Welcome! My name is Allison and I’m a figure skating choreographer and coach based in southern Maine. I was 8 years old when I started taking skating lessons, began learning how to coach when I was 13, and earned my first paycheck as a coach at 16. Beginning with my very first private skating lesson in 1998, I fell in love with the art of choreography and maintained involvement in music, theatre, and performance based activities parallel to my practices on ice.
During my time training as a figure skater I achieved a lot: testing through gold skating skills and pre-gold freestyle levels, training a senior level program, and working on double axels and triple jumps. But even with a well-rounded upbringing and positive, supportive coaching, the overall culture of the sport of figure skating had me believing that I wasn’t a “good” skater. My perspective (finally) changed after taking some time off and picking it back up again after moving to New York City. Although I wasn’t back on the ice with any ambitions to endure the exhaustion of a 4 minute and 10 second program again, nor risk any more injuries by revisiting the jumps I used to work on, I was able to fall back in love with skating thanks to an incredibly solid foundation of general skating skills and a never-ending relationship with artistry.
Now, as a professional choreographer and coach back where I grew up in Maine, I’m fueled by the very things that made me feel like I didn’t belong and wasn’t “good enough” when I was an aspiring athlete: untamed curiosity, a balanced connection to the diverse world outside of the rink, and a patient commitment to the type of study, practice, and growth in skating that money can’t buy.
About My Coaching
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My own figure skating training background has been (and continues to be) dovetailed by education and training in neuroscience, healing-centered sport, injury-prevention, and culturally-responsive approaches to youth development. As a coach, I approach every skater with the same level of care and attention no matter their background, level, or goals and strive to support each skater in their growth as an athlete, an artist, and a human being. My ambition is always to help every skater to feel confident in their pursuit of their goals and to make sure that they feel a sense of belonging in the sport. Overall, my coaching is rooted in methods that minimize injuries, support mental and emotional wellbeing, and foster a positive relationship with figure skating and sports that can last forever.
Private lesson rate (as of Feb, 2026): $1.12/minute, scheduled lessons cancelled with less than 24hr notice will be subject to full charge.
Choreography rates: begin at $1.12/minute. Total investment may vary depending on skater level, type of program, and off-ice work required.
Competition/Special Events: Flat $75/day (includes all competition-specific events/practice + expenses).
Home club: North Atlantic Figure Skating Club @ Family Ice Center, Falmouth, ME
My coaching concentrations include choreography and performance, singles skating (freestyle), skating skills (moves the field), and power skating. With certifications in yoga and functional movement/neuromuscular training, I also offer 1:1 or small group classes to skaters off-ice.
I am confident in working with all ages and levels of skaters in southern and central Maine. I also have experience (and love) working with kids and adults who are neurodivergent and/or have sensory-motor challenges. Due to finite ice availability, my calendar prioritizes regularly scheduled students and choreography sessions with limited availability for singular or short-term lessons.
You can find my latest resume on the North Atlantic FSC website, here.
Ethos
Rooted in Sports Based Youth Development: I’ve been professionally involved with the SBYD sector for nearly a decade, staying informed by the most comprehensive and leading resources in areas such as brain-based coaching, child development, studies on injuries and injury prevention, healing-centered sport, and sports policy. While specialization and maximization of sport-specific training has dominated elite sports like figure skating, being an SBYD coach may seem like a drastically different approach. Some people perceive this to be a difference between “competitive” coaching and “recreational” coaching. In reality, the difference is between being urgency-driven and being human-driven; SBYD coaches and programs work with high-level competitive athletes all over the world. Fundamentally, I strive to help skaters to grow as athletes from the inside-out, shaping the sport of figure skating into their lives—not the other way around.
