Sparkly Cinderella/Sour Stepsister Lessons & Practices 4/19 - 4/25

Since Cinderella on Ice is our Gold Champion from Adult Nationals this week, I thought we should honor her with the lessons/practices thread!!!

Stepsister sliding: Sigh. The warm weather is here. A new schedule for early morning Zamboni-ing has been made. And of course, what happens? Neither rink is cut this morning. The ice was awful on both sides, but somehow I ran through both programs a few times, minus the jumps for the most part (no joke, at one point in my footwork program, I have to do a simple two foot twist forward after back crossovers. I attempted it today: The upper body turned, the feet completely stayed where they were in the ruts in the ice. I nearly wrenched my back. )

Cinderelly, Cinderelly, wanna skate like Cinderelly!!!!! : The footwork program is going to be fine, even though I felt like I was slogging through oatmeal the whole way through!!!!! We realized the artistic program was going to have 4 waltz jumps in it (sal/waltz, waltz/waltz since I don't have waltz/toe consistent enough for competition, and then waltz out of back spiral), so we decided to put the ballet jump back in--as the second part of the salchow combo. It might sound weird, but it works. Its also an ISI FS 2 element, and that's the level I'm skating, so that's another plus.

Here's hoping for good ice Thursday and Friday AM then I'm off ice for a week for some R and R and sunshine. How's your week going so far????

Hey Yaz --what's a ballet jump? My sympathies on the ice condtiions; my ankle hurt me for 2 days after skating on really crappy ice on Friday.

Yay for Cinderella!

As for me, Sparkly Cinderella: Yesterday I did a bunch of perfectly silent back crossovers CW!! No toepick scratch at all . My coach has been working on some basics with me, along with the new program, and I guess his idea from Sunday paid off! I could hardly believe it, and I can't wait to show him tomorrow. Also circles of forward crossover-mohawk-back crossover-mohawk repeat are coming along well. The last remaining stinky mohawk is that right forward inside one. Also did circles of forward crossover-RFO3-back crossover-LBO edge to step forward, and I like them more and more! Good thing, too, since I have a waltz 8 in my program and that's similar.

Sour stepsister My toe loop stinks, although my coach says I'm making good progress. Also stinky one foot spin. It will just take some consistent practice to get it back and I'm under orders to do three each time I skate... sigh.

Happy skating,
Pat

Sparkly Cinderella: Working on edges is helping with everything! I am MUCH more controlled in my back outside 3 because my edges are stronger. And my spins seem to have returned! Forward scratch spin is back! Sit spin getting better! And camel is a good start (about 2 1/2 times in the camel position on a very good try, with a great centered upright spin coming out of it- but also many failures as I try to figure out where the power of the spin is generated- no evil here, though, just part of the learning process). And hasn't the weather been FANTASTIC.

Evil stepsisters: You would NEVER think that one of the hardest pre-bronze moves to practice is stroking around the edge of the rink. Counter-clockwise, no prob... Clockwise AGAINST THE RULES!!!... not an element I'm scared of, but I do want to be prepared. Alternating FO 3 turns better, placing the turns better, but it still doesn't feel like ME skating them. And those alternating FI 3's- it still takes very little to spook me. Like Cinderella with her evil stepsisters - I WILL triumph over these 3 turns in the end!

Pat: ballet jump: Off of the ending, right back outside edge of my sal, I hop on my left toepick and extend my right leg, then hop on the toepick again. It looks like a pretty ballet extension with a double hop and is considered a half jump because you essentially turn from backward to forward with it. It looks easy but can be hard to do if you don't hit the toepick just right (it will look like you stumble). I originally had it after the back spiral but kept messing it up after trying to get upright from the spiral. With the sal, I'm already upright on a stronger edge and its easier to pick in and extend. Hope that makes sense.

I sympathize on the scratch spin. I had it steady with four to six revolutions in the fall, then I went through two episodes of sinus and respiratory infections in the winter and BOOM, back to the beginning with the whole thing. I hope to change my two foot spin at the beginning of my program to a one foot spin, but we'll see. It has to be a short spin anyway, I only have time for three or four revs, so hopefully I can manage it. I would have loved to do the waltz toe, but its inconsistent and I occasionally miss the pick and rattle myself but good and I don't want to do that late in the program, right before the back spiral/waltz jump. Better to stick with what is solid.

