Canskate

CanSkate is Skate Canada's flagship learn-to-skate program, designed for beginners of all ages. When you sign up for CanSkate you will be in a program that focuses on fun, participation and basic skill development. You will earn badges and other incentives as you learn fundamental skating skills.

Lessons are given in a group format and led by an NCCP certified professional coach. Professional coaches are assisted by trained Program Assistants. The coach to student ratio is a maximum of 1:10. Skaters progress at their own rate and coaches make sessions active using teaching aids, music and a wide variety of activities that create a fun environment and promote learning. CanSkate is the feeder program to all other Skate Canada Skating Programs, and is presented by BMO Financial Group, reflecting their commitment to grassroots development.

 STARSkate

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 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:

 Skating Tests

            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

Skating Skills Test

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 Test

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 Test

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.