Skating Fridays

Still Dancing

Earlier in the year, I took my very first ice dance tests in the US Figure Skating test structure. I had previously tested up through Dance 3 under the ISIA (Ice Skating Institute of America) system. Because US Figure Skating does not recognize my ISIA tests, even though they were the same dances with the same music, I had to start my dance tests from the very beginning.

Fortunately, I passed my first three Preliminary dances without issue. I had intended on taking these at the Adult 21+ passing standard, but the test chair of the club I went through pushed them through at a standard level. What that means is that I would be testing at the same level as kids (“standard” level skaters). No leeway would be given to me because I was an adult.

My dance coach and I thought we should attempt to test two Pre-Bronze dances at the standard track. Both my Fiesta Tango and Cha-Cha dances were ready to be filmed. I signed up for a virtual test and turned in these videos for judges to review. After one full agonizing week, my results were finalized and shared with me.

While I felt like these dances were pretty solid, I was not expecting one generous judge to pass my Fiesta Tango with Distinction! The judges have a scale of -9 to +9 for each test’s final scores. This particular judge gave me a +7, which is at the Distinction level (the highest honor a skater can receive on a test)! And this is at the standard testing track! The other two judges passed me at more moderate scores, at a +1 and +2.

Here is that video (on another note, I have no idea why Coach E is standing at the boards in that stance in this thumbnail – haha):

And then for the Cha Cha dance, I passed with a +5, +3, and a +1. The generous judge from the previous test gave me a +5 for my Cha Cha, which is at the Honors level! I have one more Pre-Bronze dance to go (the Swing Dance), which I hope to get filmed in the next few weeks. After that’s done, I’ll be onto my Bronze level dances. Yay!

Here’s the Cha Cha:

My goal it to test through my Bronze level dances by the summertime so I can start working on Pre-Silver in the fall. There is a male skater at my rink who is interested in doing partnered dance with me, so I need to test through these dances in order to be at the same level as him. Fingers crossed that I can make this happen!

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