August 2023 Practice Schedule
Just like that, it’s August and we’re nearly halfway through the summer. If you haven’t done all the things you want to do yet, don’t fret, there’s still time! The sun is shining, the kids are back in school (or almost back in school), and the opportunity to take some time for yourself and have fun is here! You deserve it. We deserve it!
I have created a Summer checklist to help us finish our summer strong and you can check that out here! The checklist contains all the skills I recommend learning or brushing up on for your next big skate adventure (and yes, that can also mean you skating in your home lol no skatelove, no problem).
Alright, let’s get into what’s happening this month!
Below is my recommended practice schedule for August 2023 and you can find links to each video at the bottom of each section.
To gain access to all of these videos and so much more, check out my Memberships here or on YouTube!
Please don’t hesitate to reach out and let me know if you would like further guidance. You can book private lessons right here! Members, make sure to sign in for discounted pricing!
Week 1:
Drills 1 (strength & balance)
What Do I Do With My Hands? (a very important skill)
Extra Credit:
Dribble/ Slingshot
Forward Cross Pulls
Drills 1: Starting with Drills 1, we will be working on our strength and balance. These drills will include squats, shifting weight to one leg and balancing with the freeleg in tabletop position, using the weight of our skate behind us to strengthen that booty, and finishing with a one-foot squat. Even though all of these drills focus on our lower body, we will be using our core and arms to help us stabilize. Every part of our body is important, especially when we are balancing on wheels. So, even when you’re walking around, cleaning, or working this week, try to think of that. Remind yourself to roll your shoulders back and tighten up that core. Bonus points if you hold your head high and dominate this week with confidence!
What Do I Do With My Hands?: It’s one of the most frequently asked questions and I’m here to help!
We don’t just use our hands to help us stabilize when skating, we also use them to generate momentum. We move them back and forth when generating speed while striding from one foot to the other, we pull them in to create more rotations when jumping or spinning, and we check them out to the side when we want to stop a turn. We can move them in graceful ways to show fluidity or lock them in sharp movements to create drama. The secret is strength and control. Yes, even in those slow, fluid movements…especially in those slow, fluid movements. Don’t be afraid to try new things with your arms from time to time. Our unique movements are what set us apart from one another and that’s a beautiful thing.
Dribble/ Slingshot: The dribble is one of the skills in my summer checklist. Because it is a repetitive move on two feet, it is great to practice wherever you are. Small space? No problem. Middle of the dance floor? Yes please! While this skill is done on both feet, it drills the transfer of weight from one foot to the other. Get some extra practice on those inner edges and turn it into a slingshot. Tighten up your core to help you rotate and add some bounce to the knees. Have fun with it!
Forward Cross Pulls: We will be learning/focusing on some of our backward skating in the upcoming weeks, so let’s take some time to work on our forward skating first. Forward cross pulls are a great way to gain speed and edge around corners. Have you ever seen anyone (or maybe you’ve been this person) at a skating rink roll super confidently down the straightaway and freak out when they get to the corner because they don’t know how to turn? I sure have! This is usually followed by stiff legs, flailing arms, running into the wall. I don’t want you to have to go through that. Forward cross pulls will help you get around that corner with confidence!
Where to find these videos:
Drills 1 - Drills & Workouts page [Link: Website, YouTube]
What Do I Do With My Hands? - Skills page (artistic skating section) [Link: Website, YouTube]
Dribble/ Slingshot - Skills page (dance section) [Link: Website, YouTube]
Forward Cross Pulls - Skills page (forward skating section) [Link: Website, YouTube]
Week 2:
Beginner/Intermediate Choreography (Crazy In Love by Beyonce)
Extra Credit:
Heel/Toe Step
Crab Walk
Toe Stop Strut
Beginner/Intermediate Choreography: You can’t go wrong with classic Beyonce! Fun fact: when I went to skate session last month with Gladys and Elaine (heyyyy ladies), they played Crazy In Love and none of us could stand still. So, we’re throwin’ it back…literally! I want you to start with the Beginner/Intermediate Choreography no matter what level skater you are. The beats are fast, so take your time learning this and remember that you ARE Beyonce for these four 8-counts. Some of the skills used in this choreography are explained below.
Heel/Toe Step: Alternating heel/toe is a cool dance move on its own, but it’s also a very important skill to master. When I say skating is a full body workout, it is literally a full body workout (brain included). This move can be a bit of a brain teaser at times! There are many moves in skating that require us to lift our toe wheels or heel wheels: heel/toe spin, manuals, one-foot turns, etc. Like I always say in choreography, dancing through skills is the best way to make them feel natural. This skill is no exception. We can do the heel/toe step by moving one foot at a time, both feet at the same time, or lifting one leg up to balance on just one leg!
Crab Walk: This skill has a lot of names, a lot of variations, and a whole lot of character! Using what we learned from the heel/toe step, we will now be adding some movement to travel side to side in the crab walk. You can do this skill off-skates as well! You can even move your feet back and forth to create a more Charleston-esque move!
Toe Stop Strut: My beloved toe stop strut - this will always be one of my favorite moves. Every time I see someone strut it out (on toe stops or not), a few words come to mind: strength, confidence, and power. Try to embody those words with each step you take. Hold your head high, stick that chest out, and go! Please let me know if you need any extra tricks for this one. Like I said, it is my favorite! I am happy to help!
