Most spectacular and most applauded of all the items on my programme in the ice ballet in “Flirting at St. Moritz,” at the Hippodrome, are the backward outside edges or circles. Probably the very simplicity of them adds to the effect which they create in the mind of the crowds. The series of jumps which I make from a forward outside edge to a backward outside edge, is nowhere near as hard as it appears. And the complete revolution in the air which I make from one outside backward edge to the same edge again is dependent upon the accuracy and firmness of the outside edges. These are but two of the simple, yet very spectacular features of my exhibition which are based on the outside backward edges.

The outside edges backward are very popular for exhibition and spectacular purposes. But they are fundamental figures which must be mastered by every skater who hopes to make real progress in the most beautiful of all sports.

First the beginner must get a little confidence in skating backward by what is called “sculling.” The friend or helper is more important in learning the fundamental backward figures than in the forward figures. The best position for the helper when one is learning the backward strokes is facing the beginner; thus the beginner will skate backward and the instructor or friend will skate forward, right hands joined to left hands.

By a gentle push from the instructor or friend, the beginner is sent backward. Then should begin the waving lines made by the skates on the ice as the learner sways from side to side and throws the balance of the body from one foot to the other and from one edge to the other. Probably the beginner will not realize that he is making a sculling or waving mark on the ice until he has examined the print of the skates. It is an excellent practice to look at the marks which you have made in the ice. Often the accuracy of a curve or circles, or the correct tracing of a three or counter or rocker will be impossible to determine until the print has been examined. The judges in all great contests study the print on the ice as much as they do the carriage of the skater.

The sculling motion and strokes should be continued until the skater realizes that he is making a slight outside edge with each skate as his body changes its balance. Then learn to take the foot which is not being skated on, off the ice, carry it forward of the body toward the helper and trust to the outside edge of the skating foot.

When some considerable practice has been done in this manner and a part of a circle can be accomplished on the outside edge backward it is time for the beginner to start the full circles, or at least to learn to make the figure large and try to get back to the starting point.

The backward outside edges require nerve and daring. Here the skater’s qualifications for the sport will often come out. Skating backward in any circumstances is trying work to the beginner, and the curious balance of the outside backward circles is a hard thing to learn when one is at the same time distressed by the perfectly natural fear of skating backward. But make up your mind, clench your fists, grit your teeth and pluckily go at it.

Standing with both feet together on the ice, the starting stroke is made by pressing firmly with the flat part of the left skate on the ice and lunging backward strongly on the outside edge of the right skate. The chief difficulty in mastering this important figure comes from the innate hesitancy of the beginner to throw his balance backward. If this backward lunge is firm and strong, more than half the difficulty of the stroke has been mastered.

The balance left foot is carried across the right leg with the knee bent and the toe turned out and the leg carried fairly high in the air, not dragging behind. The shoulders rotate during all the circle edges, as we have seen in those which have already been studied. In the backward circle eights on the right foot, the left shoulder should be held well in front; this position, holding the shoulders almost square with the print, should be maintained through the circle.

The left foot, which is carried across the right leg and in front of the skater at the start of the stroke, should be brought slowly past the skating foot when about one-third of the circle has been completed, then carried well extended in a “spread-eagle” position to the end of the circle. This is one of the few strokes in skating where but little change of the position of the arms occurs during the completion of the circle. They slowly turn with the shoulders and maintain a graceful pose, with hands extended and palms downward. The general idea of the backward circle is to keep the entire body, arms and legs, almost directly over and slightly inside the print; its weight will tend to swing the body around as a revolving pendulum. The outside circle eights, either forward or backward, are somewhat forced or false balance, since the body has to lean considerably toward the centre of the circle to get the centre of gravity in the right place.

These articles are for beginners, and they ought not to hold me too closely to the rules I lay down. Many of my exhibition figures are so unusual and contain such unexpected combinations of jumps, counter rockers and spins that I have to violate rules or the figures could not be done. I have been accused of having no rules for skating, as I do so many things my own way. And when you have progressed to the point where they want newspaper articles from you which they head with the flattering remark that you are the greatest woman skater in the world, you will be in a position to violate rules a little bit. My pet philosopher says that rules were made for slaves.