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PROGRAM COMPONENTS CAMP


EMOTIONAL LIFT


SKATERS LEARN WAYS TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES by BARB REICHERT


A tip for campers: Don’t forget to stir the


oatmeal. Tat’s what 160 figure skaters — and some


of their parents — learned at the U.S. Figure Skating National Program Components Camp held April 27‒29 in Strongsville, Ohio. Te national training camp was open to athletes who competed in regional (singles) and sectional (pairs and ice dance) qualifying events and featured on- and off-ice classes designed to help competitive skaters improve their program components mark. But let’s get back to that oatmeal thing: What


does “stirring the oatmeal” have to do with figure skating? Well, for the athletes who attended Paula Wagener’s Artistry in Motion classes, it meant a unique time of learning to feel the music, embrace the energy and use their athletic bodies as a tool. “Tis is not about the steps as much as it’s about the emotion,” Wagener, a PSA master-rat- ed choreographer and style coach, told one class. “Anybody who can count to eight can do some- thing [with choreography]. Te hard part is in be- tween, in the hazy, gray area where the only thing you have to work with is your tools — your skater body.”


Wagener was among the power-packed faculty of 20 instructors, which included four Olympians, elite coaches and choreographers, six members of the Athlete Advisory Committee and U.S. Figure Skating board members. Adding even more star power was 2006 Olympic ice dancing silver medalist Tanith Belbin, who gave the key- note speech on opening night. In all, 110 high- energy classes were conducted over two days. Athletes were assigned to one of eight teams with 20 skaters of similar skill, age and skating disciplines. Using a movie theme, each team —“Toy Story,” “Te Sound of Music,” “Shrek,” “Footloose,” “Hercules,” “Star Wars” (all-boys team), “Enchanted” and “Fame” — trained to- gether and then showed off their newly honed


The Jedis in training use “THE FORCE” during rehearsals for their Star Wars program.


skills with an exhibition performance Sunday at the Hoover Arena/Ice Land USA. “I thoroughly enjoyed working with the


group of skaters this weekend,” said five-time U.S. medalist Amanda Evora, who with Mark Ladwig competed at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. “Many of them unknowingly touched my heart with their enthusiasm and youthful spirit.” Te camp was focused on developing skills


in a relaxed setting to help competitive skaters im- prove their scores in the five program component areas: skating skills, transitions, choreography, performance/execution and musical interpreta- tion.


“Te faculty members I worked with made it


a goal for the skaters to have fun as they learned the many challenges of program components,” Evora said. “It made me smile to see their eyes light up as they found ways to individually express themselves creatively as well as connect with each other in the many teamwork group activities.” And while their children were sweating, learning and laughing, more than 100 parents took advantage of the 11 classes designed specifi- cally for them. Topics included judging, media, core strength, coaches and sports science. For those parents brave enough to try, the


camp offered two hands-on experiences. Coach and choreographer Justin Dillon’s “Performance Execution” class encouraged parents to create, interpret and perform an off-ice routine, while Wagener’s adult “Artistry in Motion” let parents stir their own oatmeal.


An enthusiastic and knowledgeable staff helped bring out the best in their students at the National Program Components Camp.


Tanith Belbin, a 2006 Olympic silver medalist, gives an inspiring keynote speech and reminds athletes that it’s a privilege to skate.


To see more photos from the National Program Components camp, go to skatingmagazineblog.com 38 JUNE/JULY 2012


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