APPROPRIATENESS ... DARE I GO THERE?

Before you begin reading this, I feel it is very important to remind you, the reader, that this is my PERSONAL opinion on point deductions for any subjective reason, including reasons that may have some level of emotional or personal bias behind it. I do not represent or speak for anyone other than myself. My opinion does not reflect on anyone else, any friends, or any company.

I have kept my personal thoughts on appropriateness and subjective point deductions to myself over the years. Only recently, did I share for the very first time my personal view on the matter with a close friend with whom I have no working relationship, however, is involved in dance, and my friend encouraged me to share since it is a point of view that may give a different perspective on this sensitive subject. I have listened earnestly and taken to heart to what others have said over the years. I appreciate and respect everyone's thoughts, beliefs, and opinions very much. No matter what side of the issue people come from, I understand. Everyone has a point and I value their opinion and again, I do understand. Digging a little deeper into the subject, here are my thoughts. I have tried to take all emotion and feeling out of the equation and focus on hard core black and white, no gray area, facts to come to my opinion on the matter. My conclusion and personal opinion happens to be a little different from others, or worded differently, I have heard. Opinions are just that, opinions, and are neither right nor wrong. So for what it's worth, and not to start a debate or argument of any kind, here's just some food for thought. 

What is and is not appropriate at dance competition is a touchy subject and no one is ever really happy with anyone else's answer is but their own. Why is that? Because what is and isn't appropriate is subjective, just as a judge's score is subjective to their training and thought pattern. Appropriateness could mean anything from costuming to choreography to music to behavior.  Everyone's moral standards and preferences are different, from judges to audience members. They are varied to a degree, even if only by a very small degree. All judges (and teachers) are trained but their training may be different; they may come from different locations, maybe even from different countries; their personalities vary.  This is why you can compete against the same dancers and studios at a variety of competitions but the results can be entirely different. With different judges, even one different judge on the panel, you get a different outcome. This is true for every routine, regardless of anything that you may personally consider questionable. Whether it be music, choreography, subject matter, or costuming, there will always be someone who disagrees or just doesn't like the number. Sometimes a person in the audience, dancer, or teacher simply doesn't like a routine because of who it is or what studio they are representing. I'm just being honest. We all know this can be true. Sometimes there may be people who disagree with a certain person or persons behavior while others see no problem. We all have different standards of what we as individuals think is acceptable and what is not. This not only goes for parents, teachers, and studio owners, but for judges, competition staff, competition directors, and competition owners because we are all the same in the end....WE ARE ALL HUMAN. It's human nature and normal. 

Who do I personally believe should be be involved in the actual scoring? In my opinion, the judges and the judges alone. I personally believe the judges should be the only ones who have anything to do with the adjudication. I know there can be talk such as "I don't agree with the judging", or "those scores just can't be right", or "I think they are changing scores" when they may not agree but it is those judges' opinion on that given day.  I believe when a competition hires a panel of judges, the scores, results, and the outcome are in their hands alone. The judges' subjective opinions coming together as one final score and final decision without any outside influences keep the competition fair, ethical and of the upmost integrity. I know when I judged, there were times when people didn't always agree with our outcome and as a teacher there where times I didn't necessarily agree either. As a director, I can say there have been times that I haven't agreed with the outcome. With all of that being said, it is what the judges determine it to be. As a parent, I personally want things to be fair, ethical, and of the highest level of integrity for my son. As a former studio owner, and as a working guest teacher/choreographer, I want the same for all teachers and dancers involved in competition. So here's my personal stance. If every time someone complained on a routine or studio and the director approached the judges and/or tally making the decision to deduct points or disqualify based on their personal opinion or someone's opinion other than the judges' subjective opinion, isn't that score tampering? If a director or owner disagreed with routine and interfered by influencing judging, or just deducting points on their own, isn't that score tampering? Which all goes back to my point of dance is very subjective and judges are hired to make not only decisions based on proper technique but if they feel a routine is inappropriate in their subjective opinion. They are the ones who have the authority to score the routine lower wherever and whenever they see fit. Why? Because they are the judges hired to keep everything ethical, fair, and of the highest level of integrity. If someone other than the judges start getting involved with deducting points and involving their subjective opinions where scoring is involved (in many cases only going by word of mouth and hearsay because they have not seen the routine or the behavior), where do we draw the line with who can affect a score and when? In other words, change a score based on anything down to a random complaint. It's a fine line. For me, and my PERSONAL opinion, not working for or speaking for anyone else, my belief is the people sitting in the judging chairs hold the power of all scoring and have the responsibility of keeping things ethical. If a competition doesn't like the way the judges chose to score or apply deductions, they always have the right not to use them again.

Thank you for taking the time to read my PERSONAL thoughts on this controversial subject. Again, it is not my wish to strike up an argument or debate; just food for thought on this subject in another light from a different perspective.

Dance hard. Dance smart. 

Meredith 
thecompetitiveedgebymeredith.blogspot.com

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