Beginnings of a program

Today has got to be the most exciting lesson I've had so far! We started working on my very first program! Coach J showed me the whole program before teaching it to me and so I got to hear for the first time my music on the rink loud speaker. I love my music and love the program that coach has choreographed.

Here's another new "I'm a real skater" milestone! Having a program music CD and hearing it played over the whole rink!

I was getting quite worried last week, realizing that I only have a little less than two months till the rink recital, and we haven't started anything on the program, except to decide which jumps we want to put in. I was also getting rather confused, not knowing how a program should be built. I wondered if it was the norm for a skater to be choreographing with the coach, or if the coach does all the work. I certainly hoped it was the latter since I have no idea how and what to choreograph, but due to the lateness (in my mind) of starting, I was worried if coach was expecting me to do something. Well, for all new skaters out there with their first programs coming up, don't worry, coach does it all.

So I went to lesson today and coach had my entire program choreographed. So happy! And I feel a lot less worried now, I'm remembering the choreograph faster than I expected. I learned 1:00 out of the 1:40 program in our half-hour lesson today, so I should be okay in terms of remembering the program. Of course, making it look pretty is another matter. I even drew a test-booklet-style diagram of the first minute (I go around the rink once in this time, I'll need a new diagram for the next half.), so I won't forget:

It's not very to scale since the paper is the wrong ratio for the rink, should be a little longer I think.

Overall, I have four jump passes in the program: salchow-toe loop, waltz-loop, toe loop, loop, and two spins. Currently the spins are just a one foot spin and a two foot spin, since my spins suck and I can't do anything else. I'm hoping very much that I can exchange the two foot spin for a sit spin. I practiced sit spins a little today, and they actually felt better:

Before I would always enter the spin and be on the toe pick (leaning too forward). Today I managed to stay on the sweet spot and it felt good. I managed about 4 revs here too, even though that's barely sitting at all lol. I'm going to practice extra hard on sit spins now!

I'm sooooooo excited to be doing my first program!
Can't wait till it's all complete!