1st week of June

On Wednesday I'll have a business meeting North side.  That is where my boot fitter is and there is where my old coach is. I've decided to drive up and have a lesson on Tuesday and drop the boots, and pick them up when I get off my business meeting on Wednesday/

Monday. In preparation for my lesson with old coach, I practiced the double 3 turns. They were very rusty but got acceptable during the practice. The only negative was that I took a pretty heavy fall and my muscles tensed up and hurt. But luckily I haven't injured anything. 

Tuesday. The drive there was 1 hour 15 minutes, but back was an hour and a half... so, yeah, it not doable to see my old coach too often. As I work on dance with the new coach, I though to have this lesson toward moves in the field. I requested a full hour lesson. 

- The warmup was edges (correction: look where I'm going - I was flicking my head towards forward, and don't  twist, meaning stay square and encourage the edge by leaning). For the FI edges, tailbone under and more ankle bend. More ankle bend (push into the tongue of the boot, knees have to surpass the toes) I continued to hear during the whole lesson. On B edges more ankle bend and arched back, forming a Z.

- The coach wanted to start with simple 3-turns.  LFO3, surprisingly, the correction for the (the one that troubled me as I couldn't control the exit) was that I didn't turn it on the ball of the foot, I was towards the middle of the blade. I was also not completely aligned over the hip, the correction that worked was to lift the ribs over the hip. Then, a strong check is needed. RBI needed better alignment (lift over the hip and the free shoulder should pass the skating heel, so I should lean into the circle way more) and have the free leg thigh/ knee press into the skating leg. RBO same correction for the free shoulder. Also turn on the back of the blade, on the last 2 screws...

- For the double 3s is very important to check the 1st 3, use the top of the lobe carefully to change the upper body and extend the free foot (for the B 3s)

- Power 3s, after Mo, a push into B3 is acceptable, then the power comes from a lift like for a Loop jump. Strong check and repeat 

Wednesday, after I picked up the boots, I stopped by the rink on my way home. It was a bit of bad lack that the session I used to go to, was now an hour later. I decided to enter the session that was on right then, but I had just 15 minutes of skating. They had then, a 30 minutes break... so I didn't stay for the next session. With that little time I decided to not go through the 3-turns correction. I decided to work on the TenFox 3-turn. Yeap still scrapping...

Thursday. After 2 days away from home and work, I had so much to do. There were 2 skating sessions that day, morning at 9, and mid day 1.30. I decided to go to the 9 am one, because from my previous experience, when I get too much work to do I get caught up or exhausted  and I don't go skating anymore. While driving I though on how to organize the skating sessions and I couldn't really. My mind kept slipping back to work. So, I skated in default mode, and that took my again into the TenFox... mostly the 3-turn. I skated only TenFox related exercises and I skated hard so I felt tired after 35 minutes. Maybe it was ok for that day, as I had lots of work waiting. But,  this is exactly what I don't want to do... I want to balance each skating sessions (to work on more things) and the skating journey in general. My goal from this month, is to find ways to do that.

Anyway... the TenFox 3-turn. 

- I figured I was pressing towards the ball of the foot to accentuate the FO entry edge while rising, so at the point of the turn there was no more space to rock forward.  So I have to stay on the back of the blade. Probably a stronger core and posture, with the tailbone underneath, or hips forward, would help

- While twisting (and turning) I have to bring the hip forward (the free ribs and hip feel stacked over the skating side). And of course, the feet together (correction from my new coach). Then, I figured maybe I should think ate pigeon toe instead of feet together, that may bring the hip forward too.

Friday I went skating with the thought of finding balance in my skating. 

- I warmed up as I always do - fast

- I added some alignment awareness warm up exercises (like slower edges) - slow

- Chasses and SwRolls - fast

- Those seamed to help the entry into the TenFox 3-turn - slow

- TenFox - fast

- regular 3-turns with emphasis again, on alignment. I insisted on the LFO 3-turn and the circles (edges) F and B - slow

-TenFox - fast 

- exercise for TenFox of RFO double bend into the 3 turn. I think I finally figured out how to fix it. I was rising at the end of the 4 count double bend. The new coach suggested to stay low, but you have to rise to push into the 3-turn. I watched some videos of the dance and it looks that both the rise in the middle of the 4 count, and at the end of 4 count are very quick, not a full beat, so the rise is AFTER the 4 count double bend edge, and it IS the push into the 3 turn. With this approach the 3-turn seems to be on time. I think I was adding almost 2 beats there... one to finish the 4 count lobe and one to push into the 3-turn. If this is figured out, fingers crossed, I still need to make everything a little quicker to match the required tempo. 

