Private Lessons

Private lessons are the primary way to learn advanced figure skating skills. The General Information sections offers some guidelines about where private lessons should be started in a figure skater's development.

Skater use private lessons to learn the necessary skills and skating programs to take tests within the Test Program or the Competitive Program. Skaters may also take private lessons and not participate in any formal testing program.

Private lessons are arranged directly between the skater and a coach. For a list of coaches at Minto, visit the coaches section. Coaches are also usually paid directly by the parents or skater.

Coaches will teach skating skills and prepare students for tests. Some coaches can prepare choreography and also prepare music for programs.

Skaters may choose a coach based on working with that coach in CanSkate or Minto Super Starters. They may be recommended to the coach by a friend. Parents with no previous contacts with our coaching staff may contact our office to discuss individual coaching needs.

Private lessons are usually offered in 15 minute segments. Most skating sessions are 45 minutes long. A skater would be on the ice for the 45 minutes and receive a lesson for 15 minutes of that time. The remainder of the time would be spent practicing skills taught during the lesson. It is also possible to arrange different schedules with the coach (i.e. one day of 45 minutes of coaching and one or two days of only practicing). The exact schedule is worked out between the student, parent and coach.