Entertainment
9-Year-Old Figure Skater Performs Hip Hop Routine
Over 54 million people have watched this little girl's incredible figure skating routine!
Rachel Shapiro
11.27.18

Figure skating is a difficult sport that takes years to master. Many skaters start training when they’re kids, and they also start competing at a young age.

These young competitors are seriously talented, and to stand out from the pack, many kids will do unique routines set to surprising songs. And that’s just what nine-year-old figure skater Starr Andrews decided to do.

In 2010, Starr Andrews made headlines for her incredible hip-hop routine set to Willow Smith’s “Whip My Hair.”

YouTube Screenshot
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YouTube Screenshot

California native Starr wore a costume that perfectly matched her song, including figure skates that looked like sneakers! Her routine was choreographed by her mom and aunt. Starr danced around the ice with incredible ease, whipping her hair back and forth in time with the song. She also did some amazing spins!

“I wanted to do something different, like spunky and fun, because I’m used to doing stuff that is graceful and classical, so I wanted to try something different that time,” Starr told Huffington Post.

YouTube Screenshot
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YouTube Screenshot

Starr’s amazing performance earned her rave reviews.

As soon as the song ended, everyone in the audience started cheering as loud as they could. They also threw flowers and dolls onto the ice for her.

YouTube Screenshot
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YouTube Screenshot

Starr and her mom posted the routine on Starr’s YouTube page. To their shock, the video went massively viral.

The video of Starr’s hip-hop routine has now received more than 54 million views. Starr didn’t let the fame go to her head, though.

“I had no clue what (going viral) meant at the time,” Starr told Figure Skating Fan Zone. “So I didn’t really care about it that much. I liked skating more. I was like, ‘I don’t know what that means, but okay!'”

YouTube Screenshot
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YouTube Screenshot

It has now been eight years since Starr posted her viral video.

Starr is now 17 years old, and she hasn’t stopped figure skating. Over the past eight years, Starr has worked to perfect her skills.

In 2012, Starr competed in the Pre-Preliminary South West Regionals. She did a routine set to classical music this time, and she did a series of amazing jumps and spins.

Skating_Starr via Twitter
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Skating_Starr via Twitter

Then, in 2014, Starr competed in the U.S. National Championship in Boston. She earned fourth place for her stunning routine set to music by Frank Zeffirelli.




In 2016, Starr decided to move up to the more competitive junior level.

That year, she made her international debut, and she won the junior ladies’ title at the Golden Bear of Zagreb competition. Then, in 2017, she won silver at the U.S. National Championship. She also competed with the U.S. team at the World Junior Championship in Taipei.

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YouTube Screenshot

In 2018, Starr moved up to the senior level at the U.S. National Championship.

For her big debut, she decided to do a routine set to Beyoncé’s cover of “Fever.” Then, for her free skate, she did a routine set to Whitney Houston’s “One Moment in Time.” She earned sixth place, which is very impressive for a debut.

“For me, thinking about (every competition), it’s different, but when you go there, it all feels the same,” Starr said. “So I just tell myself this is just another competition, do what you have to do, and you’ll be okay.”




In October 2018, figure skating website Figure Skating Fan Zone did an interview with Starr after she competed in the U.S. National Championship. They asked her if she would ever consider revisiting the routine that gave her a brush with viral frame. Starr quickly answered:

“I would. “Yes, I would.”

YouTube Screenshot
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YouTube Screenshot

It’s amazing to see how far Starr has come since she first went viral at nine years old! Starr is an amazingly talented skater, and we can’t wait to see what she does in the future. If you’d like to see the video that started it all for Starr, check it out below!

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