UPDATES ON MY DREAM TO LEARN TO ICE-DANCE...WISH ME LUCK!!

[overedge]

@overedge your answer is a good example of why I was so generic- it depends so much on your exact situation. My rink never bills for lessons (as it sounds like yours does), that is all up to the coach. Instead, the skaters only have to pay the rink for ice time, the same they would if they were just coming to skate without a lesson.

Sorry, @Skittl1321, I should have been clearer. The rinks I skate at don't bill for lessons - the coaches do. But what I meant was that if two skaters are sharing the cost of the same ice time, the rink usually won't issue separate bills to them for part of the cost each. The rink will only issue one bill for the whole amount, and the skaters need to figure out who will pay for it.

But if the skaters are having a lesson on something like a public session, they both pay their own admission fees.

 

[Skittl1321]

Sorry, @Skittl1321, I should have been clearer. The rinks I skate at don't bill for lessons - the coaches do. But what I meant was that if two skaters are sharing the cost of the same ice time, the rink usually won't issue separate bills to them for part of the cost each. The rink will only issue one bill for the whole amount, and the skaters need to figure out who will pay for it.

But if the skaters are having a lesson on something like a public session, they both pay their own admission fees.

Rinks operate differently enough that I don't even know what you are talking about!
I can't figure out what the rink is billing for.

I have skated in some places where you buy lesson tickets from the rink, and then the rink pays the coach. (I think it helps ensure the rink gets their commission. My current rink the coaches do not pay a fee to coach there)

 

[overedge]

@Skittl1321 Okay, let me try again

If I phoned up the rink and booked an hour of ice time, the rink would only issue one bill for that hour. If I was sharing that hour of ice time, one of us would have to pay the rink, and then get the other person to pay me back. The rink wouldn't issue two bills for 1/2 the cost of the ice time even if two of us were using that time.

All the coaches in our area work for skating clubs, not for rinks, and they bill their students directly. The only exception is the coaches who teach learn to skate group lessons at the civic rinks, and you pay for a set of sessions in advance. The cost covers the ice time and the instruction.

 

[Skittl1321]

So if you book an hour if ice time do you get the rink to yourself? I guess I don't understand how you share ice time

Lol

 

[overedge]

As I understand it, if you book an hour of ice time, you can have yourself on the ice, or you can have as many people as you want. But if there's anyone else, you're liable if any of them get hurt And the rink will only issue one bill no matter how many people are on the ice.

 

[gkelly]

At my rink, if you want to take an ice dance lesson, you schedule it on a public session or on a dance session or a freestyle session that allows ice dancing. These sessions already exist and other skaters are already paying between 7 and 13 dollars per session, depending on type, to skate on that session. That's all each skater in the lesson would have to pay to the rink to skate on that session just like the other skaters using it.

Then they would also have to pay the coach for the lesson.

Some rinks may also offer ice dance lessons as part of group lessons when there are also groups on the ice at the same time, but that would only work for learning skills in isolation, not so well for practicing dance patterns.

It would be very rare to have to "book an hour of ice time" -- schedule your own session instead of skating on a session that already exists.

But if the rink does not have any already-scheduled sessions where ice dancing is allowed, it might be necessary. For example, my rink does not have any regular sessions that allow pair skating, but they might allow people to book ice time for that purpose, and of course synchro teams book ice time just for their team.

 

[FSWer]

Well,everyone. I just spoke with one of the coaches today,and he wants to meet with me to discuss things. I just called and e-mailed my Case-Worker back on it.

 

[FSWer]

does anyone know if my Partner and I would be paying separately,or would we be splitting the cost? Or does it depend on your Rink?

Who, when, how and what you pay can be determined by the rink or by the coach and rink. With your coach you will have a verbal or written contract. Since you have a partner, they will also need to be named in the contract. For example, if you split the bill for the coach and ice, what happens when they are sick or can't come to a lesson at the last minute. Do you pay it all? Do they still pay half? If they don't pay for their half, will you be responsible? Does the coach take checks? Cash? Are they paid at each lesson? Monthly? Will they give you a bill? Or is it done through the rink? Every rink/coach can do it differently and you have a partner in the mix so an extra element. Is it $50+ for 30 minutes? 20? 60? (these are all hypothetical questions, not expecting a response!). Make sure you have all the details and that you feel comfortable understanding them. Good luck!

Ok,the reason that I ask this is because my Staff and Case-Worker have been talking abouut money with me,and I just wondered what to expect. My Partner btw. is a Skater my Rink also has signed up to help teach Learn to Skate. Does that factor in,in any way? She still has to pay,right?

 

[overedge]

@FSWer this is something you will have to ask your rink and your partner. It could be different at different rinks. Just be sure that everyone agrees on it before you start your lessons.

 

[rjblue]

If she is signed up as a volunteer teacher, then she is probably not expecting to pay. She will be there to help you learn, and make it better for you.

 

[Skittl1321]

She will probably not have to pay for ice time if she is a LTS teacher, however, if I were you FSWer, I would plan on paying the entire lesson fee, not splitting it. It sounds like she is going to help you learn by being your partner, rather than learn herself.

