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Sustained Edge Step – USFS Senior Moves Pt. 2 (Karen Olson)
Moves in the field expert Karen Olson continues her discussion and demonstration of how she teaches the Sustained Edge Step pattern of the USFS Senior Moves test. In the first part of this discussion, she broke the move down into a series of exercises and drills to build the fundamental skills needed for the pattern. […] Continue reading →
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Lunges for Beginner Skaters (Amy Brolsma)
Figure skating coach Amy Brolsma explains and demonstrates how she teaches lunges to beginner skaters. As she explains, the lunge provides a great way for young skaters to work on core control (hips) and get used to bending more deeply as they skate. It also works on extension and stretching. As Amy notes, many young […] Continue reading →
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Skids and Stops, Part 5 – Progression (Chris Conte)
In this very short video, Chris Conte explains at what point in a skater’s development he focuses on the various skids and stops. This video is part of a series of videos on skids and stops. In Part 1 he covered T-stops. In Part 2 he introduced the slideboard drill. In Part 3 he shared […] Continue reading →
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Edge Control With Turns (Nick Perna)
International and World figure skating coach Nick Perna explains and demonstrates a simple drill he uses to build edge control and complete mastery of turns. This video is a follow-up to his video on the Shut Up Drill. The concept of this drill is straightforward, but it can be incredibly challenging for all but the […] Continue reading →
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Spirals for Beginner Skaters (Amy Brolsma)
Figure skating coach Amy Brolsma explains and demonstrates how she teaches spirals to beginner skaters. She focuses initially on the upper body position while on 2 feet. To balance this position, skaters must allow the hips to move backwards. Just this exercise alone solves many common spiral errors so it should be mastered. Next Amy […] Continue reading →
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Edge Control With the “Shut Up Drill” (Nick Perna)
International and World figure skating coach Nick Perna explains a very simple drill he uses to build edge control. This is a drill every figure skating coach has used at one point or another, but probably not with all the variations and detail that Nick does. The drill consists of simply gliding around a full […] Continue reading →
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Edge Pulls to Generate Power (Doug Webster)
Professional choreographer Douglas Webster works with a class on power generation from edges. He notes that almost everything in figure skating relates to these kinds of edge pushes. He says, “You’re always in a push, unless you’re in a spiral or a one foot glide or a hydroblade or something.” He begins with alternating forward […] Continue reading →
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Backward Crossovers (Amy Brolsma)
Figure skating coach Amy Brolsma explains and demonstrates how she teaches backward crossovers which are also known as backward crosscuts depending on where you live in the world. This video is a continuation of Amy’s presentation on forward crossovers. Amy begins by explaining that backward crossovers are a backward pump followed by a cross under […] Continue reading →
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Forward Crossovers (Amy Brolsma)
Figure skating coach Amy Brolsma explains and demonstrates how she teaches forward crossovers which are also known as crosscuts depending on where you live in the world. Amy begins by noting that a good goal for proper crossovers is to have an even amount of power generated from each push. She starts by having a […] Continue reading →
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Ballet Jump (Audrey Weisiger)
World and Olympic coach Audrey Weisiger talks about the ballet jump. The ballet jump is sometimes mistaken for the mazurka, but the non-picking leg remains behind on the ballet jump. To start, Audrey does not focus on getting the back leg up very high for safety reasons. But she likes the ballet jump as a […] Continue reading →
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Skids and Stops, Part 3 – One Foot Hockey Stops and Tango Stops (Chris Conte)
Chris Conte continues his multi-part series on skids and stops. In Part 1 he covered T-stops. In Part 2 he introduced the slideboard drill. In this video, Chris discusses drills for building skidding mastery. He also discusses the”one foot hockey step” and the “tango stop” in detail. To start, Chris shows how the one foot […] Continue reading →
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Circular Drill for Power and Flow (Pasquale Camerlengo)
World and Olympic figure skating coach and choreographer Pasquale Camerlengo talks about creating power and flow and he shares a “simple” circular drill. In the beginning of the video, he emphasizes the importance of working on edges and generating power from the edges (not just pushes). Next he has International ice dancer Zach Donohue demonstrate […] Continue reading →
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Alignment Drill, Part 2 – Edges and Turns (Nick Perna)
Figure skating coach Nick Perna shares a drill related to the alignment drill on 2 feet with the feet crossed. This version of the drill is simple in concept, but it can be very challenging. It develops great awareness of the outside edges and helps many skaters with proper alignment for turns and edges. Nick […] Continue reading →
