Ice Dance is Good for Your Skating: Part 1

The more ice dances I learn, the more respect I give to the coaches and pros who developed not only the dances but the structure of the testing program. Since I'm a system engineer,  I started doing a matrix in my head of the skill building that comes out of ice dance. Then I decided to do an irregular series of posts on what I see are the skills coming out of learning the compulsory dances.

Dutch Waltz-Swing Rolls & Progressives (or Crossovers), Stroking
This is the dance where I felt the emphasis on edges really comes to the fore for a beginner skater. To do the swing rolls you must have confidence in your edges, and the fact that it's a swing roll rather than an edge, emphasizes the independence of the body from the motion of the free foot. At the end, there is a change in the rhythm of the progressive that gives the dance enough variety to keep the new skater alert and keep the dance from being robotic.
Skills: Edges, Independence of Body, Rhythm

Canasta Tango--Swing Rolls, Progressives (or Crossover), Cross Roll, Chasse', Slide Chasse'
There's no real stroking in this dance, but I've come to respect it for what it does for your stroking. Not only do you have some interesting footwork, but to make this dance 'go', I feel you need strong impulse on every single push. Since you're pushing into a different element every time, you have to lead the curves and anticipate how you need to hold your upper body for each new element. The slide chasse' prepared me for those future dance moves where I needed to hold my foot ahead of me and develop the skills not to rock back when I do hold the foot forward. The cross roll to swing roll on the end pattern has some quick changes in upper body required, and anticipation of the next edge.
Skills: Power, edges, anticipation of curve, getting used to the forward foot

Rhythm Blues--In the Canasta Tango the second curve of the dance was a mirror of the first curve. In the Rhythm Blues you have something different with every step with no mirroring. This dance really makes you work on your kneebend and your rhythm (coating of beats). Also, the swing roll on the inside edge is introduced. On the side pattern you have two progressive/crossovers. The first you rise up on the skating leg before you cross, the second you hold the under leg, well, under for two beats. No just sliding through a couple of progressives here. You have a pause before one, and a pause after the other. You now have to break up the rhythm of your stroking, hold and then move on at the right beat. The second of this series, the progressive with the 'hold under' is immediately followed by a step into a FI Swing roll. Although it's never explicitly stated, I think this beautifully prepares you for the wide step in the Cha-Cha.
As for the Evil Step Behinds? Remember the slide chasse' in the Canasta? That slide chasse' prepared you for the forward position leg in the step behinds. Elegant planning. And the step behind itself? Ah, that preps you for the little step up/step back down in the Cha Cha. It also got me over my fear of putting one foot behind the other.
Skills: Inside edges, varying steps, counting the beats, preparing for the Cha-Cha, knee bend.

I spend an hour today on a freestyle session. Every single coach was working with their student on spins or jumps. Not one student was working on any skating skills. Sad. I guess Ice Dance will remain the last bastion of good skating. Certainly the beautiful planning in the compulsory dances could be used by anyone to improve their skating skills. The more I learn; The more I admire.

Ooooh, breezy down there--skating in a skirt

"This skirt is nice." Dance Coach said, "It makes you look like lady, you should wear it to test. Judges like skirts."

I managed to suppress an eye roll. This is the same man who two weeks ago, when I told him I had a skating skirt told me, "No, too late to change costume. What if it bunches up in hold. Or falls off."

I mean, where does he get this stuff? Is it just guy talk?

So, I'd never skated in a skirt before today. The skirt itself is from REI (yes the 'camping' store) and is a lightweight fleece kind of material that ends just above my knees. Under that I've got a pair of booty shorts from Target, and under that a pair of footless Mondor tight from my skate tech. 

First thing, I learned is, even though I had on booty shorts underneath, 60 years of modesty kept me from propping my foot up on my knee to put on my Silipos and my in boot stockings. Plus I had to keep my knees together while I bent over to tie my laces. Note to self, either get to the rink before the crowds show up, or get used to flashing people.

So, I'm the first person to step on the ice, and it's wonderful. They must have finally got someone who knows how to drive the Zamboni. I take a deep stroke and just glide the length of the rink. Wonderful.