 

[Shyjosie]

^^Sounds like this to me, too. At my rink, LTS teachers don't have to pay as long as they are teaching. If your situation was at my rink, FSWer, your partner wouldn't have to pay if she were there to help your coach teaching (say, as a teacher herself). If she were there to learn to ice dance (say, as a student), she would have to pay for the lesson, regardless of her being a LTS teacher. It would depend strongly on what role she is playing in the lesson with you.
Make sure the arrangements are done before you start your partnership. The responsible people at your rink, your partner and your coach should be honest to you and tell you and your case worker how much exactly you will have to pay.

 

[TheGirlCanSkate]

When people say she might not pay, it is meant her admission fee to be on the ice. Your ice time and the entire lesson fee would need to be paid. If she is volunteering then the lesson fee and your ice time need to be paid by you.

 

[Clarice]

I'm going to take an ice dance lesson today. My partner isn't exactly "my partner", he's my partnering coach, and I pay him to skate with me. His job is to teach me how to do the dances with a partner, so when I work with my real partner I know what to do. When I work with my partnering coach, I have to pay for my ice time and I have to pay him for the lesson. If I have another coach watch us, which I sometimes do if I'm getting ready to take a test, I have to pay that coach, too. The coaches don't have to pay to get on the ice.

When I take a lesson with my real partner, we each pay for our own ice time and split the cost of the lesson. I take most of my lessons with my partnering coach, though.

So, like everyone has been saying, there are a lot of different ways this can work, and it's important that your case worker talk to the coach and the partner to make sure you all know what the arrangement will be and who has to pay what.

 

[FSWer]

She will probably not have to pay for ice time if she is a LTS teacher, however, if I were you FSWer, I would plan on paying the entire lesson fee, not splitting it. It sounds like she is going to help you learn by being your partner, rather than learn herself.

I do. I'm just trying to be prepared for what COULD happen. BTW. I go to meet with the coach tomorrow. Wish me Luck!!!

 

[gkelly]

Good luck, FSWer! Have fun

 

[rjblue]

Have fun and tell us all about it!

 

[Shyjosie]

Good luck, FSWer! Have fun!

 

[FSWer]

Have fun and tell us all about it!

Ok my friends!!! Here it is...My Case-Worker and I went down this morning for 10:30,and met with one of the Coaches and I told him I am interested in becoming an Ice-Dancer,and that I have a Partner (who's name btw, he knew). He asked me about myself,and what I wanted to do with Ice-Dancing....Fun or competing. I told him for fun. But I would LOOOVE the chance to compete too!!! He then gave me some numbers of other coaches to call too. After that we left. So that's were I am now. BTW. does anyone know if there are indeed any known famous Ice-Dance Teams?

 

[overedge]

@FSWer there are lots of famous ice dance teams, if you mean couples. I'm not sure what you are asking.

 

[TheGirlCanSkate]

Did you set up a lesson?

 

[FSWer]

Not yet. I called 3 Coaches today...one even offered to give a lesson during Public Skate to make it cheaper for me. My Case-Worker and I NOW have to sit down with my Staff,so we can decide what is the BEST route for me to go. Say,if any of you are familar with Newington Arena in Connecticut,please come see me Skate sometime. I would love to see you.

 

[FSWer]

Say,what ARE the beginning moves in Ice-Dancing?

 

[gkelly]

Before you can work on any of those ice dance-specific moves, you'll need to be able to skate forward on one foot at a time at a time on outside and inside edges and hold the edge for several seconds,

The moves you need to learn for the first ice dance pattern are:

Forward swing rolls (forward edges that you hold for several counts and slowly swing your free foot from back to forward)
Forward progressives (similar to crossovers)

Another ice dance move you would learn about the same time is
Forward chasses (you do an outside edge, then briefly change feet to an inside edge on the other foot, right next to the original skating foot, which you lift into the air next to your ankle or a little higher, usually for one count, and then change back to the original outside edge foot

 

[FSWer]

Do we have any videos of those moves?

 

[gkelly]

Swing rolls hand in hand by senior-level ice dancers

Swing rolls in Kilian hold

Forward progressive in different holds by senior-level ice dancers

Forward chasses -- beginners

Forward chasses demonstrated by a coach



Putting some of these steps together, in Kilian position; some of these skaters are at this test level, some are more advanced
Dutch waltz
Dutch waltz
Dutch waltz

 

[overedge]

@FSWer but as @gkelly says, a skater has to be able to skate forward on one foot, and be able to stay on an edge, to do any of those moves. Most coaches will start by working on those basic skills with a beginning skater, and won't work on the basic ice dancing moves until the skater is able to do those basic skills.

 

[FSWer]

I'm confused. Why would you need 1 foot in Ice-Dancing? BTW. I was wondering if you all would like me to post here as I go along with my Ice-Dance Lessons after I find a coach and start. I was planning to do that anyway.

 

[overedge]

@FSWer you need to be able to skate on one foot in ice dancing because most of the steps in the ice dances are on one foot or the other. There is almost no two-footed skating in ice-dancing.

 

[rjblue]

Yes, I will be very happy to hear all about your skating lessons. Some of it will be hard, and some will be easier, but I doubt if there is a skater out there as excited as you are to start. And I know you will work really hard.