April 2023 Practice Schedule
The month of April always feel like a big breath of fresh air. Spring is here, flowers are blooming, the sun is shining, and birds are chirping. Shorts are getting shorter, skin is getting a little tanner, and the vibes are headed in the right direction.
When thinking of what I wanted to work on this month, I was drawn to backward skating and big long body lines. We will be going over how to push and stabilize ourselves while skating backward. We will also be pushing onto strong outer forward and outer back edges while swinging our freeleg through in a very controlled manner and remaining on the edge with a nice body line.
These are skills that we should revisit over and over again. We can always make them stronger and more precise…while of course adding body movement and things to make them more fun along the way.
Every month I put together drills, skills, and choreography that build off of each other and compliment one another. What I want us all to remember as we go through the month is that we all learn differently and at different paces. Take your time when learning. Drills are meant to be done over and over again. I recommend doing drills at least 3 times a week. Skills are meant to be re-visited and refreshed as we improve. Watch the video, practice, drill, and practice some more. Choreography puts everything together. We will be using our strength and stability built up from the drills and our technique learned from the specific skills. I will give you beats to follow and body movements to try out, but please remember that you can change any part of the choreography to make it your own and to make it feel more like you.
I am always here to help, so please do not hesitate to reach out. Take your time, have fun, and bend your knees!!!
Ps. Think about your posture throughout the day. As I was typing this, I realized I was slouching a bit. Roll those shoulders back and engage your core. Stay present and stay proud. You’re doing awesome!
Below is my recommended workout and practice schedule for April 2023.
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Week 1: BACKWARD SKATING!
DRILLS 16 (Off-skates, ON SOCKS — 2-3 days this week)
BACKWARD PUSHES (PRESS INTO YOUR OUTER BACK EDGES AND USE THE BOOTY TO STABILIZE)
Extra Credit:
BACKWARD SKATING (GET SUPER COMFY SKATING BACKWARD - IT’S OFTEN EASIER THAN FORWARD SKATING)
BACKWARD SCISSORS (FOCUS ON YOUR POSTURE)
Drills 16 can be done off skates, wearing socks. I recommend wearing socks so that you can slide your foot along the ground. This set of drills focuses on pushing weight down into the ground and applying enough pressure to keep your foot on the ground while sliding it out to the side. We use this method when pushing! We will be adding a leg lift out to the side, using our butt and leg muscles in the same way as when we push. Take your time on this set of drills and try to make it stronger each time you go through the video. Try to go through this video 2-3 times this week. It’s less than 14 minutes long. We can make that happen!
When first learning how to skate backward, we focus on transferring our weight from one foot to the other. Gaining the foundation of a strong core and upper body is important in everything we do, but especially when skating backward. A nice, neutral position is needed to keep us from falling backward/ preventing us from pitching forward. We will go over all of these fundamental techniques and then work on getting speed, using our outer and inner wheels in our Backward Pushes Skills Video. It’s important to know a few ways of gaining speed from a standstill for both forward and backward skating, and we will go over all of it. These pushes will be extremely helpful in our upcoming Choreography, which is a nice slow groove! If you are not yet comfortable skating backward, don’t worry. It may take a little extra focus compared to forward skating, but there is nothing to be afraid of. We have a few more videos to check out (Backward Skating, Backward Scissors, etc) in the Backward Skating section of the skills page. Each video is made for all levels and may unlock something new for you!
Where to find these videos:
Drills 16 - Drills & Workouts page [Link: Roll With Me , On-Demand, YouTube]
Backward Pushes - Skills page (backward skating section) [Link: Roll With Me , On-Demand, YouTube]
Backward Skating - Skills page (backward skating section) [Link: Roll With Me , On-Demand, YouTube]
Backward Scissors - Skills page (backward skating section) [Link: Roll With Me , On-Demand, YouTube]
Week 2: LEARNING TO CRUISE!
STRONG OUTER FORWARD EDGES (drill this & get extra practice with the choreography)
BEGINNER/INTERMEDIATE choreography (CRUISIN’ BY SMOKEY ROBINSON)
Extra Credit:
Drills 16 (At LEAST ONE MORE TIME THIS WEEK)
FLOW/CONNECTING MOVES (FINDING THE NATURAL FLOW OF OUR MOVEMENT)
We’re cruisin’ this month!! We will be doing our Beginner/Intermediate and our Advanced Choreography to Cruisin’ by Smokey Robinson. If you have been with me since 2021, you may remember this one 😉 This choreography is smooth and all about feeling the music, connecting our bodies to our skates and finding a rhythm with the ground beneath our feet. The Beginner/Intermediate Choreography starts out with body movement and creating a solid foundation. We will then alternate feet to push forward and push backward, ending with a forward scissor. There will of course be some strong and flowy body movements thrown in there too!
I encourage you to learn the entirety of the Beginner/Intermediate Choreography throughout the week. Try it both on and off skates to really feel the body movement. Continue practicing your skills from Week 1 because they will be very useful for this choreography! Also, check out Drills 16 at least one more time this week. These drills will help a lot with gaining strength for our outer forward edges. The Flow/Connecting Moves video is great to review every few months. Yes, body movement can be taught, but it is nothing compared to your natural movement. We are all different and that is a beautiful thing. Use my body movements as a guideline and allow your body to take it from there. Start to really feel the movement and accept the movement that comes naturally to you.
