dance test rule change

[iceskating21]

After thinking for a while, my skater finally decided to quit pattern dance and focus on free skate. But she is preparing for senior solo free dance test. we do know some skaters who had no dance background had solo free dance lessons after they passed Senior moves. Then they passed Senior solo free dance later. This is what my daughter was going to try. We found a dance coach a while ago and started working on it. Suddenly, my coach said there's rule change effective from Feb1. Only Senior moves is not enough. Senior moves + 1 pre gold pattern dance is eligible for senior solo free dance test. It is such a big change! It is a very long way to Pre-Gold. Originally, we thought we will spend half a year or so to have a happy wrapping up of dance. Now it is a totally different commitment. My skater is in an awkward situation. She can't go back to finish pattern dance. Another way is to test from Juv solo free dance to Senior. Her coach said it shouldn't be a big challenge to her because she is competing at intermediate level., working on Novice free skate. But I am still not sure. Anyone has experience? How hard will it be in this situation?

 

[mskater93]

The new rule does not go in to affect until June of 23. If she passed her Senior MITF, she can test Senior Solo FD immediately if it's ready
Also, previous Solo FD becomes NOT a pre-requisite for the next Solo FD test on the same date. After June of 23 you will need to take the required pattern dances and that will be the only pre-requisite.
I know, because I have passed no PDs but have passed my Intermediate SFD and would like to get through Novice and Junior in the next 15 months before I need to start learning PDs. I complete SFD at Adult Nationals and really have no interest in PD, but will need to learn and test when I feel I'm ready to take Senior.

 

[chiyung]

After thinking for a while, my skater finally decided to quit pattern dance and focus on free skate. But she is preparing for senior solo free dance test. we do know some skaters who had no dance background had solo free dance lessons after they passed Senior moves. Then they passed Senior solo free dance later. This is what my daughter was going to try. We found a dance coach a while ago and started working on it. Suddenly, my coach said there's rule change effective from Feb1. Only Senior moves is not enough. Senior moves + 1 pre gold pattern dance is eligible for senior solo free dance test. It is such a big change! It is a very long way to Pre-Gold. Originally, we thought we will spend half a year or so to have a happy wrapping up of dance. Now it is a totally different commitment. My skater is in an awkward situation. She can't go back to finish pattern dance. Another way is to test from Juv solo free dance to Senior. Her coach said it shouldn't be a big challenge to her because she is competing at intermediate level., working on Novice free skate. But I am still not sure. Anyone has experience? How hard will it be in this situation?

Sorry to hear of your predicament. I didn’t know about this rule change before. Several of my daughter’s friends had passed their senior solo free dance test with only passing their senior moves in the field test (no pattern dance tests). Maybe USFS saw this trend and changed the solo dance test rules.

I just looked up USFS Technical Notification (TN) 274. If you haven’t read it, you can find this TN in your USFS EMS account. On left side, from “Members” drop down menu, click on “Technical Notification.”

The new STANDARD Solo Free Dance Test Prerequisites had already gone into effect on Feb 1, 2022. The ADULT solo free dance tests prerequisites will go into effect July 1, 2023, which is more than a year from now. I think you mentioned that your skater is in high school so she could only test under the “Standard” test now.

Based on TN 274, your skater would NOT be allowed to test from Juv solo free dance to Senior free dance without passing corresponding pattern dance tests. To pass Standard Senior Solo Free Dance test, she would need to pass senior moves test and 1 pre-gold dance test.