March 2009
Week of March 8, 2009
Aerobic Dance Party
All I can say is “it sucked”. Admittedly, I am not a dancer, but I do like aerobics and am always looking for a good aerobics class that will work up a good sweat. I have tried a smattering of classes at my new gym/health club and had tried this one once before I went out of town. I did not particularly care for it, but decided to give it another try. My first impression was that the class served as a forum for the instructor to show off his fantastic dance skills, and anyone who thought she could keep up was welcome to try. I return to the fact that I am not a dancer. Never was; never will be.
What makes a good aerobics class is as individual as the people participating in the class, so I will speak for myself. In my opinion, a good aerobics class is athletically challenging, includes sufficient warm up and cool down segments. It incorporates all major muscle groups and offers options for advanced, intermediate and beginning students. Routines are changed on a rotating basis to keep the class interesting but not discouraging. It incorporates movements that are easy to learn for people of average dance ability. Moves are recycled from one routine to another and recombined to create new and stimulating patterns without becoming overly confusing. A good aerobics class is physically stimulating without becoming mentally frustrating.
I guess it’s my own problem that I am embarrassed by my lack of dance experience. However, the instructor seemed to be trying to turn a group of middle-aged women into a cruise ship chorus line. Not going to happen. Of course, there are those in the crowd who are dancers and maybe even have training and performance experience. Skating does not count, at least not for me.
Barely sweating, I kept glancing at the clock waiting for a break in the action when I could grab my water bottle and politely slip out the door. This was a colossal waste of my time. Finally, the moment came, and I left. Could I have learned those moves? Probably. However, I would have had to enjoy the “aerobic dance party” enough to commit to it, but I hated it. Personally, I prefer aerobics classes that consist of simple exercise rather than complex dances. Example: kickboxing versus salsa. I’ll take the kickboxing every time. Don’t get me wrong, I know dance is exercise, but this class just was not for me.
Week of March 15, 2009
The Old Bat in the Locker Room
I am starting to recognize people in the gym either from the fitness center, exercise classes or the locker room. I try to avoid being in the locker room when the water aerobics class ends because the place, which is already too small to accommodate the members, fills to overflowing. The showers and toilet stalls are all taken, and the locker/dressing area becomes uncomfortably packed. However, my schedule seems to match the water aerobics crowd.
One older lady who comes to water aerobics on a regular basis is an annoying presence in the locker room. Every time I see her in there, she is complaining – no, bitching – about something. The sauna is too cold, the shower is broken, her locker key doesn’t work, the bathroom is messy, etc. These may all be legitimate concerns. However, she does not realize that her obnoxious griping distracts from everyone else’s pleasant experience. I am often relaxing in the hot tub when she starts ranting. I close my eyes but cannot close my ears. I wish she would just notify the front desk on her way out rather than trying to incite a rebellion. I try to ignore her, but she will direct her comments to anyone nearby. Other people have politely asked her to inform the management, but she cannot contain her outrage over what I think is a minor and fixable issue.
Unfortunately, she was in the dressing area when I came out of the shower and gathered my clothes. I pulled on my pants and threw a sweatshirt over my head. She was watching me.
“Did you forget your bra?” she demanded loudly.
I turned in horror. Can I be the only woman on the planet who throws on a baggy sweatshirt without a foundation garment? At best, my first reaction would be to ask her if it is any of her business. At worst, I might tell her to bite my ass or f*** off. She would have deserved it. But, no, I am too nice. I told her the truth: I am heading straight home. She told me she was not. Too bad for her.
I do not even know this woman’s name. If she wanted to make small talk with me she could have mentioned the weather or asked how I like the club. Nope, she wants to know if I left my bra at home. Great approach. That will certainly win friends and influence people just like all of the other crap that falls out of her big mouth. I guess there is a cranky old bat in every locker room.
Week of March 15, 2009 Part Two
Low Freestyle Group Class
Lucky me, I am teaching the brand new low freestyle group class at Ice Castle. Ice Castle is a recreational rink that does much of its business through hockey. It also does well with teen nights, weekend publics and group lessons (in season). It is not known as a training center for freestyle skaters. We do not have international coaches or competitors. All of our competitive skaters enter basic skills events, if they compete at all. This suits me fine, as I am not a former competitor and programs are not my cup of tea. We do have coaches who fill this need, and maybe I should warm up to the idea, but it is simply not my area of expertise. I am more skills-oriented than artistic.
