Skaters enter artistic events in one or more categories - Figures, Singles, Pairs, and Dance skating. They are judged on content and manner of performance. This includes the skater sability to do identifiable, difficult content items, like jumps, spins and footwork; while utilizing those movements in an artistic interpretation of accompanying music.
Figure skating demands tracing accuracy, body control, and intense concentration. Each skater retraces a series of figure patterns - combining a variety of difficult takeoffs, edges and turns, on a set of circles painted on the skating surface. Figure skating, considered a requisite for mastery of other artistic movements on roller skates, teaches balance, control and discipline.
Singles skaters execute jumps, spins and footwork blended in harmony with the skater s choiceof music, creating a performance which embraces the realms of both sport and art. Judging is based on speed, height in jumps, control, velocity, and variety of position in spins, in addition to originality and confidence in the footwork segments used to connect each item in the program. Manner of performance reflects the skater s poise, showmanship and expression during a routine.
Pairs skating takes singles one step further by adding a partner to a carefully synchronized routine. The partners, mirroring each other s movements, strive for the perfect conversion of music to performance by executing simultaneous spins, jumps and footwork, punctuating their routine with exciting and physically demanding overhead lifts.
In compulsory dance, each team skates to prescribed patterns and rhythms. Judges look for timing, posture, accuracy of the steps and musical expression. In free dance each team uses original choreography, intricate footwork and movements that best interpret the music theyselected for their routine. Solo dance, a recent development in the discipline, is governed by the same rules and formats, but with an added dimension of being the only individual event wheremen and women compete against each other.
Many successful artistic skaters can trace their beginnings to a skating center s USAC/RS chartered club. It's here where skaters hone their skills through practice, lessons and competition. Many strive to represent their club at local, regional and national competitions.
Skaters who succeed at any of the nine regional championships advance to the annual UnitedStates Championships. Here, more than 1,500 skaters compete for national titles in divisions of artistic skating grouped by age and levels of experience. The top three placements in the world class divisions of men s and women s Figures, Singles, Pairs and Dance represent the UnitedStates at the annual World Artistic Championships.
It all begins with a willingness to organize and maintain a competitive artistic skating club. Although for the purposes of this section emphasis will be placed on skating centers, the sport of artistic skating can be organized and enjoyed by any organization dedicated to working with people of all ages. All it takes is a little planning and enthusiasm to get a successful artistic skating program off and rolling.