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[What
to Expect] [Types
of Comps] [Typical
Events] [Checklist]
[Gold
Medal] [How
to Interp Scores] [Sample
Scores] [Combining
SP/FS] [Judges]
What
Makes a Gold-Medal Program?
Actually,
there is no magic answer to putting together a winning program.
(Sorry!) There are just too
many different ways to put together a program full of jumps, spins, and moves.
No one formula guarantees success.
But
there are some general principles that are pretty-much guaranteed to be a part
of most gold-medal programs. The
things I mention below are ideas based on my observations only, and may not be
the best for you. Trust your pro's judgement on this - he or she knows you &
your abilities. And also knows what other skaters in your area are doing.
Almost
all good programs honor the following 4 principles:
Good Skating
First and foremost! Good posture, good flow, good (non-toe) pushes, good
extension. Clean, quiet, edges without a lot of scratching. Consistently solid
one-footed landings with no
touches, cheats, 3-turns, dips,
hooks. Good flowthrough on jumps. This
stuff sounds "boring" and not as important as packing in lots of stuff
-- don't believe it! Judges form
their initial impression based on this stuff - and often get you placed into a
"top / middle / bottom third" category based on it -- even before
looking at the specific elements you do.
Balance
A
well-balanced program is essential. You should have a good mix of spins,
"moves", and jumps. Don't repeat one element over and over just
because it's hard and you happen to do it well -- most judges stop writing down
an element once you show them you know how to do it (and 1 or 2 times is plenty
for that…). It's better to show
that you can do a wide variety of elements, and connect them nicely.
The right elements
Try to demonstrate command of all the elements specified for your test
level. Show off a couple from higher levels if you can do them well.
It's probably better to not try the hard ones if they're not consistent -
you don't get much credit for a poorly performed element, and the stress you'll
be putting on yourself worrying about it might cause the rest of the program to
suffer.
Presentation
Use your arms, your face, and body positioning to help you present your
program. Good skating with no expression is boring skating. Try to
"hear", feel, and “present” your music. Too often we see programs
that use the music only to fill in that nasty silence that exists if it's not
playing. Let the judges & the audience "see" the music in your
presentation. Try to "connect" with your audience - look at them,
make eye contact. Look like you're enjoying yourself.
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