Monthly skating review: progress and goals adjustment

Last week I skated Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I've already wrote about Monday, "the first time on ice after 3 months". Wednesday I followed the same plan to take it easy and work on alignment an balance and it went way easier the Monday, though I still felt little of balance moments going backwards. Friday I kind of felt very good.

Firstly, I was surprised by the intensity of the joy I've got from being on ice. I felt blissful, nirvanic, I don't think there is such a word, but it should be...

Now on the technique side, some aspects of my skating regressed for sure and I'm haven't even tried to add power, speed, extension and knee bend, though on Friday I haven't hold back as the days before.

But interestingly some aspects of my skating improved? I'm wondering if it was because I was very focused as I skated and I took it slowly and methodically, or because I worked during quarantine on posture awareness through ballet ( I found the upper body lift that some instructors call for) and on core strength trough pilates, but I felt better alignment, body lean and I felt that my hips and shoulders are leveled, not dropped.  It took me by surprise on Monday and I tried to think about it, and control it on Wednesday. Then, I haven't thought about this body alignment awareness on Friday until after the skating session was over, and it's not that it was gone, but it wasn't as strong. I  sooo don't want to loose it! So, I'm making this one of my goals going forward: to channel this posture awareness and engagement during the first minutes of each skating session.

Then I'm thinking I should be sure that I have the muscle strength to engage. Unfortunately I've never enjoyed working out, and even if during this 3 month quarantine I've done  regularly the 3 weekly zoom classes my ballet instructor was offering, it doesn't seem I've developed a habit.Yeap, I've done... none this last week. So I'll add to the goals list to develop and maintain core strength and posture awareness  trough off ice exercising, and it shouldn't even take away from the skating time.

This brings back the thought that I consider to balance my life, by not giving skating as much time and priority as before the quarantine. I have this suspicion, but it could be wishful thinking, that I would be happier overall and the skating progress wouldn't suffer much. What I would lose because of less training on ice I may gain trough other activities that lift my spirit and prepare my body, including maybe more dance classes. Looking back, before the quarantine, I think I skated without joy at least half the time, maybe I even got to the point of burn out. Maybe skating less, or at least with less intensity will work better.  At least I should give this a try, and see where is taking me. If it's gonna affect my skating progress in a big way I'll either have to accept that, or push skating more again.

Ironically, for now, as ice time is limited, I have absolutely no choice but to schedule my life around ice time, or I wouldn't get to skate at all...

Test: Preliminary Dances (Dutch Waltz, Canasta Tango, Rhythm Blues)

This was my very first test.

I stumbled across a testing session at my rink when I just started my private lessons. I decided to stay and watch. There were maybe 20 skaters and their parents and coaches. It was one adult lady testing  the first 2 dances solo, the rest were kids and teens. I was hit by how nervous was everybody. They were stiff in their dresses, hairdo and makeup. After testing some of them were crying. I decided right then that I'll NEVER test. But, never say never...

As I started to work on dances with my coach, I already knew the steps from a friend and I was bored. I knew the steps from the first 9 dances so 3 levels, but my technique was acceptable just for the first level. I needed to keep working on them to develop the technique for the next levels. To keep myself motivated, my coach suggested to test. She said that the first level is an encouragement test, so I won't have reasons to get stressed. I love fashion and she said that I'll get to dress up. She sign me up and sent me to take a lesson with a male coach that would be my partner for the test. There were just 2 weeks left to the test. In a way it was good, because I didn't have much time to overthink. I took 3 lessons. But I surely didn't feel prepared. I was intimidated and uncomfortable to skate so close to somebody. Plus we were going faster together then I was skating on my own. All these 3 pattern dances from the Preliminary level, are going forward in Killian hold. That means that the skaters are side to side, one of the man arms goes around the woman waist.

My new coach showed me the paper that the judges use for the test. It had two sets of requirements
1. Technique: accuracy, placement, unison, form, cleanness, and sureness
2. Timing/Expression: correct timing, expression of the character of the music
The coach said the technique I have is good enough for this level. I definitely knew the steps. The coach said that's the most important thing. He worked with me on the character of the dances. He said that in his experience even for high level dances, presenting the character of the dance could make a just ok test pass.

My test was in January 2017. Getting close to the testing day I felt fairly nervous. I decided to not think about it. Just let it happen. The dress that I planned on wearing, more precisely the nude tights seemed to be stressing me. I decided to wear black leggings instead, and that actually ended up making me feel not dressed-up, just awkward. I was asked to be at the rink with an hour before my test and I was nervous as i arrived, but standing around, I've got even more nervous.  Both my coaches were there but my partner coach was more aware of my nerves so he babysat me a little... well a lot.  He explained me how to breath deeply to relax, how to warm up a little, he told me to put on the skates just 15 min before and bend into the ankles to warm them up. He said not to think about anything, he'll tell me everything I need to do, including when is my turn. I have to say, it helped a lot.

