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The Correct Position at About the First Qnarter of the Left Outside ... . . , . . . . . . , , , ,
Backward Plain Circle The 1 rPer NNa to start a Lcft Ins,de Backward Plain Circle. The Finish of a Left Outside Forward Plain Circle
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Ot how the
Circle Eight and the
Serpentine or Change
of Edge Are Made.
By Mr. Irving Brokaw
A Champion Figure Skater of America,
Author of the "Art of Skating," Etc
LAST week ve described the employ
ment of the four edges of the
skates. Until the skater has at
tained control of these four edges and
can use them either forward or back
ward. It Is useless to attempt the school
figures, which' are the basis of all figure
skating and dancing on ice.
Assuming then that the skater Is now
able to describe curves on either edge
and both forward and backward, we may
now explain how the edges are used In
the various school figures.
A tew words of advice which apply to
all the school figures may be In-place
here.
It la a mistake to begin with small fig
ures with the Idea that larger ones can
be executed afterwards. On the con
trary, the beginner will find that the
easier way Is to skate them as large as
S ossible right from the beginning. It will
lien be found comparatively easy to exe
cute them smaller when desired.
As a general rule, I would advise the
. student to make the diameter of his ctr
oles at least ten feet, and as much larger
! as is feasible. It: Is better, however, to
complete the figure In correct form as
far as the poise of the body Is concerned,
even at a sacrifice of size,' than to main
tain the original Idea of size and finish
tnartlstlcally.
In practising the various school figures
It Is a good rule to follow right from the
tart to execute each figure three times
on each edge before trying another edge.
The first of the school figures is the
Circle Right." No. 1 In the Interna
tional schedule.
This figure consists of two plain cir
cles, the first circle being made on one
Xoot and the second circle on the other.
In describing the various figures In the
course of these articles the following ab
breviations will be used: R, right; L,
left; I. inside; O, outside; F, forward;
and B, backward. Right outside forward,
for Instance, will be ROF, right Inside
forward. R1F, etc.
There are four sections of the Circle
Eight, and they must be practised In their
prescribed sequence In order to follow
out the system laid down by the rules
and regulations of the International Skat
ing Union, a system which Is designed
to develop figure skating In a logical way.
These four sections are as follows:
FirBt Circle. Second Circle.
No. 1... ........ ROF LOF
No.t R1F LIP
No. 3 ROB LOB
No. 4 RIB LIB
Figure 1 on this page illustrates the
first section of the Circle Eight and this
- diagram will also apply for the three
other sections. The following descrip
tions apply to the right foot only, but th,e
figures must be executed on the left foot
In a corresponding manner.
Some valuable bints that apply to plain
circles generally may here be given.
Whenever the balance foot passes the
skating foot from backward to forward,
. It passes close to it, so as to prevent ro-
tatlon, the knee being turned out, the
toe turned In. This Is purely for artistic
effect, since the balance foot cannot pass
the skat in tr foot with the heel tnuohinr.
Remember that when one foot passes the
other the kuees never touch.
As soon as you bring the balance foot
forward, rock (tilt) the upper part of the
aody slightly backward, in order to com
pensate for the weight of the unem
ployed leg In front; so In like manner
lean forward when the balance foot Is
carried behind.
The first section of the Circle Eight.
ROF, Is executed as follows:
Standing at rest with the feet together,
the right shoulder pointing to the centre
of the circle which Is to be made and
the head facing the direction to be
followed, the start la made by pushing
off from the Inside edge of the left ekate.
The moment the right foot starts on Its
course, the left leg, which Is used to bal
ance the body, la raised, the foot point
ing downward and outward but just In
'side the print which the right foot Is
making. '
This position of the balance foot la
maintained until the first half of the first'
circle is completed, the hips being held
back so as to maintain that position as
long as possible. When the hips can be
twisted no more, then bring the left foot
slowly past the skating foot, the left
knee turned out and the right knee bend
ing . a little more while the left leg la
passing.
At the start of this figure, the hands
are carried to the left side of the body,
but toward the end of the circle they are
brought slowly to the right side. Note
this: that while, at the start, the skater's
back is toward the centre of the circle,
at the end of the circle the skater faces
the centre. This leavea the skater In
position to start the second circle on the
left foot, both feet being brought to
gether as In the original position.
The second circle of this figure Is LOF,
which la executed In precisely the same
manner as ROF, except that the left foot
Is used to trace the figure Instead of the
right and the right foot becomes the
balance foot Instead of the left.
The second section of the Circle Eight
Is the Inside Forward. The first circle
of this section Is R1F. the second circle
being L1F. Here again we describe the
figure as done on the right foot.
The start is made with a push off from
the Inside edge of the left foot, with the
back toward the centre of the circle to be
made and the left should be well forward
' and twisted away from the centre so as
as untwist slowly during the execution
of the curve, which Is the only way a
large circle may be sustained.
The body leans somewhat forward at
first, the balance foot pointing downward
and outward following directly behind.
About the middle of this circle the left
foot Is brought slowly forward so as to
pass the right knee as close and as grad
ually as possible, the left shoulder un
twisting slowly toward the centre of the
circle. As the circle la completed, the
arms, which at first are to the right of
the body, are brought slowly to the left
to compensate for the shifting of the bal
ance foot, which is brought forward and
across the employed leg in order to hold
out a full rounded circle.
The second circle of this section Is exe
cuted on the left foot, LfF, the start be
ing made with a push off from the Inside
edge of the right foot.
