Victoria Sillo a "Creativeskater", for Nov./Dec. 2011
By: Elizabeth Hollett Shackett

Victoria Sillo is passionate about figure skating and is a hard worker both on and off the ice. Her love for skating began at age 5 in a Learn to Skate, group lesson program. Victoria diligently worked her way through multiple badge levels. Presently, she skates 4 days per week taking private lessons and practicing in preparation for U.S. Figure Skating proficiency tests and local and statewide competitions.

This bright 6th-grader loves the challenge of her sport and feels that grace and musicality are her strong suit. She is determined to improve speed, power and how quickly she accomplishes jumps. Victoria's ultimate goal in figure skating is to pass the Senior Moves in the Field and Freeskating tests. In the short term, she strives to land her axel and be consistent with it.

What is most exciting to her about figure skating is that you "can see the improvement and that all the hard work pays off." For example, she won an impressive 3 gold medals at the 2011 Pennsylvania State Championships! Not surprisingly, Victoria defines this as her most memorable moment in skating. One of the wins came from a duet event with younger sister, Allie, who also skates.

Besides loving the ice, Victoria has been dancing for 9 years and has played 7 years of soccer and basketball. Her time devoted to ballet and jazz helps with flexibility and gracefulness in skating whereas her confidence from skating helps "with everything else, especially giving presentations at school. I'm used to being in the spotlight all by myself when I step out on ice, so standing up and giving presentation isn't so bad."

Victoria is an avid reader, a straight "A" student, 1st chair flute in band, part of a gifted program
called "Challenge," and her favorite subject is Language Arts. Most recently,  she has been
selected to audition for JEOPARDY in New York City.

I have choreographed many programs for Victoria to the music of Narnia, Elvis Presley, Mary
Poppins, and The Princess Diaries. While I focus on choreography and Moves in the Field, her
technical coach, Marcia Walkney, works on jumps and spins.

Victoria's Upcoming Events:
           Jan. 2012:      Juvenile Moves in the Field Test
          Feb. 2012:      Pennsylvania State Championship, York, PA
        April. 2012:      IceWorks Skating Club Annual Ice Show, Aston, PA 
       
A Parent's Perspective: Stephanie Sillo
We are thrilled to have Elizabeth as one of the coaches for our daughter.  Her choreography
is always the most intricate and exciting to watch, and helps Victoria stand out among large groups
of skaters in competitions.  While other skaters seem to perform "to" music, Elizabeth's amazing
talent helps her skaters express the music so that they seem to actually be "one" with the music
...every extension of the arms or slight tilt of the head is in unison with the ebb and flow of the notes
and her choreography always shows off the skater's personality.  While Elizabeth pushes Victoria
hard to excel, she does so patiently and with a wonderful child-centered technique, so there is a
great level of mutual respect between the two.  We have had not only other skaters and parents,
but also coaches from other rinks, comment on how wonderful Victoria's choreography is, and
we have been only too happy to tell them that Elizabeth is the reason.  We hope to continue with
Elizabeth for as long as our daughter continues in the sport of figure skating...she truly is an
amazing coach/choreographer, and Victoria looks forward to every lesson she has with her.

Tests Passed
Pre-Juvenile Moves in the Field
Preliminary Freeskate