From Pre-Alpha to Freestyle: Figure Skating Through the Lens of Filipino Figure Skaters

• Main Author: Cariño, Sofia Ysobel D.
• Format: text
• Published: Animo Repository 2021
• Subjects: figure skating; figure skaters; Filipino identity; dance sport
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/conf_shsrescon/2021/paper_mps/5; https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/context/conf_shsrescon/article/1698/viewcontent/Cariño.pdf
• Institution: De La Salle University

Figure skating has been around since 1772 when an Englishman by the name of Robert Jones gave a whole new meaning to the concept of skating on ice, and since then, it has been a sport loved by many around the world. However, despite its long history, many researchers have stated that there is still a paucity of information regarding figure skating. In the Philippines, the dance sport was only introduced in the 1990s; hence, it is a relatively new concept that most researchers have yet to touch on. This study, therefore, aims to analyze figure skating in the Philippines through the lens of Filipino figure skaters. Using a qualitative phenomenological approach, the researcher conducted semi-structured interviews (SSI) with figure skaters and Philippine Skating Union (PHSU) coaches and officials. It was found that the practices which Filipino figure skaters do are the same ones being practiced abroad because as a country new to figure skating, the dance sport does not have much popularity yet which limits the chances of having practices that are uniquely Filipino. Despite this, there are still attempts to adapt foreign concepts to better fit the local skaters. The Filipino identity in figure skating also seems blurred as the respondents have varying perspectives on whether or not their fellow skaters instill a sense of Filipino identity into their routines. It was concluded that the dance sport is still far too young to be able to have an established perspective.