Smiling during competitions/exhibitions, testing or whatever

[rosereedy]

So my pics from Magnolia Open were posted on the photographers website and the first thing I noticed is that not one pics has a smile.  Some have some hilarious expressions, like during a jump, but I just look like I am concentrating really hard.  It is my first one in 7 years.  My question is HOW on earth do you remember to smile?!  Never before have I had much of a smile when I skate but this one really sank in.  I want to smile and look like I enjoy it.  Check out #60.  Looks like I saw a bear.

http://www.photoreflect.com/store/ThumbPage.aspx?e=8450045&g=0E3W007J35

[Skittl1321]

I'm a natural smiler.  I smile through almost my entire routine.  However, I often realize mid spin I'm not smiling.  Then I have an internal conversation with myself about whether I should start smiling, or wait until the spin is over.  I generally think it would be weird to start smiling mid-spin, so I wait.  This happens almost every scratch spin.  Apparently there is something in the set up that takes my smile away.  I looked through pictures and I'm smiling during my sit spin, and while picking for my half-flip- but I bet I don't smile on the jump.

There are some pretty bad pictures of me out there with open mouth catching flies type smiles (or I look like I'm yawning), especially during synchro programs and my "I feel pretty" artistic.  (I'd be right in place on an elite team- but on the adult team, I need to learn to tone it down.  I just can't! Too much time learning to smile big for dance team when we were in stadiums)  I keep my teeth mostly together during my freeskate though.


You look great on the ice.  I love the costume.

[hopskipjump]

First, you look beautiful on the ice!!!! 

My daughter said she has to really LOVE the music to smile.  If she doesn't adore it, she doesn't enjoy the skate on all levels quite as much and smiling becomes something she has to remember to do.  Anyway that was her answer, but as her parent, I think the natural smile is part of the confidence and that it wasn't until this season that she was able to feel really confident.  I see confidence in every body line, movement and stretch. 

[fsk8r]

As someone who equally has rabbit in headlights photos from competitions, I'm not sure I'm really someone to offer advice. But I've noticed that if I'm comfortable before I skate (rather than stupid nervous) I can manage dares with friends. The last one was to curtsey to the judges at the end and not just run off terrified.

What I've been told at synchro is to practice everything. And that includes the smile. I'm currently trying that in practice before our next competition. If you smile at practice it becomes automatic just like everything else in the program.
I figure this is what the top level dancers do because if you look at their photos from competition they've moved beyond just smiling but are acting out the role. It's probably why skittl has no problems smiling. It's all the practice from her dance days.

[SynchKat]

I love your dress! 

Not even the top skaters look good when they have a picture snapped mid jump.

In my opinion if you have a pleasant expression on your face that is neither a smile or a scowl you are good.  Your expression in the second picture I think captures this. 

I can often over do it because I was an ice dancer and we tend to over do it a little at times.    I just try to go for the pleasant expression nowadays.

[AgnesNitt]

I
Not even the top skaters look good when they have a picture snapped mid jump.

And to prove that, go here.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/28/figure-skaters-who-look-l_n_479885.html#s71390&title=Miki_Ando

[jjane45]

Watching myself skating at the video booth during the Christmas show, it seems like
1) I look down all the time
2) my face is all serious unless I am facing the audience and suddenly I force out a (quite fake) smile

Yeah I guess practice makes perfect

Jeremy Abbott makes the most spectacular jump faces IMO.

[aussieskater]

And to prove that, go here.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/28/figure-skaters-who-look-l_n_479885.html#s71390&title=Miki_Ando

Agnes, those photos are priceless!!!!!

[rosereedy]

And to prove that, go here.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/28/figure-skaters-who-look-l_n_479885.html#s71390&title=Miki_Ando

I think those pics just made me feel better about my "seeing a bear" pic. Love those pics!

[rosereedy]

Thanks for the dress comments. It's a Brad Griffies. I met him at his shop and to hide my tattoos, he took the back from one dress and put on the front of another.

Thank you all for the kind comments. Makes me feel good.