Wow, I'm so impressed with all the progress everyone is making here. Guess we're ALL going to have fun at the "ball" after all!

Cinderellafabulistic - Today's skating was simply marvy. Coach decided that I needed a "downtime" lesson, so we didn't attempt any jumps. We started off very slowly, skating around together and discussing our amazing accomplishment this past weekend. Then we quickly moved on to all of the 40,000 things that need improvement before next year. We mapped out a plan for the whole year, but then brought it back to the next two weeks. We're going to work on polishing me up so I'm no longer a diamond in the rough, which means I have to focus on things like leg extension, toe pointing and turnout, straightening my free-leg knee, etc. She gave me some incredible on-ice moves to do to help all these things, with the result that I felt like I had done killer thigh work for 40 minutes! Three words: choctaws and cross rolls (with 3-turns). Guess those legs will get as buff as the arms soon.

We also worked on centering spins and exiting them with the same extension and also speed. Gosh, all of this was so much fun and SO HARD TO DO! I'm really looking forward to tomorrow when I can practice it all again, hopefully with the ice mostly to myself and playing some cool tunes in the background.

P.S. I'm so honored that you named this week's thread after me, but also blushing profusely. Many, many people at ANs skated so beautifully, I feel unworthy. It really was like a fairy tale to be a part of something so enormous and meaningful. I'm truly humbled.

This is the first week I get back to the ice after my month long vacation.

Went to a public session on the weekend to see if I still remember how to skate. To my surprise, I didn't fall and killed myself. The first 30 minutes was feeling strange though.

After the initial awkwardness, I was brave enough to do some jumpings. Thank goodness the loop didn't go south on me. I could even land waltz/loop better than before my vacation. Back 3s were smoother too.

All in all, things were not too bad for my first week back on ice. Coach wants to put an ISI FS3 program together soon so I'll be ready for the State Game in June.

That brings up the topic of back spin as change-foot-spin is one of the required elements for FS3. Worked on back spin for 10 minutes last night with coach. At the end of that 10 minutes, I did a back spin for 2 revs. Now that's a first. I'm totally excited. Coach asked me to just keep practicing the back spin for now. Then we'll put the change-foot-spin together later.

Ugly step: I was off this morning, I think my mind is preoccupied with my vacation!! Couldn't seem to hit my salchow, very scratchy at first.

Cindy shines: Coach looked at salchow and sure enuf, I wasn't holding the back edge long enough and was spinning it. She gave me a neat hint. Look in the direction I'm going--pick a spot on the wall and focus on it, and when I get ready to jump head for that spot and look at it again. That helped a lot. Once I'm back on the ice after next week, I have asked for some time in the harness again just to work out all the kinks in the sal. Once I got it better though, the sal/ballet combo looked pretty good. We changed the two foot spin at the beginning to a brief one foot spin ending in a two foot revolution to start my program (the way I have to get around to go into crossovers/perimeter stroking backward won't work with a standard spin exit, so the "two foot around" ending allows me to go right into the back crossver that follows). We perked up the crossovers and the spanish style slide movements. We also worked on major extension on all the moves of my footwork program. So far, so good.

I'll see you guys in about a week. Time for a little R and R!!!

Hugs,

Yaz

Cindy shines: Instructor made us do two foot jumps (hops) to get used to getting both feet of the ice. In practice, I did the teeniest waltz jump but I have a feeling she's going to hit the waltz jump next week in practice. My spins are looking better and I'm able to balance on one foot from a two foot spin for three rotations.

Sour stepsister: Fell on my a$$ doing a fo 3 turn into a one foot spin. I guess I'm trying to do a back one foot spin? I have no clue.. I just love to do 3 turns.

