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

FSWer,

Does your rink have an inclusion program? If so, you can arrange to have a personal helper every time you go to a lesson or just to practice. (The rink where I work part-time offers inclusion helpers, because it is part of the public park department, but it is not in your area. My full time job is at an agency where I work with people who have certain types of disabilities, so I go to those annual meetings with people and help them communicate their interests, needs, and goals).

The inclusion helpers are not supposed to act as coaches, just helpers, but they can certainly help you during practice times in public sessions, by doing dance holds with you while skating in the same pattern and taking the same steps together with you.
 
treesprite said:
FSWer,

Does your rink have an inclusion program? If so, you can arrange to have a personal helper every time you go to a lesson or just to practice. (The rink where I work part-time offers inclusion helpers, because it is part of the public park department, but it is not in your area. My full time job is at an agency where I work with people who have certain types of disabilities, so I go to those annual meetings with people and help them communicate their interests, needs, and goals).

The inclusion helpers are not supposed to act as coaches, just helpers, but they can certainly help you during practice times in public sessions, by doing dance holds with you while skating in the same pattern and taking the same steps together with you.
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What does that mean? I also think somebody is going to be working with me to Ice-Dance in LTS.
 
Don't worry about it, FSWer. Your Skating Director will make sure you have whatever coaches or helpers you need. This is very exciting! I can't wait to hear about what you will be learning!
 
Your staff will know what an inclusion program is, and can help you find out if there is one at your rink. If you are in LTS classes, an inclusion helper would give you individual attention, since the coach has so many students at the same time.
 
WildRose said:
FSWer I can't wait to hear how you are doing - please keep us posted & have fun!
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Well Rose,and everyone!!!! Guess what!!?... I just spoke to my Case Worker today,and she found out that...MY RINK doesn't hook you up with another Skater AS a Partner...BUT...if you find your OWN Partner,they WILL give you private lessons for a fee. She said you don't need to gave passed any Level. So my Case Worker is going to look into how much THAT is...Gosh!!! LOL. I wonder if you and your Partner can become an Ice-Dance Team just off of that?
 
FSWer, at this point I think I wouldn't worry about trying to find your own partner. If I were you, I would ask for private lessons and use the coach as your partner to learn some dances. It will be easier to find a regular partner if you already know some dances. That is how I started. My coach taught me the steps and skated with me so I would know how to skate with a partner. When I eventually found a partner, I already knew how to do several dances. My partner had learned from his coach first, too. Besides, if you start with the coach you can start lessons right away. Otherwise you'll have to wait until you can find somebody else to skate with you.
 
Clarice said:
FSWer, at this point I think I wouldn't worry about trying to find your own partner. If I were you, I would ask for private lessons and use the coach as your partner to learn some dances. It will be easier to find a regular partner if you already know some dances. That is how I started. My coach taught me the steps and skated with me so I would know how to skate with a partner. When I eventually found a partner, I already knew how to do several dances. My partner had learned from his coach first, too. Besides, if you start with the coach you can start lessons right away. Otherwise you'll have to wait until you can find somebody else to skate with you.
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I understand what your saying Clarice. It sounds like my Rink offers something simular to what Treesprite mentioned. Just bring a Partner,and they will work with us.
 
Most people (everybody I know actually) has started off solo, partnering with their coach, like Clarice suggested. A coach at your rink can give you private lessons. You will have an easier time finding a partner if you already know some dances. I would just dive in, FSWer and go for it! Live your dream, the partner will come.
 
Every rink will give you private lessons for a fee. With or without a partner. I'm not sure why you would wait to find a partner to begin private lessons? Let's say you find someone - you might have to pay them for their time and also pay for the lesson fee. If you want to skate, take classes or private lessons. Worry about the partner later when you have skills for it and then a partner may come to you.
 
I just know from what heard, I just have to bring someone to be my Partner. At least from what my Caseworker found out from my Rink. I also do know TOO,that it's going to feel so good Ice-Dancing with a Partner!!!
 
@FSWer, like Clarice said, your coach can partner you when you are learning. If the rink has a coach that is willing to teach you, with or without a partner, then sign up for lessons with that coach. It is fun to skate with a partner, but it can be really hard to find a partner, especially when you are a beginner. Please sign up for the lessons with the coach on your own (at least at first), because if you can't find a partner, then you will miss out on your dream.
 
