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Private Skating Instruction

In addition to our regular classes and practice times, Sharks Ice offers private Skating & Hockey Lessons from a variety of experienced, well-qualified instructors.

To set up a private lesson, please choose from our list of coaches below, or contact our Skating Director, Candy Goodson, who can help you select a private coach. Candy Goodson can be contacted at cgoodson@sharksice.com or 408-999-6753.

Sharks Ice Private Instructors set their own lesson times in accordance with ice availability. Rates and availability vary per instructor. Lessons are typically taught in 15, 20, 30, 45, or 60 minute increments. Public Session admission is required in additional to private instruction. Private coaches can also provide Public Session groups with skating lessons. 

For private lesson pricing and availability contact the individual instructors. 

Instructors

Kristen Cederquist

Kristen began skating when she was six years old in California’s Central Valley. Her first time on the ice was magical and she knew she found her happy place. As a coach, Kristen shares her love for the ice, enjoys building solid skating foundations, utilizing video analysis, and off ice conditioning. She finds joy in the success of accomplishing everything from a student's first one foot glide, skating a personal best at competitions, and helping students to meet or exceed their personal goals and dreams.

Kristen is a double gold medalist in Moves in the Field and Freestyle, a member in good standing of US Figure Skating, The Skating Club of San Francisco, and the Professional Skaters Association. She welcomes you to see she what her students are accomplishing and follow on Instagram @kristen_cederquist. 

Contact

Ninik de Porta 

A San Jose native, Ninik (rhymes with unique) fell in love with skating & competing at the age of 5. Since then, she has been relentlessly dedicated to mastering both the art and science of skating. A former junior lady competitor, she has been coached by the likes of Laura Galindo-Black, Tracy Prussack & John Brancato. Ninik also spent her summers training with other renowned coaches at the Broadmoor World Arena. 

Before beginning figure skating, Ninik began her 16 year ballet training, studying the Cecchetti Method under Glenna Bell Moenning.  This training has very much influenced the way she teaches body awareness, artistry and stage presence in her athletes

A life-long learner, Ninik is actively continuing her coaching education and collaborates with coaches from all over the world, bringing a fresh and innovative approach to her athletes. 

Today, Ninik is on a mission to inspire passion and self-belief in all of the athletes she works with. She strongly believes in the power of grit by way of mental training to reach the ultimate heights of performance. 

She is particularly passionate about taking athletes from unsure to confident & self assured in tackling difficult tasks. 

Ninik works with all athletes, from beginner to high level. She also encourages adult skating.

Specialties 

  • Figures
  • Freestyle (jumps & spins)
  • Skating Skills
  • Power Skating
  • Off Ice
  • Mental Training
  • Ballet 

Accolades

  • USFS Silver Medalist
  • Figures V
  • Cecchetti Grade V

Contact 

Stepan Dubrovskiy

Professional figure skating coach with 10 years of coaching experience.
Junior Worlds and ISU Grand Prix competitor, Danish National Champion. Former professional skater with Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. 
Degree in Pre School Pedagogy and Psychology from Moscow State University for Humanity. Second degree in figure skating coaching from the Moscow Olympic Reserve College. 

Specialties

  • Freestyle
  • Pairs,
  • Triple jumps
  • Spins
  • Off-Ice training
  • Choreography

Accepting new students beginner through Senior level. 
Fluent in Russian and English 

Contact:

Nathan Fast

Professional figure skating coach with over 25 years of skating experience. Nathan uses his competitive background to help build strong training habits, solid skating foundations, and positive competition experiences for skaters of all ages and backgrounds.

Specialties

  • Ice Dance 
  • Freestyle
  • Moves in the Field
  • Power skating
  • Adult skating

Competitive Background

  • International Competitor for Team USA
  • World Championship Team Alternate
  • US National Champion
  • 10 time National competitor

Contact

Alice Ho

Years Coaching: 7 Alice has over 15 years of experience skating, has participated in Solo Ice Dancing Nationals, and Intercollegiate Nationals. She is a PSA member, USFS Member, and Peninsula Skating Club Member. Received Bachelors at UC Berkeley. Teaches all ages and levels. Available to coach in San Jose and Fremont.