Where to find these videos:
Crazy In Love (Beginner/Intermediate) - Choreography page [Link: Website, YouTube]
Heel/Toe Step - Skills page (heel-toe section) [Link: Website, YouTube]
Crab Walk - Skills page (heel-toe section) [Link: Website, YouTube]
Toe Stop Strut - Skills page (toe stops section) [Link: Website, YouTube]
Week 3:
DRILLS 10 (body line control)
Outer Back Upright Spin (my favorite spin)
Extra Credit:
Backward Cross Pull
Dips
Inner Forward 3 Turn
Drills 10: Drills 10 works on our edges as well as our body line control. In our first drill we will be pushing one skate forward and backward, using our other skate on an inside edge to create power. In our second drill we will be balancing on one leg, lifting the other out to the side and leaning. This one can be challenging and I want you to ease into it. Only tilt as far as you are comfortable and remember to really engage your core to hold you up.
Outer Back Upright Spin: I recently asked over email and on my Instagram what skills everyone is wanting to learn in the near future. The skill with the most responses was the Outer Back Upright Spin. This just so happens to be my favorite spin! So, I am so excited to work on it! When I was competing at the World level, I had to include a jump and a spin in each of my routines. The jump changed year to year, but the spin remained the same. When I was tired at the end of a routine or my legs were shaking from nerves, there was one spin I felt confident in every single time and that was the outer back upright. Whenever I say that something is on an outer back edge, I mean that you are traveling backward while pressing to the outside of your skate. That is exactly what we do for this spin. We can enter this spin multiple ways, but we will be doing it from a standstill. This way everyone can work on it no matter what skill level.
Backward Cross Pull: Working on the outer back edge for the outer back upright opens so many doors. We use our outer back edges in many things: every jump exit, every spin exit, and cross pulls just to name a few. We enter the backward cross pull on an outer back edge. While both feet are on the floor (one on the outer back edge and the other on an inner back edge), most of our weight is focused into the foot that is closest to the inside of our circle which is the outer back edge. Body position is super important when practicing any of these skills, so make sure you’re paying attention to keeping your core tight, bending your knees, and keeping your chest raised.
Dips: When I dip, you dip, we dip! Hehe! Dips are a fun move and can really become outrageous quick, which I love! Backward dips are done on a solid outer back edge with the skating knee super bent and your other foot guiding you with just the toe wheels on the ground. If you have a solid outer back edge, your dips will be stunning almost every time. Rotate your body and add a body roll if you really want to get funky with it! 10/10 recommend.
Inner Forward 3 Turn: This turn is loved by many and hated by few. We enter it on an inner forward edge (hence the name) and exit it on an outer back edge. Because this turn is an all-time favorite for a lot of skaters, it is most commonly used in traveling turns. You can use your freeleg to help your turn by dropping it behind you, creating momentum. Or you can keep it at your side and focus solely on the edges. No matter how you do it, keep your core strong and a soft bend in your skating leg to absorb the turn.
Where to find these videos:
Drills 10 - Drills & Workouts page [Link: Website, YouTube]
Outer Back Upright Spin - Skills page (artistic skating section) [Link: Website, YouTube]
Backward Cross Pull - Skills page (backward skating section) [Link: Website, YouTube]
Dips - Skills page (backward skating section) [Link: Website, YouTube]
Inner Forward 3 Turn - Skills page (turns section) [Link: Website, YouTube]
Week 4:
ADVANCED CHOREOGRAPHY (Crazy In Love by Beyonce)
Extra Credit:
Edge Rockover
C-Step
Advanced Choreography: And now for our grand finale - the Advanced Choreography for Crazy In Love! The most important thing that I want you to remember is that skating is fun! Try not to take things too seriously, especially when it comes to choreography! Our advanced choreography is fast, of course! And quite complex with edges, rockovers, and snappy movements. Check it out, hit as many beats as you can, and have fun with it!!!!
Edge Rockover: An edge rockover transitions us from one edge to another - an outer edge moves over to an inner edge and an inner edge transitions to an outer edge. There are a lot of different muscles in our feet and legs that make this possible. Finding which muscles to trigger takes some time, so be nice to yourself when practicing this one. I would file this skill under skating fundamentals, meaning it is important for all skill levels and a skill we should all come back to regularly. Repetition is very important for skills like this no matter how experienced of a skater you are. So, we should all keep practicing those edges, adding in rockovers and body movements to help strengthen our overall skating.
C-Step: The c-step is a really fun dance/rhythm move that uses our inner back edges to draw a C on the ground. We worked on our outer back edges last week, so now it’s time to work on the inner back edges! We can’t have one edge be better than the other - that just wouldn’t be fair! The c-step isn’t just about the inner back edge, it is also about getting your weight quickly over the skating foot and learning to lessen the pressure to allow the skate to roll freely. So, for a fun dance move, there is a lot going on. Take it step by step (literally) and please let me know if you would like any extra help.
Private Lessons are available every week on Thursdays and Fridays. If you would like another day, please let me know and I will see what I can do!
Where to find these videos:
Crazy In Love (Advanced) - Choreography page [Link: Website, YouTube]
Edge Rockover - Skills page (edges section) [Link: Website, YouTube]
C-Step - Skills page (edges section) [Link: Website, YouTube]
At the end of each month, I want you to take a moment to look back and see how far you’ve come. Did you learn something new? Did you progress? Did you surprise yourself? Do you have new goals for next month? Take a moment, breathe, roll your shoulders back, lift your head high, and tell yourself you’re doing a great job. Because you are.
If you would like to submit your progress for our Community Progress Video, submit your vertical video here. Submissions are due on the last day of each month.
Keep in touch about how you’re feeling. Know that I am right here, practicing all of these things alongside you. 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? 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!