FSWer said:
I just know from what heard, I just have to bring someone to be my Partner. At least from what my Caseworker found out from my Rink. I also do know TOO,that it's going to feel so good Ice-Dancing with a Partner!!!
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Its very possible that your case worker is misunderstanding something. I've been skating a long time, in two different countries (USA and France) and have never heard of a partner being required for ice dance. You're right that being with a partner will be great but you yourself need to learn the steps and get your technique down. A partner can't do that for you. Seriously! You are so excited and driven to do this, why not just get started. Being a guy you're going to have less trouble finding a partner than a girl would, and the better a dancer you are on your own, the easier a time you'll have finding a partner you work well with. Like others have suggested, do some group lessons or start talking to the coaches at your rink to find one you work well with for privates and just go for it!!!!
 
I'll bet that what the rink meant is that it's not their job to find a partner for you. If you want to skate with a partner, you have to find the partner yourself. But you don't HAVE to have a partner already to learn to ice dance. You can use the coach as a partner to start off. It will be much easier to find a partner of your own if you have already learned some dances with your coach. Go for it!
 
FSWer, most adult ice dancers do not have a partner. You can still dance without one. Don't put this off until you can find one.

The most likely partner you will have is your coach. Even if your coach is also male, he can ice dance with you- a good coach will know both parts and he will take the woman's steps while you do the men's ones. (I am a woman, and my first coach was as well. She did the men's part when we danced together.)

Rather than focusing on finding a partner- why not tell us about your skating?
How is your basic skating coming? Are you able to glide well on 2 feet or 1 foot now? Forward and backward? Have you learned your inside and outside edges yet? You'll need these things to be able to ice dance. The basics aren't glamorous, but you can't go far without them.
 
I am guessing that you only want to skate if you have a partner who is not your coach and if they call it ice dancing. You are not at a high level, so in addition to paying for the lesson, you will need to pay someone to be your partner. I would make sure to calculate that in addition to the lesson - if the partner you find it is another coach, it is usually a full coaching fee for the partner. I have seen this happen, esp when someone is in ISI FS1 and higher. They want to learn the dances quickly with a skilled partner for testing.
 
I think that FSWer would like to find someone who would be his friend and would share his excitement about learning to ice dance. (Is that right, FSWer?) I hope that will happen some day. But it can take a long time to find a partner. If it was me, I think it would be a lot more fun to take ice dance lessons with a coach being the partner while I was waiting to find a partner of my own.
 
There are a lot of adult dancers at my rink, and none of them have partners except the coaches. There are several women who ONLY skate when their coaches are holding onto them doing dance patterns (they can barely skate on their own, but can do all kinds of turns and steps with their coaches there).
 
Ok. anyway to get back to me...I just got an e-mail from my Case-Worker,and she says that she has not heard back from the Program that the Girl interested in being my Partner for Ice-Dancing lessons is in. I am trying to get my Case-Worker to call them. I sure HOPE I don't to be a misfitt.
 
FSWer said:
Ok. anyway to get back to me...I just got an e-mail from my Case-Worker,and she says that she has not heard back from the Program that the Girl interested in being my Partner for Ice-Dancing lessons is in. I am trying to get my Case-Worker to call them. I sure HOPE I don't to be a misfitt.
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FSWer, you don't need a partner to do ice-dancing lessons - and if you don't have a partner, a coach should still be able to teach you ice dancing. Does your case-worker know that?
 
treesprite said:
There are a lot of adult dancers at my rink, and none of them have partners except the coaches. There are several women who ONLY skate when their coaches are holding onto them doing dance patterns (they can barely skate on their own, but can do all kinds of turns and steps with their coaches there).
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Hey! I could go for that. Seriously??
 
Maybe as a last resort guys. But I CAN find a Partner to learn with me,it would really be....GREAT!!! I also know that I would make a GREAT Ice-Dancer!! As I HAVE the 3 things in my confidence required. LOL. they are...if I THOUGHT it was going to make ME fall...I wouldn't do it...if I THOUGHT I was going to DROP YOU or make a PARTNER fall...I wouldn't do it...AND.. I can FEEL when I will fall.
 
@FSWer, everyone who ice dances would love to have a partner. But the reality is that there aren't a lot of potential partners for most ice dancers, and finding a partner that is a good match is very hard even for very good ice dancers.

I'm not saying this because I don't believe in you or that I don't think you can achieve your dream. I think you can. But it will be a lot easier for you to achieve your dream if you take lessons, and you can do that on your own. If you can't get a partner, take the lessons anyway. Being a better skater on your own will help you to find a partner.
 
I agree with all you guys. But there must be a way to LEARN with a Partner,or my Rink wouldn't offer it. The only thing that worries me is that I feel like my Case-Worker is going to give up on me just because the Program the Girl that wants to be my Partner won't call back.
 
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