We all are now aware about what exactly Figure Skating is, now let us know about the major Figure Skating Disciplines. The major figure skating disciplines involve both Olympic and non-Olympic. Let us know about both the disciplines in details.
Olympic Disciplines of Figure Skating
- Singles: A figure skating competition in which men and women compete individually. Women players are referred as ‘Ladies’ by the governing body of Figure Skating, ISU. All the individual Skaters perform jumps, spins, spirals, step sequences and other related elements.
- Pair Skating: It is a team competition, which consists a man and a woman. This category has a specific discipline prescribed. For example the Throw Jumps, in which the man throws his woman partner into a jump and then lifts her. The woman is held above the head of the man participant and man had to perform various grips and positions which can enable him to pair spins, death spirals and other elements like side-by-side jumps and spin in unison.
- Ice Dancing: It is again a couple based competition where man and woman skate to gather, but they perform their ‘foot work’ with music. The Ice Dancer should not be lifted above partner’s shoulder, which makes it different than Pair Skating.
Non-Olympic Disciplines of Figure Skating
- Synchronized Skating or Precision Skating: The event is a mixture of genders and it is a group event which involves 12 to 20 skaters. It is based on ice dancing, but it thrusts on precise formations of the group. It may sound complex to you, but when it is enacted properly the feel is just awesome!
- Fours: A team event where four participants, two men and two women perform as a team and use all the elements of figure skating such as singles, pairs in unison. The team can also perform any unique elements if they found it worth to do so.
- Special Figures: It was an Olympic discipline only once in 1908 and it elaborates the original designs made on the ice.
- Theatre on Ice: The Europeans call it ‘ballet on ice’. It is another form of group skating, but it has less synchronization and it has more usage of props and theatrical dressings.
- Adagio Skating: It is a couple skating format and mostly seen at an ice show. Skaters perform acrobatic lifts only and none of the other Skating elements are used in this.
- Acrobatic Skating: The other name of it is the ‘Acrobatics on ice’ and ‘Extreme Skating’. It is mainly a combination of circus arts, gymnastic skills and figure skating.