The charlotte also known as the candle stick, is a figure skating

Figure skating

Figure skating is an Olympic sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform spins, jumps, footwork and other intricate and challenging moves on ice skates. Figure skaters compete at various levels from beginner up to the Olympic level , and at local, national, and international competitions...

 spiral

Spiral (figure skating)

A spiral is an element in figure skating where the skater glides on one foot while raising the free leg above hip level. It is akin to the arabesque in ballet....

. The skater bends forward and glides on one leg with the other one lifted into the air. The skater's torso is upright, but during the charlotte, the skater's torso is as close to the grounded foot as possible. When performed well, the skater's legs are almost in a straight vertical split

Split (gymnastics)

A split is a human body configuration in which the legs are parallel to each other and extended in opposite directions. Splits are performed in various athletic activities, including dance, figure skating, gymnastics, martial arts, contortionism, synchronized swimming, cheerleading and yoga...

 position. The charlotte requires great flexibility and balance.

A charlotte can be performed either forward or backward. It is usually performed backwards, although some skaters have performed it forwards in competition.

The charlotte is named for German

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

 skater Charlotte Oelschlagel

Charlotte Oelschlagel

Charlotte Oelschlägel, aka Charlotte Hayward was a German professional skater. For most of her life, she used only her first name as her stage name....

, who first performed the move in the early 1900s. Michelle Kwan

Michelle Kwan

Michelle Wingshan Kwan is an American figure skater. She is a two-time Olympic medalist, a five-time World champion and a nine-time U.S...

 and Sasha Cohen

Sasha Cohen

Alexandra Pauline "Sasha" Cohen is a U.S. figure skater. She is the 2006 Olympic silver medalist, a three-time World Championship medalist, the 2003 Grand Prix Final Champion, and the 2006 U.S. Champion.-Personal life:...

 are generally credited as bringing the move back into popularity during the late 1990s and early 2000s.

The position is rarely performed by men, notable exceptions being Rohene Ward

Rohene Ward

Rohene Andre Ward is an American figure skater. He has competed at US Nationals in 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2008. He also competed for Puerto Rico and is the 2004 Puerto Rican National Champion. He jumps and spins in both directions.Ward also works as a coach and choreographer...

and a few others.