It took me a good five minutes to become accustomed to the feel of the wind on my thighs. I even dared do a spiral, with my free foot pointing in the direction where there's no people. I could get used to this.

Then the public shows up. It's public skate. It's winter. It's crowded.  Coach starts chasing me up and down the rink yelling at me. I'm working on my extension in a power stroke, and this guy in hockey skates crosses  from my right to left,  then abruptly stops in front of me. No time or space to even do an emergency stop, so I grab his arm, use him like an axle, rotate around him, let go and slam myself into the boards without knocking him over. "Sorry," I yell. "Sorry." Coach yells. We're back to lesson in a heartbeat. As far as I know, he's still standing there.

We tried the Dutch Waltz a few times to practice for the test. At one point a little girl got in our way while we were in hold. I tried to skate around her to the left; Coach tried to lead be around to the right. We just sort of didn't hit her somehow, with coach still counting the beats.  If dance tests are conducted like obstacle courses, I'm ready.

Coach finally threw up his hands. "Too many people. Lesson only half an hour today." 

And it's going to get worse every weekend through January. 

By the way, getting boots off without flashing people is just as hard as putting them on. I'm saving skirts for special occasions from now on.

Yeah, right. That's gonna happen.

The Du-uuu-uutch Waltz Countdown: 6 Days

So, you're thinking the Dutch Waltz is a dance of great antiquity, danced by dutch skaters down the canals of Holland. Sorry that's the Dutch Roll they did down the canals of Holland. The Dutch Waltz was invented in 1948 at the Broadmoor  Hotel in Colorado Springs, Colorado by the eminent coach George Mueller (who also invented the Fiesta Tango).

George Mueller and wife Leah

As I've discussed before the DW has Stroking, Progressives, Swingrolls. It's all forward movement. Practically anyone past Basic 5 should be able to do a version of it. So why isn't it introduced as a skating exercise in LTS? I mean wouldn't it be great to have a class skating around the rink to music and having a good time?

Yeah, I know why. It's that god awful music.

I have to test to "My Bonnie Sails over the Ocean." The music is so bad it makes my teeth hurt. So I understand why ISU has standard music for testing, but couldn't someone make the preliminary dances fun?

Certainly, all that's needed is some music that appeals to people rather than music that is designed for testing. There's waltzes in zydeco, C&W, R&B, even Rock. Joe Cocker did a waltz time version of "With a Little Help From My Friends" that's almost the right speed. Here's what the Dutch Waltz looks like to a zydeco waltz;

Dance, mon cajun dance!

So, why doesn't LTS introduce ice dance even in this minimal form? Even this simple dance teaches footwork, edges, timing, any rhythm. Oh, I forgot, LTS is all about building your skills to jump, silly me.

But still I think it would be a good idea for people to get exposed to this very simple dance in LTS. With the right music, it could be fun. I'm sorry the USFSA is all about jumps. Dance is where you learn to skate.

Prepping for the Dance Test--It's more than just skating

There was a last minute addition to Freestyle session on Saturday, so Coach and I finally got to skate to the Dutch Waltz as if it was a Test Session. For the first ten minutes we were the only two people on the ice. And the ice was excellent! Coach kept stroking around making yummy sounds.  He was so happy I hated to subject him to my skating.

After a little warmup we got into the dance. Meh, I hope the proverb "bad dress rehearsal, good performance" is true. No, honestly it wasn't that awful. In separate go rounds, I did a 1, 2, 3 progressive, when it should have been a 1, 2, 3, 4 progressive. once missed the second pattern because my mind went to its default setting of 'one pattern', and stepped to the wrong foot on the presentation glide.  Coach wasn't pulling out his hair, but he had his 'serious training voice' in action.

But here comes the fun part, he trained me in the 'introduction to the ice'. We stand at the gate and he mockingly announces, "Number 38, Miss Babbette Duboise and partner".  The 4 kids on ice laugh at him. Then we skate 4 strokes, presentation glide and a stop. I asked him "Want me to do a T-stop?" Him: "Can you do a T-Stop?" Me (in irritated tones): "How long have you been coaching me?" Men!

