Start the outside forward rocker as for the outside forward circle with a strong edge and twisting the shoulders toward the circle. The balance foot should be brought up close to the skating foot just before the rocker and be almost over it when the rocker is made. The turn is made on strong edge in every case. The arms should not be allowed to spread or they will swing the body at the turn. The rocker is made by the strong twisting of the hip joint and skating foot at the moment of the turn, the skate making almost a complete reversal of position from forward to backward. The head should look in the direction of motion before and after the rocker. The glance may be directed to the place where the rocker is being made at the moment of its execution, but afterward the head should be carried erect.
At the moment of the turn the body and shoulders are twisted back into the position for the second portion of the figure, the skating foot is turned well outward as for a “spread eagle,” the balance foot is brought behind and inside the print and the arm over the balance foot extended well in front in the direction of the circle. The head is carried erect, the glance toward the direction of travel and the figure finished as in the position of the outside backward circle.
The complementary half of the figure is the outside backward rocker, which is in many respects the easiest of the rockers. The main difficulty is to get adequate start for the figure, for all rockers require speed. Start as for the outside backward circle, twisting the body and shoulders toward the direction of the curve. The skating foot therefore will be in line with the shoulders in a “spread eagle” position. At the moment of the turn the skating foot should be directly under the body and the balance foot close to it and slightly behind. As the turn is made, bend the skating foot momentarily, straightening up immediately afterward. The balance of the curve to the completion of the circle should be done as in the outside forward circle, but to carry the curve out in large shape the balance foot must be carried outside the print and the shoulders turned well away from the centre.
Beaks, Open. | Beaks, Closed. | Beaks, Cross-cut. |
CHAPTER 17.
Rockers; Inside Forward and Inside Backward.
Although the rockers, or rocking turns, as they are sometimes called, are very difficult and very beautiful, they are not especially adapted to a place in theatrical skating. If I were giving an exhibition before skaters only I would probably introduce several of these spectacular turns. I find other numbers a little more suited to the dashing performance expected in a programme offered a general audience.
In the last lesson, which was on rockers, we learned how to execute the forward outside rocker and the backward outside rocker, which are complementary figures, or one-half of a school figure. This lesson to-day has to do with the remaining portion of the figure, a rocker on the inside edge forward and a rocker on the inside edge backward. These are done on alternate feet and, as will be seen, complete the series of rockers, one on each foot and on each edge. This method of practising all the school figures, forward and backward, on both edges on both feet, is most important. No skater can be considered as having learned the fundamentals of skating until he can do the school figures on both feet and in both directions. On the stage of the Hippodrome I frequently execute difficult spins and jumps on one foot, and then on the other foot, not for the purpose of prolonging the number but for the purpose of showing that I can do them equally well on either foot.
The start of the inside forward rocker is made like the start of the inside forward circle, but a strong inside edge is taken and the rotation of the body toward the circle is held back. When a little less than one-half of the first curve has been skated on the inside forward edge, the balance foot, which has been carried behind the body, is brought close to the skating foot and at the moment of the turn is directly over it. But the change in position of the balance foot must not be allowed to alter the correct, if somewhat forced, position of the shoulders and body, which should be in the right position and the balance for the second portion of the figure even before the turn is made. This curious characteristic of rockers has been referred to before—that the body must be turned and ready for the new position even before the rocker is performed. But the skating leg and foot must be held rigidly to the execution of the first position of the figure before the turn, even while the shoulders, the body and the turned head are already in position for the latter half of the movement.
The rocker should be executed on a strongly bent skating knee and after the turn there may be additional bending of the skating knee for the purpose of adding momentum as the knee is straightened just after the turn is made. This rocker is made on the forward part of the blade. The inside forward rocker is one of the few skating movements where both knees are allowed to be close together for a moment. The arms should hang loosely at the sides of the body during the turn, with the hands turned slightly upward and the palms down. After the turn the forward arm should be extended in the direction of motion for both appearance and balance. The balance foot should be carried in front, over the print before the turn, and behind after the turn, but this is one of the figures where there is considerable difference of opinion as to the best if not the correct carriage of the balance foot during the execution of the figure.