Specialties

  • Freestyle
  • Ice Dancing

Contact

Sherri Krahne-Thomas

Years Coaching: 18 Regional, Sectional & Junior National Coach. Member of PSA, USFS, ISI and Peninsula Figure Skating Club. 18 Years of experience coaching competitive skaters. Teaches all ages and levels.

Specialties

  • MIF
  • Spins
  • Jumps & Choreography for artistic and freestyle programs

Contact

Email: Email Sherri

Kristen Mita

Kristen Mita was a competitive figure skater from age 7 until 19 and, upon retiring from competition, immediately transitioned into coaching where she was one of the most successful coaches in the Midwest region for 14 years. After a move to San Jose in 2017 she plans to replicate her success in the Bay Area with a new generation of students. She is a member of USFS, has her gold medal in freestyle and moves in the field. In 2001 she competed at the US nationals and went on to compete internationally providing valuable experience to pass down to her students. While her focus is mainly high level competitive skaters she also enjoys taking on students who simply love to skate. Kristen’s strengths are in freestyle, pairs, moves in the field, power stroking, and strength conditioning off ice.  With a focus on strong fundamentals and technique to help build a strong foundation she has produced multiple national and international competitors. In 2010, was the first year Kristen went with a student to US Nationals. Kristen has coached students to Nationals in 2010, 2012, 2013, and 2014, including the Novice Bronze Medalist in 2013.  Additionally in 2013 she traveled to Gdańsk where she had a student compete in a JGP international competition. 

Contact

Yaniritza Quiroga

Yaniritza has been coaching for over 20 years. She has a strong background in gymnastics and dance with a main focus in tap, jazz and ballet. Not only did she grow up skating and competing in the Bay Area, she also was on a competitive dance team. Yaniritza has strong leadership skills which helps her students thrive on and off the ice, helping them obtain all their life goals. Yaniritza’s mission is to help each skater she coaches achieve their maximum potential on the ice. Whether it be landing their first jump or making it across the rink without using the boards. Yaniritza is a member of ISI, PSA, USFS, and PCA. She coaches all ages and levels, from basic to advanced. As well as synchronized skating and beginning hockey. She enjoys having her students participate in Sharks Ice Annual Holiday Shows as well as local competitions throughout out the year. 

Contact

Nicholas Roby 

With over 15 years of coaching experience, Nicholas is able to manage nearly every aspect of his students’ needs, including, but not limited to, on-ice and off-ice instruction, injury rehab, and skating equipment procurement/maintenance. He is a full-service coach whom also has the experience of working with other coaches. His experience includes working with skaters of every level from beginner to elite, and every transition throughout that process. Also, he is one of the very few respected boot technicians in the bay area, serving a large number of primarily intermediate and advanced, as well as beginner, figure skaters’ equipment needs. 

Coaching Philosophy

Nicholas is regarded as an extremely technical coach, employing his own unique, customized and tailored avant garde coaching techniques that fast-track learning fundamental skating skills and advanced jump mechanics. His style of coaching focuses on physical and psychological development of his skaters by encouraging self-practice and self-thought, largely employing a Socratic method of both answering and asking his students many questions. This imparts a clarity that helps his skaters understand what they need to practice on their own. And to avoid any confusions for his students, he works and communicates openly with the parents of his skaters to encourage solidarity between parent and coach to skater. He does all this with emotional patience and levity, allowing for as many mistakes and questions as needed throughout the learning process.

Background

Nicholas has a strong competitive and professional skating history, having competed and shared ice with America’s best skaters (some of which even competed in the 2018 Winter Olympics). At the age of 18, he suffered a major injury that hurt his competitive career. Subsequently, he aggressively pursued to rehabilitate his body as he transitioned into professional show skating and coaching, and later received an education at the University of California, San Diego – Revelle College studying Human Biology. After finishing his formal education in 2011, he pursued a professional working career at rehabilitation clinics around the United States, only to begin coaching again after taking on a professional show skating contract in 2018. His renewed practice of coaching has since become a main priority to develop his competitive athletes and their skating careers. As a result, he has developed and employed skating tools that no one else in the Bay Area uses and continues an investigation of human biomechanics to further his practice of coaching.

