Remedial class...
Yesterday during LTS we did "ice show for dummies" a remedial class, mostly for me, but to help Y. also. The other two skaters in the class who are not in the show learned the choreography and also worked on the steps we needed.
The first thing- the mohawks that cross up the ice. Andy has us doing a crossover pattern that snakes up the ice, changing direction at each side but with your front always facing the front of the "stage". You change directions with a mohawk, but I couldn't figure it out at all on Saturday, so I just made sure to do back crossovers, and then just kind of rode the edge on the side to change directions, with my body facing forward. Since I don't imagine too many people will watch me, as long as I'm in the right place facing the right way, my feet aren't THAT important (Andy actually agreed with this, and told me just to do the closest to what everyone else is doing that I can). But we worked on the mohawk and the problem is that it has to be VERY turned out, and I do the perpendicular to the instep sort of mohawk. But after a few tries I got it. The missing link for the direction change was that there is a step cross at the end. (So back crossover, step forward, mohawk to backward, step cross and ride the edge a bit and then you are going the other direction, but the mohawk doesn't change your direction, it's just there to be fancy.) It's all too fast for me to do it in the show just yet, but its possible I'll get it in at least one direction.
Then we worked on stops. We do one stop that I think is the tango stop synchro used the year before I joined, but with a kick so it's more one footed. Andy is letting us stop on either foot (thank goodness!) So I'm stopping on the right. Skating on the left foot, with most the weight on the left foot, you slide the right foot in front of it, on the outside edge (so the toe is pointing right). As you come to a stop, kick up your left foot and throw hands up. Andy told me if I just do the hands he's okay with it. At very slow speeds I can actually stop. At slow speeds, I mostly stop, but then kind of fall over. At medium or high speeds, I give it a try, don't stop and quickly snowplow. LOL. But still, I can at least do it slowly, last year I couldn't even come close!
The other stop we did is a one foot hockey stop, thankfully on the right foot. This one is on the inside (I think) edge, so the toe points left). I can do this one at slow speeds pretty well. I had never tried it before tonight, so I was pretty impressed. I remember seeing skaters stop on one foot when I was little and was so amazed by it, so I'm pretty excited to learn how to do it. At medium speeds, I don't quite stop, more skid, but right after the stop, which ends with the left foot slightly kicked up, and then we jump onto the left foot and dig the right toe pick in, so I can almost stop, and then just jump and stop during the jump/toepick jab.
Honestly both stops would be way better if I could just trust my edge and lean. I know I'm not leaning away from the blade (like I don't do in a t-stop either) and that's really how it needs to be done.
The last thing we learned is the "dance break" in the song. And you wouldn't believe what trouble it's giving me. I think this is the 'ackward adult on ice' syndrome. Elite skaters who are so comfortable on ice can do anything, and little kids who just don't have fear can do anything. I cannot. We have to shimmy, while walking alternating with the left heel of the blade in the ice in front of us (leg extended), and the right toe pick crossing behind the left leg. The concept of putting my heel into the ice just baffles me. I have a mean shimmy- I have no fear of looking stupid. I cannot for the life of me walk on my heel and my toe, and when I try to shimmy while trying to walk heel toe I look worse than Dan did marching on the amazing race (if you don't watch amazing race- it was pretty bad). I was very sad when i realized my shimmy had been compromised! I had that part down! Andy told me I just need to not worry about looking stupid- but that isn't my worry at all. I just can't make my legs do it. If I was worried about looking stupid, trust me I would NOT be skating to Disney music with elite skaters. Stupid is going to happen no matter what :)
Also- I gave up on the Billy Joel program, too hard to cut. I think I'm onto Sound of Music now, if I can cut the music alright. The soundtrack has a medley on it, but it's long, so I need to see if there are logical places to cut it down. Then I don't have to worry about lyrics at all.
Yesterday during LTS we did "ice show for dummies" a remedial class, mostly for me, but to help Y. also. The other two skaters in the class who are not in the show learned the choreography and also worked on the steps we needed.
The first thing- the mohawks that cross up the ice. Andy has us doing a crossover pattern that snakes up the ice, changing direction at each side but with your front always facing the front of the "stage". You change directions with a mohawk, but I couldn't figure it out at all on Saturday, so I just made sure to do back crossovers, and then just kind of rode the edge on the side to change directions, with my body facing forward. Since I don't imagine too many people will watch me, as long as I'm in the right place facing the right way, my feet aren't THAT important (Andy actually agreed with this, and told me just to do the closest to what everyone else is doing that I can). But we worked on the mohawk and the problem is that it has to be VERY turned out, and I do the perpendicular to the instep sort of mohawk. But after a few tries I got it. The missing link for the direction change was that there is a step cross at the end. (So back crossover, step forward, mohawk to backward, step cross and ride the edge a bit and then you are going the other direction, but the mohawk doesn't change your direction, it's just there to be fancy.) It's all too fast for me to do it in the show just yet, but its possible I'll get it in at least one direction.
Then we worked on stops. We do one stop that I think is the tango stop synchro used the year before I joined, but with a kick so it's more one footed. Andy is letting us stop on either foot (thank goodness!) So I'm stopping on the right. Skating on the left foot, with most the weight on the left foot, you slide the right foot in front of it, on the outside edge (so the toe is pointing right). As you come to a stop, kick up your left foot and throw hands up. Andy told me if I just do the hands he's okay with it. At very slow speeds I can actually stop. At slow speeds, I mostly stop, but then kind of fall over. At medium or high speeds, I give it a try, don't stop and quickly snowplow. LOL. But still, I can at least do it slowly, last year I couldn't even come close!
The other stop we did is a one foot hockey stop, thankfully on the right foot. This one is on the inside (I think) edge, so the toe points left). I can do this one at slow speeds pretty well. I had never tried it before tonight, so I was pretty impressed. I remember seeing skaters stop on one foot when I was little and was so amazed by it, so I'm pretty excited to learn how to do it. At medium speeds, I don't quite stop, more skid, but right after the stop, which ends with the left foot slightly kicked up, and then we jump onto the left foot and dig the right toe pick in, so I can almost stop, and then just jump and stop during the jump/toepick jab.
Honestly both stops would be way better if I could just trust my edge and lean. I know I'm not leaning away from the blade (like I don't do in a t-stop either) and that's really how it needs to be done.
The last thing we learned is the "dance break" in the song. And you wouldn't believe what trouble it's giving me. I think this is the 'ackward adult on ice' syndrome. Elite skaters who are so comfortable on ice can do anything, and little kids who just don't have fear can do anything. I cannot. We have to shimmy, while walking alternating with the left heel of the blade in the ice in front of us (leg extended), and the right toe pick crossing behind the left leg. The concept of putting my heel into the ice just baffles me. I have a mean shimmy- I have no fear of looking stupid. I cannot for the life of me walk on my heel and my toe, and when I try to shimmy while trying to walk heel toe I look worse than Dan did marching on the amazing race (if you don't watch amazing race- it was pretty bad). I was very sad when i realized my shimmy had been compromised! I had that part down! Andy told me I just need to not worry about looking stupid- but that isn't my worry at all. I just can't make my legs do it. If I was worried about looking stupid, trust me I would NOT be skating to Disney music with elite skaters. Stupid is going to happen no matter what :)
Also- I gave up on the Billy Joel program, too hard to cut. I think I'm onto Sound of Music now, if I can cut the music alright. The soundtrack has a medley on it, but it's long, so I need to see if there are logical places to cut it down. Then I don't have to worry about lyrics at all.
No comments:
Post a Comment