March 2023 Practice Schedule
This month we are checking in with ourselves and each other to stay in tune with how we feel. Every day is different and the goal is to have more good days than bad ones. There are many outside forces that can impact our lives, but it really does start with us. When you wake up in the morning, do you feel good? Are you in pain? Are you still tired and don’t really feel like getting up? Same, same and same. Let’s try our best to focus on our mindset, our sleep, our diet, and our exercise over the next few weeks to see if we can start waking up feeling good more often.
This world is lucky to have us in it - let’s do some good and have some fun!
Below is my recommended workout and practice schedule for March 2023.
To gain access to all of these videos and so much more, check out my Memberships!
Week 1: Edges! Edges! Edges!
DRILLS 15 (Off-skates — 2 days this week)
INNER FORWARD EDGES: Watch and Review (FOCUS ON WHERE YOU ARE PUTTING PRESSURE DOWN INTO THE GROUND & keep your knee over your toes)
Extra Credit:
TOE PIVOTS & DISCO SPIN (ANCHOR THE MIDDLE OF YOUR CIRCLE WITH ONE FOOT, DO AN INNER FORWARD EDGE WITH THE OTHER)
INNER FORWARD LOOP (MAKE THAT INNER FORWARD EDGE TIGHT!)
Our edges are what make skating interesting. If we don’t learn to control our edges, we would simply roll in a straight line forever and ever. That wouldn’t be much fun! To do a solid inside edge, we must first make sure our skates are adjusted correctly. From there we need to work our way up, starting with where to put pressure down into the ground through our foot, up to the knee, hips, core, shoulders, and head. My outside edge video is available within the Free Trial as well as the Edges section of the Skills Page with a Membership. Check out the Outside Edge video and then dive into your inside edges. I do recommend learning both back to back and practicing them consistently. No matter how great or experienced we are as skaters, we must always practice our edges, making them stronger and deeper every day.
Let’s be real. Even though I call Drills 15 an off-skates “warm up”, it’s a workout! These were my drills every day for about 5 years. I would get out of school and head straight to the skating rink, put my stuff inside, and then walk right back out to go through these drills. I would then do a light stretch, get my skates on, and I was ready to skate for a few hours. These drills are a great warm up before you skate or a great complete workout, depending on the day. Take your time with it. I promise it will get easier to complete the more you do it.
We use our outer and inner edges in just about everything. Once you have practiced both, the options of what to do next are endless. A great next step for our outer edge practice is the Outer Edge Swings video and the Corkscrew Spin. As for inside edges, I highly suggest Toe Pivots, the Disco Spin, and the Inner Forward and Inner Back Loops.
Where to find these videos:
Drills 15 - Drills & Workouts page [Link: Roll With Me , On-Demand, YouTube]
Outer Forward Edges - Free Trial & Membership Skills page (edges section) [Link: Roll With Me , On-Demand, YouTube]
Inner Forward Edges - Skills page (edges section) [Link: Roll With Me , On-Demand, YouTube]
Toe Pivots - Skills page (toe stops section) [Link: Roll With Me , On-Demand, YouTube]
Disco Spin - Skills page (heel-toe section) [Link: Roll With Me , On-Demand, YouTube]
Inner Forward Loop - Skills page (edges section) [Link: Roll With Me , On-Demand, YouTube]
Week 2: Choreography for all levels
inner forward edges (continue practicing)
choreography: Music for a sushi restaurant (all levels)
Extra Credit:
crosses (we will be using our cross in front and back crosses in our choreography)
body roll (add some flavor to your steps with a little or a lot of body movement)
heel/toe step (the finale to our choreography - trust me )
First of all, this album (Harry’s House) was played in our house every day for about 2 months! To say I love it would be an understatement. I am soooo excited to do choreography to it! Plus, we’re trying something new this month: half choreography and half footwork. This choreography/footwork combo is made for all levels with options for everyone. It’s important to take your time and make each move your own. Have fun with it! Also, this choreography is a ton of fun off-skates! No need to lace up.
While choreography is about having fun, it’s also a great way to practice skills. It’s actually my favorite way to practice skills! You don’t have to be a master at said skills to do the choreography, but if you want to make your movement easier and more precise, this choreography includes: cross in front, body roll, back crosses, and the heel/toe step. Practicing these skills alongside the choreography will make everything come together smoother.
Those inner forward edges we worked on last week will be very important for our upcoming footwork, so make sure you continue to work on those too!
