By Kim Dunbar

If you’ve ever looked at a Norman Rockwell painting and envied the graceful pond skaters, wishing the hustle and bustle of life ~ and your body ~ would allow you the same pleasure, now is a good time to make it happen.

“In my opinion, figure skating is the greatest sport there is,” said Denise Marco, Director of Figure Skating at North Star Figure Skating Club in Westborough. “It is also one of the hardest sports; a skater needs the grace of a ballerina, the strength of a football player and lots of guts,” she added.

Formed in 1987, North Star Figure Skating Club (based out of the North Star Youth Forum) offers lessons for beginners through senior level skaters at a variety of ages. “We have a large adult base,” said Marco. “Most come to learn to skate back and forth while others do it to lose weight,” she added.

According to Marco, figure skating offers great fitness benefits, combining a little cardio with some strength and lower body workouts. It also provides a great social atmosphere ~ groups often chat while skating around the rink.

And while you might be shaking your head, insisting you are too old to lace up a pair of skates, Marco assures: “You are never too old. This is a great sport for adults,” she said, adding that there have been several adults who have gone on to train for competitions.

North Star offers four sectors of training. The first, the Learn to Skate program (which begins this month), is tailored for those with little pond skating experience to no ice experience at all. Marco said the attendance for the once-a-week program doubles during the winter months. The club also trains skaters in their bridge program, Shining Stars, and instructs skaters for lower levels as well as regional competitions.

In the last couple of years, North Star has enjoyed a tremendous increase in participation. “The numbers have doubled and the dynamics of the skaters have completely changed. It is a totally different program than a few years ago,” said Marco. This influx of skaters, both with and without experience, is most likely the result of the club’s recent expansion. The building ~ which houses two skating rinks ~ is equipped with off-ice jump harnesses as well as rooms used for events and additional training.

North Star offers Pilates and ballet classes to supplement on-ice lessons. Marco said the additional training is important because “…being flexible and strong are the two necessary ingredients” for figure skating. “As a skater grows, everything changes, so it is necessary to train them to be flexible,” she said.

Marco has skated on the same rink in Westborough since she was seven years old. It was her vision that came to fruition in the form of North Star. As a teenager, Marco passed up an invitation to join the Ice Capades in order to attend college. By the time she graduated from Anna Maria, Marco had many private students and had found her niche as an instructor.

“This is my entire life. There is nowhere else I want to be,” said Marco, who continues to coach all levels of moves and freestyle skating, including New England Competitors and Disney on Ice skaters. “There is nothing greater than seeing someone set a goal and achieve it.”

If learning the art of figure skating is your goal, Marco and North Star can teach you. “You just have to have the willingness to want to do it,” she said.

To fulfill your Norman Rockwell fantasy, call, visit North Star during their January 3rd Open House, or log on to www.northstarfsc.com for more information.