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Alignment Drill – Mastering Feet Underneath (Nick Perna)
Figure skating coach Nick Perna offers a set of drills intended to improve a skater’s alignment and get them comfortable with their feet under them. These drills fall under the category of “skating skills.” Alignment issues plaque skaters of every age and level so mastering these drills is important for all skaters. A large percentage […] Continue reading →
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Mazurka Jump (Audrey Weisiger)
World and Olympic coach Audrey Weisiger explains what a mazurka is and how to do one. A mazurka is a basic skill that is useful in the development process for jumps such as the toe loop. Audrey begins by explaining the origin of the word “mazurka” (a historic dance) and she offers all kinds of funny […] Continue reading →
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Skids and Stops, Part 2 – Slideboard Drill for Power (Chris Conte)
Chris Conte continues his multi-part series on skids and stops. In Part 1 he covered T-stops. In this video, Chris introduces the slideboard drill for helping develop the inside edge skid as well as power generation in stroking, particularly in back crossovers. Chris explains how the power is generated in the push and how it […] Continue reading →
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Skids and Stops, Part 1 – T-Stops (Chris Conte)
Chris Conte begins a multi-part series on skids and stops. Skids are a form of edge control that needs to be developed from the beginning stages of skating. Most skaters are introduced to skids when they learn a snowplow stop. Chris discusses this very briefly. When introducing a T-stop, Chris starts at the wall, get’s […] Continue reading →
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Outside Edges – Forward Outside Cross Strokes (Pasquale Camerlengo)
World and Olympic figure skating coach and choreographer Pasquale Camerlengo explains how he develops stronger outside edges, primarily through the use of cross strokes or cross rolls (dance). Bending before the push is critical for proper power generation. The cross rolls demonstrated in the video are a great model to study. Pasquale uses both slow […] Continue reading →
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Back Outside Pivot – Basic Skills (Nick Perna)
Figure skating coach Nick Perna continues his explanation of pivots. Check out Part 1 and Part 2. In this video, Nick discusses the back outside pivot. This pivot is typically learned in basic skills classes and it helps develop many important skating skills. As Nick notes, it’s helpful for building the body positioning and pivoting […] Continue reading →
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Inside Edge Drills – Developing Inside Edges (Pasquale Camerlengo)
World and Olympic figure skating coach and choreographer Pasquale Camerlengo explains how he develops stronger inside edges. (See the introduction to this video here.) The demonstrators in this video are World ice dance competitors Madison Hubbell and Zach Donohue. The video begins with Zach doing a series of quick forward inside edges down the ice. […] Continue reading →
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Importance of Edges and Skating Skills (Pasquale Camerlengo)
World and Olympic figure skating coach and choreographer Pasquale Camerlengo discusses the importance of edge work and skating skills as it relates to skating development and IJS points. Pasquale is an elite choreographer, and notice the focus and awareness on finding “different ways to make turns happen, just to make it look different and original.” […] Continue reading →
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Pivots – Part 2 (Nick Perna)
Figure skating coach Nick Perna continues his explanation of pivots. You can see Part 1 of his presentation here. In this video, Nick begins by noting there are 8 different pivots in total. These are forward inside, back inside, forward outside, and back outside, on each foot making 8 total. Nick says, “I make sure […] Continue reading →
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Pivots – Part 1 (Nick Perna)
Figure skating coach Nick Perna explains how he teaches pivots. Nick thinks pivots are often overlooked because skaters usually learn them so early in the skating development process and coaches aren’t demanding about improving the positions. Also, even relatively advanced skaters typically do not work on pivots and some high level skaters have never even […] Continue reading →
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Multi-purpose Skating Drills All Skaters Should Master (Nick Perna)
Figure skating coach Nick Perna shares two very important drills. These exercises are deceptively difficult, and represent a clever way to develop important skating skills. Both of these drills benefit the skater in two major ways: The skater learns to fully control internal and external rotation of the hips in isolation, and The skater learns […] Continue reading →
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Warm-Up Stroking Drills (Amy Brolsma)
Amy Brolsma shares a number of warm-up drills to get the knees and ankles warmed up after a skater steps onto the ice. As Amy explains, these kinds of exercises are particularly helpful as warm-ups for competitions or test sessions. Notice the focus on presentation. The drills themselves are not that hard, which allows the […] Continue reading →
