Try-out

Saturday there was a skateparty but the floor was not the best kind. I did put on my new skates but it felt like I just put on rollerskates for the very first time...
New boot, new wheels, new bearings, new plates. I was told I still had to adjust them but I was too excited to remember so I fell down a few times. By then I felt so uncomfortable I quickly changed into my thrustworthy skates for the remainder of the evening.

Now I'm sitting, sweat all over, behind my screen writing this post. Skated about 15 minutes, adjusted my skates, skated some more, adjusted a little bit more. Then I was pumping new trucks for more than an hour :-)
Still a little bit uncomfortable, new and strange. My feet have to get used to this new situation (or the other way around), but it'll work out fine in time.

Now I've put my orange and purple ones next to each other, hope they don't get into a fight about who is going to get the most attention.

Purple is for inside only, try to keep them clean and spotless. Orange is for outside use, let's call that the more dirty and rough ways. Promised that I would go skating this winter when there is no snow or ice on the road, just a dry freezing cold at the crack of dawn. That means that the Orange Outlaws are going to get hardship from now on. The Purple Puppies are going to the warm, sometimes hot, indoors. And I mean well by both of them because they are both treasured by me.

Purple Puppies

So so happy :-D
Got some transparent wheelzzzz too.

Rainbow Body and Pearly Sweethearts

Been having a restless night after the last two posts. Been travelling through my body with a magnifying-glass and a heatscanner. Have seen my body and its muscles inside skating. Like a Rainbow Body....
(I did not come up with this word myself but borrowed it from someone who is in the possession of an excellent visual capability ;-)

My former post was trying to devide the whole proces in different stages which is of course not the case when your skating. Fourth steps to try to explain what happens and then the fourth step is nowhere near the last step which actually doesn't even exist I think...

So now it's about 1 or 2 more weeks of anticipation and then I have a new set of babies; my second pair of skates. Their shine will be pearly purple underneath 8 purple wheels but I'm saving up some money to get me some transparent ones.
Maybe within a month or so I might hook on some jingle bells, see how fast I can get people annoyed by the sound hahaha. They will not only see my moves but hear my grooves too.

Ooow gotta go, I hear Gwen McCrae 'giving all her love' very loudly through my speakers, allready bouncing up and down for a while behind my computerscreen (skates on feet are yelling at me: Goddamn you girl, get out of that chair and get groovin'). This beat is awesome!! REPEAT: TRACK

When the brain stops working

This post is a reply on a comment given on my prior post. I think it's one of the most difficult questions that someone ever asked me. I could provide you with a simple answer but that won't do. "Been dancin' all my life" or " I just listen to the music" is also not the answer you're looking for. How to explain that synergy that you refer to as 'some kinda magic'. First of all let me say I do not think there is not enough vocabulary in this world that can comprehend all this, but I'll try anyway.
A move is never ever the same, if you do a move 5 times in a row actually they are 5
different moves. There is no such thing as a clone, copy, or imitation. Any clone, copy or imitation is an extract of an original which makes every clone, copy or imitation an original itself. For instance; 3 x The Shuffle witch contains 4 counts each (for this move I actually don't count anymore :-), everytime I start at the 1 count I do not feel like repeating the move three times in a row, but actually start again at the 1 count with a new move that flows out from the former like I have never done the first 4 counts in the first place...
Oh my..., this is really difficult to explain..hold on I'm gonna fix me some tea 'cause this will take a while...

First; I have to learn the move, how do I do it. Where do I put my foot, where is the main balance and center of gravity, when do I (or do NOT) bend my knees, where is the beginning and where is the end ? Lots of brainwork going on here.

Second; try and do the move at the same beat as the music. Lots of fun is taking over the brainwork (but it's still a move).

Third; the detailed technique with all the same conditions as the first. Then the brain starts to work again because now you work at the stretching, playing and trying all forms of balance and feel to fit your body. You start to notice that everytime you do a move it's always different than before and that it's no use in trying so very, very hard to get exactly the same result every time. Sometimes your body can be just a little bit more tired, or because you have been working hard that day you cannot focus on the technique so much. Or even the slightest cold on your chest can be a massive change in your constistution. The body itself is constantly changing, realising and understanding that makes it easier to let your body go
where it wants to take you at that particular moment. Somewhere between brain and fun.

Then for me the fourth step is the transition; it's just letting go of all techniques I've learned, give the brain a well deserved rest, listen to the music and dive in the flow.

To give you the simple answer: When the brain actually stops it's not the body that takes over but the heart.

How to teach people to get 'this feel' I honestly don't know....
I think the word 'feel' says enough, it is impossible to teach someone HOW to feel. They have to feel for themselves.

Hope my explanation gives you an insight of how things work for me. At least...I tried to explain..

Would sure like to try and teach you all a move hihihi :-D
And since we have learned tons of variations on the twist you have to show the
"Karnemelk-one" 'cause I don't know what the hell you're talking about!!!

A move is a move

Shifting, playing, experimenting, stretching, center but widening the boudaries of my balance. A move is just a move, but a move becomes a different and total new move when executed or performed with a different kind of balance and the intensity you put into it. At times even more noticeable on the inside than what the outside shows. You feel things becoming smoother with more groove or just a lot easier. There is a big difference between your body executing a move or let the movement itself flow out of your body as being a natural thing like breathing.

Today I followed a lesson again for beginners. Now if I don't think and just do what is taught I have no problem whatsoever to follow these lessons. Since I have no problem to learn the move itself I can make it just a little bit harder for me to see what it does. For instance; while others are trying to get to do the Flip in the first place , I'm just busy doing the Flip (I actually don't have to think to do the move itself) but meanwhile I'm playing with my balance, to find out which way is the best for me, what feels the most natural, and when it feels like a flow and not so much a move anymore.

Short Update

Working on different layers now. All the new things we learn, I get the hang of it real quick. Some steps I learn have to be tuned to get it right, other things are submitted to finetuning. And of course all can only be done by keepin' on with the regular training. This season started as I said before with a different rhytm. More quality and less quantity. With not much to do outdoors except the lessons, with 2 or 3 times per week I allready added 1 day extra with training at home again. The fun part 'bout that is that I can play the music that I like best, which differs not that much from the lessons but I do have my own preferences. I also seem to notice my own likes and dislikes. Some steps I can do, but I just don't like to do them because they don't fit my body. Well everybody's got a personal flava and that's
how you get your own personal style.

Right from the start I knew the balance was the biggest challenge and now a year later for the tuning, finetuning and technical skills it's still the balance I have to keep working on. I got the groove, the move and the feel, I don't have to worry 'bout that (without meaning to sound conceited). I have been doing a lot of balancetraning lately and I allready see and feel the difference. It's these details I put some extra focus on to get me further.

I let my body go with the flow and the music but I'm also very much aware of what I'm doing and it makes it all the more interesting.
I see some people fall behind in their progression (or is it me that is moving so fast...).