2023 U.S. Solo Dance Finals by Charlotte Manfield

Hello there! My title is Charlotte Manfield, and I’m competing within the Senior Solo Mixed occasion and the Worldwide Solo Sample Dance occasion within the 2023 Nationwide Solo Dance Closing in Chicago, Illinois! I began skating once I was 4 years outdated and am now a junior in highschool. These previous three years, I’ve competed in solo dance, and within the 2021 Nationwide Solo Dance Closing, I positioned second within the Gold Solo Sample Dance occasion. My superb teaching staff over on the College of Delaware FSC consists of Suzy Semanick-Schurman, Colin McManus, Anastasia Cannuscio, and Anne Militano. I’m so grateful to be competing in my third solo dance nationals this week, and I’m excited to take you all together with me for it!

Tuesday, September 12, 2023

This morning, I needed to get up, go to highschool, and take a quiz in first interval. Thankfully, I believe I did fairly properly on it contemplating I made certain to organize for this quiz, and afterwards I attended three extra courses and ate lunch with my college mates. All of them stated goodbye to me for the week and wished me luck with solo dance nationals, which was a lot appreciated. I then acquired picked up by my dad who was working from dwelling, and we went to Saladworks, the place I ordered a customized favourite of mine. I ate that within the automobile since we have been restricted on time and I used to be solely going to have the ability to do two classes at my dwelling rink, the College of Delaware Ice Arenas. 

I acquired to the rink and rapidly placed on my skates to have my final lesson of the season with my coach, Colin McManus, and we did a free dance runthrough and a Yankee polka runthrough. Each runthroughs felt stable to me, and after his lesson, I did my final two runthroughs, which have been my rhythm dance runthrough and my rhumba runthrough. I ended my session with tiny sections of parts I wished to work on and instantly jumped into the automobile afterwards as we needed to get dwelling to choose up my mother and drive to the airport.

Fortunately, all my packing was finished, so leaving the home wasn’t chaotic, giving me time to say bye to my grandmother and to my cats. From there, we drove to the Baltimore/Washington Worldwide Airport and waited for our flight. We acquired some sushi for dinner, which was scrumptious, however then came upon our flight was delayed. It was already previous 8 p.m. at this level, and the flight is about 2 hours and half-hour, so we have been hoping we may board quickly. After we have been lastly in a position to board our airplane, there was barely anybody on it, so everybody acquired to unfold out, which made all the pieces simpler. Nonetheless, the pilots had some routing difficulties as there was an enormous storm in our means, and it took about one other half-hour till the airplane took off. We acquired to the Chicago Halfway Worldwide Airport at round 11:30 p.m. CST, and as we have been leaving the airport, I discovered considered one of my coach’s favourite popcorn locations however sadly they have been closed. It took round an hour to get to our resort, and after we arrived, I acquired prepared for mattress and deliberate out my day tomorrow as I’ll solely be skating on apply ices and haven’t any occasions but. Total, it was a really tiring journey day, however I’m so excited to skate on my practices tomorrow and see my mates once more!

~ Charlotte

Wednesday, September 13, 2023

At present I wakened at 7:30 a.m. and acquired prepared for my unofficial apply ice. We left the resort at 9, and I acquired to the rink ten minutes later, as our resort is tremendous shut in proximity to the rink. On the rink, I used to be greeted by my mates from my dwelling rink and my different skating mates that I don’t see as usually. I used to be so excited to see everybody, as having the ability to socialize with mates is considered one of my favourite features of competitions, and I used to be comfortable to reconnect with mates who stay removed from me that I haven’t seen in ages. From there, I checked in with my coaches and placed on my skates for my apply ice at 10:00 a.m. in Rink B. For this apply, I labored on elements of my mixed packages and did a sample or two of every of my worldwide patterns. I acquired off the ice at 10:30, since every apply is half-hour, and checked into my occasions. Right here I acquired the nationals jacket I ordered, my credentials, and a cute little solo dance nationals bag.

We had a while between my practices, so we stopped at this bakery referred to as Tous Les Jours, which was completely lovely, and grabbed some pastries and low as breakfast/lunch. Afterwards, we drove again to our resort, the place I frolicked with a few of my mates who have been staying in the identical resort as me, and we had enjoyable chatting and taking part in video games. Everybody needed to begin leaving for practices, so I went again as much as my resort room and did my competitors make-up for my official apply ice. My coaches wished me in my hair, make-up, and gown for my rhumba to do my official apply ice in, so once I acquired again to the rink, my buddy’s mother helped do my hair, and I turned into my rhumba gown. I put my skates on and went to my second unofficial apply ice at 2:30, which rolled proper into my official apply ice at 3, on Rink A, the rink everybody will compete in. 

Within the first apply, I set my parts for my mixed packages to ensure my patterns felt good. Then on my official apply ice, I did a runthrough of my rhumba, labored on it afterwards, and labored on my polka. All the things felt fairly stable, and I acquired off the ice for half-hour earlier than going again on to Rink B for 2 unofficial apply ices from 4-5. My buddy and I went to Walgreens, the place we picked up a bunch of squishmallows pretty much as good luck charms, after which we went to a Lululemon outlet 20 minutes away to buy a bit, which was tremendous enjoyable, and finally we made it again to our resort. For dinner, we ubered Panera to the resort, the place I acquired a Fuji apple salad with rooster, after which I showered and acquired prepared for mattress. Then I went by way of my schedule for tomorrow with my mother and father to type out driving, occasions, and all the pieces else. I’m so comfortable to be right here at nationals, and I’m extremely excited to compete my worldwide solo patterns tomorrow!

~ Charlotte