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COACHES’ CORNER


words to choose are happy, excited, evil and bashful.) Once they understand the facial expressions you desire and are comfortable with them, add two or three facial expressions to the warm-up exercise.


Add Levels: To keep it simple, let’s focus on three levels: high, medium and low. High level is as high as your skater can reach toward the ceiling; medium level is the space in front, on either side, and behind them; low level is as low as your skater can go down with bent knees toward the floor. Have your skaters try the stroking exercise using high, medium and low levels with arms following the level and then extend into an arabesque. 1, 2, 3, 4 (stroke onto left foot using levels low, medium, high on left leg), 5, 6, 7, 8, (stroke onto right foot using levels). Reverse the exercise (stroke onto left foot arabesque to high level, then move through the medium level, then to the lowest level). Notice how adding levels makes the movement more interesting.


Isolations: Isolations warm up specific body parts and improve coordination. Try some of these basic exercises with your skaters standing stationary. Have them move their heads side to side, or in a circle; move their shoulders one at a time while swizzling; and draw the letter S with one wrist and then the other wrist.


Here is an isolation that is worth its


weight in gold: the contract & release. Tis isolation improves expression and helps your skaters move through space once it is added to levels and focal point. Contract — skaters drop their chins to their chests, round their shoulders forward, tuck their belly buttons in; upper and lower body should be in the shape of a C — then release.


Have skaters arch their backs, pull shoulders back, tilt heads toward the ceiling and push their ribs forward. Now they can add these exercises to their basic swizzle, stroking and edges. Tis adds dimension to the skating.


30 FAL L 2 017


Focal Point: Where is their focus on each part of the exercise. Te easiest focal point is looking straight; have skaters try to look at the ceiling then look straight down at their skates on the ice. On the swizzle exercise, have them work on looking straight down at the floor as they draw their arms up to a high level; arms in the shape of an O, have them look straight up at the ceiling as they open those arms; repeat.


Have skaters try the forward outside


edges looking at a point on one side wall, keeping that focus until their next step forces them to look at the other wall as they go side to side. Next, have them try forward outside edges looking where they came from, rather than looking where they are going, again keeping their gaze behind them as long as they can before moving it.


Tis next move can be challenging.


When stepping forward into a spiral, skaters keep arms overhead in the shape of an O, trying to look over their free leg behind them, as they open up their arms and lean forward into the full spiral; have them change their focus to forward as they arch their backs.


Adding focal point to your skaters’ training will make for a more interesting look on the ice.


STEP 2


Choreography concepts: Tese are the elements to help your skater become more comfortable with moving creatively. Tere are many choreography ingredients that are added to a flavorful skating routine. I touched on several of those above but here are a few more to try in an off-ice class and then add them to a “performance and presentation” class on the ice.


Add shapes, levels, facings, energy and


ice patterns to create more dimension into a program:


Shapes: I use shapes and letters to create inspiration. I ask my skaters to form their arms and legs into a specific shape or letter (specifically W, M, O, I and L). We then add levels; I tell them to try putting


their arms in the shape of a letter W at a high, medium, then low level. Next, they try the letter M at different levels. Ten it’s time to add facings.


Facings: Tere are 10 different directions you can face in a room for simplicity at a beginner stage. I use four: downstage (toward audience), stage right (facing right), upstage (back to the audience) and stage left (facing left). Have your skaters face downstage in the W shape, then upstage in an O shape. Add levels, having them repeat the same shapes and facings but add low level for the W and high level for the O.


Energy: Add energy to the shapes and facial expressions. Have your skaters try the shapes using excited energy with a happy facial expression, then add slow soft movement in and out of the shape using a sad facial expression. Notice the feeling and energy in the room; notice how changing the facial expression and energy can change the look of the movement. Next, try the shapes using the basic facings in the room.


Pattern or Ice Pattern: Try the movement across the floor. Here are some creative ice pattern shapes you can draw with a marker on the ice or with tape if you are on the floor. Draw several zig zags, a large circle and a large S on the ice or floor. Have your skaters move on the floor in the patterns, adding their shape with a specific energy. For example: Letter W shape with the arms, exciting happy energy moving on the Zig Zag pattern — they can change their facing from downstage to upstage; it’s up to them. Next try the letter O with a sad face; have your skaters move that letter O using levels high, medium and low in the circle pattern you have drawn on the ice; keep in mind that they should change direction to make their movement more interesting.


Tese are just a few ingredients and


off-ice exercises you can incorporate into your skaters’ training.


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