Hello Dancers,
This year the UCWDC® will standardize by using medals not just in ProAm, but in all Dance Types: Line Dance, ProAm, Couples and Teams. The medals are Honorable Mention, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Gold with Honors, and Gold Graduate. What do the medals really mean? There are different expectations for each level, but we will start with general explanations. Honorable Mention means a failure in performance: for that level, the dance was not recognizable or performed. Bronze means a poor performance: the expectations for the level were not reached. Silver means an average performance: the expectations for the level were reached, but not exceeded. Gold means a good performance: the expectations for the level were solidly accomplished and some expectations were exceeded. Gold with Honors means an Excellent performance: expectations for the level were not just reached but were far exceeded. Gold Graduate means that not only were expectations exceeded, but the competitor(s) performed at the next level in that dance.
In ProAm, each judge circles a medal on their ballot for each competitor in each Dance Category. This gives the competitor an idea of the level of their performance against the standards for that particular Dance Category and division The judges are allowed to tie competitors in ProAm. The medals are used as part of a group and rank system for Line Dance, Couples, and Teams. This means that each judge will give each competitor (or Couple or Team) a medal, which is what we call the group. . Next if two competitors in a dance category get the same medal, each judge will break the ties, that is, the judge will rank the competitors within each medal so all competitors are placed (1st, 2nd , 3rd, etc.) on each judges’ ballot.
M, B, S, G, GH, GG- All scoring will use medals (GG, GH, G, S, B, M) rather than grades. Starting in 2019, in Couples, Line Dance, and Teams, these medals will be used rather than grades (AA, A, B, etc.). This will not change the scoring but is to standardize communication across the Dance Types. The grades (AA, A, B, etc.) are based on the North American school system which is not in place in much of the world. Our dance sport has developed the meanings for the medals (GG, GH, G, S, B and M), so we will use these medals across all Dance Types: Line Dance, Couples, ProAm and Teams.
Feedback from judges for Rules violations will be added. This, like the grades, will not change the scores, but is designed to give competitors specific feedback. We want to increase communication with competitors, so four codes will be added: C, D, F and M. Judges will use these codes when and if they mark a competitor down so the competitor will know that they were marked down and why. C is for Costume, D is for Delivery of dance, F is for Floorcraft, and M is for Movement (which includes not doing basic timing in Newcomer or IV divisions and Vanilla in Line Dance divisions as well as Movement violations). Now if competitors are marked down for a violation, they will know right away.
Clarification of Immediate Graduation: We had a problem with competitors being ‘double graduated’ – that is, they graduated after the Country Dance World Championships and then were forced to graduate immediately at their first event of the year. We will stipulate that they need not immediately graduate if they had already graduated at the previous World Championships.
Clarification of Contestant-Selected Music division time: Team performances, Masters ShowDance, SuperStars/Crown/Showcase Masters Solo Medleys will have language added that the clocking of each self-selected music performance begins when the music begins and stops when the music stops.
Beta testing for using placements in ProAm Intermediate, ProAm Advanced, and ProPro: We are working towards using placements in ProAm Int/Adv and ProPro this dance season. We will be training judges in methodology and beta testing scoring methods all year. This is a big change so we want to be sure we are fully prepared and that the change is seamless.
We hope you all have a fabulous 2019 Dance Season.
See you dancing!
Kind Regards,
UNITED COUNTRY WESTERN DANCE COUNCIL
Beth Emerson
UCWDC VP Rules
w: www.ucwdc.org p: 405.535.3073 e: rules@ucwdc.org