Choreo Elements

My choreo session with Tammy on the 7:30 a.m. FS at Chandler.  I warmed up with stroking, crossovers, and a very few jumps and spins.

For today, since we don't have an updated cut of music yet, we worked on a number of choreographic elements that we might want to use, including:

• swing rolls
• waltz 3s 
• slaloms with fancy arms
• attitude with fancy arms
• back pivot with fancy arms (sense a trend?)
• lunges with fancy arms
• back stroking

There might have been a couple of others, I'm not sure.  Anyway the issue with most of them is not whether I can do them, but whether I can do them in a confident and artistic way.  It's going to take some work.  I have to say the swing rolls and waltz-3s both did improve with some work, so yay!

Choreo

My choreo session with Tammy on the 7:30 a.m. FS at Chandler.  Ice was a bit crusty (it's humid), 7 skaters and 4 coaches.

I warmed up with Bronze moves (except power-3s) and then did some spins, a waltz jump and a couple of salchows and a toe loop. Eeep.  It's been a while.  My L ankle started hurting somewhere in the middle of all this -- the same shooting pain along the inside that I've occasionally had on and off since I broke it.  Yuck.

For today's session we first spent some time going over the music, the original and the cut I have.  I'm going to ask for some changes as we agreed the intro is to long and the fadeout is as well; there's a short section that I'd like to include in their stead.  Hopefully we can make this happen.

From there we spent some time talking about concepts and motivations in the program.  I think we've got some good rough ideas.  I think we will have a (small) prop.  Eeep.  Movements will need to be very flowy and edgy and that will take some work!

We have another session on Monday (I'm out most of next week for Showcase) then we'll settle in on Thursdays.

Power-3s

My lesson with Holly on the 7:30 FS at Gilbert.  I warmed up with stroking, perimeter XOs, BXOs to BO edges and circle-8.  Ice was a bit crusty (it's really humid) and I couldn't make it around on the R foot. Grr.

Today's lesson was just on power-3s.  I ran them once and the R side was exceptionally bad.  Ran them again and it was better.  We tried changing the starting position to by the boards looking to the center, and then to the crease (more intro steps).  Not much difference but I had a little more speed coming in from the crease so I might stick with that.

After some time on the move we went to work just on RFO3s on the crease.  I actually managed to do some nice ones that had some control!  Not consistent though; but on the good ones I was doing a better job of leaning into the circle and being over my skate, and had some actual knee action going on.  I'll have to keep working on it.

3s & Spins

My lesson with Holly on the 7:30 a.m. FS at Gilbert.  Nice ice and just me and Q!

I warmed up with stroking, slaloms, circle-8, perimeter XOs and BXOs to BO edges.  I finally felt like I had good speed and flow on the latter.  It was nice!

Today's lesson:

• 3s -- a good chunk of time on these.  We worked these on the crease, mostly the RFO3.  Ugh!  They are so horrible.  Again, when Holly holds my hand I can do nice ones.. and when she's not, not.  Grr.  
• Spins -- just a few minutes on these.  I got a couple of okay ones.

3s & BO8

My lesson with Danette on the 7:30 a.m. FS at Chandler.  I was supposed to have a lesson yesterday but I didn't sleep well at all (upset stomach) so I cancelled and slept late.  Fortunately Danette had some time (15 min) on the 7:30 a.m. this morning so I was able to get some time in.  This session was kinda crowded (12 skaters), most of whom were working on their TOI program.

I warmed up with edges and scribed circles, then worked on FO8 and FI8. 

Today's lesson:

• 3s -- just 6 minutes or so on these.  We worked on them with me holding the hockey stick.  Ugh.  Not much progress, they're pretty stinky still.
• BO8 -- We used the hockey stick on these as well... some real progress in getting better control, especially at the beginning of the circle.  We'll need to work on this some more.

No lesson next week, alas.

Perseverance

I skated the 7:30 a.m. FS at Gilbert for FS practice.  I was supposed to have a lesson with Holly but there was a miscommunication and it didn't happen.  Nice ice, 4 skaters.

I spent most of my time working through Bronze moves.  Really, I feel most of them are in good shape except for the darn power-3s.  We really need to focus on these to improve my 3s -- actually they need work both in patch and freestyle.

I also did a waltz jump and a few spins.  I got one spin that was decent.  Yay!

Competition Prep

My figures lesson with Danette on the 6:30 a.m. FS at Chandler.  Good ice. A bit crowded, but other than me and Adeline (and Naomi working on  her senior MIF!) everyone else was in theater on ice practice so I worked down on the end where the curtain would be.

I warmed up with edges, scribed some circles, and then ran FO8 and FI8.

Today's lesson:

• FO8 -- Danette had me run these on the scribed circle once to get a feel for it, then we did a layout.  It was mostly okay.  She told me to tuck my free foot behind me before the push -- I'd never thought of it that way before, and it just clicked!  So my pushes are a lot closer together now than they used to be, so yay.  
• FI8 -- same; on the scribed circle and then off.  Better, as the FI usually is.
• BO8 -- we worked these on the scribed circles.  Danette had me hold a hockey stick (she held it also).  Wow.  This really showed me how much difficulty I have holding the position on the LBO with the free foot in front.  I struggle to hold the hip up and keep the thighs together.  Eeep!  This was very instructive.

Patch Perseverance

I skated the 12:30 adult freeskate at Chandler for patch practice. I warmed up with edges, then worked on BO8 for a while.  After that I ran through FO8 and FI8, then more time on BO8.  The first push is much improved, but my return to center is not so great.  I have a lot of work to do to be ready for the Sherwood competition in 6 weeks!

Perseverance

I skated the 10:45 a.m. FS at Chandler for practice, since I had the day off.  Okay ice and about 8 skaters.

I warmed up with stroking and slaloms, then worked through perimeter XOs and BXOs to BO edges.  After that I worked some on 3s, trying to make myself hold the entry edge longer.

After some time on that I worked on circle-8, then some more time on 3s.  Not much program.  Urph.