Skating Programs: Coach, Skater or Collaboration?

[sarahspins]

You can compete under "no test" until you pass your PB freestyle test.

They could, but WBP requirements for no-test and pre-bronze are already pretty much the same, except pre-bronze gets the benefit of longer music.

[sk8lady]

With my previous coach, I picked and cut the music, she choreographed my freestyle programs, and I choreographed my showcase programs. With my current coach, I pick and cut music for everything. She choreographed my freestyle program and my last showcase, and I went to her with an idea for my showcase. She did about half the choreo so far but I may wind up finishing it. I tweak almost everything and sometimes she tweaks it right back (i.e., when I make it easier...)
When I choregraph for my adult students, they pick the music and I choreograph. Sometimes they have an idea of what they want to do and I choreograph around it. With kid students, I ask if they have any particular music they want and if not, I pick and cut the music, then choreograph.

[techskater]

I pick and cut my own music, but my one coach always has right of refusal to the pieces cut or how it's cut and will suggest changes to the cuts. He does the choreo for the FS and dramatic and light entertainment, but there are some things he gives me freedom on (depending on what we are trying to accomplish with whichever program it is). For example, a couple of the gliding movements in my FS were "discretionary" as were arm movements in certain sections based on what seemed to work for me.  Other things do not get discretionary choices and if I adjust something (ie, make it easier) he will point out what it's supposed to be and why what I am doing doesn't fit. 

[Doubletoe]

I currently choose and edit my own music, then do the program layout myself.  At that point, I ask for help from my coach or an outside choreographer on things like connecting moves and arm movements.  Having said that, I relied a lot more on my coach for program layout when I was in Bronze and Silver, since I didn't have as much awareness then of transitions, balanced ice coverage, etc.

[jjane45]

My first program was for an exhibition. I gave Coach two music choices and he picked one. I tried to cut with little success, he decided on how to cut and I followed the instructions.

Coach took the music cut home and drew an initial diagram. We tried it and immediately saw the footwork would be a struggle. If I were to stick with it *maybe* there would be improvement, but Coach allowed me to take it out. Actually, he gave approval to nearly all of my tweak requests and the final program was 50% different from the initial plan.

Later we tweaked the program for a FS test and Christmas show solo. I pretty much made 80% of the decisions there...

[luckykid]

For test programs, my coach will just pick any music from her collection and she'll choreograph the whole program for me. But I'll usually change my coach's choreography because I think certain arm movements are nicer or unnecessary, or I can't do that step smoothly, so I change it to some other step.  For competition programs, I'll pick the music and my coach will ask me if there's anything I really really really want in my program, and then she'll try to choreograph the program around it. But at the end, I still make my own changes.

[Adultsk8r509]

Since I started this thread and poll, I guess I should mention I started working on my first program last Monday.  I should say WE started working on my first program.  I went to my lesson and my coach just put me in a starting position for my program and she gave me about 15 seconds of "put your hands here" "do this" "lets start with a pivot" ... I was certainly not going to question her since I had no better ideas (yet) ... we'll see what happens today on the ice and tomorrow for lesson #2 working on my program.  (Adult Bronze)

Happy Landings.

[PinkLaces]

My DD and I always pick and cut our own music.  In fact, our coach has menitoned to us that she always likes what we come up with.  With DD, she did all the choregraphy in the beginning.  Now the past year or 2, she and DD collaborate.  As for me, coach has a bit more say but I have input.  For example, she will say we need a jump here, but will then ask for my opinion on which jump is should be.

[turnip]

My first program I picked the music, but coach found the version, cut it and did all the cheorography. My second program, she picked and cut the music as well as all the cheorography!

My input is usually to change three turns to mohawks (can't do three turns from ANY kind of speed) and to pull faces when she tries to put in hard things

a few years ago, with my previous coach I had a spin, spiral jump program (no music) that she came up with. doing it in my lesson, she didn't notice that I flipped around a whole section, but did notice that I skipped some chasses (they were on a tight circle and at the time, threw me off balance!).