With 2 weeks off for Christmas and New Years - I decided to take on a 2nd coach for ice dancing.
I’m really lucky to be getting instruction from our two top ice dance coaches in Arizona: Todd Gilles and now Naomi Lang Strong. Most of my lessons with Todd are spent working on partnering and not on fundamentals. I think they both will have a lot to offer me. Whether or not I can take the information and put it into better skating ... is yet to be seen.
My first lesson 12/30/2020 .. my last skate of 2020 was with Naomi. We have wonderful dance sessions at this rink with hardly any skaters on it .. no excuses right? Our first lesson was my biggest problem. My sloppy three turns. Both coaches have told me about this “5 step” breakdown of a good dance three turn.
1. Bend and press into the ice
2. Stroke forward
3. Rise and feet in a T or together
4. Turn whilst keeping feet together (the hard part for me)
5. Bend and press into the ice before the back edge
Sounds simple .. but if you have seen me trying and trying and trying .... it’s not.
I think I need to think about turning on the rise and coach Naomi says to squeeze your legs together - then turn and hold the squeeze before releasing and sitting into the ice .. She makes it look effortless.