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

[overedge]

@FSWer , I don't know any rinks that offer ice-dancing lessons only to people who have partners. That would be very unusual. Does your case worker know that you are willing to take lessons on your own?

 

[FSWer]

All I know is that my Case Worker called my Rink,and she found out that they will teach you to Ice-Dance with a Partner,and all YOU need to do is BRING one. BTW. I also notice that my Rink offers SOCIAL Ice-Dancing. Can anyone explain what THAT is? LOL. also with the way things are going..I might just take Ice-Dancing Lessons,and SEE if I CAN get my Case-Worker to KEEP looking for a Partner for me,while I'm taking my Lessons. I also want to thank you...ALL for the GREAT advice you have given me!!! I want to ask you all to come see me Skate sometime. What do you all say? Any of you live in my area?

 

[Clarice]

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.

Of course there's a way to learn with a partner. But there's also a way to learn WITHOUT a partner, for people who don't have one yet. You don't have to wait. Tell your case-worker that you want to start taking lessons on your own, while you keep looking for a partner.

 

[Clarice]

Okay, yes. Your rink will teach you to ice dance with a partner, and you need to bring your own. That just means they won't find a partner for you. But, like we're all saying, you don't HAVE to have a partner yet. You are right, you can just take ice dancing lessons and tell your case-worker to keep looking for a partner. That would be great!

Social ice dancing is a special session for people who already know how to ice dance. They play music, and skaters can practice dancing, either by themselves or with a partner. They might skate with their own partner, or they might take turns skating with different partners who are there.

I don't live anywhere near your area, but if I ever visit that part of the country, I would love to come skate with you!

 

[FSWer]

Okay, yes. Your rink will teach you to ice dance with a partner, and you need to bring your own. That just means they won't find a partner for you. But, like we're all saying, you don't HAVE to have a partner yet. You are right, you can just take ice dancing lessons and tell your case-worker to keep looking for a partner. That would be great!

Social ice dancing is a special session for people who already know how to ice dance. They play music, and skaters can practice dancing, either by themselves or with a partner. They might skate with their own partner, or they might take turns skating with different partners who are there.
the same as
I don't live anywhere near your area, but if I ever visit that part of the country, I would love to come skate with you!

Is that the same as an Ice-Dance Weekend? Or is it like Public Skate for Ice-Dancers?

 

[Skittl1321]

also with the way things are going..I might just take Ice-Dancing Lessons,and SEE if I CAN get my Case-Worker to KEEP looking for a Partner for me,while I'm taking my Lessons. !!!

This is a good idea. You should not wait for a partner. It is VERY unusual for a beginner to have a partner. The vast majority of adult skaters skate solo and with their coaches.

Even elite skaters have a Difficult time finding a partner.

Unless you have a friend or relative who wants to skate with you, it will be hard to find a partner without knowing any dance skills yet. So get started working on things with a coach.

 

[Clarice]

Is that the same as an Ice-Dance Weekend? Or is it like Public Skate for Ice-Dancers?

It's not a public session. It's more like a freestyle for ice dancers. It can be like an ice dance weekend, where dancers dance with each other. Maybe some dancers are practicing their steps without a partner. Or maybe a dancer is taking a lesson and dancing with their coach. Or maybe two dance partners are taking a lesson together and their coach is watching them. Maybe all those things are happening at the same time. But all the skaters on the session will be ice dancers. Nobody will be jumping. Not all rinks have sessions just for ice dancers, so your rink is pretty lucky.

 

[rjblue]

It is MUCH harder to dance with someone who is also learning the dance.

Maybe you could hire one of the senior level students to partner you, if there is some reason you don't want to dance with your coach.

It would be a good idea to visit a rink during ice dance lesson time and see how the skaters learn.

My daughter took ice dance lessons at her club for 10 years, and no one there ever had a partner. The coach danced with them even when they took their tests to get badges and pins.