 -Twizzles - I didn't work on them in a while and they weren't stable - slow

- the B power 3-turns, but slow, working at the form 

-F  Stroking and Xstrokes - they were slow, a sign that I was tired

- Winding down 

This took 45 minutes, I was happy at the end. Of course I could have felt happy because I felt progress on TenFox. But maybe I made this progress because I tried a different approach. Also, a shout out to the alignment exercises, they seam to help and I can do them slow, when I'm tired. I should continue to incorporate them into most of the session. And I looks that I intuitively worked on some fast things, then some slow things.

TenFox update

I was working at the TenFox when the Covid interrupted, well everything. I had an intention to start working at it again at the end of last year, I had a private lesson towards it but I gave up as it became clear that I wont be able to see my coach regularly. I do work and test the pattern dances by partnering my coach, so without him... I now found a new coach, and the first lesson was promising. 

Here are the corrections:

- start at the red dot on the hockey circle, not at the edge. That helped a lot in filling the ice.

-intro dropped 3 turn. I worked on these at the end of last year. I could do them at a pace of 3 counts, so turning on 3. Whenever I was trying them in the TenFox, on a 2 count, I was scraping them. The correction from my old coach was to straighten up completely as I was turning, also to keep connected the skating shoulder with the free leg, I guess to help the free hip come around. More than that, I was interrupting the flow after the first stroke, I was rising and then twisting the shoulders, while the skating foot also stalled. I have to rise and twist at the same time, let the skating foot continue and bring the free hip around more. The 3s improved, but now they are slow again. I think the biggest reason is that my muscles are tired and sluggish so I'm not quick enough.  The new coach suggestion was to allow for a lower, shorter, extension into the stroke, so I can rise and turn quicker. And instead of rise, her cue is together (feet together), that helped straightening faster I guess!

- B progressive, quicker stroking. The coaches cue is push, push... 2nd lesson correction, stay low during all strokes.

- B SwR make it tighter, quicker. 2nd lesson correction for BSwR in general was to arch the back

- Step forward

- 4 count edge with knee bend, point the toe and maybe don't rise at the end completely, so I gain time to get into the 3turn, where I'm late :(

- B progressives towards back, along the hockey circle 

- Mo, don't swing the free leg, that brings the foot at the skating foot toe, after 1st edge bring the free for directly at instep (that would make me rise too). I'm excited to have the new image and cue of together  instead of rise, I guess just because it is new, it grabs my attention quicker. I figured while training that if I push the right shoulder back more, the hip seems to open and the free foot seem to go easier towards the instep

 

 !!! (June 6th) I think I finally figured out how to fix the timing of the 3-turn. I was rising at the end of the 4 count double bend. The new coach suggested to stay low, but you have to rise to push into the 3-turn. I watched some videos of the dance and it looks that both the rise in the middle of the 4 count, and at the end of 4 count are very quick, not a full beat, so the rise is AFTER the 4 count double bend edge, and it IS the push into the 3 turn. With this approach the 3-turn seems to be on time. I think I was adding almost 2 beats there... one to finish the 4 count lobe and one to push into the 3-turn. If this is figured out, fingers crossed, I still need to make everything a little quicker to match the required tempo. 

 

Dance lesson

This was my first skating lesson in almost a year, and before that I had only one lesson the previous year... Basically I stopped skating in an organized manner since before Covid. I attribute this mostly to the trouble I had finding the new boots, then I lost the motivation to keep the strict schedule that allowed me to skate 6 to 9, at some point, sessions a week. Whenever I was on ice after Covid, on and off, I tried to continue the instructions I had from before and maintained the skills. I decided I want to test the Ten Fox, mostly to motivate me towards something.

I'll add here all the technical corrections, so I can use them in training. The 30 minutes lessons, in general, use around 15 minutes for exercises that teach the technique and they are kind of like a warm up, and 15 minutes for the dance in training. I get corrections that I will work on until the next lesson, and so hopefully I improve and I get to test. On the not so perfectly in unison side, my coach  does not seem to be a fan of virtual testing. I want to keep this idea of testing to motivate me and I like virtual testing better.

