| StarSkate
Skate Canada Programs:
STARSkate
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.
The STARSkate
legacy
STARSkate has been the mainstay of figure skating in Canada
for more than four decades.
When you/your child registers for a STARSkate
program at your local Skate Canada club, you also become a member
of Skate Canada and will have access to:
- opportunities to be recognized through
a nationally standardized testing system for achieving specific
figure skating skills
- complimentary Gold Test pins
- invitational and interclub competitions,
including the national STARSkate championship stream
- specifically designed awards and incentives
such as badges, tattoos and stickers
- STARSkate Bursary program
- STARSkate Skater of the Year awards program
- Progress updates and report cards
- Special STARSkate events and club functions
- Opportunity to be talent-scouted
- Opportunity for personal growth and the
development of important life skills such as goal-setting,
self-discipline, confidence, time management, healthy lifestyle
and coping strategies to deal with success and failure.
These are some of the awards and incentives
that have been developed to encourage athletes in the STARSkate
Program.
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Free Skating Pin |
Stickers |
STARSkate
Program Badge |
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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: Preliminary, Junior Bronze
- Free Skating: Preliminary, Junior Bronze
- Dance: Preliminary, Junior Bronze
- 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
to prescribed music. 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 6 Skating Skills tests in the STARSkate program:
- Preliminary
- Junior Bronze
- 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:
- Preliminary
- Junior Bronze
- 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 six Free Skating tests in the STARSkate
Program:
- Preliminary
- Junior Bronze
- Senior Bronze
- Junior Silver
- Senior Silver
- Gold
Each test consists of 2 parts - Elements in Isolation
and a Free Program.
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
Competitions
for STARSkate Athletes
STARSkate participants love to compete! Our
feedback indicates that even though a skater may choose not to participate
in the Skate Canada CompetitiveSkate Program, they still want the
opportunity to test their skill in a competition situation. Skate
Canada offers several opportunities to do this.
Club Competitions
Clubs offer competitions for their own members to
compete against each other. The club determines the categories which
generally follow Skate Canada STARSkate guidelines (e.g. length of
program, category name, type of event offered, etc.) The club may
also offer other creative events such as longest shoot-the-duck, similar
pairs, spins and jumps, etc.)
STARSkate Interclub Competitions
These are events involving a number of clubs in
the same region or area. The competition categories offered generally
fall in line with the applicable Skate Canada Section specifications,
so that all Interclubs within the Section are standardized (this allows
Skate Canada Sections to offer a Section Final). The National STARSkate
Interclub Championship stream provides opportunities for skaters who
want to remain in the STARSkate program but also want to have the
challenge of competing up to a national level in a credible, nationally
standardized event.
Invitational Competitions
These are events coordinated by a Section or Club(s)
and offered, generally, to STARSkaters and competitive. Most events
fall within Skate Canada's specifications regarding program length
and eligibility to compete. For more information contact the hosting
Section or club.
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