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

What moves will I more then likely learn the first day? BTW. how many lessons is the complete course?
 
@FSWer what you will learn on the first day depends what your coach thinks you should start with, or what you should work on. It's different for everybody, and it's up to the coach to decide.

There isn't an ice dancing "course" as such - the only skating programs with set numbers of lessons are usually group programs that are offered by clubs or arenas. If you are taking private lessons, you take them for as long as you and the coach agree to work together.
 
FSWer said:
What moves will I more then likely learn the first day? BTW. how many lessons is the complete course?
Click to expand...

One of the other posts tells you what will happen the first few lessons, they will assess where you are, maybe give some corrections, and will build on what you know.

There is no course with an end date. You take lessons until you no longer want them. All along, the coach will see what you are working on and the two of you will work on goals. This can be small goals to lqrger goals like preparing for tests and competitions.
 
Hi again everyone. I just wanted to update you all on were I am with Ice-Dancing at this time...Right now my Case Worker and I are just waiting for the coach to come back from her vacation and call me back,and we will then go from there. What I would like to ask you all today though is...what you all feel is considered support to a Skater. Because my Case Worker and Staff all say that they support me as a Skater and with lessons...but...they continue to tell me about how I don't have much money in my account,and about the eccominy (sorry if I spelled that wrong) and all. I'm sure they support me in some way. But..ah...I don't know....support to me means,somebody who is happy for you all around...Who does not make you feel like it's not posisible for you to do something BECAUSE of the kind of money situation your in,and because of who and the way you are,and somebody who (even if you have a lot of Bills and Rent to pay),will put your Dream on top of the list,etc. But I don't even feel like I'm getting supported. Now,I don't know if this is ok to ask on a Board...But...did any of you have to go through anything like this to get YOUR Families to let you become a Skater? I also want to thank you all for understanding me,and the way that I am..I really feel that it is GREAT that I can trust and share my REAL life in a State-run Program with you all!!
 
Skating is a very expensive hobby. The high cost is one of the reasons I stopped skating. I couldn't afford enough private lessons to support my level and get better.

It seems like coaches charge "too much" but they have to pay for their ice, rink commission, PSA dues, liability insurance, equipment related fees, self employment taxes, health insurance, out of those wages. That's before any take home to pay their rent and buy food! They have to charge that much to make a living.
 
We budget carefully for skating. It is important to be able to say, I can afford this, look at my budget. It can mean sacrifice, I will keep my very old car and not get any new debt or take vacations.

It means for us, that my skater doesn't have many lessons, and far fewer than she should for her level. It means being upfront and letting her know we can support her as an athlete but cannot afford for her to become an elite athlete. So I disagree with you, you have to know exactly what can be spent and discussing it does not mean I am less supportive. As a parent it is very hard to show your child the max you can contribute. And in return I expect her time on the ice to be very focused - it is her job to try her hardest for that time.

Support has to be realistic support. Support is also not just finances. It is us getting her to lessons on time, waking up early, making sure meals are nutritious, that equipment is ready and has scheduled maintenance. Support is giving her a hug when she is hurt or worried or cheering on milestones. Support is being the person who shows up and waits.

You might look to friends and family for the positive cheering kind of support and to look at staff for the support of logistics. There are all kinds of different ways to support someone.
 
@FSWer it sounds to me like your case worker and staff are being supportive because they are helping you get started with your lessons - which is a lot of work. But they may also just be trying to be realistic about what is affordable for you. Skating is an expensive sport, and the more you do it and the better you become, the more expensive it can be.

I know from some of the parents of the skaters in my club that they (the parents) didn't find it too difficult to pay for skating when their children were in learn-to-skate or when their children started to compete at lower levels. And they certainly didn't go into skating expecting to pay tens of thousands of dollars a year for their kids to skate. But as their kids became more advanced skaters, the kids needed more lessons, their costumes for competitions got more expensive, they had to travel instead of competing locally, they did off-ice training (e.g. ballet, yoga, weight training) as well as skating lessons, their equipment (boots and blades) became more expensive, and so on. When skating did become really expensive, these parents did their best to help their kids because they wanted to see their kids achieve their dreams. But they sometimes had to say "no" to some things, or find less expensive ways to do things, because they couldn't afford everything.

