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Earth, Air, Fire & Water



I woke up in the dark hours this Sunday morning as I have for 22 years now. I found myself lamenting the fact that after all of these years I would not be going to the rink to work with the skaters, whom I cherish. Our rink canceled all Sunday freestyle sessions.

Feeling numb, I knew it was incumbent upon me to do something artistic and inspirational. I needed to fill my much-needed cup as my morning cup of Joe was not sufficient to fill this void I will now live with after 22 years of coaching and choreographing each Sunday morning.


Having started a blog about one of my new national champions it was time to get out my computer and open that document and commit to finishing it. With that blog finished, I sent it off to the masterful marketing maven, Merry Neitlich. of www.emconsults.org for editing and publishing on my website. Now, it was time to turn the focus on me. Hmmm, what activity could I engage in to just relax and move into this new phase of Sunday mornings?

A quiet Jacuzzi to massage my muscles and clear my head was going to be my celebration. I went to the pool and decided to turn on the fire feature as I love to watch those flames dancing about with the speed and precision of any Balanchine Ballet. I found a chair, turned on the Jacuzzi, and turned around to enter.


Sha Bam WOW was I hit with a moment of inspiration that would give any skater a Level 4 spin with a +3 GOE. Behold right in front of me were 10 circles of water rushing with breakneck speed like I have my skaters do on their oscillating crossover exercise. My immediate thought was this will be the inspiration for whatever program I choreograph next. I was captivated staring mindlessly seeing movement flash before my eyes and on the computer that is in my head that my skaters have heard me speak of many times.

As I looked up to enter the Jacuzzi, right there in front of me the fire feature was blazing with energy and intensity working in concert with the pool of water. It was just like the days when I danced professionally. It seemed as though the conductor of our orchestra was directing the musicians as we, the ballet dancers, performed above him on the stage every night.


The proposed new program that was dancing in my head took on a completely different feeling contrasting the beautiful movement of the water and the dashing sparks of fire shooting up. I am excited to see what choreography presents to me in the next program I create.


There is this great commercial on TV right now with a wise elderly gentleman on the streets of a big city holding up a sign that says, “The clues are all around us.” Yes, you are correct as the clues are there and we, as artistic creators, are duty-bound to see and act on them. Paint something, write a poem, choreograph a ballet, create a floor exercise routine, or maybe, yes just maybe, craft a figure skating program for one of your skaters.


The session is over and the Zamboni is coming out.

Auf Wiedersehen


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