yraparla
SwizzeeMusic.com
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Interesting article about the subjectiveness of some events in the winter olympics. The article hits a nerve for anyone who has danced/judged:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/06/sports/olympics/who-needs-stopwatches-from-shadows-judges-are-co-stars.html
"But the judges have it almost as hard as we do. They’re the ones who have to put a point value to it. Everyone’s doing all these crazy runs, and they have to sit there and say, ‘O.K., this one’s better than this one.’ It’s really hard work.”
Contrast with the heavily regimented figure skating judging:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/06/sports/olympics/despite-revamped-system-for-judging-figure-skating-gets-mixed-marks.html
"Complete objectivity is neither attainable nor desired...There has to be room for everyone’s style, because we don’t want it to look like cookie cutters,” said Tom Zakrajsek, a prominent American coach.
I think I prefer a more laissez-faire approach. Points are arbitrary and stupid anyway, judges should only be concerned with ranking since that's what everyone pays attention to. I do like how relaxed they described the atmosphere because I do think it holds judges more accountable. It's harder to sit in your stubborn bias and leave if you have to be around some of the teams. Ideally we'd have a balance, where technical elements are highly regimented (synchronicity, execution, formations) with artistic categories like choreo and style left open to interpretation.
I could write for days and days about my judging thoughts (I've talked about it endlessly with dozens of people so I won't bore everyone). I'll simply say that judging will always lag in taste and trends and that's ok. Great art outlasts awards and placings (look at movies, music, sports). Of course the narrative of a team is shaped by how much they place, but a truly influential team that "deserves" a placing will outlast that placing anyway.
Focus on being unique and being entertaining and the rest will follow. Focus on placing and pander to a rubric or judge-friendly set and you may place but receive very little artistic respect (even from judges who place you). Neither is wrong or right, it just is what it is.
There's the art and then the business. It's up to you where you want to leave your mark. You know where I stand.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/06/sports/olympics/who-needs-stopwatches-from-shadows-judges-are-co-stars.html
"But the judges have it almost as hard as we do. They’re the ones who have to put a point value to it. Everyone’s doing all these crazy runs, and they have to sit there and say, ‘O.K., this one’s better than this one.’ It’s really hard work.”
Contrast with the heavily regimented figure skating judging:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/06/sports/olympics/despite-revamped-system-for-judging-figure-skating-gets-mixed-marks.html
"Complete objectivity is neither attainable nor desired...There has to be room for everyone’s style, because we don’t want it to look like cookie cutters,” said Tom Zakrajsek, a prominent American coach.
I think I prefer a more laissez-faire approach. Points are arbitrary and stupid anyway, judges should only be concerned with ranking since that's what everyone pays attention to. I do like how relaxed they described the atmosphere because I do think it holds judges more accountable. It's harder to sit in your stubborn bias and leave if you have to be around some of the teams. Ideally we'd have a balance, where technical elements are highly regimented (synchronicity, execution, formations) with artistic categories like choreo and style left open to interpretation.
I could write for days and days about my judging thoughts (I've talked about it endlessly with dozens of people so I won't bore everyone). I'll simply say that judging will always lag in taste and trends and that's ok. Great art outlasts awards and placings (look at movies, music, sports). Of course the narrative of a team is shaped by how much they place, but a truly influential team that "deserves" a placing will outlast that placing anyway.
Focus on being unique and being entertaining and the rest will follow. Focus on placing and pander to a rubric or judge-friendly set and you may place but receive very little artistic respect (even from judges who place you). Neither is wrong or right, it just is what it is.
There's the art and then the business. It's up to you where you want to leave your mark. You know where I stand.
