I'm fifteen and have been skating for 10 months or so, and I'm completely obsessed by it. I'd love to be in an ice show or something one day, do you reckon it's possible?

keep working on your skills. Disney hires lots of skaters but you must have solid skills. It's not about doing triples but about being able to stop all different ways, turn, act out different characters etc.

You make garbage money doing tours but its a good way to see places you haven't been. They also don't take skaters until they are finished highschool. You can audition beforehand when the tour comes into town. They usually have open calls. Or else you can go to the disney on ice website and read all the info there.

For girls it is very important that you are thin....not really skinny, but in shape.

Thank you!

Anything is possible....it may take a lot of work and persistence on your part, but if it's what you want, go for it!
Good Luck!

You do need to achieve a certain level of attainment, but there's no reason you can't do that. You must take lessons, and practice what you learn as often as you can.

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Mrs Redboots
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I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

I would love nothing more than to skate in a show, or just skate for any reason whatsoever! Is there an age limit to show skating? Could I audition for one when I was, say 25?

I went on a Royal Caribbean cruise recently, on a ship with a rink. I don't think I could ever skate on a cruise even if I had the skating ability. The rink was really small and the ice surface felt weird- kind of crunchy and got frosty quickly. One of the skaters there said they couldn't go home for 8 or 9 months straight. It was a nice experience, but after a week of eating the same kind of food and being mostly on the ship, I was eager to get on land and go back to the comforts (and choices) of home. I was surprised by how good the skaters in the show were also-- many of them were attempting triple salchows and double axels on the little rink. As far as age goes, the women looked about age 20-30, and the men looked a little older. If I were ever good enough to be in a show, I'd prefer to be in a regular show, where I could go home every night, as opposed to being trapped on a ship 90% of the time.

You should probably get some experience in some nonprofessional or semi-professional shows around your area. A lot of these shows you can either be invited to skate in (usually if you know the people who are running them) or audition for. Start with club or rink holiday shows and work your way up. That way, when you go to audition for "real" shows, you can prove you have experience and dedication.

Wow, I never knew ships had ice rinks! I would prefer to work in a show that I could go home at night aswell. I don't know of any shows being put on in my area or anything, there is a figure skating club but you have to be invited into it, and I wont be invited because the people who run it don't coach me.

I have never heard of a show that 'let's you go home at night'. The shows are all on tour, meaning they go from rink to rink, etc.

Although, if there's a big tourist region, you might be lucky enough to find a place that does nightly shows, someplace like Las Vegas.

I have always wondered why Walt Disney World doesn't have an ice rink, as they could have a permanent troup do their Disney On Ice shows there.

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In this country, some skaters plan to audition for a show during their gap year, the traditional "year off" between school and university that most, but not all, people do here.

Does your rink put on a Christmas show, or send a team to do a "Show Number" at a local competition? If so, try to get into one of those. Our club puts on a Christmas competition for couples and small groups, and at the moment the ice is full of groups of kids doing the Time Warp, or going off to see the Wizard, the wonderful.... you know that one! An adult couple is doing "Delilah", rather too well for my liking (we are competing against them with the "Waltzing Cat"); another group of adults is doing a number to "When ah say lerve....." One quite large group of children is doing a number from "The King and I".... and so it goes.

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Mrs Redboots
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I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

There's a show about an hour away in Blackpool called Hot Ice which is absolutley excellent (though i prefer eclipse) which doesn't tour I don't think. It's only on for so many months a year. Although it's filled with champion figure skaters apparently.

Well if you've been skating for only 10 months you have a very long time before you audition for a professional show anyway, so unless you want to, it's completely pointless to try and rake up show "experience" now, because the company won't look at your resume and go "oh you skated in this local show 5 years ago...YOU'RE HIRED!" First of all companies don't care about local shows. They don't even really care how well you placed in competitions, although that helps sometimes. But mainly you audition and if they like you, then you are in. Disney on Ice holds auditions after its shows. I don't know about any other shows, but you can get a hold of them. It helps to know someone, so networking is good. But to be in those shows you have to have most/all your doubles, so I suggest you at least pass up to Novice moves/freestyle tests before considering to try out. The footwork they make you do is hard too. I haven't tried out but a friend of mine has and he thought it was hard, even though he's passed through his Junior tests.

25 might be a little old to start out in a company- they want you around for a few years I assume. I don't know how old you are but I'd advise you trying out at 21 if you can. Otherwise, try out when you are ready! But for those types of shows, don't fret TOO much on experience, although you might need it to gain confidence in yourself, but the people running the casting calls want to see a good audition, not a 20 page resume. Good luck.

I think you really have to be very good to skate in Hot Ice, it's one of the harder shows to get into. I hadn't realised you were in the UK, too - where do you skate?

Best plan is to get some lessons; group lessons are relatively cheap, and a good way of starting. You'll know when you're ready for private lessons. Once you've gone through all the UKSkate tests, you'll have a better idea whether skating in shows is going to be something you can do, or not.

