Ice dance versus Freestyle-how did you decide which one?

[mamabear]

I was turning in my registration for LTS today when the skating director asked me which direction I want to go.  Our rink hasn't had a lot of dance emphasis but has a new coach coming in and they will be adding dance to the LTS schedule.   Right now I just keep signing up for Adult 4 and then whichever coach I have for that session and I discuss what I want to do and that's what we work on.  I've done most of the elements for Freestyle 1 (still need 1 foot spin and half flip).  This works well for me since DD is in Basic 5 and it means we come to the rink around the same time. 

I don't know much about the advantages/disadvantages of one over the other. 

How did you decide?

[Skittl1321]

Easy answe: do both.

I like to spin, so I do freestyle. I've dabbled in dancing a few times, its fun too.

[sarahspins]

I agree, try both.. the low level dances are fairly simple, and it's easy enough to get a taste of it without investing a ton of time/effort/coaching if you find out you don't like it. 

Same with freestyle.. there's NOTHING that says that you have to work on freestyle with the goal of learning higher and higher level elements - I know many adults who are quite content just focusing on low-level freestyle, because even within the scope of that there is always plenty to work on and you can still enjoy skating.

[irenar5]

I personally love freestyle, because you can jump and spin.  But dance is great as it teaches you to really control edges, plus it is really fun!  I would also suggest- do both, you will find out eventually what you like better! 

[AgnesNitt]

My dance coach started out as a men's single skater then blew a knee doing triples and was switched to dance. He told me "I never understood skating until I did dance."

So all the edge work, the actual strong skating skill still lives in dance. If it was up to me they'd dump moves (Seen any crappy moves tests?) and just have people do dance, then shove spirals into freestyle where they belong.

[Janie]

It was easy for me to decide (not that I really had to decide since our adult classes aren't separated into dance or freestyle), I love jumping too much! I had a half-hour lesson the other day and coach spent all the time working on my pre-bronze MIFs since I wanted to test. I was so itching at the end for lack of jumping. The downside of freestyle for me is that I have to do spins unfortunately.

My friend who does ice dancing with her private coach doesn't do jumps as well as I do (I'm really not trying to say I'm good, far from it still), but her edges are wonderful! Her entire skating is just so much more graceful than mine. I've never really tried ice dancing, but I guess if you like the control and the elegance more, go with dancing. If you like jumps/spins, then freestyle. But you could always do both too if there's no special preference!

[SynchKat]

My dance coach decided when I was a child I had some talent for dance. 

I know at the club where I skate many people choose dance because adult dance is big at my club and many feel jumping and spinning is just too risky for adults. 

There is no reason why you cannot do both dance and freeskate.  Try both and see what you are more comfortable doing.  Some people love jumping and spinning, some people love dancing with a partner and edges and turns.  Actually I was discussing this with a freeskate friend and the differences.  I love just doing edges and turns and footwork type of things, she hates that and is more happy jumping and spinning.

[jjane45]

While ideally it's nice to pursue both, most adult skaters probably have limited ice time and need to pick a dominant side to progress faster. To be very honest, dance is not as picky on age as freestyle. I'd say if you don't mind spins and jumps, pursue freestyle more with some edge works on the side, until progresses slow down a bit then add something new.

[phoenix]

While ideally it's nice to pursue both, most adult skaters probably have limited ice time and need to pick a dominant side to progress faster. To be very honest, dance is not as picky on age as freestyle. I'd say if you don't mind spins and jumps, pursue freestyle more with some edge works on the side, until progresses slow down a bit then add something new.

I'm going to challenge that idea---the higher level dances require *tremendous* strength and technique, and it takes years to develop it. Yes, the lower levels aren't that hard & don't rely on great technique. I did pretty much only dance & a little bit of moves, and when I hit pre-gold I had to add a lot of workouts in the gym to even be able to get through the patterns--and this was when I was already skating 6-7 days a week.

That being said, I think they're asking you a little early on which you'd prefer to do. Take whatever classes sound like fun, and focus on really getting your basics down pat. I agree with the others that if you can do some of both, they complement each other, and you can spend some time finding out what it is that really makes you enjoy skating. Maybe it's one or the other, maybe it's both.

[PrettySk8Dress]

I'll add one more voice to the idea that you should consider doing both. There are enough elements and other things to learn about freestyle that lower level adults do not need to try and learn or master double or triple jumps to be able to skate a nice looking ( to the average non-skating adult ) freestyle program. A very artistic freestyle program done with a lot of unusual, though not difficult, moves is more desirable for an adult skater to learn and present than a program of mostly
jumps ( and many times half of the jumps are done poorly ), spins, and little else, IMO. Buy all means consider doing dance, too. It used to be many decades ago that just about everybody emphasized school figures done on a " patch " of ice to teach edge depth, edge control, and control of one's body and shoulders. Now, how many coaches teach, and how often does one see school figures in practice or in competition ? But the beginner dances can teach edge depth, edge control, edge quality, and many other beneficial things somewhat similar to the way school figures used to. Why not consider to do both, since the principals that can be taught and learned by both disciplines really do compliment each other.

And if one is so fortunate to have a partner to skate freestyle with, as in pairs or couples skating, why not also dance ? If you have a dance partner, why not the both of you try the lowest level of pair skating or ISI couples skating ?

