The Art of Skating

World Figure Sport offers a methodical and comprehensive approach to skater training and education. Grounded in Figure Artwork, The Art of Skating provides Skating Artists the the skills and control needed to excel in any discipline of figure skating, whether art or sport, including freestyle skating, fancy skating, ice dance, synchronized skating, and even historic disciplines such as hand-in-hand skating and continuous skating. Alternately, the WFS educated Skating Artist might enjoy executing, examining and competing figures for world class recognition, including classics such as the Maltese Cross and Swiss S, or the challenge of creating a new Creative Figures. Either way, a WFS skating education provides every figure skater, of any body type, the technical foundation to achieve their goals without unprepared and excessive jumping and falling, and with confidence, precision and quality of movement.

We teach skaters accurate technique with line and elegance, using the technology of the blades to create clean edges, turns, alignment and core stability. This training develops a well rounded person who can execute awesome Figures & Fancy Skating whether gliding on the ice or making a flying Figure in the air with Fancy Skating. Our development system is designed so any age and level can continuously explore, practice, take exams and compete all while keeping a healthy perspective that combines patience, perseverance, mindfulness, curiosity, and athletic pleasure.

  • WFS promotes: the glide, grace, and goodness of skating by inspiring all to learn, take World Figure Sport’s skating exams & compete using skating’s enduring structural foundation of profound patterning. These patterns are found in mathematics, writing, drawing, painting, dancing, and music.  Skating’s patterns leave a language on the ice that transcend both culture and time.
  • WFS avoids: contortion skating, excessive falling, or an exorbitant amount of lessons for skaters (without space for practice) – we know that redundant overuse is not only detrimental to grace, but leads ultimately to the opposite of function in all aspects of body, mind, family, finances, and sport.  Have you lost your love of skating?  The pure joy of skating lives here.

Figure Artwork Exams

The Figure Artwork Exams form the core of The Art of Skating: a graded curriculum of Fundamental and Special Figures that all WFS skaters are encouraged to practice and achieve. To this end WFS offers a set of nine leveled exams, from Pewter to Black Diamond, covering these figures in a pedagogically sound sequence.

World Figure Sport recommends that Skating Artists focus primarily on The Art of Skating curriculum at least through the Silver exam level. This will develop the technical foundation and stable edges required for further study in all figure skating disciplines. Beyond that, Skating Artists may wish to continue focusing primarily on The Art of Skating, which will prepare them for the Championship level performance and competition in Figures and Fancy Skating. Alternately Skating Artists may choose to transition to spending more time preparing for and engaging in competition events sanctioned by other organizations.

Either way, the technical foundation developed through the The Art of Skating can help every Skating Artist excel at their chosen goals with improved physical health, mental health and enjoyment of figure skating. Skating Artists with adult bodies can enjoy the rigorous challenge of Figures and Fancy Skating, whether in competition or for personal enjoyment, without the risks associated with multiple revolution jumps.

NOTES:

  • The left side of each exam chart, available on the page for each exam, references the DVD Figure Eights: the Life Force of Figure Skating by Karen Courtland Kelly, available as DVD or Apple Books One, Two and Three.
  • The DVD contains only Fundamental Figures, and are sometimes in a different order than the WFS Exams.
  • Figures listed on the left of the exam charts are not included as part of the exam; however, they are frequently included in other exams either earlier or later in the exam sequence.


Online Education

Tuesday evening 8:05 p.m. EST/EDT
Saturdays at Noon EST/EDT on Patreon
Saturdays at 5:15 p.m. EST/EDT

NOTES:

  • The Art of Skating meets year-round.
  • This course is open to individuals of all ages.
  • Participants may register for the entire course or individual classes.
  • Other days and times are by appointment on-site or virtually.
  • Time zone groups outside of North America may schedule additional courses.
  • Family members may register to participate with their brothers, sisters, children and grandchildren.
Register for “The Art of Skating” Course


This course is for skaters of all ages & levels.  Skating Artists and Skating Educators learn how to attain encouraging, competitive, or world class exam levels (Figure, Hockey, Speed & Inclusive Skaters are welcome, too).   Plus, preparation for the World Figure & Fancy Skating Championships, and World Jrs. (ages 21 & under).   The course/class focus is how to attain more fun, efficient, and effective positive preparation as a new or seasoned Skating Artist.  Help is available year-round and we can prepare students for their World Figure & Fancy Skating Exams and much more, too.
​One may take individual classes or the entire course on Tuesday evenings at 8:05 p.m. EST and/or on Saturdays at 5:15 p.m. EST.  The other option is at Noon on Saturdays through Patreon.  If a student is a Patreon Tiered Member then one has unlimited access to all live skating technique classes monthly.