F Stroking, my extension for the left leg is weak from when I had my hip injured. I'm trying to build it slowly. My coach's correction was to the posture, to lip more, shoulders back, upper chest projected forward

F and B Chasses and Progressives 

- I was wide stepping so we went on to revive the instruction I had few years ago. After finishing a lobe, I have to rise, rebend, maintained the upper body axis (stay over the feet), flip the pushing leg from an outside edge to an inside one and press into the ankle and push while opening the foot at 45 degrees. We used around 15 minutes for this. I remembered the instruction, but my body seemed to have forgotten to rebend.

- I was not holding the extension on the last step. I had the excuse that my muscles cannot do it, but my coach had the point to hold it to fill in the measure of the dance, even if the extension is not high. Not holding the extension in the past also contributed in me not "finishing" the lobes, I was changing the edge way too soon losing power too.

- Some instruction that didn't catch my attention until now was that the lobe is "finished" by the skating foot getting out of the way (by deepening the edge, almost like a hook) (and then flipping in the inside edge to push), so that the new skating foot has room straight underneath the body to be pushed straight ahead (perpendicular to the axis, so on a true edge)

- For Progressives concentrate more on the underpush, that gives half the power. Also leave space between feet before the underpush so I can push diagonally

Backward skating: shoulders more to the back and to balance push the ankles, the heels back too

B SwingRolls: swing just before the mid lobe, direct the swing toward the end of ice, lean inside the circle not outside

3 Turns:  twist upper body while rising and pull skating shoulder back,  rise completely, don't stick the butt out, the body is an axis. Also I discovered by trying to add flow to the dance, that deeper knee bend on the 3's entry edge gets me to rise quicker, I guess I have the flow to bring me up.

I figured out during practice that I have to already be facing the circle (the direction of turning) so I can twist the upper body quicker and decisively transfer the weight solidly over the skating foot in order to turn quicker.

The Ten Fox:

- on the B SwingRoll I should push straight back and I shouldn't rotate the shoulders so I can stay square with the partner

- "finishing" the lobe as described above, helped the step forward after the B SwingRoll and stepping on a true outside edge for the 3turn

- step forward with left arm forward

- the waltz 3: I need to rise completely, the body is an axis (not to bend forward and stick the butt out) so the feet can turn undisturbed

- the step forward after the B progressive: turn upper body as rising but keep knees together, rebend and open knees to step, step outside (wider) the circle to step on an outside edge

- stroke the underpush on the end pattern progressives 

- the outside Mo: right shoulder back (to be parallel to the partner), the back is back over the circle, at the point of turn rise completely (do not have upper body lean forward), place the free foot on pinky toe, draw the right heel towards forward-left, I figured out in practice that somehow it is a problem of where the weight is on my skating foot before the turn, I think I'm too forward with the upper body and on my blade.

 

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 to 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.

Dropped 3-tuns, new corrections for Ice Dancing intermediate level

I've had few new (and old) corrections on yesterday private lesson.

Firstly, you know how I was saying in my last post, that I feel my skills for the Ten Fox are good enough for the level, and all I need is to put a little more power and pay attention to partnering? Actually, it seams that I scrape the 3-turn... badly. May coach showed me the tracing on ice (in the Ten Fox pattern) and it was soo bad. That would be a good reason to fail the test. When I do the dance on my own, I'm never able to find the tracing. When I do the 3-turns on their own, I can find the tracing and it looks correct more often then not. But in the dance, I do the 3-turn after steps harder then and outside stroke, plus I have more speed, so it is a more difficult set up. I have to fix this before thinking of testing.