I am duly presented. One of the kids starts the dance music on the CD player. We do my one minute of fame.  No errors. Coach is content.

This is followed by costume approval. I had to skate around stroking and crossovers in hold so he could be sure it wouldn't ride up. For those of you who care, I'm wearing a vintage red, cashmere jacket, black slacks, and a silk blouse (vintage too!). I've reached that age that clothes from my youth are now 'vintage'. Advice for your old age, never throw anything away. It may come in handy for skating.

Nov 12 Lesson Post--Dancing with the icePod

I have a dance test--my first skating test--in three weeks. Unfortunately, my schedule and coach's schedule don't match for freestyle sessions. So, yes, I'm doing test preparation on winter publics. This means that until Nov 12, I had never skated the Dutch Waltz to music.  Did I hear a gasp of horror from one and all? Three weeks to the test and you've never skated to music! Quelle horreur!*

Coach had the idea I should bring my iPod (the icePod let's call it) and he would listen to one earbud, and I'd listen to the other. Sorry, that was silly. I got an audio splitter, and an extra set of earbuds from the 5 and Below store. Now we each had our own set. So we're on ice, and we plug in. Music is too loud for me too soft for him. Argument over the volume setting. Just like a man with the remote, he wants to take control of the icePod.

Finally we get going. Skating through the board clingers, the hockey boys, and the clueless. Overhead, Lady Gaga is wailing away. We can faintly hear the Dutch Waltz.

It was scary a couple of times going around the rink in dance hold and plugged into the icePod. Coach is the sweetest guy in the world with kids until he's in dance hold. Then it's all  gruff "They should stay out of our way."  What can I say, he's got a dance split personality. He wants to go fast, he wants the steps accurate, and he'll put me within inches of people in our way.  We passed through the crowd like eagles through the clouds.

I. Nailed. That. Dance.

YES!

On the beat, with power, good extension, stroking in time with coach. It was excellent!

Afterwards, I asked, "Have you skated sharing an iPod before with a partner?"

"No," coach said. "First time."

The things that man will do to get me test ready.  A coach like that is a keeper.


*Tip o' the hat to whoever is beaming in from Canada to read this.

Nov 5 Lesson Post: Ladies and Gentlemen, the Dutch Waltz

For every lesson, Dance Coach manages to appear out of nowhere while I'm on the ice stroking around waiting for lesson to begin. Suddenly there is this Russian guy skating next to me saying "Ready to skate?" How does he do that? Are transporter beams involved?  

Today was all about the Dutch Waltz (DW) as I am testing next month. Since I take lessons on public, think of it as Dutch Waltz Obstacle Course as we have to avoid other skaters and the cones.   When I started out learning it, the DW was the way Dance Coach got me back on my feet after a year off the ice. Now it's my entry into ice dance.

The DW is the simplest ice dance. It has 5 elements: Progressives, forward stroking, swing rolls, skating in hold, and the presentation glide. In the DW the hold is called the Killian. The woman's left arm crosses the man's chest, his right arm is around her back, the skaters hold each other's hands. They do the same steps at the same time. It took me months to get this dance down. It's not hard but I was relearning skating, learning new skating skills, and my poor brain was overwhelmed. Now I can do it fairishly well. Will I pass the test? Cross fingers.

But today we're on a moderately crowded public skate, and we did the dance at the speed Dance Coach seems to feel is acceptable for a Master's Level skater (translation: elderly skater) We did it 10 times.  I nailed every single element. (Had some boo boos on timing that Dance Coach fixed). My legs were trembling at the end of the lesson. Then Dance Coach said the ultimate skater's compliment:

"You have nice knees."

O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!'
She chortled in her joy.

My coach I have pleased,

I have 'nice knees'!

How many adult learner skaters never hear that? or only hear "Bend that knee!" 

But I know what he was really happy about, it's not just the knee bend, it's the whole skating package.  I was in the right place on the blade, and the extension was good, plus my power, edges, checking, carriage, and control. Put it all together and you have a skater with 'nice knees'.