STARskate Skater and Parent Information Sheet
The following information is a guideline to
the sport of figure skating. It will
describe the 3 components of figure skating and the different exercises
involved with each.
Figure skating at this level consists of “Free
Skate”, “Dance”, and Skating Skills” each of these begins at Preliminary and goes
to the Gold test level. A skater who has
completed their Gold Tests in Figure Skating has achieved the highest level of
testing there is in the sport. At the
Espanola Skating Club, we recognize these accomplishments with a Plaque
displayed in our showcase in the lobby of the complex.
FREE SKATE
This discipline of skating is the most
popular and well known to people. It
consists of Spins, Jumps and Field Movements as well as “solos” that are
performed at competitions. The various
levels in order are Preliminary, Junior Bronze, Senior Bronze, Junior Silver
and Gold. In order to pass various
levels, you must be able to complete specific jumps spins and field movements
as indicated by Skate Canada. Each level
requires a solo that gets longer in duration as you progress beginning with 1
minute 30 seconds and ending with a 3:30 or 4:00 solo at the Gold Level.
The various Jumps are as follows, Waltz
Jump, Salchow, Toe Loop, Loop, Flip, Lutz and Axel. All of these with the exception of the Waltz
Jump continue on to Double and Triple versions.
The basic spins are Upright spins, Sit
spins, and Camel Spins. There are
variations of all of these, with slightly different positions, different
entries (i.e. back entry, flying entry etc.).
A good spin has a solid position, is quick to rotate and is centered on
the ice (doesn’t travel across the ice but is contained in one small spot on the
ice)
Field Movements consist of spirals, drags,
spread eagles and in bauers.
DANCE
Dance consists of several dances in each of
the levels and each dance has a set pattern that has to be followed on the ice
as well as specific technical steps that have to be performed in time to the
music. Skaters progress, through
different, Waltz’s, Tango’s, Foxtrots, Marches etc.
The various Dances in order are Preliminary
(Dutch Waltz, Canasta, Baby Blues), Junior Bronze (Swing, Fiesta, Willow),
Senior Bronze (Ten Fox, Fourteen Step, European Waltz, Keats Foxtrot) Junior
Silver (Harris Tango, American Waltz, Rocker Foxtrot), Senior Silver (Paso
Doble, Starlight Waltz, Blues, Killian) Gold (Vienesse Waltz, Westminister
Waltz, Quickstep, Argentine Tango, Cha Cha Congelato)
SKATING SKILLS
Skills replaced what used to be Skill
Figures, where skaters spent hours each week, going around figure eights on
their own little patch of ice, with no music and definitely no talking to the
person next to you!!!!! Each level consists
of 3 or 4 exercises, which are performed to music and have specific steps that
have to be done. This discipline of
skating teaches skaters edges and turns, which are essential to be able to
perform the jumps and spins mentioned earlier in the letter. The focus while performing skating skills is
not on timing, but on the correct execution of the edges and turns.
Preliminary (Waltzing Three Turns, Waltzing
Mohawks, Preliminary Circles)
Junior Bronze (Threes and Power Mohawks,
Change Threes, Power Circles)
Senior Bronze (Forward Brackets, Power
Circles II, Expanding Exercises)
Junior Silver (Multi Turns and Power
Threes, Snakes and Ladders, Flying Choctaws)
Senior Silver (Rockers and Choctaws,
Multicircle Threes & Brackets, Expanding Exercises)
Gold (Counters and Three change Threes,
Multi Circle Double Threes and Mohawks, Expanding Exercises)
We hope this gives you a slightly better
understanding of the three disciplines of skating and why we work on them. As each skater is ready, we will inform the
parents and enter them into various test days.
All tests at the starskate level are evaluated by a Skate Canada
evaluator. The National office keeps a
database of all tests passed by all members of its organization.
Happy Skating
Kelly
ESC Coach
