There are events which are hard to judge. Namely, syllabus collegiate and amateur events. [cough, cough]
I love the collegiate scene: youth and enthusiasm are a great combo to witness doing most anything. The problem is most college teams' dance education comes from group classes, which are TERRIFIC, but also generalized and often taught towards the least common denominator.
So, then this happens…
Let's say there are four couples on the floor: Couple 100, Couple 200, Couple 300, and Couple 400. And let's say we rate these couples, COMPLETELY SUBJECTIVELY, on a scale from 0-10 in Technique, Actual Figures, Fun Having, and Partnering.
Couple 100 is doing a pretty good job, dancing recognizable figures, mostly on time some of the time. They are thinking. And not especially connected, but definitely doing the same move across from each other.
Couple 200 is doing a pretty good job, dancing recognizable techniques that are characteristic to each dance, and doing one or two patterns. They are also thinking and are dancing their parts together, but separately, you know?
Couple 300 is doing a pretty good job, clearly having a wonderful time, smiling and laughing and winking and being adorably uninhibited. There was a figure or two that existed, but very little technique and partnering.
Couple 400 is doing a pretty good job, doing a little technique, a few figures, smiling, and they know their partner exists.
Now, I'm no math major, but it seems if we compare all these very different traits' scores, we get this:
Looks like they're all the same, but different.
ISN'T THAT A LIFE LESSON?!
In any case, I know you people go look at the marks on these wacky events, where there's not anything one can consistently judge on, and you come away with "Kate Bratt hates me" because I marked you last in a final. (But you got to the final somehow and I was probably involved in that somehow, so INVALID COMMENT.) But maybe you DANCED OFF-TIME IN THE CHACHA, or maybe your "actual figures" score was lower than the other couples', or maybe you looked really bored or thinky instead of like you were even mildly amused to be participating.
Also, many amateur events aren't sanctioned by any organization and therefore are NO HOLDS BARRED: no costume rules, broad proficiency categories, no invigilating for dancing out of category, everyone is trying to dance as much as possible. In other words, there is A LOT of different things happening in each heat.
In any case, it's very difficult to mark TIMING at some events. Or FOOTWORK. Or STAYING IN CATEGORY, because no one is doing enough of those things consistently enough to have it be a judging factor.
In any case, you should dance your ass off in the way that feels right at the time.
But more on that in the next post…
More posts you should probably read:
Riot and Frolic 
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