Coaches and lessons are not cheap, but most coaches that I know are aware that most skaters are on limited budgets. And they try to find ways to reduce costs for their skaters if they can.

If money is an issue for you or for your case worker or staff, maybe you could ask them to find out how much the lessons are going to cost, and what other costs there might be for you (e.g. skate rentals, buying skates, the right kind of clothes for skating). And then all of you could have a discussion about how much skating is going to cost and how much money you have to spend. Then you can decide what you can afford to do, and go from there.
 
Unfortunately, FSWer, we can't always do what we want to do. We can only do what we can afford to do. It sounds like your case worker and staff are trying to be supportive by helping you figure out what you can afford. When you know what that is, do that. Even if it's not everything you wished, it's still skating, right? Good luck getting this all figured out!
 
I think I see your point, FSWer. Support, to me, means that someone shares my dreams and goals and wants me to achieve as much as possible.
But even the most compassionate person around will have to consider the circumstances you are in and what it takes to persue your dream. In the beginning, the costs shouldn't bei too high - annual membership fee and the contribution for either a learn-to-skate class, an ice dancing class or a private lesson with a coach. If - I say IF! - private lessons turn out to be too expensive, I'd suggest for you to join the regular group lessons, say, the ice dancing classes held in your club. They are way cheaper and you can learn the basic elements and the preliminary dances together with other beginners in your group. Maybe it's a mixed group and you can even be partnered with another participant to try out doing the steps together. Talk to your case worker and find out what's possible, and what's the best way to get you started without wasting money.
 
Not too many clubs offer group ice dancing classes. But group classes are definitely more affordable. I'd take a lot of LTS classes to get the basics down before going to a private coach for dance lessons. You need to be able to do solid basic skating before you can dance.
 
Hang in there, @FSWer. :)

I know sometimes I feel like I'm not being supported at all, but actually people are supporting me. Things just don't happen as quickly as I would like.

Skating is expensive and sometimes that causes problems. I think your family and friends support you and I know that everyone on FSU supports you as well!
 
Shyjosie said:
I think I see your point, FSWer. Support, to me, means that someone shares my dreams and goals and wants me to achieve as much as possible.
But even the most compassionate person around will have to consider the circumstances you are in and what it takes to persue your dream. In the beginning, the costs shouldn't bei too high - annual membership fee and the contribution for either a learn-to-skate class, an ice dancing class or a private lesson with a coach. If - I say IF! - private lessons turn out to be too expensive, I'd suggest for you to join the regular group lessons, say, the ice dancing classes held in your club. They are way cheaper and you can learn the basic elements and the preliminary dances together with other beginners in your group. Maybe it's a mixed group and you can even be partnered with another participant to try out doing the steps together. Talk to your case worker and find out what's possible, and what's the best way to get you started without wasting money.
Click to expand...

Well,in my case Josie and everyone...the Girl who will be taking ME on charges $40.00 an hr. and my Staff,Case-Worker and I agreed to one lesson a month during Public Skate. Also,in my case,there aren't very many staff around these days,so the only reason I go is because Skating is in my I.P. Which means it has to be done. If it wasn't then it could be taken from me. We can also have only so much in our accounts (being under the State an all). But then with the amount of Rent I pay,everyone does sometimes wonder. However,I DO also work at Shoprite here in town,and make a WAY lot more money then the people in our program who work AT an angency. So people DO sometimes wonder about me. That's why I myself have always wondered what you DO need to be doing these days,to support yourself OR a kid as a Rec. Skater OR Competitor. If you have to be doing like you NEED to be doing to pay Rent these days (for eg. working in a Hospital of ESPN.) OR do you just need to work hard and make good money (making over Min. Wage)? BTW.,if it's not set up like the Learn to Skate Manual,how do you know when you've taken all the Ice-Dancing Lessons?
 
$40 an hour is an excellent rate for a coach. Most skaters take half-hour lessons, but if you only do once a month, an hour might be reasonable.

