Better and better

This has really been an ego-positive week on the ice. I'm really starting to "get" all this, and now that I'm getting good enough to start doing things that are interesting, my attitude is improving.

At my lesson today, Will deconstructed my backward inside edges (posture problems again - when oh when will I stop looking down at the ice!!), checked in on my backwards serpentines (the new trick I learned last week that I LOVE), and at the end of the lesson, threw TWO new somethings at me.

Three Turns - Will said "it's time to start learning turns" and promptly showed me the quickest way yet to put my butt on the ice.... turns out (and he warned me, but did I listen?) when you first learn inside three-turns, you are absolutely, positively guaranteed to land on your ass. No questions and no exceptions. On outside three-turns, you have a free leg on the side you are moving toward that you can use to catch yourself. No problems there. However, on an INSIDE three-turn, the leg you might use to catch yourself is conveniently placed on the wrong side of your body.... so when you catch an edge (which you WILL DO), there's nothing keeping you from a technicolor wipeout.

Ouch.

I finally got it, after a fashion, and now I have something new to obsess about during my practice sessions.

The other thing he threw at me was my SECOND DANCE!!!! The Canasta Tango isn't that hard, but it's a smaller pattern on the ice and being 6'3", small is always an issue for me. Hell, as a dancer, by the time I did tombe, pas de bouree, glissade I was already at the other wall and had no room for the beautiful jete that's supposed to come at the end of that classic floor combination. Tombe, pas de bouree, glissade, WALL. Not pretty. Same problem here.... too much Clay, not enough ice. Trying to keep this sucker small will be good for me.

Still, I take it as a good sign that Will is starting to throw more stuff at me. But DAMN I'm going to have to start working even harder in my practice sessions if I'm going to keep up. I normally get to the rink 4 mornings a week, but I'm going to have to really try for five. The rink is canceling the Saturday morning times beginning next week (I think the hockey program is doing so well they need the time), so my only opportunities will be weekdays - gotta make the most of them

So all in all - good week. I seem to be having more of those than not these days. Thank goodness!