One woman I know who takes private ice dancing lessons, doesn t have a desire to compete, or to even test for that fact. At the same time, she benefits from the exercise of ice dancing. I personally don t agree with competitive skaters testing up a level just to qualify for a solo number or to have top billing in their clubs ice show. Several years later, after making the decision to coach, she took and passed her Senior Freeskate test to add to her coaching resume, yet she never competed at the Senior level. It s important for coaches to be enthusiastic about their work and continue their education.
Goals differ from skater to skater.