Ballet for Figure Skaters

What Annette Thomas has shared with the students fortunate enough to work with her on and off the ice, she now offers to skaters and their coaches everywhere in Fundamentals of Alignment and Classical Movement for Figure Skaters. Like Annette herself, the pages deftly combine passion and discipline, theory and practice. Annette treats skaters with the respect they deserve, and her approach is refreshing in its emphasis on physical and emotional health and common sense. Not only every skater and coach, but every parent should own a copy of this visually appealing, easily accessible, highly intelligent book.

Mrs. Lisa Rivero
Mother of Former Skating Student and Former WFSC Board President

This is one of the most comprehensive books for figure skating. Annette Thomas has defined the inner body structure and how it works with an intelligent presentation that will enhance the performance of figure skaters and athletes. The invaluable knowledge in this book is a must for coaches in athletic sports.

Jon Sorkan
National U.S. Figure Skating Coach

As parents of a son and daughter skating together as an Ice Dance team, we try to provide our children with all the tools so that they can develop as skaters, athletes, and true artists. Annette Thomas' Workbook, which combines Art and Science, along with a wealth of experience in dance and figure skating, all written in Annette's unique inspirational and motivational style, is one of those tools. The anatomic, physiologic, and kinesthetic principles presented will provide coaches, choreographers, skaters, and parents with valuable information to help the serious skater become a more dynamic, powerful, flexible, injury free, graceful, and artistic performer. Our own Coach and Choreographer were both able to use the Workbook to specifically identify a postural problem with my son (the typical boy problem, skating like a "dunking duck" with shoulders up around the ears), and then plan an exercise and training regimen to solve the problem. His "line" and posture is now greatly improved! Anyone who is serious about Figure Skating MUST read this labor of love. Congratulations Annette! A Gold Medal performance!!

Dr. Andrew T. Hasegawa and Jennifer Hasegawa
Montreal, Canada

I was interested in the effect of ballet and other off-ice exercises on the skating performance. That's why when I saw the title ‘ballet for figure skaters' on the internet, I started waiting for the book impatiently. I can say that the book exceeded my expectations. Since the first chapter I was amazed of the professionalism and the rich content. Earlier this year I began working with a Russian instructor. Since the first lesson, without knowing your book she started to correct my errors and surprisingly most of the things she was warning were inline with the topics you're stressing in your book. We quickly went over the exercise pages and she said they are very useful. I was doing many mistakes (tendency to bend while skating, not keeping my back straight, the spine strong etc...) that I discovered already thanks to your book among many other beneficial info and I was trying to correct in my practice sequences. Now, my new coach's warnings are also in line with the topics you're stressing in your book. He finds the exercises very useful too. More than the effect of other disciplines on the skating performance, the book touches on various aspects that skaters should take into consideration for success. For me, it was a kind of 'awakening'. Before, I was trying to learn just by repeating what my coach was instructing me to do. Now, I'm aware of what was missing before and I'm trying to follow the advices and improve myself as much as I can. I think, with its rich and professional content this book can help skaters of all levels to improve their capacity.
Thank you again.

Sibel Ozgundogdu
Adult Figure Skater - Istanbul, Turkey

Many of my skaters have taken ballet for years and never been shown how to hold their hands. In one lesson Annette showed each skater how to hold their hands correctly and the improvement was amazing... I'm so glad you included this very important detail in your book!

Midwest U.S. Figure Skating Coach

Dear Annette, My good friend Renita has purchased your book for skaters. She brought it to our rink and showed it to me. It is just what we have been looking for. It is easy to follow, comprehensive, with great illustrations, so I purchased one for my daughter Lauren who is in Junior Ladies. Lauren is concerned about "bulking up" with the type of exercise regime the sports physiologist has given the girls here. I too would prefer to see her strong and lean as a ballet dancer is. So thank you for putting this book together!!! The strength work for abs are the exercises that have helped Lauren the most in that her previous back injury has not reoccurred. She now "switches her abs on" when she skates and I have to say that the quality of her jumps has improved and they are more consistent. What Lauren loves about the exercises is that one must exhibit great control to execute them effectively and see a result. She also loves the fact that there are no weights involved, so that she does not increase her muscle bulk, but rather is working towards a longer and leaner look with nice definition.

Lauren and Nadia Hansom
Junior Ladies Figure Skater and Mom - New South Wales, Australia

Yes I have received the workbook - it's AWESOME. Tried a few of the exercises with some of my athletes last night and had an instant (though small) improvement on sit spins, loop jumps and axles. My skaters range from 8yrs to 13yrs.

Roller Skating Coach
New Zealand

Hi Annette, Thanks for sending the book to our ballet instructor she is delighted with it and is using the book to train the girls. As it is so good I would like to get three other copies one for each of my daughters and the other book I am giving to Sue Brooks, who is the girls skating coach. Sue is a top level international coach and world level judge in quad roller skating and in-lines. She judges in Europe and the Oceania areas, so although she is not an ice skater this type of training is very relevant. She takes girls to train in Italy, and off skate ballet work is very important there.

Audrey Clarke
Perth, Western Australia

I learned more in six weeks of lessons with Annette than I did in an entire year of taking ballet at a local studio.

Adult Figure Skater
Wisconsin, USA

WOW! What an amazing book! The pictures alone tell the story. I have used these pictures to show my students the correct positions from head to toe. So many skaters today use only their feet and forget the entire body (sadly missed since we dropped figures) or add arm movements completely unrelated to either music or skating technique; what a foundation for basics in skating! How lucky we are to have this book!

Caryl Johns Gill
U.S. Figure Skating Coach

I became acquainted with Annette Thomas when I had the opportunity to view and partake in a dance master class that she taught at Revolution School of Dance in West Bend, Wisconsin. Her ability to teach effectively by gaining the respect of the students thru patience, grace, and open-hearted generosity was touching. Her knowledge of dance and of all that pertains and relates to it physically, mentally, and emotionally was immediately apparent, and her personal dedication, discipline, and life-long passion and professionalism have become an inspiration. Annette's artistic knowledge incorporates the depths of experience and skill that she has achieved as a dancer and educator. Her advocacy and efforts to pass on the volumes of insight that she has accumulated are tireless. Andrew Carnegie once stated that "the best means of benefiting the community is to place within its reach the ladders upon which the aspiring can rise." Annette embodies these words in her teaching of dance and training of ice skating, as well as with the publication of her detailed training workbook, Fundamentals of Alignment and Classical Movement for Figure Skaters. This book includes a thorough and easily accessible volume of pertinent information relating not only specifically to ice skating, but also to the poise and grace of ballet and dance training. The contents of the chapters and topics covered are written in a style that promotes complete comprehension, and include a detailed investigation of all that is necessary to maintain health and well being in the vigorous pursuit of excellence within the demanding studies of ice skating and dance. In this fast paced, technical world where dedication to long-term goals is so immediately replaced with throw-away plaudits and instant gratification, Annette's work in life represents the underlying empowerment that is the result of a cultivation of artistry through balanced, healthy training. What is most apparent to those under her tutelage, whether attending a class taught by her or reading her workbook, is that Annette stands for a return to value- to realizing the importance of inspiring artistry thru education while becoming aware of the benefits that result from a devotion that never ends.

Jon Zautner
Co-Owner Revolution School of Dance - West Bend Wisconsin, USA