Ballet for the Skater Gymnast
The Merriam Webster definition of “gymnastics” is “physical exercises designed to develop strength and coordination”
Icemarx wants to help create “skater gymnasts” off-ice with ballet technique into the various skating jumps so that skaters can work with their coaches to achieve jump progress and reduce injury. Ballet is a great part of developing coordination, mental and physical strength and flexibility with balance.
The Founding Father of Figure Skating
“Jackson Haines (1840-1875) was an American ballet dancer and figure skater who is regarded as the father of modern figure skating.”
He was one of the first figure skaters to bring ballet into the earlier forms of skating, as it was developing. His style of artistry and innovative movement led to the creation by his students — of one of the first and oldest sports associations still in existence, the International Skating Union.
Compulsory Figures
Once compulsory figures disappeared from the sport, a lot of the technical aspect of maintaining daily balance through the hardest moves of figure skating disappeared.
Almost as a replacement for the practice of ballet, compulsory figures become the early dominant form of figure skating until it’s gradual phasing out, starting from 1947-1990. Many Olympic Champions and medalists were required to compete in compulsory figures such as the early freestyle pioneer and 1972 Olympic medalist Janet Lynn, and 1984 Olympic Champion Scott Hamilton. Their disappearance along with the excellence America used to bring to the sport is commented on here, ” ‘Personally, I’m sorry to see the figures go. That diminishes the technical quality of skating,’ said David Michaels, the Agoura-based producer of NBC’s coverage. ‘We’ll be doing a feature on what would have happened over the past 60 years had there not not been figures: (1984 Olympic champion) Scott Hamilton would have lost to Brian Orser. At the 1988 Olympics, (silver medalist) Liz Manley would have beaten (two-time champion) Katarina Witt.’
Rather than reinvent the wheel, Icemarx decided to go back to the “founding father” of modern figure skating, Jackson Haines’s original training: ballet.
Reinventing the Wheel
Icemarx as a team now seeks to deliver a new system of off-ice jump training in a series of videos that will teach step-by-step how they approach each of the 6 different types of figure skating jumps.
They will show their equipment and use of ballet as off-ice “compulsory figures” to create a solid formation of body memory so each skater and their main coach can shape progress for on ice jumps and skills.
Check out our Ballet Visionaries section to find out why we love ballet so much!
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