Here is the post I wrote about the dropped 3-turns. I'll go over the mistakes I make often now, and what I should be doing correct them:
- good forward outside edge on the entry stroke. That would include a good push from underneath yourself, so re bend on the skating foot, but then flip it on the inside edge as you actually put the new foot down. This will make space for the new foot to be set on an outside edge. I am able to do this consistently, but I'm not doing it in the dance... the problem I think,  is rushing, getting overexcited or nervous, and actually stepping, not pushing from underneath.
 - maintain this outside edge, not flatten it. Well, firstly, if I don't set it on an outside edge to begin with, it's kind of impossible, at least for me, to fix it. But let's say I do that right. To maintain the edge I should keep on the back of the blade (and I often find myself forward, again probably from the bad push) and press into the ice keeping the knee out. Yes, I'm letting the knee fall in, then of course the edge will flatten. It's possible I do this even worse with the partner as I may worry I'll hit his knee with my knee. But even on my own, this is not a skill I do without really concentrating on it. Another reason I think I lean forward is that I know I have to get closer to my partner just before turning the 3-turn, so leaning forward does get my upper body closer. I have o get closer with all my body, including the lover body.
- rise over the skating hip, lifting the rib cage. I feel I'm not doing this good enough, but my coach says that what it's messing me up, is in fact that I re bend while still turning (rushing again), and that it is what takes me out of the alignment and making me lean outside the circle not inside as I should, and this is making me scrape.
- another mistake I make often, is allowing the left shoulder forward. I am conscientiously twisting my upper body, but the left shoulder block my, and I am not aware of it while doing it.
- of course I have to turn my head with the turn...
- the old mistake was that I was pushing back after the 3-turn while re bending. It seams I fixed that by re bending even sooner (joke on me), instead of after the 3-turn...

The second correction I've got it was about the back push, and that translates into all backward skating so I'm very excited about it. It will be one of my next posts.

Then we did partner Ten Fox again and again, and I still do all kind of mistakes. There is this expectation that the coach helps the student during the dances, including during the tests. But these things eventually need to be corrected. And I think I have enough corrections for a whole post, so again, I'll come back to it  in a new post soon.

Corrections Jan 2020
- I worked on these for half hour on the next two sessions I was on ice. I went trough all the corrections, and I found the one mistake that ruined it even when everything else was right. This is the LFO 3-turn, so I have to twist the upper body towards the left. Well, I do, but I'm also pushing the left shoulder forward, so I'm blocking the twisting...
- Then on my next lesson, the coach said that even if I'm twisting toward the left, I'm still not aligned over the left hip, I should think of pushing the left hip forward (until now he was saying butt in)
- I was saying that holding the 3-turn entry edge on an outside edge was a problem mostly in the solo pattern dance. I realized that I wasn't finishing the previous lobe correctly, I wasn't twisting while rising towards the inside of the next circle, as I was explaining here. I should finish the previous lobe with the right hand forward and left shoulder back, ready for the 3-turm. I finish sometimes square and sometimes with the left hand forwards, that also means the left shoulder forward and that is a problem even when I do the 3-turn on its own, setting it like this in the pattern is doubling the same mistake!
- But I'm able to correct these, so I need to practice them enough to became body memory. And the dance was already better.... 

And here is a video with my dropped 3-turns done in a circle, both directions

Update from end of January: The dropped 3-turn definitely got better, I would even dare to say good, when I do them slowly. When I go faster into them I still skid, but not as badly as before. I was complaining to my coach about maybe feeling scared when having more speed and he asked if I felt is the velocity that scares me or the quickness. Good question... I wasn't differentiating between the two, and I thought is the velocity, but now I find it's actually the quickness. And it's not even fear, it's more that I'm not quick enough to find the right alignment over the hip when I go faster. So, as my coach says, I need to drill it, for that alignment (that I have when moving slower, because I have the time to think about it) to became muscle memory. I also feel confused about the timing of it, I'm so busy aligning I'm waiting to feel that alignment and there is just no way I can also think about putting it on a count. Back to work then...

Corrections 2023:

- twist the upper body while rising (I was stroking, rising then twisting) and bring the free hip along, don't leave it back. And I figured the stroke-rise and twist is a continuous move. I also figured that with a deeper knee bend in the stroking I have more flow/ inertia into the rise and twist

- let the foot turn  (don't stop it) and don't turn it yourself. I was stroking, stalling and then force the foot to turn, as I can see in the 1st 3 in the video

- Note from my own observation to check with my coach... Today I suddenly scraped the 3s (they were fine for a while now), and I think it is because my muscles were tired and as I stroke the outside edge I leaned forward, so when I raised and twisted I didn't have more space to go forward on the blade ti turn cleanly...

