Grinding

 Just a recap of the past couple of lessons: 

Movez - I haven't really talked about Silver Moves lately but I am still working on them. I definitely feel like some moves are stronger than others but progress is happening. Since I've started learning ice dance, I feel like my forward and backward cross strokes have improved quite a bit as I feel more comfortable with my edges. The outside mohawk on the Eight Step Mohawk sequence is getting a little less scary as well. I need more speed and a more consistent cadence but the move is getting there. Spirals are coming along even though the inside spirals are clearly weaker than the outside ones. Backward power pulls feel great and the forward pulls are slowly getting stronger as well. Finally, let's talk about the 3 turns. I think overall, they are improving. I make sure to dedicate a good portion of each practice to them. However, I was lamenting to Christopher during one of our last lessons that, after a year and a half, I still do not have a LBO 3 turn. He held my hands while I did them to see if that would help but it's not a fear thing. It's a "my left leg doesn't like to do things since I added metal to it" thing. I confessed to him that, by far, this is the most frustrated and defeated I have ever felt with my skating. I'm constantly working on it and it never improves. So, he took me waaaay back to basics and is having me do a CW two-foot backward to forward turn over and over and over again until, eventually, I might be able to pick up the right foot and just do the turn on my left foot without assistance. I'll try anything at this point just to get it to happen. I cannot take the test without this move or I will fail for sure. 

Dancez - During our last lesson, we worked on the Rhythm Blues. First he had me demonstrate each of the individual steps (inside swing rolls, cross behind steps, lilts) and then he had me skate the full pattern by myself without music to see if I knew the steps before we did it together as partners. All went well but I have some hesitation with the cross behind steps at speed (especially while partnering). During our last run through of it, I did manage to get the cross behinds but the anxiety was sky high. Next time, we will run it with the music to see how it all fits together. So, as of now, I know all of the steps to the first three dances and just have some polishing up to do before I think I can pass them. My initial goal was to test them after the New Year but now I'm worried that, with Covid cases rising, we are getting close to another possible lockdown. I asked Christopher if he thinks I would be ready to test at least the first two dances during the December 4th test session and he says it's definitely possible. He would like to do some complete run throughs during our next lesson just to be sure but I feel ready. Oddly, ice dance feels more comfortable than freestyle which is really surprising. I'm picking it up pretty quickly and I feel more secure on my edges when they are in a dance pattern rather than on their own or in a field move. Maybe I was supposed to be a dancer instead of a freeskater?