The new group class is aimed at recreation skaters who are not ready for privates or committing to the expense of competition, at least not yet. The class is an hour long, and I teach the entire hour. The first session was held this week. I loved teaching it and the kids loved participating. For most of the kids, this was the first time they had the entire surface to work with. I warmed them up with stroking and crossovers around the rink both forward and backward. My first goal is to eliminate toe-pushing. After a good warm up we practiced half jumps and hops including side hop, ballet jump, bunny hop, mazurka, and waltz jump.
I introduced Russian stroking which consists of alternating forward crossovers around the rink. A few of the students favored cross-rolls. I worked with each skater individually to help them understand the lobe pattern and directional change. Since many stumbled upon cross-rolls themselves, I also included that skill. One girl was particularly good at cross-rolls. Next time, I will introduce swing rolls. I want to incorporate basic dance skills into my class because, in my opinion, dance movements improve the overall quality of a person’s skating and ice coverage. Chasses will follow the next week.
This group still struggles with the difference between inside and outside three-turns, which I find remarkably frustrating, especially since they must understand the basic forward outside three-turn in order to learn a more advanced one-foot spin entrance. In general, the students can already do a pivot and two-foot spin entrance. The time has come for them to move on to the classic preparations that will enhance the speed and quality of their spins, eventually allowing them to work on other variations including layback, sit, and camel. I think I will stress three-turns by teaching alternating threes on the hockey line. That will beat the concept into their heads. And we really need to concentrate on the nemesis of all beginning frreestylists: the dreaded mohawk turn. Why is that turn such a nightmare?
Our next meeting will include the following new skills:
- Swing rolls
- Alternating forward edges on the hockey line
- Alternating forward three-turns on the hockey line
- Toe loop.
Week of March 22, 2009
What’s Going on with My Own Skating?
Simple answer: not a whole heck of a lot. I cannot get motivated. Part of my problem is the emptiness of the rink. That does not ordinarily constitute a problem. Usually it is a godsend. I can skate all over the place like a nut and nobody will bother me or cross my path. I can fool around with new moves without risk of anyone watching my failures. However, after my father died, I find that I do not like to be left alone in the cold. It bums me out. Being out of practice does not help either. All the more reason to pull my act together and get to the rink while I have time and opportunity, but I cannot make myself go. I even get free ice time. I can only explain this as a grief issue.
Instead, I have been going to the gym and have written about some of my workout adventures in recent entries. So, what does the gym offer that the rink does not? Two things: people and structured classes. The presence of others motivates me. The presence of others makes me feel less alone and depressed even if I don’t say a word to anyone the whole time I am there. Structured classes start at a specific time and I can just follow along without much independent thought. I do not have to discipline myself to do anything. The instructor tells us to do crunches, and I do as many crunches as she asks. She tells us to run, and I take off around the studio. She shows us a new stretch, and I try it. Once I’m there, I can’t stop. I warm up for the class on the cardio equipment and use the resistance machines after the class. Then I stretch and soak in the hot tub. It’s mindless, and I have a routine. The rink needs a hot tub.
I always had a routine at the rink too. Stroking, moves in the field, spins, jumps, combinations, flying spins, whatever. Skating alone these days is boring. I think I need a swift kick in ass. There is plenty of stuff I should practice for my coaching, especially now that I am teaching the low freestyle group. I have to be able to at least walk through all of the basic jumps in the opposite direction. Yuck. I am especially put off by that because of my right ankle, which has never been the same since I broke it, not that I ever jumped in both directions anyway. Maybe I dread this so much, I am avoiding it. A right foot landing is not high on my things-to-do list. I can hardly wait until I have to demonstrate backward outside three-turns on my right foot. I tripped on one of those and wound up in an ambulance. Since then, I have scorned these formerly doable turns. This is pure fear. I need to get over it.
Have I done anything worth a crap on the ice during my few recent practice periods? I am hard pressed to think of a single thing. Pause. Try to remember. There must be something. I did a big loop jump and a decent backward attitude spin. My basic skating skills are still strong and clean. My spirals are pretty. My sit spins are fast. I guess that’s not too bad. I’m good at everything I need to teach. I can do a slow counterclockwise waltz jump for demonstration purposes without hurting myself. That’s encouraging. Maybe it’s not as bad as I think.
