Had a laid back practice today. Lots of relaxed drills. My mind is looking forward now to my summertime skating. Moves in the field are a priority. I’ve been putting this Gold test off for years now.
I did some drills today. Some from my dance coach. Others from my MIF coach up North. I even tried a couple of ice dances and ran my solo free dance while someone else’s music was playing.. it almost fit!
I thought this week would be so fun .. no pressure. My first days back on the ice were anything but. My legs felt sore and stiff and my my joints .. UGH. I either need to quit complaining about all the aches and pains of being 62 and figure skating and ice dancing .. and start working to strengthen and stretch or just quit all together. That’s not an option.
Here’s a few days of practice ice. First one l did a little bit of freestyle too.
Goal: 1st competition in 6 years
Goal: 1st ice dance competition ever
Goal: Don’t fall
Goal: Have fun
Check-Check-Check- … and Check (despite nerves that rival jumping out of a plane without a parachute)
Anyone who knows me - knows that I am a very nervous competitor. Without being graphic .. I literally get sick before nearly every competition and shake so bad I am sure the judges can see me knees knocking.
I’ve been learning how to ice dance for the past few years and tested a few pattern dances - from Pre Dance through Bronze leading into 2021. Then I decided I wanted to try a solo free dance for testing and or competition. My amazing coach Naomi Lang Strong has been working with me for a year on how to do a Twizzle, how to do a Counter turn, how to do a Chocktaw and how to skate like an ice dancer vs a free style skater. I am definitely not there yet .. not by a long shot, but I have found a new love of the discipline and I’ll probably stick with it.
My one event was the lowest level of ice dance. Bronze Solo Free Dance. Meaning … I dance alone (duh) and it’s a free dance .. vs a pattern dance like the Foxtrot or the Fourteen Step or European Waltz … You are free to just skate to the music, but you are supposed to incorporate edges, steps and turns that are used in ice dancing and you are supposed to execute them with proper body carriage, leg and arm extension and skate over your hips - in dance positions.
Fortunately at the lower levels .. and especially at the adult level you can just skate and there is not a lot of nit picking done on your elements. If I test this same program at the Adult Juvenille Solo Free Dance level .. they will point EVERYTHING out.
I totally botched up my Twizzles on the exits, my Counter had a sub curve, my Chocktaw fell apart and my Sit Spin would have been DQ under IJS for not being low enough .. but under the 6.0 system I managed to get first place and a gold medal.
I will post the professional video here in a few days when it arrives.
Back to the drawing board. Happy it’s over and proud that I didn’t give up.
I skated my last session today with a short and final lesson before heading to Spokane for my first competition in 6 years… Long time. Today went a little better than yesterday but I’m still feeling like I could use 3 more months!
So here I am - 10 days from a competition and in that dreaded place. Feeling not ready. Not by a long shot. Yes I will go - I will skate and barring no fall - I will pat myself on the back for taking a risk and putting myself “out there” again after 6 years.
I would love - just once to attend a test session or competition where I felt like “I’ve got this” or I am ready and have been ready for some time. Does anyone ever feel that way? I wonder. Perhaps it’s how show skaters feel after their days of competition are over. No more judges. Skating exhibition style and for the most part skating using the skills they can do in their sleep. (Thankfully none of those people read my blog or I would probably get a load a complaints for saying that!!!)
So I will just chock today up to nerves and old age. It was a strange session with interruptions due to someone taking a virtual MIF test on our dance session. And … there were 5-6 skaters on the ice which is unusual! I know .. I should not complain about 5-6 skaters on the ice.
My complaint is that I don’t see any good form or extension or expression during my skating right now. When I am out there .. I feel like I am trying but when I see the video .. whoa .. it looks more like someone walking through their program rather than skating it full out.
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 ...
