During most sessions, Burlington Skating offers the option of a Private Lesson Pack for skaters who would like an introduction to private coaching. This program is an add-on to group lessons. Skaters who opt for the Private Lesson Pack will get pulled out during the group lesson for 15 minutes of one-on-one coaching, five times over the course of the session.
Skaters in the Snowplow levels through Basic 6 will have their private lessons during the 12:00 hour. Free Skate 1-6 and Graduate skaters will have lessons during the 9:00 hour.
Spaces in this program are limited to six skaters during the 12:00 lesson and six during the 9:00, and are on a first-come, first-served basis when registering. The cost for this program is $125 per skater.
Private lesson packs are for one session only and missed lessons cannot be carried over to the next session. To register, please see our registration page.
Private lessons outside of the Private Lesson Pack are not coordinated by or affiliated with Burlington Skating or BHSA. The following is provided for informational purposes only, and may vary from skater to skater and coach to coach.
Sometimes skaters would benefit from regular private lessons with a coach. Many seek out a coach for the first time when they are interested in learning a program for our Winter Skate Competition! Others just want more individual attention for advancing their skills. Some start out with just a couple of private lessons to accomplish a specific goal, while others set up a regular schedule every week.
By the time our skaters have reached the middle Free Skate levels, most have skated with a private coach, either occasionally or regularly. That said, private lessons are not required, at any level, in order to participate in our group lessons.
The first step in setting up private lessons is to discuss your interest with our head coach, Christina Welch! Christina knows our skaters and the coaching community very well, and will help get you connected with a coach appropriate to the skills, interests, and personalities of the skaters. We are fortunate to know a large number of fantastic coaches!
Coaches are paid directly for private lessons. Check with your coach to find out their specific rates, but $30-40 is typical for a 25-minute lesson. This does not include the cost of ice time, which is paid to the rink or to the skating club that has contracted the ice time. This can be approximately $10-20 for 50 minutes of ice time. Though your skater may not have a lesson for the entire hour, they are entitled to use the ice and most places will not allow you to only pay for half of the time, so make sure you get there on time to use the ice time you’ve paid for!
Depending on your coach, the regularity of your lesson, and the rink at which you skate, you may need to join a Figure Skating Club. These clubs can offer discounts on contracted ice time for private lessons or individual practice. They also typically include a full USFSA membership for the skater (Burlington Skating group lessons include a Learn to Skate membership, which is appropriate for new skaters but has some limits for more advanced skaters), and may include other activities and benefits. Many of our intermediate and advanced skaters are members of Winchester Figure Skating Club, which also contracts ice time at the Burlington Ice Palace.