Skating the Fiesta Tango

• Tweet

• Tweet

Passed my third and last pre-bronze ice dance, the Fiesta Tango! So far the tango dances have been my favorites. I like the sharp quality the tango is supposed to have, reflected here by details like the way the partners look quickly to the left and right.

Timing, an accurate pattern on the ice, and unison are also important. I used to play a couple of instruments so keeping time is one of the easier aspects for me. Our unison was good with the exception of the swing rolls, the big leg swing way to the front, then back.

I watched a friend pass a higher-level ice dance test on the same session, and another friend pass a pre-bronze dance test the next day. Friends who are working toward the same goals are so motivating. I also appreciated my skater friends who came to watch me. I love the social aspect of skating, and I think most people would quit their sport if it didn’t have a social element.

My dance coach Ty teaches me so much and he’s fun to work with. He’s the main reason that I learn ice dances. He’s taught me well enough to be able to pass these pre-bronze dances at the standard skill level, the same quality bar that the young competitive skaters have to meet.

I could have taken the test at the easier adult level or the 50-and-over masters level which is easier still. I’m not yet ready to say that I have to be cut slack due to my age, so we’ll see how far I can get on the regular competitive track. Now that I’ve finished this test I’m ready to learn the three bronze dances. I’ve started on one of them and am looking forward to learning them all.