We had 5 min to warm up on ice, and after the 5 minutes they played the music for every dance. I wasn't nervous at all when I first got on ice, but I was rushing through everything, I got a little tired and stop breathing right, and here I was nervous again. And, I was first to go. The first dance was the Dutch Waltz and here is the video. The second the music started my partner coach asked me something. I don't remember what, something about plans for the rest of the day. I didn't have time to answer but it made me smile and forgot all about nerves. I felt very stiff through the 2 patterns I had to do but I didn't feel I made any mistakes.
Canasta Tango (video here) was next, after 2 or 3 other skaters doing the waltz. It was was my favorite dance from the 3, and I felt I gave it a little more confidence.
On the Rhythm Blues (video) I was fairly relaxed, but also quite spent.
As we were getting off the ice my coach said "good job".

The whole test was done in 10 minutes and the judges sent the papers out immediately. I passed the first two dances with " pass +", the last one just "pass". Was I too relaxed on the last one?

All in all wasn't that bad!

Ice Dancing: Dutch Waltz pattern dance

The Dutch Waltz is a Preliminary pattern dance or level 1. Pattern dances have predetermined steps and rhytm. The Dutch Waltz is the first dance thought and it has just 4 types of steps: Forward Stroking, Forward Deep Edges, Forward Progressive and Forward Swing Rolls, that I described all in my previous posts.
Here is a link to the form judges use at tests, it shows the diagram of the dance and the skills they are looking for: https://www.usfigureskating.org/content/dutch-waltz.pdf
The pattern dances drawings and requirements are also published in the "Rule Book" each year and there there is more explanation about rhythm, tempo, the hold between the partners.

If you look at the drawing, you see that the steps have numbers, the Dutch Waltz has 16 steps. This dance covers half of the perimeter of the ring, starting in one corner and finishing on the diagonally opposite corner. The intro steps are not a preset requirement, they are chosen by the skater. For testing they are kept simple and few, but for competitions they can more steps and can be an introduction to the character of the dance. The drawing also shows the number of beats for each step and the description describes the rhythm, here, a waltz which is counted 123, 456 (6 beats total in a 2-1-3 count). The hold is Killian, where both partners are going forward, the man is towards the inside of the center of the rink and holds the woman back with his right arm and holds the woman left hand with his left hand.

Here is the dance done and explained by national competitors ice dancers:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=na8a7kh_rxU

Starting point: is on the red cross on my drawing

Intro steps: 4 Forward Strokes: left, right, left, right towards West, witch would bring you to the axis in my drawing.
The pattern dance: witch I will explain in lobes grouping the steps in the judges drawing, and i will add the beats in parenthesis
1.2.3. Left Forward Progressive, 3 edges (6 beats, in a 2-1-3 count))
4. Right Forward Swing Roll (6 beats)
5. Left Forward Swing Roll (6 beats) that falls exactly at half the axis
6.7.8. Right Forward Progressive, 3 edges (6 beats total in a 2-1-3 count)
9. Left Forward Outside Edge (3 beats)
10. Right Forward Outside Edge (3 beats) that will bring you towards the corner of the rink so you have to start the new axis on the short side of the rink
11.12.13 Left Forward Progressive, 3 edges (6 beats total in a 2-1-3 count)
14. Right Forward Swing Roll (6 beats)
15. Left Forward Outside Edge (3 beats) when you finish this step you bring in the right foot toward the ankle of the left but they are not touching, so you have space to twist the left blade from going forward to 45 degrees to stroke on the next step
16. Right Forward Inside Edge (3 beats)

On the judges form it shows that they look for: Accuracy, Placement, Skating Skills, Style, Unison (if partnered). In my understanding it means that you have to know the steps, and where they go on the pattern, have some edges, some extension and posture, and some unison. The judges also look for timing (so the waltz rhythm) and the character of the dance (waltzes have a soft, elegant look).

And here is my Dutch Waltz test after learning from a friend for few months, taking a 2 months, once a week 35 min long ice dance group class and just 3 lessons with my dance coach. Honestly, the coach helped a lot during the test...

Besides showing off the progressives and swing rolls,working at this dance is an opportunity to understand and apply the concept of transitioning between the lobes, meaning how to check at the end of a lobe so you can start the new lobe. I explained that on the Deep Forward Edges. I didn't have this understanding, as I was learning the first dances from a friend not a coach. Testing with my coach as a partner was helping my transitions, plus at this level the edges and lobes don't have to be deep and that was helping as well, but I feel I had to play "catch up" later, even now, after a year and a half... and that takes away from the enjoyment of "dancing".

(Update Sept 25, 2018) As I was writing about the third Preliminary pattern  dance, the Rhythm Blues, I realized I wished I knew when I first learnt the Dutch Waltz that it is not an easy dance. Actually comparing the 3 Preliminary dances, for me, it felt the most difficult. And it feels the fastest between the 3...