2025 WORLD FIGURE & FANCY SKATING CHAMPIONSHIPS
Fancy Skating (FS): The Art of Skating, a World of Possibilities –
With World Figure Sport, Skating Artists create an original Fancy Skating performance without constraint. The number of rotations in any type of Flying Figures will not have precedence over the quality of execution, flights of fancy, originality, and musical necessity when performed.
Whether a Soloist or a Team, Fancy Skating is a performance of athletic art in which the Skating Artist(s) present(s) an original choreographed composition set to live music or other suitable recorded sound track.
Fancy Skating has a vast and unlimited repertoire that encompasses a World of Possibilities and includes all types of Fundamental, Special, Creative, Free, Flying and Spinning Figure Artworks.
- Every edge, extension, nuance, and expression should flow together on the ice originating solely from the musical necessity with world class skating technique and riveting choreography.
- The purpose of Fancy Skating is to unite the Skating Artists’ profound technical and artistic mastery of the Art of Skating with fine, performing, decorative and recording arts, thereby transcending oneself and the audience.
- Contorted positions, bent lines, and contrived bombastic use of body, arms, and legs (including excessive grabbing foot or blade) are not usually considered valuable in Fancy Skating. Therefore, unnecessary use is detrimental to grace.
- Skating Artists should strive to maintain exquisite world class positions and extensions that are superbly executed and sustained throughout the entire on-ice composition.
- Skating Artists should focus on executing beautiful positions originating from the edge of one’s blade and carried through a pointed foot into the body to the top of the head.
- Skating Artists should choose to present their best style and repertoire as a performer that includes an engaged and passionate performance while striving for world class technique and interpretation produced from an unlimited skating repertoire including flights of fancy and pirouettes.
- Fancy Skating combines the epitome of technical and artistic merit by striving for world class skating technique, edge quality, speed, flow and ice coverage with exquisite form, world class sustained body positions and musicality that creates the Art of Skating as moving sculpture.
JUDGING CRITERIA
I. EDGE and STROKING MASTERY, CHOREOGRAPHY and MUSICALITY, OVERALL SKATING.
II. BEAUTY OF POSITIONS, VISUAL MASTERY, OVERALL SKATING.
III. AUDIENCE APPEAL.
RANKING
Each group carries equal weight and will be evaluated by a distinct judge (with possible audience involvement on III). Each judge will rank-order the skaters for their category. The lowest sum of all skaters’ Fancy Skating Points obtains the highest Championship Rank.
FANCY SKATING PENALTIES are as follows:
- Music with any derogatory language – 9 point penalty
- Unsportsmanlike conduct – 9 point penalty
Please contact World Figure Sport’s Global Headquarters with any questions at 518.304.3029.
FANCY SKATING MUSIC FOR ALL DIVISIONS
Music copyright issues affect everyone’s ability to release works across global social media and video platforms. Since 2016, WFS has taken a positive artistic approach to this issue by expanding the genre of Recording Arts available for use. WFS works with a growing network of professional musicians to score and record original instrumental and/or vocal music in all genres, which may be used for WFS events to be released globally and shared on any sites. Anyone may request permission to license WFS copyrighted works for other purposes. The initial published results of this effort are available on World Figure Sport’s Black Ice and Deo gratias Albums. They include 38 musical pieces and are available on Apple Music, Spotify and YouTube.
Music Length: 2:00 – 4:00 minutes + or – 10 seconds
Choose from the following musical options:
Live Music: Live performing artist: vocal or instrumental
Additional Music: Any recorded music: vocal or instrumental from any genre or time period
Original Score: WFS can create an original score with your help
With guidance from WFS, Skating Artists may efficiently adapt any previous or current programs into a beautiful Fancy Skating performance.
World Figure Sport has the capacity to help all Skating Artists and coaches with music consultation, editing services, and original arrangements. Skating Artists preparing for World events and other divisions are encouraged to set up a music consultation by texting 518.304.3029 to request a music appointment.
PUBLIC DOMAINS
Music is not protected by copyright when it’s in the public domain, which means it is not protected by copyright laws:
- All works first published or released in the United States before January 1, 1929 have lost their copyright protection 95 years later, effective January 1, 2024. In the same manner, works published in 1929 will enter the public domain as of January 1, 2025…and this cycle will repeat each year…(source Public domain in the United States).
VIDEO/FILMING/PHOTOGRAPHY
In the World Figure & Fancy Skating Championships’ Division Skating Artists should be mentally prepared to perform in spotlights (if available and any lighting questions should be directed to the WFS Office before Worlds). All divisions may be followed up close on the ice by official WFS videography and/or photographers while performing their Figure Artworks and Fancy Skating choreography.
World Figure Sport’s Procedures and Protocols’ documents may be updated by the WFS Board of Directors at its discretion. Please contact World Figure Sport’s Global Headquarters with any questions by phone, text or WhatsApp at 518-304-3029.