[SynchKat]

Watching myself skating it at the video booth during the Christmas show, it seems like
1) I look down all the time

To help with the above, when I was a kid an older skater told me to look up to where the wall meets the roof of your rink.  I think having something to focus on helps.

I agree Agnes those pics were awesome.                        

[VAsk8r]

I almost never literally LOL at something on the computer, but those those Huffington Post photos did it for me!

I was recently looking through some photos from my club's holiday show and noticed even the best skaters had odd expressions on their face mid-jump. Photos really capture some odd instances you really don't notice when you're actually watching.

I've gotten a lot better about remembering to smile in competitions. If you took a photo of me practicing, I'd most likely be looking down (it doesn't seem like I look down, but in every photo I inevitably am) and biting my lip. And my coach says that when she yells out for me to look up, I look up WAY too far in a sudden, exaggerated motion.

In the Christmas photos from the group number the adults did, I'm smiling a lot. It helped having someone to smile at.

Smiling and looking up (I like the advice about looking where the wall meets the roof of the rink) are just two of the one million things we have to think about when practicing.

[Skittl1321]

I need to work on looking up.  I've fixed it so I tilt my chin up (I was taught to put my thumb on my throat and my index finger on my chin in an L, and that's how up you should be), but now it just looks like I skate with my eyes closed.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10100946068048924&set=a.10100946066601824.3327834.8371816&type=3
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10100946060124804&set=a.10100946059555944.3327832.8371816&type=3

[SynchKat]

Skittl - I love that red dress you are wearing in the one picture.

I'm forever getting yelled at during synchro practices for looking down.  Like you I have my head up by eyes down.  I have never been one though to practice with my head up. For some reason I always save it for performances.  I've been skating for 35 years now and it's always been the same. 

[sarahspins]

now it just looks like I skate with my eyes closed.

But at least you're smiling!

[jjane45]

Jeremy Abbott makes the most spectacular jump faces IMO.

Here is the King of Jump Faces, Jeremy Abbott!

I hope it makes you feel better, roseyhebert

[rosereedy]

Here is the King of Jump Faces, Jeremy Abbott!

I hope it makes you feel better, roseyhebert

Oh my!!!  That is bad.  Almost looks photoshopped it is so bad.  Poor guy!

[Skittl1321]

Really shows how much force is happening during the triple jumps!  Poor Jeremy though- he does have the worst jump face.

[Sk8tmum]

I think you look great; I'd rather see a focussed calm face than a fake "grinning monkey" face on a skater any day.  and yes, Brad Griffe's dresses are amazing ...

[sampaguita]

Oh my!!!  That is bad.  Almost looks photoshopped it is so bad.  Poor guy!

Must have been from a quad jump. Triples can't do that to your face.

[jjane45]

Must have been from a quad jump. Triples can't do that to your face.

But he is not the only one landing quads... Anyways, that photo never fails to make me smile.

[Doubletoe]

I am not a natural smiler, either.  I have to literally choreograph smiles into my program in-between jumps and spins and practice them, just like any other part of my choreography.  I always smile during my spiral sequence, spread eagle, and various sections of my program where I'm doing a transition, crossovers, etc. and I know I'll be facing the judges.

[turnip]

I'm awful at smiling in my program! I have to finish by the judges and feel so self conscious grinning at them lol!

I've only done two comps this year, the first one my photos are hideous! I only smiled in my starting pose and ending pose. The second one I really tried to make an effort and did smile, especially on the landing of jumps and spins. It feels a little more natural then, probably cause I'm just happy I've landed safely!

[Orianna2000]

I always thought a "pleasant expression" was just as good as smiling. I could swear that I've seen figure skaters on TV who didn't smile, but kept a pleasant expression on their faces the whole time. They only smiled at the end, while taking their bows. Am I remembering wrong?

I'm not a huge smiler, especially if I'm concentrating or scared--which I would be, during a competition or performance. Trying to smile on top of making sure I don't fall flat on my face while skating would be quite difficult. I would definitely have to practice it from the beginning!