Week of March 29, 2009
Lesson Debacle
A parent called to arrange a lesson for his three-and-a-half year old son. I scheduled the lesson for noon. When I arrived at the rink, the manager told me my student was on the ice. This is not unusual because the parents probably wanted to skate with their child for a while before I arrived. Then Leslie told me they thought the lesson was at eleven, before the session even began. I would not have made that mistake. I told the parent I was sorry for the misunderstanding and would put my skates on and start the lesson immediately, if that was acceptable to him. Now the father back-peddled and told me he thought the lesson was at eleven-thirty, not what he told Leslie at the front desk. Apparently he was the one who misunderstood, but happily blamed it on me. I was polite. The customer is always right.
The poor kid was probably freezing cold. His adoring parents did not provide the little boy with gloves. His hands had turned red and were wet from falling and trying to get up. The child was so distracted by looking around the rink for daddy that he did not pay any attention to me and basically collapsed in my arms, allowing me and my aching back to hold him up. The mother approached, and I explained to her what I was trying to get him to do, to stand up on his own on the smiley face I had drawn on the ice. Then he threw himself on her and refused to stand up. The father came over. The kid cried that he was cold. No wonder. Dad told me his lesson was over and wanted a refund for the unused time. I directed him back to the front desk.
Clearly the kid is too young to take lessons and be separated from him parents. Had the family not already been in the building for an hour, things might have been different, but the child was exhausted and his attention span depleted. I did not expect to hear from these people again; although, I suggested they call if they would like to try again.
A few days later two other coaches told me the same parent had contacted them for lessons. According to the father we did not “mesh”. I could say all kinds of things about that. In my opinion, “meshing” was not the issue. I think the father is looking for a magic bullet to teach his tot to skate. If not me, then someone else must hold the secret. Good luck.
I had felt upset about this lesson debacle, wondering what I could have done differently. After talking to the other coaches, I realize the problem was not on my end. This parent seems to have unrealistic expectations for his very young child and is looking for a coach with a magic wand. I guess I left mine in my other pants.
Tuesday March 31, 2009
A Good Aerobic Dance Class
After my last entry about an aerobic dance class that I did not like, I do not want to leave readers with the impression that all cardio dance classes are bad. I found one that I enjoy. I had attended this class once before, but it was offered at a time when I am usually at work. Another session was added to the schedule, so I tried again.
The class is called “Latin Salsa” and is taught by a younger woman who is obviously a very capable, well-trained dancer. It is the antithesis of everything that was wrong with the other class. The instructor broke every move down and taught it to us before incorporating the steps into the routine. She recycled steps, so we could build on what we had already learned. She kept in fairly simple. She did not use the class as a stage for her own abilities. She acted as a teacher rather than a star. Once I learned the basic components of the dance, I was able to add my own personality to them, use my arms, develop rhythm, and move to the beat of the music. It was fun and I sweated. Nobody seemed completely lost.
Comparing these two classes (and others), I wonder why some instructors take their classes to extremes. Of course, there are participants who are good dancers and want to get out there and shake it. Maybe the show-off instructors are trying to get private students, much like a skating coach. All teachers should be able to perform far beyond the level of their students. They must have mastery over the skills they are teaching to be able to demonstrate how the move should look when performed well. An important difference between teaching advanced skating and aerobic dance is that many coaches have never performed triples, but understand jump mechanics from their own experience and training and can correct errors without doing the triple themselves. This may also be true for doubles. (Don’t get me wrong here. I am not saying I can teach triples or even doubles, having limited experience with multi-rotation jumps myself.) Many aerobics instructors are also personal trainers. They offer individual sessions, much like private skating lessons. Some of them may even recruit dance students or work at dance studios.
The gym offers several types of dance classes for an extra fee. These include tap, salsa, belly dancing, and pole dance. I would like to improve my dance skills and have thought of suggesting a ballet class for adults. I would also be interested in Irish Step Dance. In any case, I appreciate the format of the Latin Salsa cardio class and will try to make it part of my weekly exercise routine.
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