[jjane45]

I'm going to challenge that idea---the higher level dances require *tremendous* strength and technique, and it takes years to develop it. Yes, the lower levels aren't that hard & don't rely on great technique. I did pretty much only dance & a little bit of moves, and when I hit pre-gold I had to add a lot of workouts in the gym to even be able to get through the patterns--and this was when I was already skating 6-7 days a week.

Knew my post wasn't exactly politically correct lol. I love dance and fully understand that even at the lowest level it requires lots of stamina and strength to do back to back run throughs. But in all honesty, freestyle (specifically jumps) is similar to learning a foreign language in a way that younger age is a major advantage, and an adult skater is often running against time in a sense.

It all depends on what brings the skater joy and fulfillment. Is the skater's ultimate skating goals landing clean double jumps? Or is it extremely superior edges? Or maybe a more balanced package?

[AgnesNitt]

It all depends on what brings the skater joy and fulfillment. Is the skater's ultimate skating goals landing clean double jumps? Or is it superior edges? Or maybe a more balanced package?

I'd think to land clean double jumps you'd need to have superior edges.

[jjane45]

I'd think to land clean double jumps you'd need to have superior edges.

Not mandatory if the skater has ton of strength or very fast rotation. Although I edited the post to say "extremely" superior edges

[techskater]

Superior edgework is required to land REAL doubles as doubles done technically correctly require good edge work.  Dance is great for that if you have the time.  If you are considering competing FS ever, dance is helpful for putting together a BEAUTIFUL nice flowing program that attracts attention and gets high second marks.

[jjane45]

While it's nice to do both, at the lower recreational levels, only a small percentage of kids manage to do dance on the side. I wonder how the stats change for adult skaters?

[Orianna2000]

I'm planning to do dance instead of freestyle. Right now I'm only in Adult 2, so there's no rush to decide. But physically, I'm not up to jumping and spinning. I don't have good enough balance or strength. Plus the idea of jumping OFF THE ICE terrifies me. It was an easy choice.

Of course, I have no idea if our rink even has a dance coach or not. That may become an issue.

[jjane45]

Of course, I have no idea if our rink even has a dance coach or not. That may become an issue.

Ask around, maybe other nearby rinks have a stronger dance program. Or even a dance partner

Freestyle has messed with my right ankle (jumping) and left knee (sit spin) too much. One week into active training (again) in freestyle, haglund's deformity on my landing foot has started to bother me once more. I *think* more dance and moves are in my future, with just little freestyle.

[Orianna2000]

Ask around, maybe other nearby rinks have a stronger dance program. Or even a dance partner

Unfortunately, there are no other rinks. The closest is in another state, about three hours away. Our rink, for that matter, is in another state, about 45 minutes away. They keep talking about building a rink closer us, but so far it's just a pipe dream.

[Skittl1321]

While it's nice to do both, at the lower recreational levels, only a small percentage of kids manage to do dance on the side. I wonder how the stats change for adult skaters?

This is totally anecdotal, but every adult skater I've met has dabbled in dance, even if just the Dutch Waltz.  I know of many kids who are around pre-juv level (so medium level freeskate) but have never done any dance at all.

[jjane45]

This is totally anecdotal, but every adult skater I've met has dabbled in dance, even if just the Dutch Waltz.

Not here. I have a really hard time dragging people into the dance class, adults or kids.

[tazsk8s]

Easy for me. I always liked to watch the jumps, and they don't jump in dance.  I don't really have any interest in dance, honestly, no matter how much it might improve my freeskating...the day I can no longer jump is the day I hang up my skates for good.

[chowskates]

I would second those who say do both. For me, the real reason I got serious skating in college, having just stepped on ice a few months before starting college, was from marveling at the dancers during the club ice dance sessions. Although I have now mainly switched to freestyle due to circumstances (resource availability, lack of coach & partner) here, I am waiting for the day I can seriously get back to dance.

[spiralina]

But in all honesty, freestyle (specifically jumps) is similar to learning a foreign language in a way that younger age is a major advantage, and an adult skater is often running against time in a sense.

I agree with this. My MITF coach was a international-level dance competitor; my free coach was an old-school skater from the era of figures. Apparently I started young enough (23 - am now 25)/ have enough natural ability / am fearless (read: stupid) enough to get some doubles and some higher level spins under my belt if I wanted. Despite their backgrounds, both coaches have advised me that, if that is my goal, to concentrate on Free / MITF for now.

I'm absolutely not doubting the work that goes into dance (recently I tried partnering the Fourteenstep and was sure I was going to take off my partner's shins!) but it is a different kind of hard work. Do I think I could achieve the Gold dances in my lifetime if I switched over to dance at 30? Maybe, if I worked hard enough and have seen it done at my rink. But working on double lutz and a biellmann spin at 30? Totally different kettle of fish.

[techskater]

I don't think working on doubles over 30 is a different kettle of fish.  I am quite a bit over that and am working on doubles and I know many adults in their 30s, 40s, and 50s working on Axels and doubles.  Depends on your talent and how good your body awareness is

[sarahspins]

I don't think working on doubles over 30 is a different kettle of fish.

I agree... I am over 30 and it is a goal of mine to pass gold FS at some point, which will involve having either an axel or a double (thought I will say that while I had these jumps as a teen - getting them back has pretty much been like starting from scratch - I took too much time off and my body is just too different to rely on muscle memory).  At the moment I have put working on them on the back burner while I get through some tests, but my coach hasn't discouraged me at all.  No, my body can't take the pounding it could when I was younger, but that doesn't mean at all that it's not something I can achieve safely.