Contact

Ellicia Shepherd

USFS Gold Medalist, Ellicia Shepherd was a singles and pairs competitor who has trained with renown coaches both here in the Bay Area, and in Southern California. Ellicia has over 35 years of professional coaching and ice show experience. She specializes in singles, pairs, choreography, advanced jump & spin technique, as well as moves in the field, power stroking and hockey fundamentals to all ages and levels. Previously, she coached at Toyota Sports Center. She is happy to be back coaching in her hometown!

Contact

Stephanie Snider

Stephanie has been coaching figure skating since 2013. She was trained by Olympic champions Sergei Ponomarenko and Marina Klimova. She is a USFS gold medalist in Dance and Moves in the Field.

Competitive background:

  • Two-time Danish National Champion
  • Former Competitor at the ISU Junior World Championships and Junior Grand Prix events. 
  • Performed as professional skater with Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines 

Teaches all ages and levels, beginners and advanced USFSA competitive students. Specializes in skating skills, choreography, moves in the field, freestyle, off ice conditioning/stretching. 

Speaks English, Russian, Danish

Contact

Robert Taylor

Robert Taylor is a USFS Gold Medalist in Freeskating and Figures, US Novice Men’s Champion, and Junior & Senior Men’s competitor. He was trained by legendary coach, Frank Carroll throughout his competitive career and coached closely alongside him for many years of his teaching career. Robert has been coaching for over 40 years at local, national and International competitions (with several national medalists). He works with athletes of all ages and levels of skating and he specializes in bringing a detailed approach to jump and spin techniques. Previously, he coached at Pickwick Ice and Toyota Sports Center and he is thrilled to now be part of the Solar4Americasharksice coaching staff.

Contact

Kristina Van Kregten

Years Coaching: 9 United States Figure Skating competitor for over 15 years in Freestyle, Pairs, and Ice Dancing. Regional, Sectional, and Junior Olympic/National Competitor. Coaching member of the Professional Skater’s Association. Trains competitive and recreational skaters in both USFS and ISI. Beginners through Advanced/Senior levels. Specialty: Basic/Advanced Skills & Technique, Freestyle, Moves in the Field, Choreography, and Off-Ice Conditioning.

Contact

Yulia Mikhaylova

  • Yulia’s specialty is skating instruction with focus on improving balance, edge work, and agility. She has six years of professional ice skating instruction experience teaching both group and private lessons for the figure skaters from entry to mid-level. 
  • Developed and taught special classes and power skating clinics for hockey players to improve their speed and skating skills.
  • Originally trained under the direction of Russia’s leading coaches.

Professional background:

  • Six years of competitive experience through the senior level in singles and ice dancing followed by a 15‐year career as a professional skating performer, including eleven years with St. Petersburg Theater on ice (principal skater) and four years with Disney on Ice (ensemble skater/understudy).
  • Member of the Ice Sports Industry and Professional Skaters Association 
  • USA Hockey member
  • Certified Level 1 hockey coach
  • Fluent in English and Russian 

Contact

Josie Crudo

Josie took a San Jose State Learn to Skate class in 1999 and has been in love with figure skating ever since. She started teaching and coaching ISI competitors in San Mateo in 2000 and taught at the Stockton Ice Arena for over 10 years. She joined the Sharks Ice coaching staff in 2018.
Josie has been a Synchronized Skater competing at the USFS Masters Level since 2008. She is a USFS Adult Gold Medalist in Moves in the Field, Adult Silver Medalist in Free Skate and Pairs, and is working on Pre-Gold Ice Dances.
Josie loves teaching skaters at all levels of ALL ages. Having learned to skate as an adult, her specialty is in helping adult skaters build their skills and finding joy through their skating journey.

Contact: JosieCrudo@gmail.com Phone Number: (408) 910-3684