| Gateway Skating Club STARskate / Competitive Skate Program |
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STARSkate encourages skaters to develop more advanced figure skating skills in various areas such as Skating Skills, Free Skating, Dance and Interpretive Skating. It provides figure skating instruction in group and/or private lesson format, assesses the skater’s progress through Skate Canada tests, challenges skaters in a competitive environment and encourages skaters to keep participating in skating for fun, fitness and achievement. Skaters may also choose to enter the Competitive Skate program which challenges to hone their skills in a competitive environment.
At Gateway Skating Club we have developed a philosophy that values group sessions and team coaching as well as private lessons. Group sessions allow skaters to work with coaches in a group atmosphere to enhance various aspects of skating such as: transitions, spins, jumps, edge quality, footwork, creativity, working with the CPC judging system and team work. Private lessons enable coaches and skaters to work on individual skills and programs. Tailoring lessons to the specific needs of the skater. The team coaching philosophy allows skaters the benefit of choosing a primary coach to work with, but allows them to reap the benefits of a variety of coaches’ areas of expertise.
Off-ice is another critical component of a complete training program. Gateway offers a variety of off-ice classes that focus on stretching, flexibility, fitness, strength, cardio-training, dance and mental training exercises.
For more information please click: STARSkate Disciplines. The Skate Canada website also offers detailed information as well.
Tests are assessed based on pre-determined criteria that are specific to each discipline. Skating Skill tests are assessed on edge quality, ice coverage, ease of motion, correctness of steps and musicality/pacing. Free Skating tests are assessed on use of ice, carriage/line/form, speed, use of music, sureness of skating skills, program composition, connecting steps/field movements, jumps, jump sequence, jump combination, spins and spin combination. Evaluators assess dance rhythm (timing, expression and unison) and execution (accuracy/flow, style/form. Pattern/placement) for Dance tests. The criteria for Interpretive tests are: under the first mark "Skating", Edge and Turn Quality, Speed, Flow and Power, Creative Movement with Sureness, Carriage and Line are assessed. Under the second mark, "Performance", the following aspects are evaluated: Interpretation of Music, Communication of Theme, Use of Whole Body, Use of Levels and Space, Originality/Creativity, Interaction (Couples only). Each criteria is evaluated based on a four-point scale of Needs Improvement, Satisfactory, Good and Excellent.
The Club will offer opportunities for skaters to test once each session. Low test days will be hosted by the Gateway Skating Club, High test days are often combined with other clubs and hosted as a centralized test day. If participating in a centralized test day we will require volunteers to help out.
A skater’s coach will determine when the skater is ready to try a Skate Canada test. A list of tests will be provided to the Club Test Chair who will then organize the day. There are often many people and conditions when completing the final schedule so be patient, the test chair will post the schedule as soon as possible.
Skaters are responsible for paying the Skate Canada test fee and the Gateway Skating Club will pay all other costs associated with the test fee. If the skater is required to go to an out of club test day because the Club can not offer an opportunity for the skater to test the Club will pay the out of club fee. If the skater chooses to test on a day other than the one hosted by the Club they will be responsible for the out of club fee. Any tests pulled after the pull date (two weeks before the test date) the skater will still be required to pay the Skate Canada test fee.
Test Day Tips:
To help skaters feel more relaxed at a test session skaters and parents should discuss test day procedures with the coach prior to the test day. Other factors such as having a good sleep the night before the test day, eating easily digestible and familiar food, using visualization methods and wearing a comfortable outfit are also great tips to make the skater more comfortable during testing.
Each has three specific exercises that need to be performed successfully to pass.
In Free Skating skaters learn how to execute jumps, to spin in a variety of positions and incorporate these and other skills into a program of a specified length using connecting steps and music interpretation. It is also divided into six different levels:
Each free skating test is divided into two parts: Elements in Isolation and Free Program. The Elements in Isolation consist of stroking exercises (which all must be assessed Satisfactory or better in order to pass), jump and spin elements, field movements and step sequences. Of the 14 elements performed at each level, 12 must receive Satisfactory or better evaluations in order to pass that portion of the test. The Free Program is a program of a specified length skated to music of the candidate’s choice. The program must successfully demonstrate certain elements in order to be passed.
Consisting of seven levels of tests, the Dance program teaches timing, musicality, rhythm, interpretation, structure as well as basic skating skills such as edges, flow, control and unison. Dancers skate with partners and sometimes by themselves to various musical rhythms, including waltz, tango and blues. Each compulsory dance has a series of steps that must be skated in a specific pattern. Dancers progress through the six different test levels, and can skate the dance tests in any order within each level. A candidate must pass a specified number of the test dances at one level before proceeding to the next.
Dance Levels:
Interpretive skating encourages creativity and movement to music, and allows skaters to explore the performance aspect of skating without focusing on technical elements. Skaters may take interpretive tests as individuals or as a couple. There are four different Interpretive levels: Introductory, Bronze, Silver and Gold. Skaters progress from Bronze to Gold by passing each test level in order.
All Skating Skills, Free Skating, Dance and Interpretive tests are grouped into three test levels: