Editors Note:  Gladys and George Werner were the 1941, 42 and 46 National Senior Dance Champions.  George fought in World War II 43-45 so they did not compete.  This team was the first ever to receive the gold medal proficiency test award and the ONLY skaters to receive gold medal proficiency test medals on ice and rollers. 

Pushing Power—In order to get MORE POWER or PUSHING POWER (and glide more over the floor faster) when you skate, don’t think of just putting your (free leg) leg back but rather push down into the floor as if you are digging a hole into the ground before putting the leg back.  You want to get power and glide and by so doing you get more power.

Cross Backs—If you think of locking the back knee into the front knee (not directly in line) but more to the side but touching, your free foot which is going to cross under will be in position to get a good cross as it will be clear of your other foot.  You must, however, see that the foot that is crossing is not turned sideways but is straight just by turning your ankle as you want that foot to go down straight not sideways on just two wheels.  Many cross unders go in line otherwise if you do not get the knees tight together before doing a cross.  You will always get a good cross if you lock the knees before the cross unders.

Leading—When men are leading the ladies in straight forward dances , so many of the men have the partners in the wrong position that it makes it very difficult for the ladies to do their edges and feel comfortable. 

Remember, when going from the barrier into the center on a straight forward dance the lady is a little bit in front of the man’s hip, not far ahead, in fact she should be close (she could even tough his hip.)  When going from the center towards the barrier the man moves the lady back with his right hand and move your left arm and shoulder a little bit forward, and he then is in front of her hip and close to her.  If the man keeps the lady in front going from the center towards the barrier, the man will have trouble and the lady can hardly skate to the right as the man is behind the lady and the man makes the lady’s left shoulder go back and her right shoulder comes too far forward and she can hardly skate an edge to the barrier in that position.  When you are in the wrong position as a team—it is very hard to do your parts properly.

NOTE:  In all skating books they give you diagrams and steps, but hardly ever do they tell you when you skate with a partner where you should be as a team.  When a man leads a lady it is important to know where he or she should be in relation to the lady.  Otherwise, it is so difficult to do edges and the dances properly.  Men should know how to lead and where to be.  Of course, if it isn’t in a book or you have had no lessons or instruction, you would not know these important facts.

I hope I haven’t confused any of you.  It is very difficult to put into words without showing you on skates personally.  However, I must tell you that the ice skating professional, Mr. Joseph Carroll, who taught George and myself never had a pair of roller skates on as he could only ice skate.  Some of the methods listed is what he taught us and it does work!  Give some of these suggestions a try, I think you’ll be happy with the results.

Sincerely, Gladys Werner

Back to hints page