I did that too! When I returned 10 years ago, I took Learn to Skate classes until I switched to private lessons. It was a great way to ease back in!

Exactly! Thanks for watching and commenting!

Exactly. I'm a musician as well, and I see that learning the basic edges is the basic building blocks for skating....just like how playing scales and arpeggios are the basic building blocks for playing music.

Just like with most things there is a learning progression. You can't just skip to the fun stuff before learning the fundamentals, despite what many will try to do.

You're very welcome!

YAY! Best of luck to you!

You’re welcome!

Honestly, most of the moves/skating skills are based on the figures, and some of those figures, like Circles 8's and Waltz 8's, are in the moves tests. Edge quality was important to figures. Today, edge quality is a critical focus point in moves/skating skills. The big difference is that skaters no longer dedicate hours every week just to working on figures. Rather, they tend to work on moves for part of their sessions and then move on to their programs and jumps. The other difference is that judges are not on the ice making sure that your tracings are lined up - they are watching the skater from across the rink. Edge quality is still very important to skating. The loss of artistry is due in larger part to the technical requirements of programs - it's challenging to be artistic when you have to perform triple and quad jumps, leveled spins, and leveled step sequences. That leaves very little room for the amazing moments of pure artistry.

@ I agree, and I don't feel like that's pushing the sport in the right direction. I also think that a lot of the figures are not being taught anymore simply because many of those coaches have died over the years, and more of the current coaches have changed to the MITF. I would just love to learn them, if the opportunity came up with a good coach who has experience in figures for my own benefit. They are the basic building blocks of figure skating, just like scales and arpeggios in music are to a musician.

Have you heard of World Figure Skating? worldfiguresport.org/index.html

Hello Aimee thanks for sharing this it really helps . Forward perimeter stroking--the gliding foot is suppose to be on what edge? Inside or outside ??? I tend to glide on inside edge or does it not matter on the test

Mostly on a flat with a slight inside edge is ok.

When you are gliding in a straight line on one foot you are meant to be on a flat without a curve. Forward perimeter stroking is meant to be in a straight line, so you should be on a flat just like the right and left foot spirals.

@ precise. Thank you so much clarifying

Your'e welcome!