Skate Canada has expanded the Solo Ice Dance pathways for STAR, Adult, and Podium Pathway athletes. Together these will form a development pathway from STAR 2 to Senior. The following is a brief overview of the changes for this season.
Pattern Dance
All solo pattern dances in STAR, Adult, and Podium Pathway will require skaters to demonstrate both A steps and B steps consecutively. This approach ensures that athletes train and perform both sets of steps while demonstrating the ability to maintain technical precision throughout the dance. Transition steps, where required, will be added to the Pattern Dance Guide shortly.
Rhythm Dance
The Open Solo Rhythm Dance will continue to be offered for STAR and Adult skaters. The pattern dance requirement for this season is the Westminster Waltz.
The requirements for Junior and Senior Rhythm Dance will be added to the Program Requirements Guide once communicated by the ISU.
Free Dance
There will be two new Free Dance categories available in Solo Dance starting this season, STAR 6, and Gold/Pre-Novice. The STAR 6 Free Dance elements will be confirmed (no levels of difficulty) if they meet the basic requirements. The Gold/Pre-Novice Free Dances have the same requirements. Sections will choose which category they are offering based on their competition structure. Adult will also have two categories of Solo Free Dance. They will follow the same requirements as STAR 6 (Adult Bronze) and Gold.
Skate Canada Trophy
Novice, Junior and Senior Solo Dance categories will have the opportunity to qualify to compete at Skate Canada Trophy this season. There will be a maximum of 18 entries per category. Sections will qualify skaters to compete based on the following quotas:
| BC/YT | AB/NT/NU | SK | MB | ON | QC | NB | NS | PE | NL | |
| Quota | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
One additional wild card spot will be filled by the skater who has the highest Sectional score who has not already qualified. If any section does not fill their quota their spot will be re-assigned using the same wild card process.
Skaters will be required to achieve a qualifying minimum score (QMS). In the case a Section has no skaters that have met the QMS, the Section may still choose to enter a maximum of one skater in the category. The qualifying minimum score will be communicated separately before July 1st.
Resources
- STAR and Podium Pathway Solo Dance Requirements have been amalgamated into one resource.
- An updated Pattern Dance Competition Guide will be available in June. Solo Dance information will be added, including the transition steps from A steps to B steps.
- The 2026-2030 STAR Pattern and Solo Pattern Dance Requirements Quick Reference Guide
- 2026-2027 Adult Pattern and Solo Dance Requirements Quick Reference Guide
- All Skate Canada Rules relating to Solo Dance, including program requirements and qualifying structure will be updated on or before July 1st, 2026.
- The Podium Pathway benchmarks in the LTD will be updated for September 1st, 2026.