We Interrupt This Blog

So last Thursday - April 18th - I skated a virtual test of one of my Silver dances: The American Waltz.

We sent it in and the jury is still out!  My last test we got the results within a few days so this has been a hard wait.   Hopefully I will know and post the test by the next entry.

Meanwhile .. back at the ranch as they say; my coach noticed that my blades looked off.  The tail of one of my blades didn’t even pass the heel of my boot.  We had a long discussion of trying a new blade.  Which I would be more than happy to try .. but trying means spending $400-700 dollars and then what?  It’s one of the many quandaries of the sport.  Everything is merely a recommendation from a coach or fellow skater.  Feet and skating are SO UNIQUE to each individual - especially adult skaters -  it’s impossible to have a best boot/blade combo for every scenario.

Just like golf beginner and mediocre skaters want the best equipment they can afford even if it’s an advanced boot or blade.  (Guilty) I bought custom 3 ply boots and Phantom blades as an adult skater doing only single jumps.  But I ‘had to have them’.  I was denied good skating equipment as a child since we had no money.

Frustrated from not being able to spin as well as I could on my freestyle skates I decided to go on the hunt for new blades.  Kind of like when you desperately want to cut or color your hair but your regular stylist isn’t available so you just say “what the hell”.  

I took my boots and blades (all 3 pair) to a Pro Edge Sports/Discount Skatewear in Phoenix and showed them to their tech Kelly.  He is pretty sure the blades are not too small for the boots but that they were mounted incorrectly. The boots are custom from Horlick and he says one of my boots is larger/longer than the other.  He felt that foots’ blade should have been set back 1/4” and the other foot he said was not centered.  He is going to pull the blades, plug the holes, remount them and sharpen them.  

I will give them one more chance before throwing in the towel on MK Dance blades.

So today I skated my lesson on my Phantom blades.  Yes I tripped while just skating around about 3x on the toe pick, but didn’t fall.  And I didn’t fall during the lesson and the lesson went pretty well.  🤔 

I have been in this dilemma before.  Wondering if I should just keep skating on FS blades.

Well this was a very long post.  My apologies.

Re-Working the Free Dance

After last weeks lesson - my coach made some changes to the character step sequence and now she is changing the opening poses and the ending!  1 step forward 2 steps back.  I wish I could learn choreo faster.  

She thought the opening had repetitive movements so she softened it up and removed one part.

She thought my arms in my Twizzles look like goal posts so she hopes to get me to pull them up higher and clasp my hands during them if possible.

She moved my short edge element from after the character sequence to much earlier .. which is good.  I like the new placement.  I’m doing a spiral but hope to get my spread eagle back.

She took out the solid stop at the end of the character sequence and told me to keep the flow going so I can get to my ending spin on time.

She tried to teach me how to do a side spin - in lieu of a layback .. that’ll take loads of practice.

Next Week TEST (trial)

 Last lesson this week before we try and lay this down in virtual test style.  We'll video and do full runs and see where we are at next week.

I see them as close but not passing.  

Wednesday - Practice Between Lessons

 Tried to get a little practice in between lessons this week.  My knee was giving me a little trouble as always and I wasn't able to warm up very quickly.  I did manage to at least try and run all my dances and even did a little bit of work trying to get my spread eagle back and find some balance on my spins . which have also left the building! 

Monday Solo FD Lesson

So Im back skating with coach Naomi on Mondays. Today we worked on my solo free dance.  I think it's Adult Intermediate.  I've lost my Spread Eagle and my spins and feel pretty insecure about the rest of the dance.  I got scolded from my coach about being so negative.  I'll try to be more positive next week.

Back to Monday Lessons

 I finally have some free time to dedicate to more skating and lessons.  Had my first lesson today with Naomi Lang in a few months.  Today we concentrated on the trouble spots with the Silver Tango.

I never realized I was stepping like chicken instead of nicely tucking my foot behind the other in the XB (cross behind) steps.  Neat feet as they call them in ice dance are very difficult and conjur up all kinds of fears of tripping and falling both real and imagined!

Another trouble area I have is step #7 for the lady/follower - my LBO XB is not on a curve or the proper edge so I am usually blocking my partner.  I think that finally sunk in today.

The closed Mohawk into the 3 turn gives me trouble too.  I tend to lurch forward - giving up all my balance and power.  Hopefully I’ll get some practice on Wednesday before my Thursday lesson with Vitali.

Good 1 Hour Lesson

Feeling a bit better after last weeks wobbly legs.  I skated on Monday too so I was ready to go today.

Took a 1 hour lesson.  Would have been 45 but we spent 15 minutes off ice during an impromptu ice cut that should have taken place prior to my session.  The guy forgot.. oops.  But we used that time to talk about some tips for my turns that can be practiced off ice.

We did so many runs of the American Waltz today I just sped them all up to 3x speed to avoid a lengthy video.  I only kept the real time of the dances we skated to overhead music.

 

Here’s What 7 Weeks Off Looks Like

 Too busy moving to try and skate here and there so I just too a hiatus. Today was my first day back. Luck me private ice! 

Vid 1 is my nervous warm up.  My legs were shaking

Vid 2 is me attempting to do Gold Moves in the Field.. AKA Adult Gold Skating Skills

Vid 3 is me attempting to run 1 pattern of each of the silver ice dances without music playing followed by my free dance without music (I dubbed that in later)

Getting busy on these Silver Dances

I have been working on these silver dances too long!   Planning to go all in on them until I can test them in the next few months.

Silver dance lesson ….

Same old same old.

After today’s lesson we are going to work on just the American for a while and get it test ready.  Tackling them 1 dance at a time.  I’m a little disappointed in myself.  I used to get them all done in one session but my progress has slowed immensely and there isn’t enough ice time or practice time.