As a child, David Wilson never envisioned becoming a choreographer. Training under renowned Canadian coach Osborne Colson for many years, Wilson realized as a teenager that he did not have the technical ability to become a viable competitor on the international scene, and he quit skating at age 16. His father was furious that Wilson quit before earning his gold levels in figures and free and made the skater return to the ice to earn them. "It was the best thing he could ever have done for me," Wilson said. "During that time I got to work with Petra Burka (1965 World champion), who made me feel I had something worthwhile to offer the skating world - that I had a talent. Even though I could not do triple jumps, she made me realize I had something else to offer the sport."

Wilson said his dream was to skate in Holiday on Ice and travel around Europe. "But that never happened," he said. "A friend of mine suggested I audition for Ice Capades. I got the job and thought it would be fun for a year and then go back to school. One year turned into five and during that time I rediscovered my love for skating. I grew as a skater, an artist and a performer - I felt like I had finally come into my own.

I got to witness some incredible skating on that tour - I worked with people like Simone Grigorescu and Robert Wagenhoffer, two of skating's unsung heroes. Those two skaters did not 'skate' - they danced on the ice and, combined with Sarah Kawahara's choreography, I was really inspired."

When Wilson retired from pro skating, he moved to Montreal to coach and do some choreography. "Shortly after I started working at a rink, some of the coaches there started asking me to choreograph their students' programs," he said. "I did not really feel worthy, but I was excited. I was doing one project after another and within six months I was choreographing a long program for Sebastien Britten (1995 Canadian champion). To me, Sebastien belongs in the realm of John Curry as far as talent and sensibility are concerned."

Wilson choreographed Josee Chouinard's programs in 1993. "That was the year she regained her Canadian title and suddenly I was thrust into this high-level scene," he said. I choreographed more than 25 numbers for Josee during her pro career, including the program she skated to win her final Canadian Pro title." He also choreographed her farewell tour in 2001.

Christopher Mabee, the 2005 Canadian senior bronze medalist, was looking for a challenging short program for the Olympic season. His coaches Doug Leigh and Lee Barkell suggested Wilson. "He is brilliant, Mabee said. "One day I was getting so frustrated because things were not going well. He said to me, 'If you are not going to enjoy the process get out of the sport.' Those words struck a chord with me. Everything ended up working perfectly - he just makes it all work. David brings out the best in every skater. I saw Jeff [Buttle] and Nobunari's [Oda] progression - it was like an evolution and I wanted to experience that myself."

Some of Wilson's connections go back a number of years. Cynthia Phaneuf, the 2004 Canadian champion, has been working with Wilson since she was 9 years old. "That girl was born a diva,"Wilson said. I cannot take any credit for her presence on the ice; she was born with 'it.' It has been so wonderful to work with her over the years."

Jeff Buttle was 16 when Wilson first started working with him. Last season, Wilson helped shape the Canadian skater into one of the best performers in the world. Buttle chose music from Rachmaninoff's "Preludes" for his short. Initially, it was not a program with a theme but within a couple of hours it just came together," Wilson explained. "At a certain point it occurred to me that this was all about Jeff's disillusionment of the previous year - his meteoric rise to stardom and then having the rug pulled out from under him. The music represented all the emotional turmoil he had experienced. The opening move (where he leans slightly off center) was an intentional gesture. It was meant to be representative of how his previous season had been and the rest of the piece described how he put it all in perspective."

For the Olympic season Wilson chose "Sing, Sing, Sing" by Louis Prima for Buttle's short program. "Last year's pieces were somber and introspective but this year I want people to see the other sides of Jeff," Wilson said. "This piece is a little bit sexy, a little bit cool."

Wilson has been working with 2005 Canadian champion Joannie Rochette for the past four seasons. It takes a few years to get to know a skater unless you get lucky," he said. "Joannie is an incredible talent and this year I wanted to find something beautiful for her. Last season's 'Firebird' program was a vehicle I felt would be perfect for her. She found a little bit more of herself and it gave her a lot of confidence."

Rochette said she loves working with Wilson. "He doesn't work like any of the other choreographers. Before you work with him, you need to know that," she said. "His mind works differently, he's very artistic. I love that about him and that's why I really wanted him to do my programs. He knows me very well and knows what suits me best."

Although many of his clients are fellow Canadians, Wilson is much sought after worldwide. He has a long history with Japanese skaters. "I choreographed show pieces for Midori Ito that ran the gamut from 1996 to 2002. I loved working with her. ... She became a really beautiful performer. She has a special charm you cannot teach."

This season he worked with 2005 World junior champion Nobunari Oda and choreographed both programs for Miki Ando. "The first day I met Miki, she said, 'I have something to show you.'Then she went onto the ice and performed the opening moves from Joannie's 'Firebird' program. She told me she fell in love with that program. She said, 'I want to be like that - I want to express myself.

Ando will skate to "Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence" by Ryuichi Sakamoto for her short. It is soft and subtle but chock-full of emotion,"Wilson said. The music for her long program is a violin arrangement of "My Funny Valentine."

"At first, her coach (Carol Heiss Jenkins) and the Japanese Federation were not sure about it, but Miki wanted a piece where she could find herself and be different from everyone else,"Wilson said. "This piece could do that for her. It does in practice. She loves both her programs, particularly the short, because it is so much fun."

Heiss Jenkins had the opportunity to watch Wilson in action last summer when she brought Ando to Canada to have the skater's programs refined. "When Miki showed us the short program David had choreographed for her, we just loved it," Heiss Jenkins said. "David is not only incredibly talented but he exudes this personal warmth. I just love his enthusiasm and creativity.

While he spends much of his time working with elite-level skaters, Wilson said he loves working with children because he finds them so inspiring. "They just absorb everything," he said. "When I am really focused on something I get lost in what I am doing. I have this curiosity and childlike notion of exploring - I feel like I have finally spread my wings.