Jackson Haines (1840–1875) was an American
balletBallet is a formalized type of performance dance, which originated in sixteenth- and seventeenth-century French courts, and which was further developed in England, Italy, and Russia as a concert dance form...
dancer and
figure skaterFigure skating is a Olympic sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform spins, jumps, footwork and other intricate and challenging moves on ice. Figure skaters compete at various levels from beginner up to the Olympic level , and at local, national, and international competitions...
who is regarded as the father of modern figure skating.
Born in
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is among the most populous urban areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment...
, Haines claimed to be
national championThe United States Figure Skating Championships is figure skating competition held annually to crown the national champions of the United States. The competition is organized by U.S. Figure Skating. In the U.S. skating community, the event is often referred to informally as "Nationals".Skaters...
in 1864. However, many such "championships" were held during those years, and none were sanctioned by a unifying figure skating organization. (The
United States Figure Skating AssociationU.S. Figure Skating , officially called the United States Figure Skating Association or USFSA, is the national sport governing body for figure skating in the United States. It is recognized as such by the United States Olympic Committee under the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act, and by...
was not established until 1921.)
At this time, figure skating was performed in the "English style", which was rigid and formal. It was virtually nothing like what is performed today. Haines' style was a complete contrast to the English style; he used his ballet background to create graceful programs, and introduced accompanying music (a new concept at the time). He also screwed his
figure skateFigure skates are a type of ice skate used by figure skaters. The skates consist of a boot and a blade that is attached with screws to the sole of the boot...
s directly onto his boots, which added stability and allowed him to do more athletic leaps and jumps. The typical practice of the time was to strap the blades onto the boot.
Haines' style was not well received in the United States. He therefore went to
EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus Mountains , and the Black Sea to the southeast...
to display and teach his style, which became known as the "International style". He lived in
ViennaVienna is the capital of the Republic of Austria and also one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.7 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre. It is the 10th largest city by...
for a time, where his skating style became very popular.
Haines died of
tuberculosisTuberculosis is a common and often deadly infectious disease caused by mycobacteria...
in
GamlakarlebyKokkola is a town and municipality of Finland.The town is located in the province of Western Finland and is part of the Central Ostrobothnia region. The town has a population of and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is...
(nowadays in
FinnishFinnish is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland and by ethnic Finns outside of Finland. It is one of the official languages of Finland and an official minority language in Sweden. In Sweden, both standard Finnish and Meänkieli, a Finnish dialect, are spoken...
:
KokkolaKokkola is a town and municipality of Finland.The town is located in the province of Western Finland and is part of the Central Ostrobothnia region. The town has a population of and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is...
, in
SwedishSwedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along the coast and on the Åland islands. It is to a considerable extent mutually intelligible with Norwegian and to a lesser extent with Danish...
: Karleby),
FinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland
, is a Nordic country and democracy situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. It borders Sweden on the west, Russia on the east, and Norway on the north, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland...
in 1875. His style did not become popular in the United States until many years after his death. The first American figure skating championships in the "International Style" were held on March 20 1914, in New Haven,
ConnecticutConnecticut is a state in the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and New York to the west and south ....
.
Haines was inducted into the
World Figure Skating Hall of FameThe World Figure Skating Hall of Fame serves as a repository for the sport of figure skating. The World Figure Skating Hall of Fame is where the greatest names in the history of the sport are honored...
and the United States Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 1976.
Haines was the inventor of the
sit spinThe sit spin is one of the three basic figure skating spin positions. It is defined by a squatting position in which the skater's buttocks are below the knee of the skating leg. This forms an angle of less than 90 degrees between the thigh and the calf of the skating leg...
, one of the three basic spin types. (The other two are the upright spin, about as old as the art of ice skating itself; and the
camel spinA camel spin, also known in Europe as a parallel spin, is one of the three basic figure skating spins, along with the sit spin and upright spin...
, invented during the twentieth century by
Cecilia ColledgeMagdelena Cecilia Colledge was a British figure skater. She was the 1936 Olympic silver medalist, the 1937 World Champion, the 1938-1939 European Champion, and a six-time British national champion....
.)
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