| Figure skating is a sport in which | | | | |
| individuals, mixed couples, or groups perform | | | | Synchronized skating, for mixed-gender groups |
| spins, jumps, and other moves on ice, often | | | | of 12 to 20 skaters. This discipline |
| to music. Figure skaters compete in multiple | | | | resembles a group form of ice dance with |
| levels, from novice to elite, and at national | | | | additional emphasis on precise formations of |
| and international competitions. The | | | | the group as a whole and complex transitions |
| International Skating Union (ISU) regulates | | | | between formations. |
| figure skating judging and competitions. | | | | |
| Figure skating is an official event in the | | | | Compulsory figures, in which skaters use |
| Winter Olympic Games. In languages other than | | | | their blades to draw circles, figure 8s, and |
| English, figure skating is usually referred | | | | similar shapes in ice, and are judged on the |
| to by a name that translates as "artistic | | | | accuracy and clarity of the figures and the |
| skating". | | | | cleanness and exact placement of the various |
| | | | turns on the circles. Figures were formerly |
| Major international competitions are | | | | included as a component of singles |
| sanctioned by the ISU. These include the | | | | competitions but were eliminated from those |
| Winter Olympic Games, the World | | | | events in 1990. Today figures are rarely |
| Championships, the ISU Grand Prix of Figure | | | | taught or performed. The United States was |
| Skating, the European Figure Skating | | | | the last country to retain a separate test |
| Championships, and the Four Continents Figure | | | | and competitive structure for compulsory |
| Skating Championships. | | | | figures, but the last national-level figures |
| | | | championship was held in 1999. |
| The sport is also associated with show | | | | |
| business. Major competitions generally | | | | Moves in the field (known in the UK as field |
| include exhibitions at the end in which the | | | | moves), which have replaced compulsory |
| top-placing skaters perform for the crowd. | | | | figures as a discipline to teach the same |
| Many skaters, both during and after their | | | | turns and edge skills in the context of fluid |
| competitive careers, also skate in ice | | | | free skating movements instead of being |
| skating exhibitions or shows which run during | | | | constrained to artificially precise circles. |
| the competitive season and the off-season. | | | | |
| | | | Fours, a discipline that is to pairs as pairs |
| Olympic sports in figure skating comprise the | | | | is to singles. A fours team consists of two |
| following disciplines: | | | | men and two women who perform singles and |
| | | | pairs elements in unison as well as unique |
| Single competition for men and women (who are | | | | elements that involve all four skaters. |
| referred to as "ladies" in ISU rulebooks), | | | | |
| wherein skaters perform jumps, spins, step | | | | Theatre on ice, also known as "ballet on ice" |
| sequences, and other elements in their | | | | in Europe. This is a form of group skating |
| programs. | | | | that is less structured than synchronized |
| | | | skating and allows the use of props and |
| Pair skating teams consist of a woman and a | | | | theatrical costuming. |
| man. Pairs perform singles elements in unison | | | | |
| as well as pair-specific elements such as | | | | Adagio skating, a form of pair skating most |
| throw jumps, in which the man 'throws' the | | | | commonly seen in ice shows, where the skaters |
| woman into a jump; lifts, in which the woman | | | | perform many spectacular acrobatic lifts but |
| is held above the man's head in one of | | | | few or none of the singles elements which |
| various grips and positions; pair spins, in | | | | competitive pairs must perform. |
| which both skaters spin together about a | | | | |
| common axis; death spirals, and other | | | | Special figures, the tracing of elaborate |
| elements. | | | | original designs on the ice, common in the |
| | | | early days of skating. |
| Ice dancing is again for couples consisting | | | | |
| of a woman and a man skating together. Ice | | | | Acrobatic skating, also known as "Acrobatics |
| dance differs from pairs in focusing on | | | | on ice" or "Extreme Skating", is a |
| intricate footwork performed in close dance | | | | combination of circus arts, technical |
| holds, in time with the music. Ice dancers do | | | | artistic gymnastics skills, and figure |
| not perform the acrobatic jumps, throws, and | | | | skating. Acrobatic skating merges many |
| lifts of pair skating. | | | | sporting worlds and has become popular |
| | | | worldwide. |
| Other disciplines of figure skating include: | | | | |