Skating Technique: Intermediate Dropped 3-Turns (Ice Dancing)

I'm working lately a lot on 3-turns. I do the Ice Dancing  dropped 3-turns, and also the ones for the MITF Pre-Juvenile test (Forward Outside to Backward Inside and Forward Inside to Backward Outside. I had a post describing Beginner Forward 3-turns (FO 3-turns and FI 3-turns), and I kept writing the new instruction I've got in different posts.

Today I'm writing about the Ice dancing Forward Dropped 3-turns. I've done one Left, or ccw, as part of the intro steps to the Swing Dance, the same one in the Hickory Hoedown, the on Right or cw, in the Willow Waltz, and there are two Left ones (one as intro step and one in the dance), in the Ten Fox. They are getting better, but after I'll test the Ten Fox I'll start working at the Pre-Silver Dances, and the European Waltz is basically just 3-turns... And they have to be good.

Look at this video, these are really good ones. She is an Olympic medalist in Ice Dancing...

Instructions:
Stroke (not step) into the 3-turn, hold the outside edge and extension and pressure into ice.
As you rise:
- keep pressing into the ice
- turn the head into the circle and look up
- turn the upper body toward the center of the circle, lean in the circle
- feel the inside shoulder scapula going back
- bring the free foot near the other foot (some do a T at the back).
- bring the hips around.
- don't think and try to turn backwards, just 90 degrees, the rest is done automatically by the blade sliding and body inertia
Turn and Check
- roll to the front of your blade (the ball of your foot)
- boots are touching
- the turn is happening from the knee,
Hold the Back Inside Edge for a little
- after the turn, balance on the front of the blade
- press into ice
- the boots are still together
- hold posture, butt in, look up
Re bend holding the weight on the skating foot
- press the foot into ice by feeling the shoulder pressing down (and lift from the rib cage as for plie in ballet)
- press the boots together, creating tension. The skating, pushing foot is on a back inside edge and as the free foot boot is hold pressed on the pushing foot boot, it is getting in a goot position to be placed on ice on an outside edge
Push to a outside back edge straight back
- keep the pushing foot pointed forward, don't let the hip go back, that will make the upper body twist

 And for 3-turns done one after the other
- Rise on the back edge with the back  align over the circle
- Re bend
- Open the feet on a T position
- Stroke into a new 3-turn , push forward without leaning forward

Tracking the partner:
- you stroke towards the inside of the circle.For a ccw 3-turn that is towards the left of the partner. It is counter intuitive, because the partner feels in your way, but trust me it is gonna work. It was proven to me by my coach, by drawing it on the ice, demonstrating with another skating so I can watch, and doing it with me at vary slow speed... yes I was very stubborn in my disbelieving
- as you rise, look up, at the partner, lean towards the partner, don't stick the butt out, and square the shoulders with the partner
- the turns happens by itself....

I had to fight hard to do every single line I wrote in the instructions. I'm still not always looking into the circle before the turn, even when I do the 3-turn on its own not in a dance. In a dance, I still do randomly all the mistakes that I thought I've fixed long time ago. Instead of stroking I was stepping and not holding the extension and not pressing into the ice.  But you need a good outside edge and reasonably fast, the extension and pressure into ice hold that outside edge. Then keep pressing into the ice. Then twist the upper body, then lean into the circle...I'm still not holding the exit edge and I rush to push what it should be backwards but it is in fact a hook around, while breaking at the waist (butt out). And don't ask me about partnering... some days I do it, and some days I'm just not. I mean, I am getting better, but painfully slow.

Update on dropped 3-turns on Jan 2020 here

Test: Bronze Dances (Willow Waltz)

I gave myself an early Christmas present and passed the Willow Waltz on December 23rd. Here is the description of the dance written as I was learning it.This Is the second of the Bronze Pattern dances I tested. The first one is the Hickory Hoedown, that I passes in January. As I was mentioning in a post before, this was a lower key testing session covering dances just up to Bronze Dances. I tested in this session before and I felt less intimidated as there were younger skaters (kids) that weren't stronger skaters than me, testing mostly Preliminary and Pre-Bronze Dances.