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

Ice Dancing: Ten Fox pattern dance

This is the last dance from the set of three Bronze Pattern Dances. Here is a link to the Judge's Form where you can see the drawing of the pattern and the expectations for the dance. It has a 4 bit count and it feels fast to me. There are 2 different holds used, the waltz one like in the Willow Waltz also called closed hold and then an open hold. In an open hold the partners are lateral to each other, hips are parallel and hold square to the direction of moving but the upper bodies are towards each other and the arms like the waltz hold.

I use the next image to help me describe the direction of movement. And the dance I describe in groups of steps (that I put numbers for and the music bit count) that form lobes.

Intro steps: starting on the end line (near South to South West), not on the hockey circle as the others, 3 forward strokes towards East: Right (not starting with the regular left here), Left, Right, the last one on a slight inside edge to get you to the circle where you do a Left dropped 3-turn, on the circle, taking a quarter of that lobe. My challenge here is that I've got used to direct the 3-turn towards the opposite end of the rink, to the North, I hook it and that messes up the next step and the interaction with the partner. The 3 turn has to start with an outside edge going towards East, curving and then after the turn you end up moving towards North East not North.
1.2.3. RB Backward Progressive (4 beats, rhythm 1-1-2 in closed, waltz hold) Starting toward North East and finishing towards West. The second step should still go towards North East and my mistake is that I tend, again, to hook it to get me around quicker. Actually that makes the lobe shorter, and the upper body pre rotated and less efficient in checking to be ready for the next lobe and that messes up the next step (see the pattern here? just as the 3-turn messes up this progressive). This lobe doesn't go from starting towards East and ending towards West as regular lobes on axis. As I was saying, this is a fast rhythm, so the lobes are a little more flat than let's say the Willow Waltz.
4a. LB Backward Swing Roll (4 beats, closed hold). This has to be a correct Swing Roll, otherwise, you probably guessed, is gonna mess up the next step! So it has to start with a push straight back towards the West, and maintain a square upper body to the hips, don't allow the upper body to rotate after the push, let the lean and edge create the curve of the lobe. The free leg extend forward but knees are apart, so it looks forward- laterally. Rise on the skating hip at the top of the lobe and keep your weight over it and swing the free leg back, not laterally.The feeling is that you bring your right shoulder aligned over the left hip. The swing roll starts going deep into the middle of the rink and ends around the dot near the blue line, not farther away toward the board, so you have enough space for the next step. Update 9/9/2019 correction: sit on the left foot at the end of the edge (re bend) so you can stroke on the next inside edge not step onto it.
4.b Open Choctaw (that is while on the LBO edge bring the right foot at the instep of the left and step on a R Foreword Inside Edge (2 beats). The reason this step is called 4b not 5 is that the partner does only one change of edge step during the woman 4a and 4b. I usually enter a FI edge with the opposite shoulder forward, but in this case is important to get used from when you learn it solo, to enter with the same shoulder forward as the foot, so the right one, to accommodate the arm hold with the partner.
5.6.7 L Forward Progressive (4 beats, 1-1-2) going from parallel to the long boards (north) to the middle of the rink (west). This Progressive continues the lobe started with the FI edge. Update 9/9/2019 correction: press the edge at the end of progressive, gather and re bend to be able to place the right foot on on outside edge on the next step and stroke into it.
8. R Forward Outside Edge (4 beats)with a rise on the skating leg while bringing the free foot down at the middle of the lobe. This is to match the partner feet while he is doing a dropped 3-turn and a BO edge. On this edge my coach cautioned me to keep it straight at the top of the lobe, don't rush the curve, because right there he is doing the 3-turn so I shouldn't cut his way. Update 9/9/2019 correction: press the edge at the and of lobe, same correction as before
9. L Outside 3-turn (2 beats). This is the step I'm having the most difficulty  I'm not finishing the previous step perpendicular to the long boards, I suppose because I feel I'm late, but more probably because I'm anxious about it, and I'm not gathering so I can push into the 3-turn. I'm kind of dropping into it... Instruction: don't forget to flip the right foot on the inside edge before pushing to the left.
10.11.12 R Backward Progressive (4 beats 1-1-2)
13,14,15,16 Two L Forward Progressives of just 2 edges, so left, right, left, right (4 beats, 1-1-1-1) Here, the hips are square, upper body twisted outside (towards the partner). Corrections: don't drop left shoulder, push from the right shoulder...
17,18, 19 L Outside Open Mohawk into a L Backward Inside Edge (4 beats, 1-1-2)