The third section of the Circle Eight
Is ROB. At the very start, the left shoul
der and arm are held well out and back,
but the balance foot is carried In front.
Inside the print and pointed down, the
skating knee being well bent. After the
first quarter of the circle has been exe
cuted In this manner, the left leg is
moved past, the shoulder rotating mean
while to the left, its weight and move
ment contributing additional power. Then
the left foot is pointed in exactly the op
posite direction to the right foot In what
is known as the "spread-eagle" position.
The head faces over the left shoulder,
which helps to hold out a well-rounded
curve.
Near the end of this circle the skater
is, of course, still on the right outside
edge. To facilitate the strike-off for the
second circle on the left outside back
ward. It is necessary to make a very
An Instructive Series of
Lessons by Mr. Irving
Brokaw, the Foremost
Figure Skater of
America
short change of edge at his point so
that at the very end of the first circle
the skater Is on the inside edge of his
right foot for an instant In order to get
a "purchase" on the ice for the "strike
off," the shoulders being brought into
position and the skating knee slightly
straightened for the strike-off. When the
left foot has begun the second circle the
head faces in the direction of motion.
The fourth section of the Circle Eight
is the Inside Backward, which is by far
the hardest of the four and, for that rea
son, Is valued at 2 In the official pro
gramme against 1 for each of the other
sections..
The difficulty in executing this figure
lies In the tendency to make the first cir
cle too small. This may be overcome by
paying particular attention to the start
off. Stand firmly on the left foot with
the right foot straight out in front; push
off hard from the left Inside edge, lung
ing as hard as possible on the right in
side back, the right arm and shoulder
being held back and the eyes being
kept on the starting point throughout the
entire figure. The left leg at first is kept
in front pointing downward and out
ward, but it is brought slowly past
the skating foot on the inside of the
print and carried in as near to a spread
eagle position as possible, the eyes fol
lowing it to the end. By bringing the
arms quickly to the sides of the body
about the middle of the circle and
straightening the skating leg as the bal
ance leg la brought back close to It, the
skater will find it easier to execute this
figure.
The second circle of this figure, LIB,
Is executed in a similar manner.
The second school figure is known as
the Serpentine, or Change of Edge, be
cause It consists of a half circle on an
edge of one foot followed by a full cir
cle on the other edge of the same foot.
" Like the Circle Eight, it consists of
four sections, which may be designated
as 6a, 6b. 6a and 6b, as follows:
No. 5a ROIF, LIOF. No. 6a ROIB, LIOB.
No. 6b LOIF, RIOF. No. 6b LOIB, RIOB.
The first section (5a) is known as the
Forward, Outside to Inside, and consists
of half a circle on the right outside edge,
changing to a full circle on the right in
side edge, followed by half a circle on
the left inside edge, changing to a full
circle on the left outside. The first half
of the figure is illustrated in Figure 3 on
this page.
The first half-circle is executed exactly
like the first half of the ROF Circle.
Eight. The skater bends well on the
right knee as the change is approached,
the left being brought to the front and
pointing downward, and the left shoulder
being slowly rotated forward. After the
change of edge has been accomplished
' the left leg is dropped behind again and
the arms held low, ttnd then the regular
RIF circle is executed, the left leg being
brought slowly forward when about half
way through the circle.
This Is followed by a half circle on the
left Inside edge, changing to a full circle
on the left outside edge, a change which
will be found more difficult than the pre
ceding one.
Copyright. 1915, by the Star Company. Ortat Britain Rights Rcsarvea,
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FORVARO. y
V 2!2Cirde y
Diagram Showing the
Circle Eight as It
Should Be Executed.
rhis half circle Is the
first half of an Inside for
ward plain circle, the bal
ance foot being carried to
the front as near as pos
sible to the employed foot,
just before the full circle
on the outside edge Is
commenced. Before mak
ing the change of edge,
however, throw the body
quickly to centre and the
left leg backward and
across the print. Straight
en the body after the
change and keep the gaze
The Circle
to the left, and then exe
cute the regular outside '
Positions
forward circle.
The third and fourth sections of this
School Figure are skated backward. The
ROIB, for instance, Is started exactly
like an outside backward plain circle;
the balance foot la moved slowly back
ward, following the print closely; during
the change of edge, the balance foot
moves a little faster forwards and over
the print, and shoulders rotate at the
same time to take up the correct back
ward position. Before the change, the
knee must be well bent. For the first
half of the inside backward circle the
body is retained in the same position and
it Is then brought slowly Into the regular
position for the Inside backward plain
circle.
The Inside change to outside backward
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Eight in Perspective, Showing Various
in the Course of the First Circle.
is begun as In the inside backward plain
circle. Before the change, the balance
foot la moved quickly forward, following
the print closely, and the shoulders are
at the same time brought into the normal
position for the outside backward. Look
over the unemployed shoulder and re
main In this position for one-halt the
circle. If the balance foot Is moved
slowly backwards and the body straight
ened a little about the middle of the cir
cle, additional momentum will be gained.
Keep the arms low during the change.
Arms and hands should be moved as in
executing the plain circles, but kept as
low as possible.
In the next article we will take up
the Three, the Double Three and the
Loop.
X, J
AW
Ths first ssctlon of the
Serpentine, or Change of
Edge, In which the skater
Is shown executing a half
circle on the right outside
edge, followed by a full
circle on the right Inside
edge.
Cm