Maineskate
Registered User
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 28
Posted: 03-02-2007, 07:37 AM
Congrats JessicaLynn!!!
And GOOD LUCK Morgail!
Mrs Redboots
Registered User
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 10315
Posted: 03-02-2007, 10:33 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Maineskate
Congrats JessicaLynn!!!
And GOOD LUCK Morgail!
Seconded! Why isn't there a "good luck" smiley?
Hmm, perhaps this one:
Isk8NYC
Board Moderator
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 9895
Posted: 03-02-2007, 11:15 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by JessicaLynn
I passed my Adult Bronze Moves yesterday!
CONGRATULATIONS, JessicaLynn!
Mrs Redboots
Registered User
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 10315
Posted: 03-02-2007, 12:53 PM
Sk84fun, did I miss where you announced you'd passed Skate UK 9 and 10?
Many congratulations!!!! That is not easy, and so few of those who start at level 1 get that far.
Are you doing Dance or Free passport, or both?
Morgail
Registered User
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 720
Posted: 03-10-2007, 10:04 AM
I just got back from testing the first three dances (solo). I had a mini-panic attack in the warm-up because the music (ALL the music) was different from what I'd been practicing with. I have a really hard time keeping count on the music I'm familiar with. Somehow I managed to actually pass the Dutch Waltz. Didn't pass the Canasta Tango or the Rhythm Blues. I messed up both the pattern (edges on second lobe) and the timing on the Canasta, and just the timing on the Rhythm Blues. After my freak-out during the warm-up, I'm happy that I passed even one dance!
Going back to the rink this afternoon to test Bronze Moves, and hopefully, Bronze FS.
techskater
Registered User
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 1451
Posted: 03-10-2007, 10:50 AM
Sorry you didn't pass two of the dances, Morgail. Did you know you can bring your *own* dance music to a test session?
Mrs Redboots
Registered User
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 10315
Posted: 03-10-2007, 01:46 PM
Well done passing the Dutch Waltz.
Here, it's all done to ISU music (except the Riverside Rhumba, which doesn't have any), so you practice to it.
phoenix
Registered User
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 1714
Posted: 03-10-2007, 02:23 PM
If you have the USFS dance tapes/CDs (which is what most clubs use for tests), there's 3 tracks of each dance. It's a good idea to practice to all 3, since you never know which one will come up for your test.
Send good vibes for my Killian tomorrow!! Practice today went well.
Morgail
Registered User
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 720
Posted: 03-10-2007, 08:28 PM
I passed Bronze Moves and Bronze FS!!!!!! On Moves, I ran out of room for the very last lobe for the Power 3s, and a couple of my RO 3s were shaky. One judge gave me 2.4 on that pattern, but the others gave me 2.5 - so I guess it wasn't too bad!
When I skated out to start my program for FS, I caught my blade in a gouge in the ice and went down on my behind! Everyone laughed (including me), but wow - that was embarrassing. As a result, I felt more than a little nervous in the program. Both my waltz-toe and loop were shaky and I just barely squeaked out 3 revolutions on the backspin. But it was good enough, and I passed I got nice comments on my scratch spin, and suggestions to work on my loop and spiral.
techskater - No, I didn't know that! But now I do However, there were so many skaters testing the first dances that they had us going 2 at a time (starting at opposite ends of the rink), so I'm not sure how that would work in such a situation.
MrsRedboots - thank you! I wish the music were all consistent here - that would be nice.
phoenix - I'll look in to getting one of those CDs. That would definitely help with getting counting down to various cuts of music. Good luck with the Killian!
Rusty Blades
Registered User
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 1587
Posted: 03-10-2007, 09:13 PM
A BIG CONGRATULATIONS to all those who have passed tests!
jskater49
Registered User
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 1483
Posted: 03-10-2007, 11:35 PM
I PASSED ALL THREE DANCES - Dutch Waltz, Canasta and Rhythm Blues!!! today.
It was a single panel with a judge who some say is easy but I prefer to describe him as someone who understands the concept of "encouragement test"
This was my FOURTH time on the Dutch and Canasta, first time with Rhythm Blues and I think I skated the Rhythm & blues the best. Something about that music makes it easy for me to get down in my knees and get on an edge.
I tested at my old club without my dance coach. My former freestyle coach put me on. She's very, um, intense. She can seem mean, but I know that she really wanted me to pass and was getting frustrated that I was not skating that well.
The test is at the end of the day at a competition where I was an ice monitor for an hour, and competed freestyle and they were running behind so I had my skates on an hour before I tested. ANd I was the only one doing the dances so it was 1, 2, 3 boom boom boom.
After I warmed up the Canasta, my coach pulls me over and says very intensley "If you want to pass this test you are going to HAVE TO BEND YOUR KNEES and make some kind of an attempt to look like you are on an edge --you are on your flats the entire dance, you know that don't you?
" and I'm like quivering...."yes?"
On the one hand it was a hard truth I had to hear (so that's what my dance coach means when she says niceley "Edges could be better...") and I did try to bend some more and get some more edge to it, but after that I was so tired and felt like I hadn't worked much on the Rhythm Blues so when they played my warm up (right after testing the Canasta,) I just wanted to get off and scracth - but my coach told me to just listen to the warm up music and then just go ahead and test. So I did and probably did that the best.
Oh yea and did I mention the judge's mother is a member of my church? I"m sure that had nothing to do with passing.
Anyway, I'm grateful and I'm not going to test for a long while until I figure out how to have better edges cuz even an "easy" judge is not going to let me get away with those edges for the next round.
j
jskater49
Registered User
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 1483
Posted: 03-10-2007, 11:39 PM
Congratulations Morgail on your Dutch Waltz and Bronze tests.
Not every club lets you use your own music, it's up to the club. I found the timing for the Canasta VERY challenging until I switched music...a lot of it is HErnando's Hideaway and that melody is so distracting, I end up trying to skate to the melody instead of the underbeat.
J
Mrs Redboots
Registered User
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 10315
Posted: 03-11-2007, 10:05 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Morgail
I passed Bronze Moves and Bronze FS!!!!!!
Congratulations, Bronze Lady!
Mrs Redboots
Registered User
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 10315
Posted: 03-11-2007, 10:08 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by jskater49
I PASSED ALL THREE DANCES - Dutch Waltz, Canasta and Rhythm Blues!!! today.
Congratulations Joelle!!!!!
I know how hard you've worked for this - you deserve it. Now, onwards and upwards.
(I am strongly reminded of the story in today's Gospel reading!
Morgail
Registered User
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 720
Posted: 03-11-2007, 04:34 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by jskater49
I PASSED ALL THREE DANCES - Dutch Waltz, Canasta and Rhythm Blues!!! today.
Congratulations!!! And after such a long day!