Smile, Baby!

A "fake smile" attempt

I don't smile when I skate. It's one of my flaws on the ice, I think. When I concentrate really hard (and add some nerves on top of that), I often "forget" to do things like smiling. And breathing.

I had a skating friend who rocked what she liked to call "fake smile." It was dazzling. She was so good at going out there with a giant smile plastered to her face that stuck there even if she fell. I'm working on my fake smile. I think I made headway on it last season. At least the photos show evidence of it.

I was reminded to work on my smile when I saw this piece on the Rockettes blog: "7 Ways to Improve Your Facial Expressions During a Performance." Some of the advice is practical, like "lift your eyebrows," and "relax your jaw and tongue." But some of it is more emotional, which is harder to practice, but more effective if employed, I think:

When the emotion comes from inside you, your outward expression will be a natural one. Get your whole face involved, not just your mouth. Let it match the energy of the music and the movement, allowing your enthusiasm for dance shine through.

Replace "dance" with "skating" and we're on to something.