How do you do a Mazurka?

Question

I'm a figure skater going into level 8 and i can do everything but the mazurka. I need to know step by step how to do the mazurka so i can practice it before i do my lesson on the 21'st. would someone mind posting? advice, tips, and step by step instructions will win best answer thanks SOOOOO much!!!!

Answer 1

Do you know how to do a bunny hop?  A mazurka is sort of like a sideways bunny hop (as opposed do doing a normal bunny hop where going forward).  This is in simplistic terms . . . this helped me to do mazurkas easily - any other explanation always confused me!    

Assuming you are a "righty" or counter-clockwise skater:

*Go on a right back outside edge (you can do a 3 turn like a toe loop entrance)

*Pick back with your left toe and jump off of it (like a tap)

*Kick the right leg in front of the left, legs straight, point toes down

(the cross is what they mean by "scissor motion")

*Land forward on the right toe

*Immediately glide out forward on the left outside edge

If you're just starting, you can just do a walk through.  Don't do the back outside edge.  Just step to the side, cross, toe land, glide.  When you feel confident, you can add the gliding back outside edge entrance and gradually adding speed.      

There are variations . . . but never mind those for now.  Like instead of crossing in front, you can cross in back - which is harder!  When I first learned it, the instructor kept saying do it from a waltz jump and I just didn't get it.  If someone told me toe loop initially, I would have gotten it a whole lot sooner.  

Good luck!!