-stroke LF outside edge
-rise on left foot over the left hip, using inner thighs, align back to circle, arched back, push left shoulder forward, right shoulder back, butt in, like not falling forward over a cliff, let foot come at instep not in front, don't rush!
-step on right pinky toe, free foot at back ankle, ideally feet parallel, pull left shoulder back, push right arm forward. Update 9/9/2019 correction: after setting the right foot on ice, lead with the right heal (push it towards your forward left (north west corner)
It took me a long time to get this. What finally made me do it, was the coach request to just do the L Outside edge, bring the free foot at the instep and hold it. This was as a result of me complaining that I never feel I'm totally ready to transfer on the new foot... In fact, I wasn't holding the weight on the entry edge... I suppose, as with the 3-turn, I was too anxious and so I rushed into allowing the weight to shift towards the new edge. During the exercise I also felt the free hip, totally opening before stepping on the free foot. The last piece of the puzzle is the strong and quick check into the turn and out of the turn, in fact it may be the first piece of the puzzle, you need this check when you bring the free foot in after the first edge...
There are two more little tricks here, at the last step. Firstly, because you step from an outside edge to an inside one, you shouldn't step too closely. You have to step few inches away so you can transfer the weight in a controlled manner. Secondly, the upper body is facing the outside of the circle during the mohawk and the last step. Now, as you rise on the BI edge you square the upper body on the hips, and you twist the upper body towards the inside of the circle as you re bend to push into the RB progressive of the new pattern.

My coach told me to think about these beginner dances as a way to build skills. A new skill that's introduced with the bronze pattern dances is the awareness of what step is the partner doing, as I mentioned few times during this post.

Corrections 03/07/2019
- flatten all the lobes a little to fill the rink, think go long
- I start to far, start closer to the middle so the 3 turn starts  at the long axis on the hockey circle
- let the first part of the swing roll go towards the center so it comes back to the axis and not crosses the axes, finish around the dot
- while re bending twist the upper body to the right, to face the long boards for the step forward iside edge
- finish the progressive around the next dot
- don't hook the 3 turn so you can keep going long with the forward steps
- don't rush the end steps
- good mowhak :) I liked this one...

Corrections 6/27/2020

- dropped 3-turns; get on that skating hip, don't leave free hip behind, don't block with upper body (push skating shoulder back)
- finish backward swing, hold the weight on skating side and rebend for a good push into the forward inside edge, perpendicular to axis
- take progressive deeper into circle to have enough space for double knee bend that now runs in boards
- don't open hip on double knee bent, push free hip forward, don't concentrate in bringing the free foot up but on bringing it down, scissor motion, lifting over skating foot
- re bend while holding the weight on skating foot, but flip from outside to inside edge
- bring progressive more around and hold weight on skating side as stepping to stroke forward
- after mohawk step near foot, don't let free foot go back

Monthly skating review: progress and goals adjustment

I start each "skating month" with reviewing the previous one and then planning the current one.

I didn't do much skating last month. On the first week the rink schedule was inconvenient, then I was taking it easy because I had some pain from a fall in December. Then I fell again :( and decided to rest for few days to see if I don't come back to regular form faster. And then we had the polar vortex! The rink was closed 2 days.

Ice Dancing: I'm working on the Ten Fox. We tweaked the pattern, mostly the 3-turns placement. The outside mohawk is fine! As I still work on the pattern and I was protecting the hurt muscle, I haven't got yet to go full power and speed and I'm not on time yet. Also I didn't partnered yet. I feel the coach pushes on each lesson for a better backward skating, Higher extension, pointed toes, re bend before the new push, less time on transitions between lobes, and of course the posture.
I asked start to work on the European Waltz,  which is 3-turn after 3-turn because I wanted to work on something that will require patience, not power. My problem is that I don't re bend when stepping from backward to forward. That is both after the back edge, before the 3 turn, and in between the 3-turns on the end pattern. I can do it at slow speed, and I also train it off ice. So it's gonna take a lot of repetitions done correctly, at slow speed first, to get it in the muscle memory.

MITF: As much as I don't want to accept it, the truth is, I cannot make them better if I cannot put power into them. And if I have any kind of pain, I can't... both physically and mentally. So, they are right there, almost ready to test, from a year ago, jut not quite there.