Sparkly Cinderella I had my regular moves lesson with my secondary coach last night, working on back edges, alternating back crossovers to back outside edges and 5 step mohawk. Everything is improving! The best part though? My coach paid me the biggest compliment on the alternating back crossovers to back outside edges exercise: "You have very soft knees on this tonight." He said I was staying at the same level all the time, so I was never standing up all the way and my extension was good. AND he said it was the best set of crossovers he'd ever seen me do. I'm still happy about it, and I can't wait to tell/show my primary coach tonight!

Pat

Sparkly Cinderella: I've been recruited for a synchro team in my hometown. I've been e-mailing back and forth with the coach, and things have been going well with that. Tryouts are in 2 weeks, and I'll be getting time off work so that I can go for them. I'm really excited, since I haven't done synchro for 2 years.

Sour Stepsister:The only problem with the team is the fact that I live an hour away from my hometown in the fall/winter. If my special requests can't be accomodated, then I can't skate. Plus the cost is a bit of an issue as well. My mom's not thrilled, but I'm hoping that I can get something worked out.

Happy Skating!!

Luenatic - wow, the jumps were working AND you didn't kill yourself. Totally great! Congrats.

Yaz - Hope you enjoy the R&R and how cool to hear about your progress. Wait'll you get into that harness; there will be no stopping your salchows.

Sooger - in no time you'll be leaping and bounding across the ice like Tigger. Glad to hear both the jumps and spins are moving forward.

Sk8pics - SOFT KNEES. Wow, that is the ultimate compliment. You rock!!!!

Starshine - woo hoo girl, it doesn't surprise me that your synchro skills are in demand. Totally cool and how exciting. I watched syncro on TV for the first time and can absolutely picture you out there. We're gonna need all the details and some pics, you know.

Blinded by the sparkly light - gosh, I was so worried that I would be feeling a "letdown" after all the excitement of ANs and wouldn't be able to concentrate this week. Instead, my practices yesterday and today just ROCKED! I spent a lot of time working on the moves my coach gave me to help with my extension, free leg turnout, and toe pointing, and feel that even in only 2 days, I've made some progress. She also has me starting on choctaws (ewww) and some power pulls with 3 turns, changing from forward and backward to forward and again backward, to help make me smoother in footwork sequences. After two days, my legs feel like they've been toasted!

Even though she told me to take it easy this week, I felt really powerful today so I also worked on some jumps up through the lutz/loop, and I liked the flow I was getting on the landings. I also worked through all the spins, and it was one of those "centered" days where the tracings were in harmony. Even the flying camel/back sit/sit was all contained in the same circle. Yowza!

Hubby videotaped and he seemed very surprised at the improvements made since only one month ago. He said I looked all smooth, flowy, and sexy. That was the nicest compliment of all!

Sparkly Cinderella-spurred on by Cinderella's gold medal performance and all of you taking lessons, I finally talked to one of our coaches at my rink and made arrangements to start lessons next week! I'm looking to improve my skating and maybe take some tests or perhaps compete! He seemed very positive about working with me and mentioned that he liked how I skated. I am very excited about this since the last time I had a lesson was about 28 years ago!

No Sour Stepsisters this week

Dlkksk8fan - <claps hands excitedly> Goody, goody, goody! I am so excited for you that you will be starting lessons. Now you will be hooked on skating forever. Welcome to our addiction. Bwah ha ha ha hahahahahaha <laughs maniacally>.

Now you will be hooked on skating forever

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I'm already hooked on skating forever!

I admit, I'm hooked now too! I'm enjoying reading these posts & wondering if I'll ever get to single jumps. Right now I've just gotten the hang of inside 3's...2-ft spins still kind of come & go. (Of course I'm waiting to get my new not-purple boots/parabolic blades & secretly hoping that overnight they will turn me into the next Cinderella! Ha! not.)

I'm wondering if someone would be kind enough to explain what a 5 step mohawk is. I have been looking up explanations on the web of various moves, but have not found any site with explanations of patterns of steps like that. (Or the simple dance patterns). Or should I buy a book? I take lessons every week, but there's always SO much to work on & of course I need to let my teachers set their own agendas for me (I;m lucky, I have 2 teachers, whose approaches are quite different yet complementary). But I do find it more interesting to work on sequences of steps than on single moves over and over. Thanks for any help in advance.