To answer your question, there is no such thing as "all the ice dancing lessons" even Olympic champions still take lessons. If you want an endpoint, You should set a goal for the lesson, such as "learn the dutch waltz" then you can be done once you do that. But lessons could go on forever.
 
alchemy void said:
Hang in there, @FSWer. :)

I know sometimes I feel like I'm not being supported at all, but actually people are supporting me. Things just don't happen as quickly as I would like.

Skating is expensive and sometimes that causes problems. I think your family and friends support you and I know that everyone on FSU supports you as well!
Click to expand...

Well,thank you!!! It feels really GREAT to hear THAT!!!...Also like I said before...I feels really GREAT to KNOW that you ALL understand about my situation...being in a State Program and all,knowing that I can trust ALL of YOU with my personal life enough to help me out.
 
@FSWer the amount of money you need to earn to pay for skating depends on how much skating costs for you. $40 an hour is an very reasonable cost for private lessons with a coach.

If you are going to have one lesson a month with the coach, are you able to go to the rink on your own in between lessons, to practice on your own? You will learn faster if you have time to practice on your own, as well as lesson times with the coach.
 
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Just another idea - could you also just have 15 minutes or half an hour for a lesson. When I started skating there were no adult learn to skate classes so I just went straight in to private lessons, and I started just with 15 minutes, and would then practice for 30 minutes on my own, and by then the (rental) skates hurt so much I couldn't stand to do much more. Eventually I built up to a half hour lesson and more practice time on my own, but in the beginning a full hour would not have been worth the cost.
 
Skittl1321 said:
$40 an hour is an excellent rate for a coach. Most skaters take half-hour lessons, but if you only do once a month, an hour might be reasonable.

To answer your question, there is no such thing as "all the ice dancing lessons" even Olympic champions still take lessons. If you want an endpoint, You should set a goal for the lesson, such as "learn the dutch waltz" then you can be done once you do that. But lessons could go on forever.
Click to expand...

How can there not be a max. amount of lessons?
 
FSWer said:
How can there not be a max. amount of lessons?
Click to expand...
There is always something new to learn, and no one is ever perfect, so every skill can be worked on more.

But you don't always have to just take lessons. You need to spend lots of time practicing the skills you learn in your lessons on your own too. Everyone is different, but I practiced four hours for every half-hour private lesson I took.
 
FSWer said:
How can there not be a max. amount of lessons?
Click to expand...
The people who make the rules for ice dance keep adding new dances every year, if they see something new and interesting. And then people who ice dance have something new to learn and a new test to practice for.

Remember I showed you a video of the first dance everyone learns - The Dutch Waltz. That can take some people a couple of years of practice to learn. And there are dozens of dances. Some are easier and some are harder.

It is nice knowing that if you love ice dance, you can learn new things all your life.
 
Yes, as long as you want to improve, you take lessons. Skating takes a lot of time to do well. If you have a lesson, you need to spend much more time on your own practicing between lessons. For every hour of a lesson each week, a good rule of thumb is 4 hours of practicing on your own each week. If you have one lesson a month, you need to talk to your coach about their expectation of how much you should be on the ice by yourself practicing each week.
 
FSWer said:
So it's all on-going? You just keep taking lessons for as long as YOU yourself just want to become a better Ice-Dancer?
Click to expand...

Ice dancers who compete in the Olympics and the World Championships still take lessons from their coaches. At that level the lessons might be more about learning to do things better, rather than learning new things - but no matter how good a skater is, it always helps to have a coach watch you skate and to suggest things you could work on.
 
FSWer- just a thought- but if you want well-defined goals to set for your lessons, in addition to learning to become an ice dancer by learning the different steps and maybe a few of the dances, maybe you could find out if there is anyone in the area who is an ISI coach.

The ISI has a Special Skater program that has levels broken down into manageable components that you can test and earn badges for. You may already have mastered the first level or two. Working on each of these skills would let you pass levels, but also would help you become a better ice dancer. I don't know if USFSA has an equivalent program (I haven't heard of one)- but even if you can't take the official test, maybe your coach would take you through these levels and you can mark your progress when you know you've passed them.

The special skater levels can be found here:
http://www.skateisi.com/site/sub.cfm?content=testing_requirements#14
 
So even Tessa Virtue still takes lessons? Famous Ice-Dancers just don't always talk about their lessons?
 
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