 

[FSWer]

Well,I found out too from my Case-Worker that my Rink doesn't Partner you with other Skaters. Which is why you bring your own Partner. But I have another question...I you YOURSELF get taught by a coach first,then by the time you get a Partner, how does THAT Partner get caught up with you,to what YOU learned? It doesn't seem right to me.

 

[Clarice]

That's one reason it's so hard to find a partner. Many times you find somebody who is not at the exact same level as you. When I first found a partner, he had been taking ice dance lessons from his coach, and I had been taking lessons from my coach, so we both knew a little about ice dancing already. I was a better skater than him, but that was okay with me because it's so hard to find a partner. After a few years, though, I wanted to move on to harder dances and he didn't, so we split. It's okay if one partner is better than the other, as long as they want to skate together.

 

[Skittl1321]

It's good for both partners to have some experience so that you don't waste lesson time. It's so hard to coordinate time together. So you do all you can on your own and that way you are prepared when you have time together. Having both of you already know the dance steps and be able to confidently execute them before you have a partner means you can spend your lesson time focusing on partnering skills, it takes a long time to remember all the steps, and you don't need your partner there for that. Even if you had a partner, your coach would likely have you spend lesson time skating apart to make sure you can execute the steps before doing them together. You will spend time with your partner doing basics like stroking and swing rolls, but the more you do these things (and even more basic things like just gliding) the better it will be when you get together.

I think we are all just trying to tell you that having a partner is unusual, it is not the norm. But the more you know, the more people you can later partner with at ice dance weekends.

Ice dancing for most people isn't like what you see on TV.

 

[rjblue]

All the steps you learn in ice dance are part of an already made up dance, with the same steps.

The first one you learn is called the Dutch Waltz.

Once you learn to do it, you can Dutch Waltz with anyone who also has been taught it.

I will try to find a good video of the dutch waltz for you.

 

[rjblue]

https://youtu.be/Up7rtb6iMmYUp7rtb6iMmY

I like this one because this shows how the dance can be done by people learning the dance, not people in a competetion.

 

[overedge]

@FSWer , when you have learned some ice dancing on your own, then you try to find a partner who has been practicing the same things. If one partner is a better skater than the other, or knows more difficult dances, then that partner helps the other partner learn.

When a coach works with ice dance partners, the coach is usually helping the partners learn how to skate together - like how to skate in unison, and how to coordinate the man's steps and the woman's steps in the ice dances. The coach isn't usually teaching the ice dances to both partners. Each partner learns at least some of the steps of the ice dances in lessons on their own, and then the coach will help both partners learn to do the dances as a couple.

I don't know any ice dancers who found a partner before they learned to ice dance. And I don't know any ice dance partners who both learned ice dance from the very beginning with their partner. Ice dancers do a lot of learning and practicing on their own even when they have a partner. So as everyone is saying, you will not be a misfit at all if you are taking ice dance lessons on your own.

 

[Yazmeen]

FSWer: I am an ice dancer, and I currently am learning the dances by myself while my coaches are working with me to completely revamp my skating skills ( bad habits from my low level freestyle days). As everyone has been saying, it is important for you to learn the skills yourself; having a partner is not a requirement. You need to concentrate on your own skating first and be the best you can be at basic skills and dances.

I might have a partner someday, but right now I am working to improve my own skating and skills. That is the most important thing for me to do.

 

[FSWer]

Hi again everyone!!! Just an update on me. I am proud to annouce that I have found a Skater at my Rink who is happy to take private lessons with me in Ice-Dancing. My Case-Worker also called the Rink and found out that at my Rink to take the course you pay 2 fees. 1 for Ice-time,the other for coaching...and depending on the coach depends on their fee. My Case-Worker also sent me an e-mail to inquire about private Lessons. I already wrote them,so I hope to get a reply back. BTW. this question came to me. Is it possible to become an Ice-Dance Team off of those types of lessons alone?

 

[misskarne]

You mean private lessons, FSWer? Yes, dance couples generally take private lessons. I'm so glad it's working out for you!

 

[overedge]

This is great news, @FSWer ! Very happy for you.

 

[Clarice]

Yes, this is the usual arrangement for private lessons. What wonderful news!