Not this time... There were 3 groups of skaters testing Bronze. At my rink kids have to take Preliminary and Pre-Bronze Dances as prerequisite to be in the syncro teams. So they do them while quite young usually in group classes. Then, the majority of them lose interest in dance, as they consider it boring. They come back to it after years, as teenagers, either to improve their presentation in Freestyle, or because they get stuck in Freestyle, or to test towards achieving the Gold medal to put in their collage applications. And that's why there were lots of strong skaters (way stronger then me) on this session, testing Bronze as me.

The weeks before the test I was working into building confidence and presenting. As I was hurt in March and lasted 6 months, I couldn't work on power and extension so I think that made me look a little hesitant. But I felt good and confident the day of the test. Now the test was at 6 pm and while I wasn't nervous I was a little tired from all this holiday preparations. I went half an hour earlier and skated on a public session for 15 minutes. It was crowded and the ice was bad but I've got my knees and ankles soft and I put in some 3 turns and the mohawk. As our session began I found out I was in the first group.

As I stepped on the ice I found myself holding my breath as the teenagers started to warm up fast as the wind. They were all doing the power crossovers. My first thought was "Don't get intimidated...." but as I was watching them, I realized "I can do this...". This power crossovers pattern I prepare for my MITF test and my coach said it's good enough to test, so I let myself go as fast as they went, well, maybe not as fast as them, but fast. And I felt great! Then I warmed up my backward skating as I couldn't in the public session. Then, I was ready to put a solo pattern in and that felt good. There was no music playing, maybe it was for the best, why?, read here. And here is my solo warm up.

As the waltz music was playing my coach partnered me and that felt good too. I was the second one to test. I wasn't nervous, maybe a little hyper. While waiting for the music my coach cracked a joke (like on the previous tests) to relax me. You can see me laughing just before starting (look at my left shoulder). I couldn't think of much during the test, usually, during practices, I could. I was on autopilot and before I knew it the 2 patterns were done. My coach said good job and ran to his next student. I couldn't think of anything that I did wrong. I thought it's gonna be a matter of having shown enough power, as I test standard not adult track. When I've got the test form the only suggestion from the judge was to extend the extensions. I passed with one point over the passing average.  I'll take it!

Searching for confidence to test the Willow Waltz

I'm registered to test on December 23rd, that's this coming Sunday, and I haven't felt fully confident yet. But I think I've found out why and I fixed it, hopefully... And that's besides dealing with the hip injury for the last 6 months that made it difficult to work on power and extension.

Before I was skating myself I was thinking of skating as floating, like few long steps (strokes) that go on (float) forever. When I started Ice Dancing I was shocked of how qick the steps were one after the other. And they still float! I don't know if that makes sense... Anyhow, the pattern dances have a set rhythm and tempo. When we first learn them, we count, and then we use music that has the required rhythm and tempo. When we count we can re adjust the counting if we make an error. When the music plays if you make an error you are gonna be late (or early), then you'll have to adjust the skating. Now, honestly I never focused on doing the pattern dances on music on my own. I mean, I tried but not very successfully.  I felt I was concentrating on learning sooo much and I was able to follow my partner/ coach when we were doing the dances as partners so I let it go. I thought it will come later kind of on its own or at least easier.

When I tested the first bronze dance, The Hickory Hoedown, in March, I went in quite confidently. I didn't get nervous while waiting and the first part of the warm up was fine. Then they played a song in the rhythm of each dance was being tested by the group on ice, so I tried the dance on my own. I fell behind the music and I panicked. Luckily my coach realized and partnered me (it was a different rhythm but he counted) and I relaxed. I did well on the test and passed and I didn't think of that moment of panic again. But I think I unconsciously worried about this solo music thing because I never solved it. I just realized this last week, as I was still searching for my confidence to test the second bronze dance, The Willow Waltz.

