Fourteenstep– Retry!

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Mary and Ty at test session for fourteenstep

I didn’t pass my fourteenstep this time. I’d been concerned that my dance might not be up to snuff, and two days before the test I asked for a video so I could see for myself how I was doing. On the video I could see the problems coach Ty had been telling me about, things like wimpy leg extensions and lack of power on my progressives.

Ty pointed out that I’m still not rising completely on the three turn at the beginning. And I struggle to keep my hips under me in the end pattern. That’s a continuing problem that makes it hard to do the footwork through that section. It was late to change things, but I tried in the last couple of days to focus on power, which solves a lot of problems.

My pride wouldn’t let me ask the judges to change my test from “standard” to “adult.”  I’d signed up to test at the standard level like the young skaters. My choice, but I’m not ready to switch to the easier adult test level even though I will have to do that sooner or later. One of my sons noted that it’s odd to have something where the adult level is harder than the youth level, but that’s how it is in skating. If you can’t handle not being as good as a kid you won’t last long.

On the morning of the test Ty and I had a really good practice and I started thinking I had a good chance to pass. Ty seemed pleased with where I was at. We stopped our lesson early, wanting to end on a good note and not wear me out.

At the test I felt good on our warmup, the ice felt fast and comfortable. I skated a nice big pattern on the test. On the second pass of the end pattern I caught my heel in the ice on the outside mohawk, disrupting the timing. I wasn’t sure what had happened, but figured it had just cost me the test.

We went off and I was putting on my jacket when the judges called Ty over to tell him that we could have a re-skate. I didn’t even know that was a possibility on the ice dances. We went out and skated again. By the notes, the judges liked that skate better, not enough to pass me though.

Here are the comments:

Judge 1:

Technique: 3.0 Not all steps are clear esp. through the end pattern. Reskate: better.

Timing/expression: 3.0 Off time on 2nd end pattern. Work on expression. Reskate: timing good.

Total 6.0 Pass

Judge 2’s comments were hard to decipher. Since this is the cozy little world of figure skating I was able to clarify them with her at the rink (I skate with two out of the three judges). Among other things, she wants to see a tighter cross-behind. The foot that comes in on the cross-behind is supposed to go alongside the skating foot, not just beside the heel. I realize that but can’t yet do it consistently at speed.

Judge 2:

Technique: 2.8 Really nice extension on intro steps. (Need) more ice coverage. Need deeper edges. More precise cross-behind (third pattern much better).

Timing/expression: 3.0 Timing on third pattern much better.

Total 5.8 Re-try.

Judge 3 (the most demanding of the three, as I’ve experienced in the past):

Technique: 2.8 3rd pattern incomplete. Some difficulty with control on 12-13 (that’s the progressive on the end pattern) and 8-9 (the cross-behind) needs to be tighter. Re-skate better on 12-13, not 8-9.

Timing/expression 2.9 Timing generally OK. Movements should be crisper throughout, particularly progressives.

Total 5.7 Re-try

The judges’ comments have enough consistency to give me a good idea of what to concentrate on as I keep working on this dance. That’s a positive from testing, as well as the fact that I improved the dance in the crunch time before the test. And I enjoyed skating the dance in practice that day, and somewhat on the test, too. We’re finally getting better power because I knew the test demanded it and tried harder. Power is what makes these dances fun, skating fast and getting on nice big leans with your partner.

So overall I don’t really mind continuing to work on this dance. Only thing, though, I’m going to have to switch music lest I drive my co-skaters insane with its perky piccolo. Makes a good earworm though.