Freestyle: I've had just one lesson, on the first week of the month. We reviewed things that we've done before and I made it clear I wanted the Pre-Bronze program so i can test it. And then my coach got sick and then he had to travel. So I hired somebody else. And he got straight into the program! My goals from doing programs is to learn new elements and how to link the elements I have. And I actually want to work with many coaches/ choreographers because I feel they all have different styles. The first coach, let's call him coach A, I worked with, was specialized in adults. The coach I hired now, coach B, is a quite experienced choreographer and performer, still settling in my city, so still approachable as price. He has such a beautiful style with lots of upper body movement! I first tensed up, thinking I won't be able to do much of what he showed me, but he broke down everything and he said that whatever I won't get comfortable doing in few weeks we'll change. So I take it as an opportunity to learn new elements, even if they are not gonna get used.

Off Ice: I did 3 weeks of ballet now. Overall I love it, but it is as tedious as the skating, if not even more. My goal here is mostly to improve my posture, upper body  movement (as I tense and rise the shoulders) and learn some arm movement. But my mind gets lost in between remembering the exercises, actually doing them correctly, so for now I keep forgetting about my posture..

I think this month I have to be patient to consolidate what I have in dance and moves and I think the progress that I crave and push for, will happen on it's own. And I have now the Freestyle program and the ballet to keep things interesting.

Ice Dancing: how to work on a specific skill and on a part of a pattern

After my private lesson on Monday, my coach said excitedly that I've hit few milestones that day! That was about edges, posture, lean, lobes transitions on backward chasses, progressives,  coordination on backward swing rolls and extension on forward chasses. Plus ankle press on everything... I knew I was close.

There is a point in my learning process when i understand exactly what I have to do, I just cannot do it. So I keep "working" on it. That means I tweak it... change different things that I remember from my lessons. Where the weight falls on the blade, posture, look up, bend the knees more, bend the ankles too, press into the ice, lean, look up (again, because I already don't do it), keep the core engaged, hold the extension, point the toes, timing... the list feels infinite. The skills I'm referring to are simple stroking, dance steps (progressives, chasses, swing rolls), turns (3 turns, mohowks), spins, jumps, every single thing you do on ice.

One thing my coach said is that  a skill is gonna happen (a jump or just stroking) when 80% of it components are happening at the same time. There are moments when I hit the skill accidentally. I feel it, but I cannot repeat it immediately. I'm trying to be aware when those accidents start happening of what exactly made the difference, and to work on that.

Another thing my coach said, when I asked frustrated why I do "that" mistake again because I corrected it and I'm aware of it, and I can do it!, is that it didn't become body memory. So while I'm "working" on other things, "that" mistake will resurface. But worry not, being aware of it makes it easily fixable. The lesson here is repetition, repetition, repetition... But it has to be the correct form of the skill.

I've got into the habit of asking one question per lesson, and allow the coach the rest of the time to get me to work on what he thinks I need. This week I was asking about the upper body placement on the end pattern of the Ten fox. He mentioned something a week before that I didn't register. The answer was that the hips are square to the direction of travel but the upper body is hold laterally. Very logical, because when dancing with a partner that end pattern is done in fox hold.

But that gave him the opportunity to try to teach me (again) how to work at a section of the pattern. Because, I was comfortable doing the dance for the beginning, and couldn't pick it up from a particular spot in the pattern (like many other beginners he says). And that is a problem because most of the time I don't get to finish the dance (because I make a mistake and stop, or somebody crosses my way and I stop), so I don't work so much at the end pattern.

He wanted me to start from the 3 turn. I knew from the previous attempts that  he means to start with one step before that, and that is a RO edge for 4 beats, with a knee bent on the 3rd beat. That was flimsy, gave me no speed into the 3 turn, so everything was flimsy. He said to do just a stroke or two before the 3 turn, from an oblique direction, to give me the best opportunity to work on the 3 turn on the pattern. That would be not to drop on the back inside edge after the turn. And not to lean forward when I start the back progressive and then struggle to reposition... Because on the 3 step of progressive I have to turn forward. The lesson here is to take a simple, comfortable, strong stroke, or two, into the pattern... Surely he told me that before, and thinking of it is logical, we start the pattern dances and MITF with intro steps... Just another reminder that learning skating is a process, a long, long process.