Skills, Tests, Achievement, Recognition – this is what STARSkate is all about!
STARSkate offers opportunities for skaters of all ages to develop fundamental figure skating skills in the areas of ice dance, skating skills, free skate and interpretive skating. Unique in Canada, this program teaches figure skating skills in a group and/or private lesson format in a progressive and sequential manner and includes specifically designed awards and incentives. Skaters have the opportunity to take Skate Canada Tests through a nationally standardized testing system. Skaters who have mastered figure skating skills in STARSkate may also choose to pursue synchronized skating or pairs skating.
How STARSkate works
The STARSkate program consists of figure skating skills in four areas – Skating Skills, Ice Dance, Free Skate and Interpretive. Each area is divided into the following levels:
Primary Level Tests
Skating Skills: Star 1-5
Free Skating: Star 1-5
Dance: Star 1-5
Interpretive: Introductory
Intermediate Level Tests
Skating Skills: Senior Bronze, Junior Silver
Free Skating: Senior Bronze, Junior Silver
Dance: Senior Bronze, Junior Silver
Interpretive: Bronze
Senior Level Tests
Skating Skills: Senior Silver, Gold
Free Skating: Senior Silver, Gold
Dance: Senior Silver, Gold, Diamond
Interpretive: Silver, Gold
What Options do I have as a STARSkate Athlete?
Once a skater is in the Skate Canada STARSkate Program, there are several of options. Skaters may choose to remain in the STARSkate Program, taking tests (although not mandatory) at organized test sessions and honing learned skills. Skaters may also choose to enter competitions, while still trying Skate Canada tests. Other skaters may feel that they have progressed to a point where they may wish to enter the Skate Canada CompetitiveSkate Program or become involved in synchronized skating, evaluating or judging, or participate as an adult or varsity member.
Skating Skills
Skating Skills are a combination of fundamental skating movements, executed on a pattern and skated solo. The basic components of all disciplines of figure skating are incorporated into the program. The movements are derived from former compulsory figures, free skating and ice dancing. The objective of the Skating Skills program is mastery of the basic fundamentals of skating – edge quality, control, power and speed.
There are 9 Skating Skills tests in the STARSkate program:
Star 1-5
Senior Bronze
Junior Silver
Senior Silver
Gold
Ice Dance
Consisting of seven levels of tests, the Dance Test program teaches timing, musicality, rhythm interpretation, structure as well as basic skating skills such as edges, flow, control and unison.
The dances in the STARSkate Program can be tried in any order but a candidate must pass the required number of dances in a dance test before proceeding to the next level. In addition to the traditional compulsory dances, there are also Creative Dances to challenge skaters’ creativity, artistry and originality.
The Dance Tests are as follows:
Star 1-5
Senior Bronze
Junior Silver
Senior Silver
Gold
Diamond
Free Skate
Free skating consists of the execution of jumps, spins, footwork, field movements and stroking, either in isolation or performed in sequence to music.
There are 9 Free Skating tests in the STARSkate Program:
Star 1-5
Senior Bronze
Junior Silver
Senior Silver
Gold
Each test consists of 2 parts – Elements in Isolation and a Free Program. Free program begins in Star 2.
Interpretive
The objective of the Interpretive program is to encourage and develop skaters’ creativity, expression, musicality, movement, interpretation of music, as well as the use of space, rhythm, line and style. The program provides skaters with the opportunity to explore the performance aspect of skating without focusing on technical elements.
The Interpretive tests consist of skating to and interpreting a piece of music 2.0 to 3.0 minutes (+/- 10 seconds) in length. Skaters can take Interpretive tests as individuals and/or as a couple (male/female, female/female or male/male) at four levels:
Introductory
Bronze
Silver
Gold
Testing for Star 1-5 is done by our coaches at anytime throughout the skating season during their regular skating time. They will notify the skater of an upcoming test and provide them with an envelope to be returned with all info filled in and the $12 test fee to the test chair at least one skating session before the test.
Testing for senior bronze and up are completed at a test day and with judges. Coaches will give out envelopes and let skaters know when they are to be passed in and the date of the upcoming test day. Envelopes are to be filled in and the $12 test fee is to be passed into the test chair.
For more detailed information on the new Star 1-5 program please visit skatecanada.ca or refer to the following