Where to find these videos:
Strong Outer Forward Edges - Free Trial & Skills page (edges section) [Link: Roll With Me , On-Demand, YouTube]
Cruisin’ (Beginner/Intermediate) - Choreography page [Link: Roll With Me , On-Demand, YouTube]
Drills 16 - Drills page [Link: Roll With Me , On-Demand, YouTube]
Flow/Connecting Moves - Skills page (dance section) [Link: Roll With Me , On-Demand, YouTube]
Week 3: Solid edges, strong legs
DRILLS 5 (2-3 days this week)
OUTER EDGE SWINGS (Watch and Review)
Extra Credit:
OUTER FORWARD EDGES (the foundation for everything)
BACKWARD PUSHES (CONTINUE practicing your backward skating)
INNER FORWARD HEEL TO HEEL TRANSITION (CHECK OUT THE SEQUENCE AT THE END OF THE SWINGS VIDEO)
OUTER FORWARD S-STEP (LET ME KNOW WHICH ONE YOU PREFER)
Drills 5 focuses on our free leg control and using our core strength to stabilize us while moving that free leg. This set of drills can be done on-skates or off. Think of your skate as a weight at the bottom of your foot, pushing you to get stronger every time you lift it. Who needs ankle weights when you have a 5 pound roller skate? Way more fun! We will be controlling our free leg, lifting it in front and in back. Feel free to hold onto a wall, table, or chair while doing this drill. It’s a great warm up for our outer edge swings!
Outer edge swings…one of the most underrated skills in skating. Skates are heavy. Balancing on one foot while moving the other free leg through the air takes strength and precision. The awesome thing about outer edge swings is that they can evolve greatly over time. Deeper edges? Make that curve stronger. Stronger free leg? Lift that skate higher. More control over your core and hips? Add some body movement and flair. I encourage you to go over this skill a few times this week and at least every few months after that. When doing an outer forward swing, a steady/sturdy outer forward edge is very helpful. Please review the Strong Outer Forward Edge Skills Video. Our edges are our foundation for everything we do on skates. When you truly understand your edges and how to press them, your options are endless! Of course pushing onto a nice outer back edge is extremely important for our outer back swings, so keep up with the Backward Pushes video as well. When you watch the Outer Edge Swings Skills Video, watch the sequence I perform at the end of the video. It’s a series of forward swings and a rotation, followed by backward swings. To transition from forward to back, you can do an Inner Forward Heel to Heel Transition or an Outer Forward S-Step. Both of these transitions are available on the Skills Page. Play with both transitions and let me know which one you prefer for the sequence!
Where to find these videos:
Drills 5 - Drills & Workouts page [Link: Roll With Me , On-Demand, YouTube]
Outer Edge Swings - Skills page (edges section) [Link: Roll With Me , On-Demand, YouTube]
Outer Forward Edges - Skills page (edges section) [Link: Roll With Me , On-Demand, YouTube]
IF Heel-Heel Transition - Skills page (artistic, edges, forward skating sections) [Link: Roll With Me , On-Demand, YouTube]
Backward Skating - Skills page (backward skating section) [Link: Roll With Me , On-Demand, YouTube]
Outer Forward S-Step - Skills page (transition section) [Link: Roll With Me , On-Demand, YouTube]
Week 4: CHOREOGRAPHY PART 2 (DON’T LET THE WORD “ADVANCED” SCARE YOU)
INNER FORWARD EDGES (review and practice in choreogrpahy)
ADVANCED CHOREOGRAPHY (CRUISIN’ BY SMOKEY ROBINSON)
Extra Credit:
CORKSCREW SPIN (SIMPLY A TIGHT OUTER FORWARD EDGE)
CROSS BEHIND (WORK ON THAT SHIFT OF WEIGHT)
ONE FOOT SPIN (SIMPLY A TIGHT INNER BACK EDGE)
Onto Part 2 of our choreography, aka the Advanced portion. Please don’t let the words “advanced” keep you from learning this piece…or anything for that matter. After learning the Beginner/Intermediate Choreography, I would love for you to move onto this one. Body movement and edge quality is what I want you to focus on. The steps should help you feel more connected to the ground underneath your wheels.
There comes a point in a skater’s life when you feel like you are pushing and edging into the surface instead of on top of it. If you’re not there yet, keep going! Start with the Inner Forward Edges Skills Class. We will be using that technique in the beginning half of the Choreography.
Use the beginning few beats to solidify your footing and find your balance, then press into your inner and outer edges to follow the pattern of the routine. In the second half of the choreography, we will be shifting our weight more to one side and pressing an edge to start spinning. We will be doing a small corkscrew spin, so if you want some extra work on that, check out that Skills Video. We will follow that up with a cross behind and then head into a few more tight edges. This is great practice for a one-foot spin as well! So, if you’re liking the way this feels in the choreography, head to the Spins section and check out the One-Foot Spin skills video.
Where to find these videos:
Inner Forward Edges - Skills page (edges section) [Link: Roll With Me , On-Demand, YouTube]
Cruisin’ (Advanced) - Choreography page [Link: Roll With Me , On-Demand, YouTube]
Corkscrew Spin - Skills page (spins section) [Link: Roll With Me , On-Demand, YouTube]
Cross Behind (Back Cross) - Skills page (forward skating section) [Link: Roll With Me , On-Demand, YouTube]
One-Foot Spin - Skills page (spins section) [Link: Roll With Me , On-Demand, YouTube]
Keep in touch about how you’re feeling. Know that I am right here, practicing all of these things alongside you. And remember to submit your progress for our community progress video! It doesn’t matter how new or experienced you are in skating, it is very important for all of us to stay consistent with our drills and practice. I am here to help with technique, movement, and most importantly with motivation.
What was your favorite part of this month? What was the hardest for you? What kept you going when you wanted to quit? Leave a comment! If you are practicing on instagram, please tag me and #quadsociety! I love to see and share your progress! Lastly, don’t forget about the wonderful community on the Discord. Everything is better with friends!
