Facing Down the Line

So at my last edge class, no one showed up but me. (The weather was horrible, but that's no excuse for missing the Mass or a lesson.)

The result was, Coach Cruella had me all to herself. She said, "How would you like to do swingrolls?"

Not much.

I've been exposed to Cruella's swingrolls before. She's extremely fussy about body position, edges, depth of knee bend, leg position. While she tells me pretty much the same stuff Dance Coach does, he seems to be a little more easy going.  He takes the long view. "You need to work on X." he'll say, "It will come". He's got issues with my power, and patterns and stuff to move one to. Cruella is more like "We're going to fix your swingrolls now." So, it's working out well for me.  As I've said elsewhere, I like the way my two coaches scope their lessons  differently.

Anyway Cruella wants me to do swingrolls facing down the line. Up to now I've been doing them facing the direction I'm skating. Now, Cruella wants me to face the axis of the swingroll pattern and continue to face in that direction, while the swing rolls rotate around my body.

That doesn't make sense does it?

So, the video below, is NOT NOT NOT the Cruella way:

See how she is always facing the direction she is skating? The Cruella way, the skater would be facing the camera the whole time!

Did I just hear you go, "Eeek,That's hard!" Yes, indeedy, it is.

There's a quick but not jerky switch from one shoulder forward to the other that begins just as I approach the longline of the swingroll pattern. Also, I have to swing the swinging leg to pass next too the skating leg, and cross in front of the skating leg, ending up with the heel pointing inside the circle.

After a half hour I can do the facing down the axis thing fairly well on outside swingrolls. Inside ones? Meh.

Cruella swears this will delight Dance Coach when I show him.

Am I sensing competition in the invisible partnership? Mmmmm, what fun!

I Love Swingrolls!

The swingroll is the first element that I learned in ice dance that's really 'dancey'. Do freestyle skaters use swingrolls? I don't think I've seen it.

Anyway, I like swingrolls because they really exercise several aspects of skating all at the same time. They're easy to learn, but offer a challenge to master.

First off, the base component of the swingroll is the edge. I love doing edges. Getting the deep curve and the edge is one of the few skating skills I have where I actually look good.

Secondly, comes the shoulder action. I think this is what makes the swingrolls work. When I stroke, the shoulder on the same side of the stroke moves opposite to the leg. That is when the leg goes back on the stroke the shoulder moves forward. When the leg swings forward, the shoulder on the same side goes to neutral and the opposite shoulder swings forward.

But for me to get that shoulder action to work,  I really have to have strong upper body and good 'ice dancer posture'. So that's point three: good posture--no hunching, no leaning forward, no looking down.

Finally, there's the kneebend. Can't do a good swing without  kneebend. As the swing comes forward the knee straightens as the knee passes, then deepens again as the foot goes forward. 

There's so much stuff going on! Three or four things have to happen at once. The knee is going up and down, the free leg is swinging back to forward, the shoulders moving, and I have to have a solid edge.

Right now Dance coach is making me work on the height and extension of my swings and depth to the edges. After that will come more power.  What can I say. Easy to do, but a challenge for me to master.

Swingrolls gone bad--the Wingroll

I'm practicing the Dutch Waltz for my test next month, and like many things, when I over practice, bad habits creep in.  Without Dance Coach present to do the patented Russian Frowny Face, I find myself unconsciously slipping into sloppy skating. It takes mental effort for me to do all the pieces of an element, all the time.

So the move goes like this; Stroke and start a curve, free leg back--same side arm and shoulder forward, swing the free leg forward--and check by bringing the opposite arm forward as you bring the free leg forward.  There's inside and outside swing rolls, and doing them isn't hard. But doing them with flow has taken some persistence on my part.

Doing these the other day to get the consistent power and flow coach wants, I realized I was sticking my right leg out to the side during the swing for the outside swing roll.

Urrgh! I looked like a chicken. I was doing the Wingroll.

Coach ever catches me doing a Wingroll he'll not only have Frowny Face, he'll have the Pulling of the Lower Lip, and the Deep, Deep Sigh.  Then will come the Disappointed Voice.

I had to fix it and fast before Coach showed up for lesson.  Obviously I was sticking the leg out to the side to counterbalance something.  Tighten up the core muscles, give a stronger check with the right arm prior to the swing and start the check with the left arm a little earlier than I had been, mentally focus on the leg move, and Voila! I was back to swing rolls.

It took me 5 minutes of fiddling to get there, and I'm not sure I have the right answer. Doesn't matter for the moment. I'm swingin' it, not wingin' it.