I had a lesson on Monday that went well. Tuesday it's a day when the ice is fairly empty and I can play my music without worrying I bother people.  So I decided that is the day I'll conquer the solo dancing on music. I dug deep to remember the instruction and corrections I had from my coaches in time. One was from my previous coach and it was to count the correct rhythm but at a slower tempo and progressively to increase the tempo. Actually she counted and clapped the hands, and asked me to count and to go when I feel I can keep counting on the same tempo. Then she increased the tempo. It took her 4 patterns to get me to the right tempo but amazingly, it felt easy. I'm not sure I was very precise in doing that on my own now but I did the best I could. The second correction was from my current coach. He said my counting is off. I need to relearn to count with the music playing to get the right rhythm and tempo. So I spent the whole Tuesday session working on all these. I must have done 50 patterns (some double as the test requires) and I don't think I usually do more than 10. I was sooo tired but I felt I was starting to get it. I was waiting for my next lesson, on Thursday, to see what my coach's thinking. I skated on Wednesday too and I was as I expected quite tired. All those patterns I've done on Tuesday really killed my quads. Thursday I was still hurting but my solo dance on music was perfectly fine! My coach seemed surprised I made such a big deal about it so there wasn't too much celebration about me conquering my fear of solo dancing on music. Maybe that's why I'm writing this. It was a big milestone for me so here I am celebrating! And I suppose I should take my coach's reaction as a vote of confidence, that he knew I could do it. Working on the dance partnering my coach, he kept pushing me to put more power into each stroke. I thought I was tired and I tried not to let my confidence slide again. And I was right. Skating on Friday almost brought me to tears from the quads pain. I took it easy and it mellowed towards the end of the session. Can you believe I took Pilates after?

I'm happy I did this fixing of solo dancing on music, and I'm also happy I didn't do it on the last week to get myself that tired just before the test. And I'm so very happy my hip holds up fine with all this work.

Yesterday's lesson was good. I definitely feel more confident with the Willow Waltz. The only correction from my coach today was to sell it, look up and smile. And I still have a lesson on Thursday. I don't know how to train this week yet. I don't want to over train. I plan to listen very carefully to my body, and take as easy as I need too.

Ice Dancing: Willow Waltz pattern dance

As I'm working on this and have the instruction fresh I thought to write it down.
This is a bronze (or 3rd level) dance. I think of this level as an beginner-intermediate. It is done in a waltz position with a partner or can be done solo. Here is a link to the judges form with the pattern:
https://www.usfigureskating.org/content/willow-waltz.pdf

Starting point: facing the short board and having a third of the length of the rink  in front of you (you are on the blue line) and a third of the width of the rink on your right (where the red X is).

 Intro steps:
1. LF stroke toward North-West corner
2. RFO swing roll with the edge starting towards North and finishing towards East
3. LFO dropped 3turn starting towards East and finishing towards North
4. RBO progressive starting towards North, finishing towards South

