Hello, Ina!

Lesson today! I think we are now over the halfway mark in terms of the amount of choreography we have so I'm feeling pretty good. We still need the footwork sequence, one more jump, and another spin. I'm hoping during our next lesson we can get that last remaining bit done because then the Christmas drop-in schedule starts and I'm not sure when we'll be able to have a lesson. Stupid holidays ruining my routines :)

Lessonz - Okay, so we started with a review of what we already have and he filled in some of the gaps in my memory from the week previous. I felt super accomplished when he said "I can already tell you are skating faster." Yay! I have exceeded "adult speed"! It's actually noticeable! That was one of the reasons why I considered this piece in the first place. I really wanted something that would force me to skate a little more aggressively. I have a tendency to play it safe since I'm so scared of getting injured again so it's nice to have something that pushes me out of my comfort zone. Moving on, he added the next little bit of choreography and this part has some new and interesting elements for me, namely an Ina Bauer into a sit spin and a stag jump strategically placed right in front of the judges stand! My first two attempts at the Ina were laughable at best but my third one looked almost recognizable. I'll keep working on it as it's something that I've always wanted to learn and, done effectively, can be really beautiful. With the stag jump, I landed a few on the wrong leg for some reason but then I had a couple that were okay. Again, something to work on especially if it's a "statement" element right in front of the judges. The last thing I want to do is showcase a mistake right in their laps!

Since memory is an issue with me, I went home and right away wrote everything I could remember down on a note pad. I also ran it on the floor a bunch of times to make sure I don't need to stop and think about what comes next. The goal is to get my memory solid enough so I can focus less on the order of things and more on the performance of the program. This program is pushing me waaaay beyond my limits but I love how it's challenging me. I know that Christopher wouldn't include anything that he doesn't think I'm ready for so I have to remember to be confident and trust my abilities. May the force be with me :)