Ugly Positions

[julietvalcouer]

Linny--I can't seem to get that site to open. Is the link broken or is it my connection?

It's not impossible to turn out (past 180 degrees to your body, even) and keep your legs straight. In fact I don't think I could turn out that far from a wide second position and be able to bend my knees (I can turn my feet out so far they're pointing slightly backwards from either first or second position, in ice terms spread-eagle position--love to do it, too, because it really gives some people the creeps. It's a natural thing, too--I could do it long before I took ballet. Drove my riding instructor nuts, because I could never keep my toes in.) With the ice dance moves, possibly if we're talking the lifts where the man is basically squatting in a wide second, it's the weight and counterbalance of holding his partner that forces him to bend? I'm trying to think of a reason besides they think it looks good, because it doesn't, really, though I don't find it as annoying as the "beaver cleavers", to borrow a term from the thread on Sasha's I-spin.

Is there a name for the "butt in the air" spin, besides that? (Skater is bent over at the waist, both legs are straight, with the weight centered over the spinning foot, the other foot is up off the ice but the leg is not bent or extended.) Honestly, it's a little WEIRD-looking, but I don't find it hideously ugly, either. Most of the positions I find ugly either are bad visual analogies (dog-fire hydrant, broken-back moves) or cross the line between skating and contortionist (the 180-degree splits along the body, things just exagerated so far they look freakish.)

 

[lotusland]

I'll vote for the donut spin, especially the variation (like Johnny Weir's) where the skater rounds his back and lets his arms dangle down like the tentacles of a jellyfish.

The spin you are refering to is a variation on the "Pancake Spin," by dangling your arms through the legs it becomes an "Egg Beater Spin."

The spin Todd Eldridge does ... he is in a deep sit, brings his full upper body forward and lays it out ontop of his fully extended freeleg (which is parallel to the ice) has two names, it is called a "Pike Sit Spin" or "Cannonball Spin."

The "butt in the air" position (commonly done by Sandhu, Buttle and now many others) is called an "A-Frame Spin."

 

[antmanb]

The spin you are refering to is a variation on the "Pancake Spin," by dangling your arms through the legs it becomes an "Egg Beater Spin."

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

I've heard people talk about the "egg beater spin" for years and didn't have a clue which one it was...obviously now i know...off course it looks like that!!

Ant

 

[Linny]

The link

Juliet - the link seems to still be working, so I'm not sure why it's not opening for you. It's on www.ice-dance.com/navka under European championships, near the end. It's a highlight position that Tatiana hits with Roman in the final seconds of their Carmen free program. They are both squatting like frogs (thank you Mathman for the comparision).

One other note for Juliet slightly OT - if you are still having trouble keeping your toes is while riding, you might consider that the problem is not in your toes or in your ankle. It could be in your hip. Try drawing your entire leg away from the saddle, then allowing your leg to hang straight from the hip. Even people without a natural toes out confirmation have problems with riding with toes forward because they torque against their stirrup irons.

Linny

 

[julietvalcouer]

Lol, thanks, but I don't ride anymore. (My trainer's solution, btw, was to tie the stirrups to the girth. I *COULDN'T* turn out if I wanted to. Still, she never trusted me to put spurs on, even those my horse could have used them, because she was afraid I'd turn out and gouge him at the wrong time.) I can't afford two expensive sports, and while I was a good rider, I'm a better skater. Weirdly, there is far, far more crossover muscle memory than I would have expected, especially from dressage (my old discipline. My horse would have preferred to be a show-jumping king, though. That, or a steeplechaser....)

And speaking of weird, that link does not like my computer. Bizarre. I'll have to try it on a different connection somewhere.

 

[Dibs]

I like Sasha's Y to fan spiral, but the completely lackluster imitation of it by so many skaters bugs the heck out of me. Joanie does a similar fan spiral and can't even hike her leg much higher than her hip. Emily is another offender. It isn't really fair to name names because so many skaters do the move and they are all fabulous skaters, Joanie and Emily included, but why do a move when you cannot get proper extension? Just pick another type of spiral.

 

[antmanb]

but why do a move when you cannot get proper extension? Just pick another type of spiral.

COP, that's why. One of the level enhancers is a fan spiral, if you put it in the code of points (like specifically mentioning the Biellman position) then everyone and their dog will put it in the program whether they do it well or not.

Anthony