The pattern dance: It's easier for me to remember the lobes than the steps, so here are the lobes with the numbers representing the steps:
1.2.3 LB back chasse (6 beats, rhythm (2-1-3) starting towards South, finishing towards North, the second step should happen at middle of the width of the rink. On both back chasse and progressive I get the corrections to lean into the circle, to hold the extension and to finish the lobe.
4.5 RBO to LFO turn forward (6 beats, 3-3) starting towards North, finishing towards South
I had problems with this lobe for a long time because of 3 errors. First, my back outside edge wasn't strong enough (see the description on the previous post on the outside Mohawk). Second, I didn't understand how to gather/ draw my feet underneath me when going backward. While rising and  pressing with the skating foot  into the ice again, with the weight onto the skating hip, you engage the core and the abductor muscles (inner thighs), so the free foot comes in effortless. Third, I wasn't re-bending  underneath me, I was rushing and dropping forward out of control and blocking my partner. Another constant correction was to first turn forward just the upper body, while gathering/ rising over the feet and then re bend while still directed backward, just then step forward (so turn) the left foot.
Update Dec 26, 2018. I've got a new correction to this step forward, and that is to step on an outside edge, that's the point of all the other corrections...
6.7. RFI slip chasee and stroke LFO (6 beats, 3-3) starting towards South finishing towards East. Again I had to learn to draw/ gather/ rise when finishing each step and re-bend underneath me so I can have a strong push into the next step, especially important before the 3 turn
Update Dec 26, 2018. It seems that my slip chasse was usually flat not on inside edge, so to correct that I was advised to use the upper body, push the right shoulder forward.
Update Aug 27, 2018. Tracking is a tearm used when partnering so one partner leads (the one that goes backward sets the pattern) and the one that goes forward follows. The follower tracks don't go over the leader tracks. They are all curved as the edges, and they start on the inside side of the leader tracks, they meet at the top of the lobe, and, then they go towards the outside tracks of the leader. On Step 7 the woman stroke stars towards left , Step 8 (the first edge of the 3-turn) towards right.
8.9.10.11. (9 beats) 3 turn and back progressive This is a bigger lobe than the rest. 8. RFO dropped 3 turn (2-1) starts towards East and finishes towards East. Whaaat??? It is counter-intuitive for me but works. My coach says not to turn around, just  backwards. And hold that RBI, don't drop (collapse) the dropped 3 turn second edge. After the initial stroke (that should be a stroke not a step), you gather/ rise and twist the upper body toward the inside of the circle on the count 2 1/2. The 3-turn turns on the 3rd beat. Then continue towards East the first edge of the 9.10.11 LBO progressive (2-1-3), which ends towards West.  Say again??? Again, it works. You'll change direction after you start the edge, not while you start the edge.
A thing I don't like about this dance is here, it changes the waltz 6 count and rhythm during the progressive.
12.13.14.15. (9 beats) back chasse and stroke forward Again a bigger lobe.12.13.14 RBO chasse (2-1-3) starts towards West, finishes toward South, along the long board.  And again it's important to draw/gather/rise and re-bend after the last step of the chasse to be able to step forward in a controlled way. You gather pointing towards East, then you step forward 15. LFO (3 beats) towards South finishing towards East- you stroke towards the middle of the rink.
Update Dec 26, 2018.To control the step forward, i was advised to step with a squared upper body, so right hand forward somehow, then use the upper body to check the finishing of the outside edge
16.17 two forward  strokes RFO to LFI . 16. RFO starts towards East, finishes toward South. 17. LFI starts toward South, finishes toward West. Very important to draw/ gather/ rise and re-bent after each step. After 16 there is an outside to inside transition and after 17 an inside edge to inside edge transition and you cannot bring the feet very close together as on outside to outside transitions. After 16 you need to either flicker a little the right foot from the ankle towards right as you push, either to kind of cross forward like in a progressive the left foot. Finish the inside edge (17) with the foot pointed at the boards. Is important to bring the feet together before the Mohawk and bend so you can get an inside edge.
18-19 RFI open Mohawk (6 beats 3-3) starts going toward West and finishes toward South. I was obsessed with this open Mohawk when I was doing the Swing Dance, a pre-bronze, level 2 dance. At that point I was transitioning from my 2 young coaches (one girl and one guy as partner) that were moving away to my 2 experienced coaches so I was asking them all but I didn't really get it. To my disappointment, my main coach ended the chapter saying that what I was doing was acceptable for that level. But he promised we'll fix it in the Willow Waltz. I was doing a Free Style kind of Mohawk, where the free foot doesn't really touch the arch of the skating foot. What it came down to was when to press into the ice and when to the rise... again.
So you have to press into the ice and rise on your knee as you bring the new foot in, and at the moment of transfer do a little, but tiny, plie (basically a  re-bend), then rise again on the new foot. My main coach doesn't really do a plie, he seams to be in control from maintaining the pressure into the ice with the leg straight. Maybe I just cannot do it his way, still, I achieve the exit from the mohawk on a straight leg and I like the plie...
Update Dec 26, 2018. Guess that, at some point I lost my beautiful Mohawk, so I had to correct it again. Firstly I wasn't using the upper body to hold the first inside edge. As on the slip chasse, I had to make the right shoulder go forward. Then, I stopped doing that mini-plie so after I changed the edge I was left on an bent knee and not a beautiful extension of the free leg. That plie gives me a moment to press into the ice, so then I can straighten the skating leg knee and use it as a lever to hold the extension on the free leg.
20.21.22. RBO back progressive (6 beats 2-1-3) starts towards South, finishes towards North.

