Lesson 2 with the GURU

 I love working hard during a lesson… even if it means a few falls.  Had one today but didn't show it in the video!

Working on GOLD MIF with John Saitta.  He is a skating technical pro .. and seems to have a pretty good idea of all my misaligned mechanics!

No Moss Growing Under My Blades

After a fun little road trip from Arizona to Washington state … with a pit stop in California to get fitted for new dance boots and blades - I’m back in the Inland NW for the summer.

I have been without a coach up here for a few years.  Since I stopped skating pairs in 2017 I haven’t had anyone helping me with and pushing me toward my goals on the ice.

What are my goals?  Hmmm 🤔 Good question.  There are probably two lists.  One is kind of like keeping your skinny jeans in the dresser for next year when you might fit back in them …. They will eventually go to the Goodwill, but having them in the drawer leaves a little hope.

#1. Realistically my goal is to keep skating and to enjoy it.  The latter part of that means not putting too much pressure on myself to rush into testing or to compete again ~ although like the skinny jeans.. I won’t rule it out quite yet.

#2. This summer my plan is to spend most of my time focusing on my Gold Moves in the Field.  I would be really happy with myself for accomplishing this.  It’s been almost 5 years since I tested Moves in the Field.  

#3. Keep working on ice dances and techniques.  I’d like to work on more advance turns like rockers and counters and get more comfortable with twizzles.  I don’t want to return to Arizona in November and have to start over with my coaches there.

So today I had my first lesson with my new coach John Saitta.  I have been waiting several years to acquire some coaching time with him.  His schedule has been full for quite a while.  “So what do you want to work on?” …..  I shared goal #2 with him and we got right to it.   

Today’s focus was on my inside three turns.  I feel ok on the RFI but not the LFI so he gave me a great exercise and tips on how to enjoy the ride! Secondly we worked on brackets.  Again the left side is the weaker side without full control and flow and he gave me great tips for that.  

Final Week of Skating in Arizona

First was my last Ice Cafe in Scottsdale at the Ice Den.  My phone got knocked over so there’s only a few moments of Ice Cafe with coach Doug.

My last lesson with Todd Gilles was fun.  We ran all the dances and picked a few things apart.  I wish I had pushed harder and been able to test before heading up north for the summer - I doubt I will find any dance coaching/partnering that will enable me to test before I return.

2nd Was my Wednesday skate at Ice Den Chandler on the Ice Café session there. I had my last lesson with beautiful Naomi Lang.  As Dorothy said in the Wizard of Oz “I’ll miss you most of all” ... We looked at my Free Dance program - which I can use to test Juvenile Solo Free Dance .. at some point.

Lastly was my Thursday skate at Ice Den Chandler with Vitali Vakunov.  I really enjoy lessons with him because he always warms us up with stroking exercises and step exercises that practice components of the dances we are working on.  We get a lot of skating done during our lessons.

Adult Figure Skating foxtrot Lesson with Vitali

Trifecta Week. 3 Days on Ice 3 Lessons

 Today I had the chance to try a partnering lesson with Vitali Vakunov.  Honestly I don’t know much about him but he’s from Belarus and he coaches at Arcadia normally.  My coach Naomi recommended I try a partner lesson with him.  Right now I travel to Scottsdale for my partnering lesson and Chandler Ice is closer. Vitali comes to Chandler on Thursdays.  

This lesson was such a workout as he likes to incorporate stroking and warmups into all his lessons both before and after you work on your pattern dances.  I like that a lot.  I really miss skating pairs with Hank.  Maybe we’ll be able to get back to some partnering on easy freestyle this summer... fingers crossed.

Adult Figure Skating Freestyle and a Dance Lesson

Wednesdays are starting to be my fav.  This is an adult session.  Usually it’s just figure skaters but today we had a hockey guy out there.  I was motivated to try a few long lost jumps and spins.... including a Flip jump which I have not done in ..um 2 years or longer.  I didn’t land it .. it’s two footed but I’m happy I didn’t “pop” out into a 1/2 Flip.

At the end of the session I had my dance lesson. I just love working with Naomi Lang.  She is so patient.  She put this Freedance together for me which I won’t be able to use for a while.  Hopefully this summer I can keep working on it - and somehow improve the edges and turns.

Adult Figure Skating Tuesday Dance Lesson

So Tuesday I had my partnering lesson with Todd Gilles.  We did some warm up stroking exercises before working on the Fourteen Step and the Foxtrot.  Tick tock ....I’m feeling sad that my weekly dance lessons are ending soon as it is nearly time to migrate north for the summer where I don’t have a coach.

Private Ice Wednesday!

 I just got lucky.  People no-showed.   I went to adult skate and had a lesson .  We worked on my free dance changing some of the steps at the end of the program.  On the following session - a dance session - I  was the only one on the ice.  My music didn’t play very loud so I have the volume turned up - but it also turned up the volume of my blades grinding into the ice.  Sounds pretty crude!

11 Days Off - Ice Cafe on Tuesday

 I decided to try the Tuesday Ice Cafe Sessions for my last month in Arizona.  It’s been 11 days since I skated as we had the grandkids here visiting.

I felt wobbly at first but was pleased to get through at least one pattern of each dance and even a full run of my free dance (missing a few steps and not quite doing some of the edges and turns properly ...) but a good walk through.

Choreography Part IV

 After taking 5 days off ice - it’s that Bambi feeling again.  Trying to get my legs under me with confidence.  My lesson today was to pick up where we left off and make a few changes to what was previously choreographed.  I’m skating too slow to put the right EM-PHA-SIS on the right SYL-LAB-LE.