There are several nonqualifying competition series in which skaters may participate. These series culminate in a final competition at the end of the season and allow skaters to participate in a more competitive environment.
Excel Series
Participation in the Excel Series requires the skater to register for it through EMS before their first Excel competition or by March 1, whichever comes first. The Series runs from January through June with a national competition and festival/camp wrapping up the season in July.
The Excel Series gives skaters the opportunity to showcase their strengths in competition while continuing to improve their technical skills. It also provides a phased introduction to the International Judging System (IJS) which is used exclusively for qualifying competitions. Many competitions throughout the season offer Excel events.
There are two tracks within the series based on skating level: “Open” Singles and “Qualifying” Singles.
The Excel Series “Open” Singles is for skaters competing in the Beginner, High Beginner, Pre-Preliminary, Preliminary, Pre-Juvenile, Juvenile or Intermediate levels. All skaters in “Open” Singles who register for and compete in at least 2 Excel Series competitions will be invited to the Excel National Festival where they may compete in the Open-Invitation Excel Series Competition.
The Excel Series “Qualifying” Singles is for skaters competing in any of the Plus levels (Preliminary Plus, Pre-Juvenile Plus, Juvenile Plus or Intermediate Plus) or Novice, Junior or Senior. The top 6 skaters in each section of this series, along with the next 2 highest scored skaters nationwide, will receive an invitation to the Excel National Final and Finalist Camp at the Excel National Festival.
For more details, visit USFSA’s Excel page or check out the Excel Competition Series Athlete Handbook in USFSA’s Members Only area.
Excel National Festival
The Excel National Festival is the culmination of the Excel Series which gives the skaters an opportunity to celebrate their successes for the season and compete on a national level. The festival is held in July and is made up of two components: the Excel Series Final and Finalist Camp and the Open-Invitation Excel Series Competition.
The Excel Series Final and Finalist Camp is a competition and camp experience for skaters who competed in any Plus level or Novice through Senior event. The camp portion offers both on-ice and off-ice classes, a Team USA meet and greet, and both educational and social events for parents and coaches.
The Open-Invitation Excel Series Competition is an open competition for skaters who competed at Beginner through Intermediate levels.
National Solo Dance Series
Solo ice dance enables skaters who do not have a partner to participate in ice dance on their own. There are opportunities for skaters of all ages and ice dance levels – from preliminary to gold and even international – to compete. There are several categories of solo ice dance events:
- Solo Pattern Dance
- Shadow Dance (two skaters skate a pattern dance side by side)
- Combined Dance (one Solo Pattern Dance or Rhythm Dance and one Solo Free Dance)
The Solo Dance Competition Series gives solo ice dancers within each section (Eastern, Midwestern and Pacific Coast) the opportunity to compete within their section and qualify for a national competition. Skaters must register for the series by April 1st of each year.
For more details, see the Solo Dance Series Handbook.
Visit USFSA’s Solo Dance page for more information about the Solo Dance Series including the pattern dances and timing chart for this year’s competitions.
The Dallas Figure Skating Club also hosts a 3-day Solo Dance Camp every year in February. This camp is meant to help prepare skaters for the upcoming season and provides both on-ice and off-ice classes. Off-ice classes are held in topics like rule updates, musical expression, conditioning and mental toughness. On-ice events include group classes, private coaching and a one-on-one session with a judge and technical panel member.
National Solo Dance Final
The National Solo Dance Final is held each year at the end of August or early September. Skaters must participate in at least 2 Solo Dance Series competitions (in the specific event they hope to qualify for) to be eligible to qualify for the National Solo Dance Final.
For Solo Pattern Dance and Combined Dance, the top six skaters (skaters having the six highest IJS scores) from each section (Eastern, Midwestern, and Pacific Coast) are invited to compete at the National Solo Dance Final. For shadow dance, the top 3 teams (based on IJS score) are invited.