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Warming Up with Cross Strokes (Douglas Webster)
Professional choreographer Douglas Webster continues his class on warming up properly after stepping onto the ice. In the previous video, Doug focused on exercises intended to warm up the knees and ankles. In this video, he focuses on the cross stroke as a warm-up exercise. (Although many ice dancers may argue that cross strokes and […] Continue reading →
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Warming Up the Knees and Ankles (Douglas Webster)
Professional choreographer Douglas Webster teaches a class on warming up properly after stepping on the ice. Instead of racing around the rink to warm up, Doug offers a set of exercises that are more effective at engaging the ankles and knees while still getting the heart rate up. He takes a few moments to explain […] Continue reading →
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The Forward Outside Mohawk (Amy Brolsma)
In this figure skating turn and steps video, Amy Brolsma explains how she teaches a forward outside mohawk. As with the forward inside mohawk, Amy uses a cone to bring the mohawk into a tighter circle with a more pronounced body lean. Notice the focus at first simply on edge control and proper body positioning […] Continue reading →
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Teaching the Basic Forward Inside Mohawk (Amy Brolsma)
In this basic skills video, Amy Brolsma provides a framework for teaching beginner skaters the basic forward inside mohawk. Amy uses a cone to facilitate learning the mohawk more quickly. The cone helps skaters focus and understand the concept of being on edges and curves. Amy starts by building control of just the forward inside […] Continue reading →
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How to Ice Skate Tots Class – Hopping (Kayla Johnson)
Figure skating coach and tots expert Kayla Johnson demonstrates and gives tips on leading two fun activities designed to help teach kids how to hop on two feet on the ice. Hopping is an important skill for beginning skaters to learn because the movement requires balance, proper posture, and a willingness to risk leaving the […] Continue reading →
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How to Ice Skate Tots Class – The Cookie Game (Kayla Johnson)
Tots expert Kayla Johnson explains yet another great game for engaging a tots class and teaching some important basic skills. The cookie game is a combination of games and skills already covered in Kayla’s videos. The basic idea of using “cookies” to engage young skaters is simple but brilliant. Kids LOVE and can relate to […] Continue reading →
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Figure Skating Moves – Forward Cross Strokes (Karen Olson)
Moves in the Field expert Karen Olson discusses forward cross strokes as required on the USFS Juvenile Moves in the Field test. To begin the discussion, Karen touches on an aspect of cross strokes that is somewhat controversial. Notice that Karen recognizes that how the moves tests are judged often depends on geographic location. The […] Continue reading →
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How to Ice Skate Tots Class – Games With Markers (Kayla Johnson)
Tots expert Kayla Johnson shares some ideas of how to use on-ice drawings to engage and inspire the skaters in a tots class. Initially, Kayla discusses the marker itself and recommends caution when using permanent markers. (Water soluble markers are a better choice because when it gets on clothes and skin it is easier to […] Continue reading →
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How to Ice Skate Tots Class – Using Toys (Kayla Johnson)
Tots expert Kayla Johnson offers a number of ways to use Beanie Babies or “Beanies” in a tots class. Using toys is a great way to shift the focus of young (and old) skaters away from the details and mechanics of actually skating. At this level, maintaining attention and having fun are extremely important, largely […] Continue reading →
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Edge Class – Part 5 (Chris Conte)
Choreographer Chris Conte continues with his class on edges and power generation. As noted in Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4 this class was in Korea on one of Chris’s visits and you’ll notice Eun Hee Lee translating for her Korean skaters. Please excuse the audio on this video as it was […] Continue reading →
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Figure Skating Skills – Backward Power Pulls (Karen Olson)
Karen Olson explains and demonstrates how she teaches backward power pulls for skaters just learning power pulls and those working to pass the US Figure Skating Pre-Juvenile Moves in the Field test. This is a continuation of a recent video Karen did on forward power pulls. Karen also did a video a while back on […] Continue reading →
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How to Ice Skate – Backward Crossovers (Nick Perna)
Nick Perna shares his thoughts and insights about learning and teaching backward crossovers (also called crosscuts). This is a follow-up to his earlier video on forward crossovers. Much like the earlier video, this is an in-depth video covering details which are generally glossed over by many coaches. Nick begins the presentation by noting that most skaters […] Continue reading →
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Backward Cross Strokes (Amy Brolsma)
