I have recently started figure skating lessons as an adult. I have had three lessons already and am going to write down my progress after each lesson. Obviously I will have to discuss my first three lessons a bit differently since they have already passed. But I want to show that you are never to old to learn something new and also how much fun it can be.
I have always thought that figure skating is such a beautiful, graceful sport. I love to watch it on tv and am so impressed with those who make it look so easy. I never had the opportunity to take lessons and actually have very little experience skating at all. I probably skated a total of 5 times in the last 30 years! I have roller bladed about 8 years ago, but that isn't quite the same. I recently moved to Salt Lake City, and there is a local rink, so yea, I get to live out a fantasy (I hope) that I will be able to learn to do a spin and maybe even a jump!
I am actually progressing quite nicely. I went to the rink for a couple of hours before my first lesson so I wouldn't look like a complete fool. I practiced not falling and imitating those who looked like they knew what they were doing. It gave me confidence. When I did show up for my first lesson I was only one of five adults. I was also the only one in Basic 1. Two others are in Basic 2 and two in Basic 3. The rest of the students are about 3 feet tall! We get seperated into groups and scatter about the ice. They have my instructor teaching me and the Basic 2 class at the same time. I have already had my midterm last Tuesday evening. I have already learned to fall and recover, glide on one foot, do forward swizzles, dips and snowplow stops. That is all I should have learned by now but I watch the other students and imitate them so I can also do a few other moves as well.
For now I am trying to keep my feet under me and have been successful as I have not fallen yet. But I probably just jinxed myself! It usually takes me at least 15 minutes of skating in circles before I start to feel comfortable on the ice so my half hour lesson is usually almost over by the time I am not feeling akward! But so far it is so fun.
If I can do this then so can you! I try to go to the rink one time during the week to practice for an hour before the next lesson. I am cheating and am practicing backward swizzles, backward skating (not so easy for me) and pivots (the beginning of a spin)! I know, I know, I shouldn't jump the gun. I need to stick with the basics first! But it is more fun to challenge myself! My instuctors who are young enough to be my children, tell me I am the quickest study they have had. But that is because I have a passion for it!
More to come after my next lesson this coming Tuesday. Find a passion and learn a new skill. You are never too old! Lisa
Tonight was my fourth lesson. I didn't learn anything new though. My instructor told me I have already learned everything in the last three lessons that would normally take the six that make up Adult Basic One. So tonight I just practiced the things I have already learned. I started out with gliding on one foot, backward swizzles to backward skating, two foot turns, and crossovers on a circle. 
