Internationally Acclaimed Skate Coach

Born in Toronto, raised in Nobleton until age 15, David Wilson spent at short time at KCSS before moving schools to pursue a career in competitive skating. He trained at the Toronto Cricket Skating and Curling Club, first with the esteemed coach, Osborne Colson and later with former World Champion, Petra Burka. At the age of 19 David joined the professional ranks as a performer with Ice Capades, touring North America for 5 years. In 1991 David began his teaching career settling down in Montréal, where he lived and worked for several years. By the mid ’90’s David’s choreography for skaters such as 1993 Canadian Champion Josee Chouinard and 1995 Canadian Champion Sebastien Britten were gaining both National and international recognition and in 2000 David relocated back to Toronto.

David’s influence on the sport of figure skating through his choreography has had global impact. His work has been showcased by top international competitors, including medalists from a multitude of countries at their respective National Championships, the World Championships and Olympic Games for the past 30 years. Some of figure skating’s most iconic performances have had David’s signature on them, appearing in all 4 categories - Ladies, Men, Pairs and Ice Dance.

In the Ladies event David’s work has helped evoke such spirited and emotionally charged performances as: Joannie Rochette’s Firebird, Sasha Cohen’s Romeo & Juliette (for which she won the US Championships and a Silver Medal at the 2006 Olympic Games) YuNa Kim’s Danse Macabre and Shererazde (for which she was crowned 2009 World Figure Skating Champion) YuNa Kim went on to win Gold at the 2010 Olympic Games with David’s teasingly elusive choreographies of Bond Girl and Concerto In F. After a brief retirement Kim made a triumphant comeback winning the 2013 World Champions followed by a Silver medal at the 2014 Olympic Games with David’s poignant choreographies to Les Miserables (2013), Send In The Clowns (2013) and Adios Nonino (2014).

David's ice choreography has also been celebrated in the Men’s event. 2008 World Champion and 2006 Olympic Bronze Medalist Jeffrey Buttle (Ararat, and Samson and Delilah), three-time World Champion Patrick Chan (Revolutionary Étude, Mack the Knife, The Four Seasons), and 2014 Olympic Champion Yuzuru Hanyu (Romeo & Juliet), and in 2016 first-ever Spanish World Champion, Javier Fernández (Charlie Chan, Black Betty, Barber of Seville, and Guys and Dolls) are just a few who have showcased David’s talents.

In the Pairs event David’s work has been instrumental in the success of Canadian Champions and 2008 World Bronze Medalists, Jessica Dube & Bryce Davison; 2010 Olympic Silver Medalists, Pang & Tong: and 2015 World Silver Medalists, Sui & Han. For Ice Dancers Marie-France Dubreuil & Patrice Lauzon, his choreography to Somewhere In Time is said to have redefined the Free Dance for which they won silver at the 2006 World Championships. Working collaboratively with Dubreuil & Lauzon, David helped create Tessa Virtue & Scott Moir’s Gold medal winning performances in the Free Dance at both the 2017 World Championships and the 2018 Olympic Games.

In the world of professional skating for live shows, film and TV, David has also displayed his artistic influence. Legendary champions such as, Brian Orser, Midori Ito, Kurt Browning, Jamie Sale & David Pelletier, Shae-Lyn Borne and Shizuka Awakara, to name a few, have all sought out David’s expertise to create choreographies which they have performed in shows such as Stars on Ice and TV specials around the world. In 2001 he directed and choreographed the eight-city farewell tour of Canadian Champion Josée Chouinard; In Seoul, South Korea David has served as Creative Director and Choreographer (2008 - 2014, 2018 -19) of the sensational televised live show All That Skate, centred around World & Olympic Champion, YuNa Kim. David has also choreographed Fantasy On Ice tour in Japan for several years. In 2017 & 2018 David collaborated with legendary choreographer Sandra Bezic to create Revolution On Ice, a multi-city tour of Spain, Starring Javier Fernandez. David’s work in film and television lists him as choreographer for the 2010 remake of Ice Castles, and the CBC hit TV series, Battle of the Blades (season 1 & 6).

In 2009 David was recipient of the Professional Skating Association (USA) Choreographer of the Year award and in 2019 he was nominated into the Skate Canada Hall of Fame.

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