Amy Brolsma explains and demonstrates how she teaches backward cross strokes. (This video is a follow-up to Amy’s video on forward cross strokes.) Cross strokes appear repeatedly in the US Figure Skating Moves in the Field tests and are an excellent tool for choreographers to use with a skater to generate speed and power while […] Continue reading →
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Figure Skating Power Pulls – USFS Pre-Juvenile Moves (Karen Olson)
Karen Olson explains and demonstrates how she teaches forward power pulls for skaters just learning power pulls and those working to pass the US Figure Skating Pre-Juvenile Moves in the Field test. Karen did a previous video on power pulls but this video covers forward power pulls in more detail. As in the previous video, […] Continue reading →
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How to Ice Skate Tots Class – Warm Up Games (Kayla Johnson)
Tots expert Kayla Johnson explains a couple warm-up games for a tots class that get the skaters moving and build balance and control. These games are fun and get the skaters moving around on the ice without focusing on how they’re moving. It’s important to simply get young skaters engaged and moving to let them […] Continue reading →
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Edge Class – Part 3 (Chris Conte)
Choreographer Chris Conte continues with his class on edges and power generation. As noted in Part 1 and Part 2 this class was in Korea on one of Chris’s visits and you’ll notice Eun Hee Lee translating for her Korean skaters. Please excuse the audio on this video as it was taken during the class […] Continue reading →
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Edge Class – Part 2 (Chris Conte)
Choreographer Chris Conte continues with his class on edges and power generation. As noted in Part 1, this class was in Korea on one of Chris’s visits and you’ll notice Eun Hee Lee translating for her Korean skaters. Please excuse the audio on this video as it was taken during the class with no wireless […] Continue reading →
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Edge Class – Part 1 (Chris Conte)
Choreographer Chris Conte teaches a class on edges and power generation. This class was in Korea on one of Chris’s visits and you’ll notice Eun Hee Lee translating for her Korean skaters. Please excuse the audio on this video as it was taken during the class with no wireless microphones so it can be difficult […] Continue reading →
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Forward Cross Strokes (Amy Brolsma)
Amy Brolsma explains and demonstrates how she teaches forward cross strokes. Cross strokes appear repeatedly in the US Figure Skating Moves in the Field tests and are an excellent tool for choreographers to use with a skater to generate speed and power while changing lobes or circles. Related Video: Figure Skating Forward Cross Strokes (Karen […] Continue reading →
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How to Ice Skate Tots Class – Backwards Games (Kayla Johnson)
Tots expert Kayla Johnson explains a couple games for a tots class that build backward skating skills. The first game is the “bubble gum” game. This game is effective for a number of reasons. It involves candy which most tots can immediately relate to. It involves a song or chant. It involves participation by the […] Continue reading →
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Compulsory Figures – Skating the 8 – Push Off, Alignment, Movement (Page Lipe)
Page Lipe continues her discussion of compulsory figures (also called school figures). In the previous video in this series, Page laid out a set of circles without using a scribe. In this video, Page demonstrates how to skate the basic 8. She explains when and how the arms and free leg move and you can […] Continue reading →
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How to Ice Skate Tots Class – The Zoo Game (Kayla Johnson)
Tots expert Kayla Johnson explains a fun game for a tots class that she calls the Zoo Game. Kayla notes that effectively teaching a tots class requires the ability to let go and have fun with the skaters in the class. Kayla also notes, “It’s also really important to get down at the kids level […] Continue reading →
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Developing Hip Turn-Out – Stretching for Figure Skaters (Kristina Anderson)
Figure skating strength and conditioning coach Kristina Anderson discusses how to develop hip flexibility and improved hip turn-out. This is extremely important in figure skating and applies to T-stops, spirals, lunges, camel spins, Ina Bauers, spread eagles, jump landing positions, mohawks, and choctaws, just to name some obvious ones. This set of exercises and stretches […] Continue reading →
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Introduction to Teaching an Ice Skating Tots Class (Kayla Johnson)
Tots expert Kayla Johnson explains how she runs a tots class in skating school. Initially she notes that the primary purpose of these classes is simply to have fun. Without having fun, most tots simply won’t be interested in learning the skills or even learning basic balance. Next she covers safety. She goes over certain […] Continue reading →
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Compulsory Figures – Drawing the Circles Without a Scribe (Page Lipe)
Page Lipe demonstrates how to draw figures circles without using a scribe. Although figures were dropped from international competition back in the early 1990’s, school figures are seeing a resurgence in popularity as coaches recognize the value of these exercises. Page has been a strong figures proponent and shares information about her Compulsory Figures Project […] Continue reading →
