Top 7 Show Essentials
Christina and Mark Performing a Daft Punk Number. (Photo by Jane Vernon)
What are the most important things you need to perform? You may be skating in an ice show, acting in a play, performing in a concert, or modeling at a photo shoot. Whatever your performance or show, here are my top 7 show essentials.
1. Skates/shoes/equipment
If you are an ice skater, it is going to be very difficult to skate without skates! If you are a ballerina to be performing on pointe, it will be tricky to perform without pointe shoes. Towels, guards, pads for feet, etc., are also important in helping you perform in your equipment. Remember your equipment!
Top Tip for Skating Performances and Competitions
Christina Chitwood and Mark Hanretty having fun performing to “Bei Mir Bist Du Schön” from The Swing Kids at the 2009 European Championships. (Photo by Liz Chastney)
Competing and performing can be a nerve-racking experience. It can also be a wonderful and enjoyable experience. How you approach the competition can make all the difference in the world.
From my experiences at many different kinds of ice skating competitions from national championships to international senior B competitions to the European and World Championships, there is one thing I always used to perform my best.
Performing under Pressure
During the next two months in preparation for the State Games in March, I’ll be talking about how to perform your best in competition. I always say that competing should be for fun. Regardless of the placement, you need to enjoy the experience. Skating your best should be more rewarding than a trophy or first place finish.
But, I understand it’s always nice to receive an award for a job well done! An article from Sports Coach talks about performing under pressure and where pressure comes from. You can use the information not only for competition, but also in other life events that bring pressure.
Make 2011 Your Year of Success through Goals
Are you feeling excited and into 2011? Or maybe you had a great holiday season but still don’t feel ready to get going again. Whether you feel ready to throw yourself into the new year with full force or are lacking enthusiasm, you can make 2011 your year of success! The key is to begin now with setting your goals and starting to achieve them!
Here are 5 ways to help 2011 be your year of success…
Christmas Show Pointers
2007 Viejas Christmas Show
Christmas ice shows are a fun way to celebrate the holiday season! There are many different types, ranging from full-blown productions with spotlights, professional skaters, and full storylines and themes to a recital of Christmas numbers with music and costumes.
In San Diego, there are a number of Christmas shows. In November, I starred in a show up at Viejas Casino. There are also shows at Horton Plaza and San Diego Ice Arena. I am getting ready for the Kroc Center annual Christmas show on December 15! Many of my students, my sister, Chrissy, and I will be skating in it.
If you have a Christmas show coming up, here are some Christmas show pointers:
- Remember your skates and costume.
- Girls, wear makeup and do your hair.
- Be at the show early enough to find parking and to check in ahead of time.
- Once you arrive, find your assigned locker room to warm up and get ready in.
- Most of all, have fun, smile, and enjoy! 🙂
Chea and I (and my whole family) received a special gift this holiday season – my sister, Chrissy, and her husband, Tom, will be living in San Diego! Chrissy moved here on Wednesday, and Tom (who is British) is visiting until his visa is ready for him to move here in January. Chrissy will be joining Chea and me at ChitwoodSkating.com starting in January. For now, we’re all taking time off from writing blog posts to enjoy some awesome family time together!
Happy Holidays!!!
How to Perform Basic Figure Skating Jumps
My last blog post was How to Recognize Figure Skating Jumps. Here are some more interesting articles and videos about skating jumps. The articles and videos cover the main technical jumps in skating. There are also other jumps that are used in choreography such as split, stag, and ballet jumps for presentation.
Here’s an article from XanBoni on Jumps.
Jo Ann Schneider Farris at About.com: Figure Skating has an article on the Top 7 Basic Figure Skating Jumps Every Ice Skater Must Know.
Here’s another article on Figure Skating Jumps from Skating Fitness. It also has information on the origins of the jumps.
If you have a question about jump terminology, check out the Jumps Glossary from Figure Skating Journal.
Here’s a great video with Michael Weiss on How to Perform the Six Basic Jumps. This page has more detailed videos with Michael Weiss on each of the six basic jumps.