 

[FSWer]

Yes...and I thank you ALL!!! THANK YOU....ALL!!!! For your wonderful advice!!! I LOVE you....ALL!!!!

 

[FSWer]

That's one reason it's so hard to find a partner. Many times you find somebody who is not at the exact same level as you. When I first found a partner, he had been taking ice dance lessons from his coach, and I had been taking lessons from my coach, so we both knew a little about ice dancing already. I was a better skater than him, but that was okay with me because it's so hard to find a partner. After a few years, though, I wanted to move on to harder dances and he didn't, so we split. It's okay if one partner is better than the other, as long as they want to skate together.

BTW.one reason I have thought this is because I would think you would teach Partners together,so they BOTH WOULD learn equally together.Even if Skaters are 2 different Levels...wouldn't they need to be taught together for them both to learn to Ice-Dance at the same time? Again I thank you ALL for your WONDERFUL ADVICE!!!! I will keep you ALL updated here as I take my Lessons.

 

[ioana]

FSWer, the reason why most dancers learn the patterns and steps on their own is so they can focus on timing and doing them in unison during the lesson. You're absolutely right that you would still need to work on a dance with your specific partner, but that is much easier to do (and more productive) during a lesson if both you and the partner already know the steps on your own. Of course you can both learn the dance together from scratch during lessons, but that tends to take up more time. Glad you were able to find a partner and work out some private lesson time, either way!

 

[FSWer]

Well everyone. I just received an e-mail from my Rink from (I think it was one of the Coaches),and they asked if I'd be able to come down to discuss things in person. So I'm seeing if my Case-Worker can bring me down. She is really happy for me. She said too,that it's good to follow your Dreams.

 

[treesprite]

Congrats on finding someone to learn with you.

 

[FSWer]

OOOOOOOOH,have I got NEWS for YOU ALL!!! I just toyed with Ice-Dancing today with another Skater at my Rink who HAD taken Ice-Dancing, and she was REALLY IMPRESSED at how RIGHT I did the Kiliam-Hold!!! It's the FIRST TIME ANYONE has complimented me on my Ice-Dancing!!!

 

[FSWer]

Actually,I HAVE thought that sometimes. BTW. I talked with my Case-Worker today,and what I need to do now is sit down with her and my Staff to see what the BEST arrangement is for Ice-Dancing Lessons on MY end. As far as money goes. She found out that along with the Ice-Time fee,the Coaching fees at my Rink are 50-75 Dollars depending on the coach. o,that's were I am now Friends!! BTW. does anyone know if my Partner and I would be paying sepretely,or would we be splitting the cost? Or does it depend on your Rink?

 

[Skittl1321]

How you pay will depend on your rink, coach, and the arrangement you have with your partner.

 

[overedge]

@FSWer, most ice dance couples split the cost of ice time and coaching. But how you pay depends on the rink and the coach. Most rinks that I know will only make a bill for one payment, so either you or your partner would have to pay the rink. And then one person would have to pay their share to the other person. Most coaches will make separate bills if there are two skaters in the same lesson.

But as @Skittl1321 says, how you pay will depend on what the coach and the rink want to do. I would just add that it's very important for you and your partner to agree in advance on how the payments will be made, so that everybody understands how this is going to work. It would be unfair for you or your partner to end up paying money you didn't expect to pay.

 

[Skittl1321]

@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.

In some cases, coaches charge their regular hourly rate for a dance lesson (so each partner MIGHT pay half of the regular rate), but in others they charge more to teach two people; maybe 1.5 times the rate or double the rate - so the rate is higher for a dance lesson.

In other cases one partner pays for the total cost and the other partner does not pay. This is usually if one partner REALLY wants a partner, and the other person agrees to do it sort of as a favor, as long as it doesn't cost them money. I've seen this more with kids, usually the female partner pays for the male- but it could happen for adults too, and possibly with the male paying for the female.

So in a partnership it is really important to know the expectation before you start.

 

[TheGirlCanSkate]

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!