Meanwhile, does your rink enter a team for Team Challenge? If it does, ask if you can be in the Show Number next year - you don't have to be able to skate very well, and it will give you valuable experience.

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Mrs Redboots
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I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

I've been having group lessons since I started and I have a private lesson once a week aswell. I don't want to be in a show right now, I'd just like to do something with skating for a job, not being stuck in a boring job. So you think it's possible, say in like 6 - 10 years time?

I skate at Blackburn Arena by the way.

Ah yes, I have a couple of friends who skate there regularly. I don't know whether it would be possible for you; ask your coach what s/he thinks. It so depends on what promise you are showing at this stage, and how hard you're prepared to work. I don't see why you shouldn't be good enough, but if I were you I'd tell your coach that it's your ultimate ambition, and s/he will steer your training with that goal in mind, entering you for competitions that involve lots of show numbers, group numbers, that sort of stuff. You'll obviously have to do all the basic work as well, and take the regular tests (I think you have to have at least Level 6 Silver, or maybe even Level 9 Gold before they'll look at you, but again, your coach will know). If you can, take dance as well as free skating, as at your stage both disciplines will feed off each other and improve each other, and the more versatile you are, the better.

Best of luck - I hope you make it! And even if you don't, I can guarantee you'll have enormous fun along the way!

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Mrs Redboots
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I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

I'm a bit worried about asking my coach...I'm not sure why, I'm worried he'll say no. I'm almost sure he will, and it'll crush my ultimate dream when he does.

He couldn't really give you the answer, anyway! I mean think about it, you've been skating ten months. It'll be a long time before you are ready for those shows, and by then a lot could happen. Let's say your coach thought your skating wasn't great now, that could change. There's a lot to be said for natural talent but sometimes it doesn't show up right away, and there's also a lot to be said for hard work and it can make up most of what mother nature may not have blessed you with. Sure you could be a prodigy, but you could also take a while to develop into the skater will become. No one can tell you what you will or will not be able to do in ANY area of your life in the next 10 years, much less in skating. He could say you'll become the next Olympic champion and then you'll break something and never be able to skate again. Or he could say you suck and have no chance of anything and then suddenly you work five times as hard and you completely change the way you skate. No one can tell. You're not even done growing. Keep working hard, get more lessons whenever you can afford to, and don't lose sight of your goal, but make smaller ones. Instead of "I want to skate in a show someday" it's...I'll land a toe loop by the end of the month. I'll land a double salchow two years from now. I want a faster spin. I want tighter crossovers. The rest will come on its own. I will stress though that you need to take more than one lesson a week to ever get to the level you are wishing to get to. But you do not have to do that right away. I would just suggest, before throwing your whole heart into this, to discuss the financial situation with your parents and see how much they are willing to finance you, then perhaps find a job to cover the rest of your expenses. This is a very expensive sport and money could stop you before any lack of talent would. If you're very serious about this, talk openly about it now, have a plan. Sadly you will most likely not develop enough skills if you only take private lessons once a week for the rest of your skating career. At some point, you'll have to consider taking 4+ a week, and skating a couple hours 5 days a week. Keep all of this in mind, too. It's not just are you good enough for the sport, it's...are you willing and able to skate at the level you are wishing to get to.

I'm trying to find a job so I can fund my own skating, I want to start going more often, and keep increasing it. It's a bit of a faff to get to the rink, so I might go for longer on the same day to begin with, and then add days on. I desperately want this, it sounds so stupid as its been such a short time. Not a lot of people follow their dreams, I can only try.

Does anyone know about or use patch ice? I'm considering buying tickets so I can extend my skating hours, but is there a certain standard you have to be at to use it? My rink does like 6am - 9am and I was thinking of going to that, but I'm worried that it'll be full of pro's and I'll just get in the way.

Every successful person in the world had someone tell them they couldn't do it. If anyone ever tells you you aren't good enough to do something, just use that to fuel your determination and prove them wrong. All you need to worry about right now is becoming as good a skater as possible. Learn all of the skills, pass the tests, and practice a lot, and that will give you the options you want in 5-6 years when it's time to do something with your skating.

So you think using patch ice is acceptable to improve my skating?

I know what you mean about using criticism to fuel my determination, if I get told that I can't do something, it makes me more determined to get on with it and prove them wrong.

...Well, after I've cried about it first.

Patch ice is for people working on Moves in the Field and figures. You cannot do jumps or spins on there, and I do not know if yours go by level or not. I would ask the rink about it. But it really depends what you want to work on during that time, because you won't be able to do any freestyle on it.

You can at my rink, I was watching people jump and spin all over the place! I'll ring up and ask.

In the UK, the term "patch ice" appears to be used to mean the same as US "freestyle session" or "freestyle/dance" session. Don't know about in Canada.