Intentionally Collaborative: While the sport of figure skating tends to foster an “in-house only” approach to athlete development, I find this approach to be not only limiting, but potentially dangerous. For me, having a wide range of qualifications and knowledge is about improving the accessibility of the sport so that skaters can get ample education and support “in-house” if that’s what’s needed. Whenever possible, however, I encourage families to work with resources outside of an ice arena. Whether it’s strength and conditioning, theatre, nutrition, mental health support, or injury care and prevention, connecting athletes to outside resources isn’t just about connecting with the most qualified professionals; it’s also about making sure that the doors for communication (and perspective) are numerous and always open.
Skater-led: What most people know about figure skating is what they see on TV during the Olympics. That level of competitive skating requires an intensity and investment from athletes and their families far beyond what can even be imagined…especially by children. Expenses include not only money, but also time, attention, emotional energy, and physical risk. Because of this, I coach as a team with the skater(s). This means maintaining open conversation with them about their goals and interests and practicing/teaching informed consent when it comes to the type of training that will be required for them to chase their dreams. It also means coaching every skater with the same passion and attention and quality no matter their competitive interest. Ensuring that skaters have autonomy and learn how to advocate for their own autonomy on the ice and in their life is one of my top priorities.
Artistic: The artistry of skating is what keeps people coming back. Rather than reserve the creative side of the sport for programs and performances, I lean on artistic tools to aid in all areas of coaching from teaching basic skills to developing confidence. Zooming out, I also encourage skaters to approach their practice like an artist: with lots of study and self-study and questions and creative risk-taking.
Professionalism
A brief note on boundaries
The social environment of an ice arena, the individuality of figure skating, and the nature of working with private coaches can make professional boundaries seem a bit ambiguous. While each coach will have their own style of communicating with a skater and their family (parents/guardians), it’s important to remember that you’ve hired a coach for their time and talents in figure skating and to be a positive adult in your child’s life.
My passion for skating and for coaching doesn’t transcend the responsibility I have to approach this work as a job first. There are power dynamics at play that could create weird, uncomfortable, or even contemptuous climate if professional boundaries aren’t maintained. In addition to adhering to all the rules and regulations of SafeSport, here are a few examples of how I practice and expect professionalism in private coaching:
Communication
Email, text, and phone calls are all welcome forms of communication. With that being said, I reserve text and phone calls for basic communication and may not respond to messages outside 9am-9pm or on weekends/holidays. Topics or concerns requiring more information and attention are handled by email or by scheduling an in-person meeting.
Socializing
With some exceptions—usually due to having shared community outside of skating—I refrain from having social relationships with skaters/parents/guardians. This includes “hanging out” in the bleachers during breaks or participating in any form of gossip or speculation about other coaches and skaters. However, I do greatly value making time for in-person conversations at the rink and for periodic check-ins or celebrations at a third space.
Social Media
My personal social media was set up many years ago and has evolved throughout that time to serve as my connection to community while holding various public-facing leadership roles from teaching yoga to social justice organizing. For that reason, my accounts remain public and, although it may change, I tend to have very little skating-related content. I generally don’t block anyone from following or friending me so long as they respect that “figure skating coach” is just one role that I play in my life. For many reasons, I don’t engage in (nor condone) “influencing” and will never use social media to promote any skater, or to sell/market anything related to my private coaching.
Additionally, I typically don’t follow family/parents of skaters. One of the greatest benefits of participating in sports for kids is that they get to carve out their own space in their lives where they can figure out who they are, take risks, try new things, and practice making mistakes. Being an audience to their lives outside of skating, by way of social media, gets in the way of me being able to provide them that unique space for self-exploration on the ice. Outside of important information that parents should share as it relates to how I can best show up for their kids, what I know about my students comes from what they choose to share with me.
Autonomy
I reserve the right to discontinue work with any student/family at any time should their conduct infringe on my personal boundaries or contribute to a negative environment for any skater. Coaching is my primary career but I am intentional about never being in a position where my livelihood is dependent on this work. This protects skaters from exploitative practices that are common in the private sports sector and allows me to prioritize my energy around being a good coach over being a booked coach.