This movement is sometimes incorrectly called ‘crossovers’, especially by free skaters. However what they do when they are good skaters are progressive runs because of the way their weight progresses and by the fact that they push on both steps. It is extremely important that dancers and skaters generally skate good ‘runs’ as this is where the power for the forward skating usually comes from.

To develop ‘crossovers’ into ‘progressives’ or ‘runs’ you must push equally on both steps of the movement and as the name suggests, the outside foot of the circle should be placed onto the ice ahead of the other by a foot or more in a progressive manner. At the same time it is vitally important that your body weight also progresses forward over your new skating foot. It is a common mistake that skaters simply put their foot ahead without actually progressing their body across that same distance.

It is normal that a ‘progressive’ is skated in what I call ‘contra- body’ position. This is where the leading hip, for instance if you are skating in an anti-clockwise direction, your left hip is forward (placing your hips at about 45 degrees to you skate and making your hips face to the outside of the circle) and your upper body and shoulders are rotated into the circle as much as is possible without causing you to lose you hip position. This causes a twist and slight tension or torque in you body and stomach that gives you a strong upper body position.

On the first step a left forward outside edge your free leg should be strongly turned out, with your thighs wide apart, then on the progressive step and second step (a right forward inside edge) your thighs should be naturally turned inward, causing the thighs to close together, this is the result of the hips facing outside of the circle, and as a result, the steps should always run to the outside of the circle. As always your hips and shoulders should remain parallel to the ice. The free leg should be straight but not stiff while the skating knee rises and falls in a continuous way on each step. You should bend both knees before pushing and rise slightly towards the next step, this way you once again maintain an active skating knee and passive free leg.

Try to make sure that you are not down on your skating knee on the first step and up on the second. This is a common error with skaters, giving a very lopsided look, almost as if the skater has a wooden leg, this stops a balanced look on both steps and also means that you are unable to push as strongly on the second step.

When you have the feeling for this rise and fall, this knee action can be altered from a direct rise to a level but progressive movement. This feels as if your knees are converting the rising action into a forward movement or momentum, giving you the sensation of skating in a low roofed corridor, so your skating knee stays active in the same way, but pushes your body forward instead of being able to rise.

This exercise should be practiced regularly and in both directions.