Exit steps: After you finish the back progressive you skate just the first edge of the chasse, then you step forward.

Looking back, when working on the 2nd level dances, my biggest problem was skating backwards.   Skating with a partner in a waltz position felt like I was being pushed back, because I wasn't' skating backwards strongly enough. On this 3rd level dances, I had to strengthen both my backward skating AND forward skating, what was "acceptable" at the previous levels didn't carry my trough this level. It is all that draw/ gather/ rise and re-bend to push stronger.
Update Dec 26,2018. Close to the test I"ve got lost of correction on holding the extension both higher and for the correct amount of beats.

Ice Dancing: weekly private lesson

This week I took my first Ice Dancing private lesson in 2 months. I used to take one weekly before getting hurt. It's a 30 minutes lesson and it goes fast, but I cannot concentrate trough more.

We always start with some exercises like stroking, progressives, chasses, swing rolls, dance 3 turns, edge presses. This is both to warm up, and to work on basic technique like alignmet, posture, edges, lobes, lean into the circle, partnering. Then I work on one or more dances on my own, with lots of correction, basic technique, pattern, timing. When I do well enough on my own, my coach will partner me. at this point there is no music and no counting of the beat. We often stop the dance to work on specific steps. Then we graduate to counting the beat, and then, on dancing on music.

Before the lesson I was complaining to my coach that I lost my "flow" on ice, so instead on giving me the usual corrections on everything, I think he decided to partner with me so I would readjust my rhythm and power.

We did 4 warm up exercises, one length of the rink for each: forward and backward stroking and forward and backward chasses, by myself and with my coach in a waltz position (so when one partner goes forward the other goes backwards). Then we jumped into the partnered Willow Waltz.

Before hurting myself I was working on testing the bronze level dances, or 3rd level. I just tested and passed the Hickory Hoedown, I was ready to test the Willow Waltz, and I was still working on my confidence on the outside mohawk in the Ten fox.  I was happy to see that the Willow was not completely gone. It was a big bust in my confidence and that always helps. We worked on a specific step, an inside edge toward the end of the dance and ran the dance 4 time counting the beats.

With 5 minutes left, the coach asked if I had questions, and I asked to work on the Ten fox outside Mohawk... This also is tested in Juvenile MITF (4th level standard track) and Adult Silver MITF (3rd level adult track) but I'm not there yet. I did learn it in my Freestyle group class, but not at the quality required in Ice Dancing.

So, left outside open Mohawk is a two foot turn that goes from an LFO edge to an RBO edge bringing the free foot at the instep of the skating foot and in Ten fox has to be done in just 2 beats.
My first problem was that my back outside edges weren't strong enough, I wasn't leaning with the back into the circle and the hips underneath me. I was sticking the butt out, so I needed to learn to engage the core, press into ice, have the hip underneath me and arch the upper back towards back, into the circle. After improving the edge quality, I was able to do the Mohawk correctly at a low speed and rhythm, taking my time to bring the feet together. I was doing in in a 3 beats: edge, change of foot and edge. This week correction was again,to not bring the free foot (right foot) forward, there is no time for it. But how? The coach said to draw onto the skating foot (left foot) so that the right foot will come automatically at the instep, and cutting that 3rd beat. It worked... so hopefully I'll be able to keep it working...

And we had 1 minute left to run a solo pattern of Ten fox. I got a posture correction for the first 2 lobes, not to lean forward...