Cramming multiple tests into a single test session?

[jjane45]

Looks like it's normal to test the prelim dances together. Total 4 skaters tested today, I and another skater had the 3 prelim dances, and the other 2 did prelim plus cha cha.

[icedancer]

It is mostly normal to do all of the dances in a group up through about Pre-Silvers.  After that most people test one or two at a time.

It's acceptable to do less than the whole group of course - when I was a kid I took 2 Bronzes in one test session and waited several months before completing the set.

[chowskates]

Looks like it is more common for dances are more common. If I don't remember wrong, I tested all 6 pre-Bronze and Bronze dances in one session (that was more than 10 years ago!).

Last year, I tested Adult pre-Bronze Free, Adult Bronze Moves & Free and Adult Silver Moves & Free in one session. 5 tests, and a ton of contingencies, and I was pooped at the end of it!

[jjane45]

Last year, I tested Adult pre-Bronze Free, Adult Bronze Moves & Free and Adult Silver Moves & Free in one session. 5 tests, and a ton of contingencies, and I was pooped at the end of it!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

[nicklaszlo]

Skating says Otar Japaridze passed 23 dances (through Gold) in one day.

[Skittl1321]

The article says he skated 34 times that day- is that because of the higher level dances which have to be soloed?

I found it interesting that he skated with two partners.  I guess he didn't want either to get too tired.
I thought it was a neat little article, and has me really interested to know how international countries without dance tests handle the international levels- do you just learn the compulsory dances as they come up in competition?  How do they decide you are ready for the elite levels?

[chowskates]

I thought it was a neat little article, and has me really interested to know how international countries without dance tests handle the international levels- do you just learn the compulsory dances as they come up in competition?  How do they decide you are ready for the elite levels?

Actually, yes, I think they just learn the compulsory dances as they come up in competition. At least that was what I understood from my dance coach who is from China ;-) They decide based on how well you do in local/regional competitions.

[jjane45]

I have also seen someone take the first 6 dances at once.  The skater in question was a high level syncro skater who had passed through senior moves.  The first 6 dances were no sweat for her. 

A skater was like this on my test session today, I did not stay to see how she fared. It was probably OK as long as she remembers the steps!

My warm-up was a bit hectic. Got into a group with higher dances like European and foxtrot, they had to play total of 6 different music for the warm up (3 pre bronzes for me) so the amount of time skating to actual music was dramatically cut.

[CaraSkates]

My warm-up was a bit hectic. Got into a group with higher dances like European and foxtrot, they had to play total of 6 different music for the warm up (3 pre bronzes for me) so the amount of time skating to actual music was dramatically cut.

My club tries to keep same level dances together - or at least close (Prelim-Bronze, Pre-Silver-Pre-Gold, Gold-Internationals). If the schedule doesn't allow (or the tests are really varied!), we just lengthen the warmup - last test session we had a pre-silver on with a bunch of golds and one international. I play music so what I do is give everyone a minute or two to stroke around, then I play each dance in the order of the test. If the same coach is taking multiple skaters through, I play it once per skater. I play the same piece twice in a row for solos. Sometimes I get a picky coach who wants certain music but generally it is fine. If there is time at the end, I will take a request from a coach to play something again.

I took a dance test at another club and they ran the warmups very differently - each dance had it's own 2-3 minute warmup with music played, then you would test. So if you were taking three dances, you would have three mini warmups. I was allowed to get on the warmup before mine and stroke around as long as I yielded to the skaters taking that test.