Summer Off Season, Off Ice Training Part III

We're getting down to the final stretch of our off ice cross training series to prepare you for the upcoming skating season. Traditionally ice skating season begins with the first major competition which this year is Campbell's International Figure Skating Classic in October.

One of the areas most skaters will need to focus both on and off the ice is that of choreography. Summer is great for trying new moves, ideas and positions for your program. Most lower level competing skaters have their coaches choreograph their programs. As one goes higher, however, you may need to consult with a professional choreographer. While this is an added expense to an already costly sport, you might consider checking out the Coach's Manual: Choreography & Style for Skaters. Written by Dr. Ricky Harris with a foreword by Frank Carroll, it is an excellent start into understanding the power of choreography. Choreography is what turns a basic program into a glowing performance. Dr. Harris is an internationally renowned choreographer and artistic coach for skaters. A former professional skater herself, she holds a BA in Drama, a MFA in Dance and a Ph.D. in Choreography. Harris understands the contribution of dance to the ice skating world.

She says, "A skater should be versatile and able to express any form: ballet, modern, jazz, ethnic, dramatic and athletic. Skaters are less apt to work on expression which dancers take for granted." This is a key point because as Harris goes on to relate, "Some skaters are natural actors. But when they are not, it has to be a learned process." This was also brought out at the 2004 USFSA Adult Training Camp in the off ice warm up classes for stretching and flexibility taught by Olympic gymnast Tatiana Droutchinina. Tatiana's class included elements of ballet, jazz and modern dance moves which all translate beautifully onto the ice.

Choreography & Style for Skaters is so advanced yet dead on for insight and exercises which constitute elements of movement, energy concepts, musical interpretation and gesture. A very complete guide, it will give you much to work with in developing a new program or revamping an existing one. Published in 2003 by Focus Publishing, R. Pullins Co., PO Box 369, Newbury, MA 01950.

An instructional video which can bring home the importance of choreography to a performance is Ann Margreth Frei's Magic of Style Volume 1. This is a one hour training video for on / off ice and is a new concept to dramatically improve the style and appearance of skaters of all ages and levels. Top level world and Olympic coach, Robin Wagner used a movement similar to Frei's Over the Rainbow exercise in her Body Movement class at this year's USFSA Adult Skating Camp. It was lovely to see all of us doing the movement in sequence and in waves starting with a graceful three turn and skating backwards stretching up and then reaching down.

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