What is STARSkate:
STARSkate is a program that teaches skaters figure skating skills in 4 disciplines:
- Skating Skills: Fundamental skating movements, focusing on edges, turns, exercise, and field moves. Skills is the foundation to all other disciplines. There are 11 skills assessments.
- Ice Dance: 21 compulsory dances to teach timing, musicality, and rhythm, as well as edges, flow, control, and unison. There are 12 levels of dance assessments. Includes pairs ice dance.
- Free Skate: The execution of jumps, spins, field movements, and step sequences either in isolation or performed in a program with music. There are 20 Freeskate assessments. Includes singles and pairs.
- Synchronized Skating: Involves groups of 8 or more skaters performing various group formations and maneuvers as one unit, executing circles, blocks, lines, wheels, and intersections to music. There are 3 synchro assessments that must be done in a group.
Our STAR 1 and STAR 2-3 programs are designed to provide skaters with the skills necessary for a strong foundation in the sport of figure skating.
What comes after STAR 2-3?
After completing the STAR 2-3 program, you will need to contact one of our coaches to arrange private or semi-private lessons for your skater. All coaches have their own lesson rates and their availability varies depending on how many skaters they are working with. Please see our "Meet our Coaches" page to see a list of ESPSC's coaches.
Please see our STARSkate handbook here:
The STAR testing program consists of 5 disciplines; FreeSkate, Skills, Dance, Artistic, and Synchro. Most STAR skaters focus on the first three.
Within FreeSkate, Skills, and Dance each level will have at least one test before the skater can move onto the next STAR level. Artistic and Synchro only have certain STAR levels they are assessed at.
Please see below for information on what each level assesses:
| Sessions per week | Working on | Coach directed time | |
| STAR 1 | Minimum 1 or more sessions (1.5 hours) a week | Skaters at this level are typically landing waltz-jump, toe loop, and salchow | 75% of ice time |
| STAR 2-3 | Minimum 2 or more sessions (4 hours) a week | Skaters at this level are typically landing loop, flip, lutz, and starting axels | 50-75% of ice time |
| STAR 4+ & Podium Pathway | Minimum 4 or more sessions (8 hours) a week | Skaters at this level are typically landing axels and working on/landing doubles | 25-50% of ice time |
