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Dance Tests |
The
STARSkate Program offers something for everyone! In addition to
Skating Skills and Free Skating, skaters can also hone their skills
in ice dancing. Consisting of seven levels of tests, the Dance Test
Program teaches timing, musicality, rhythm interpretation, structure
as well as basic skating skills such as edges, flow, control and
unison.
The dances in the STARSkate
Program can be tried in any order but a candidate must pass all the
dances in a dance test before proceeding to the next level. In
addition to the compulsory dances, there are also Creative Dance
tests. Creative Dances have been introduced into
the STARSkate Dance program in July 2003.
Partners for Dance Tests
For tests, a couple shall be comprised of a male and female, each
skating their own steps. In the event that a female candidate is
unable to secure a male partner, another female skating the male's
steps may partner her.
Solo/Partnered
Dances
Effective July
1, 2002 skaters have the option to partner or solo specific dance
tests.
| DANCE |
PARTNER |
SOLO OR PARTNER |
|
Preliminary Dances |
Dutch
Waltz
Canasta
Baby Blues
|
|
| Junior
Bronze Dances |
Swing
Dance
Fiesta Tango
Willow Waltz
|
|
| Senior
Bronze Dances |
Ten Fox
Fourteenstep
European
|
|
| Junior
Silver Dances |
Harris
Tango
Rocker Foxtrot
|
American
Waltz
Keats Foxtrot |
| Senior
Silver Dances |
Paso
Double
Starlight Waltz
Cha Cha Congelado
|
Blues
Kilian |
| Gold
Dances |
Viennese
Waltz
Westminster Waltz
Argentine Tango
|
Quickstep
Silver Samba |
| Diamond
Dances |
Ravensburger Waltz
Tango Romantica
Yankee Polka
Rhumba
Austrian Waltz
Golden Waltz |
|
Dance Soloing
No dances have a mandatory solo requirement. An evaluator may
request a solo in order to determine if the candidate was assisted
to too great an extent by the partner, to verify knowledge of steps,
pattern or timing or to assess basic dance skills. When an evaluator
requests a solo, it does not mean that a skater is automatically
going to fail that particular test - it provides a second chance for
the skater to prove his/her readiness for the next level.
It is
important to note that skaters over the age of 25 are not required
to solo dances and may not be requested to do so by an evaluator. Also, as regulation 4000 – D –
3.5 (3) states an evaluator may not request a solo for the
Preliminary and Diamond dance tests.
Assessment Criteria
When trying a STARSkate Program dance, candidates are assessed by
evaluators using the following criteria:
Dance Rhythm
- Timing - the
proper relationship of the strokes and other movements to the
music.
- Expression - the
quality of dancing that interprets the character of the music that
designated the type of dance (waltz, tango, march etc.)
- *Unison - the
mutual coordination of the movements and positions as a couple
Execution
- Accuracy/Flow -
the steps, timing and movement of the dances must be skated in
accordance with the regulations.
- Style/Form - in
general, carriage should be upright but not stiff, with the head
up.
- Pattern/Placement
- the skating of the prescribed patterns and its intelligent
location within the skating area.
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