a sequence. It's gonna take a while. I think it's gonna be easier when I'll have a program and I'll practice parts of it. Secondly, I'll have to do more shows, exhibitions, competitions...
- Now, surprisingly, I also felt a little proud of my skating, in the sense that I felt it improved, not that it was perfectly done. I had speed and quite deep edges compared with when I tested it more than a year ago . Below is the solo warm up for that test. You can see that here I don't go too deep into the center of the rink.

Testing

I started skating in group lessons that followed ISI (Ice Skating Institute) curriculum. ISI is an international governing body for recreational figure skating. There are 5 basic skills levels and 10 FS (Free Style) levels, each including up to 10 skills you needed to learn reasonably well before passing on to the next level. One session was 2 months long and at the end of each session the instructor would test each element and give you a pass or retry and feedback. I have to say that I was nervous every single test day. It wasn't expected to learn one level per session, so I had test days when I knew I wouldn't pass, and I still was nervous!

When I've got more serious about learning, I decided to test under USFSA (United States Figure Skating Association) that's affiliated with ISU ( International Skating Union) which is the international sport federation administering ice skating sports throughout the world. USFSA governs the competitions we see on tv. Their testing is a serious affair! They are judged by actual judges, certified judges, and for easier tests there is one judge but for more difficult tests there are 3 judges. 

There are testing sessions, scheduled months in advance, and the skaters register to test around a month before the test day. A coach needs to sign the registration form so you are basically pretested and don't show up unprepared. The skaters are all  dressed up and the test is presented in choreographed, confident, pretty and respectful manner. The testing sessions are several hours long and there is a announced schedule, grouping the skaters by levels. The skater has to be there an hour in advance. Everything is nerve racking! Being dressed differently than the practice clothes, waiting your turn while you see the other skaters nervous or happy or crying, having just 5 minutes for warmup, seeing the judges, being by yourself on ice...

The reasons the tests exists is to decide the skater level for competitions. But there are skaters that don't compete and still test. There are tests for MITF (Moves in the Field) which are to be passed first because are a prerequisite for FS and Pair Skating. Then there is Partnered Ice Dancing both pattern dances and Free Dance and also Solo Ice Dancing (pattern and free), which you don't have to test if you tested Partnered Ice Dancing. There are 8 levels in each category of tests and the last gives the skater the distinction to be called "gold medalist", to have the name published in the Skating Magazine and to be able to wear an official USFSA jacket embroiderer with the skaters name and the "gold medalist" title. Also for young skaters being a gold medalist seams to be a strong point for the college applications, because it shows commitment to hard work.

For the adults there is a separate testing track called the adult track while the other is called the standard track. The adult track has just 4 levels, and the requirements for passing are a little bit less strict. The 4th level is called the gold level and gives the adult skater the distinction of being an adult gold medalist.

As for me, even if I don't intend at this point to compete, I decided to test to both motivate and structure my training and to force me to train at a certain standard. For this reason, I also decided to test into the standard track. It's also a sure way to follow the progress I'm making, and to feel that I have a goal.