Where to find these videos:
Inner Forward Edges - Skills page (edges section) [Link: Roll With Me , On-Demand, YouTube]
Music For A Sushi Restaurant - Choreography page [Link: Roll With Me , On-Demand, YouTube]
Cross in Front & Back Crosses - Skills page (forward skating section) [Link: Roll With Me , On-Demand, YouTube/Back Crosses]
Body Roll - Skills page (dance section) [Link: Roll With Me , On-Demand, YouTube]
Heel/Toe Step - Skills page (heel-toe section) [Link: Roll With Me , On-Demand, YouTube]
Week 3: TURN AROUND BACKWARD WITH EASE
DRILLS 9 (2 days this week)
IF HEEL-HEEL TRANSITION: Watch and Review (THE EASIEST AND OFTEN BEST WAY TO TURN BACKWARD)
Extra Credit:
DRILLS 5 (CONTROL YOUR FREELEG MOVEMENT)
BACKWARD SKATING (I PROMISE IT’S NOT AS SCARY AS IT MAY SEEM)
PIVOTS (WE WILL BE USING THEM NEXT WEEK)
The heel to heel transition is the simplest and often the best way to turn from forward to back and back to forward, especially when in a hurry. We will be working on the inner forward heel to heel transition. This means that we will be balancing on an inner forward edge momentarily or on a solid edge depending on the circumstance, opening up our hips to turn the other foot backward, and then fully rotating ourselves to skate backward. This can be done stationary or with speed. It can also be done by closing the hip quickly or stretching it out with a beautiful freeleg to add some grace and strength to any sequence. The heel-heel transition is my favorite way to turn from forward to back when skating downhill with extreme speed! I also use this rotation to go into a one-foot spin while rolling. Because we end our heel to heel transition rolling backward, check out the Backward Skating video. Backward skating doesn’t have to be scary - I promise!
To help us gain strength and confidence while transferring our weight and rotating, let’s do Drills 9 at least twice this week. Roll With Me Members, we will go over this in class on Tuesday, so that can be one of the times, but do it again throughout the week. This drills video can be done on skates or off and works the whole body. When we are balancing on feet or skates we have to engage our core while using our arms to help us balance. These drills will help with exactly that!
Another great drills video to go through this week is Drills 5 which focuses more on our freeleg strength while keeping the core tight. After going through this video, check out the toe pivots and back pivots videos. These skills will be essential for our footwork coming up next week.
Where to find these videos:
Drills 9 & Drills 5 - Drills & Workouts page [Link: Roll With Me , On-Demand, YouTube Drills 9/Drills 5]
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]
One-Foot Spin - Skills page (spins section) [Link: Roll With Me , On-Demand, YouTube]
Toe Pivot & Back Pivot - Skills page (toe stops section) [Link: Roll With Me , On-Demand, YouTube Toe Pivot/ Back Pivot]
Week 4: GRACEFUL Footwork to make IT ALL COME TOGETHER
DRILLS 15 (getting stronger every day)
FOOTWORK: MUSIC FOR A SUSHI RESTAURANT (ALL LEVELS)
Extra Credit:
Inner forward edges (our edges can always get stronger - keep working at them)
If Heel-Heel Transition (play with holding your freeleg open and stretching)
Footwork was the number one request after we dabbled in it last year and it just so happens that footwork is my specialty! When I was winning the World Championships, it wasn’t because of my dance technique, it was because of my showmanship and footwork. When I began coaching and choreographing after competing, footwork was the piece of the puzzle that had coaches flying me all over the world. Our footwork is similar to our choreography - with a little or a lot more speed. We will focus on our inner forward edges and our heel to heel transitions with some added flare. You can do this footwork in a small space or make it as huge as you want. I teach this footwork in my small studio, adding pivots to help me rotate. I then take it outside and demonstrate, using my outer back edges and swings to take up more space in place of the pivots. It’s all about working with what you have. Like choreography, I want you to make each step your own. I give advice of where you place your body and how to safely and securely execute each move for all levels, but add your own flavor when you’re comfortable.
To continue gaining strength, do Drills 15 off-skates again this week. If possible, aim to do Drills 15 at least once every week. It will continue to improve your overall balance and strength.
If you want to brush up on the individual skills that we do within our footwork sequence, check out the Inner Forward Edges video again, the IF Heel-Heel Transition, the Back Pivot, and Backward Skating. We will be going over more backward skating in the near future, so let me know if you need any extra guidance as you work through that.
Where to find these videos:
Drills 15 - Drills & Workouts page [Link: Roll With Me , On-Demand, YouTube]
Footwork: Music For A Sushi Restaurant - Skills page (footwork section) & Choreography page [Link: Roll With Me , On-Demand, YouTube]
Inner 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]
Back Pivot - Skills page (toe stop section) [Link: Roll With Me , On-Demand, YouTube]
Backward Skating - Skills page (backward skating 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 your 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!
