Before we get into the nuts and bolts of interpretation & timing, I think we should take a look at how marking is done:
Marking Source Rule 611 b, ii
and from Communication 1677
I'm quoting these sections here, because Interpretation and Timing have a lot of different requirements. A team only has to have (at least as far as the documents say) the Majority of those sections to be outstanding to rank in the 9 to 10 region for that component. I wonder whether, in fact, the judges really do that; I can't tell you, I'm not a judge. However, if a judge thinks that a team does a poor job of showing "Relationahip between the partners reflecting the character and content of the music," they can still give a mark in the 9 to 10 range if the team has really good timing, picks appropriate music, and skates to that music, and if their motions are in character for the dance they have chosen.
So when you're judging, if you think a team is lacking in one single area, you may well give them a mark in the 9 to 10 range. As Mr. or Ms. or Mrs. Judge, you can give them 9, 9.25, 9.5, 9.75 or 10. You don't have any other choices, once you have decided they must be in the 9 to 10 region.
Interpretation and Timing Source Rule 611 b, i
To qualify for a mark of between 9.00 and 10.00 in Interpretation and Timing, a team should:
To qualify for a mark of between 8.00 and 8.75 in Interpretation and Timing, a team should:
To qualify for a mark between 7.00 and 7.75 in Interpretation and Timing, a team should:
I'm deliberately not listing marks lower than 7.00, because no team at the Senior GPF got any mark in Interpretation and Timing that was below that range from any judge. Note that all three ranges have 100% perfect timing as a listed requirement. However, if the other stuff is okay, the "Majority" of requirements are satisfied, and a judge may decide to use the range.
And finally how the teams were ranked for interpretation & timing: as three pairs of teams, tied or nearly tied.
1 D&W 9.82
1 V&M 9.82
3 P&B 8.89
4 W&P 8.68
5 B&S 8.11
6 S&S 7.96
I probably will talk about the character of dances later in this thread, but at this point, watch the skaters again with the music on. For the last two items, you may well have concentrated most on their feet; now listen to the music and concentrate on the whole effect a team is going for, and whether every beat of the music is reflected in their skating. Are the crescendos highlighted? Do they end when the music ends? Are they one with the music, always dancing, even through the elements? You may also evaluate whether they are both relating to each other as they relate to the music. Do not however get involved in the story they are telling, if you can manage. This PCS bullet is about the music and their relationship to it, and there is no requirement here for a storyline. When they stumble, if they do, of course that oneness with the music is slightly interrupted. Perfect technique is needed before you can give them a perfect mark in this component.
I'm redoing the links to be British Eurosport because they usually do a good job of synching the audio to the video as any. I'm always rather hesitant to comment on timing "live" on TV because often the feed is not well synched. When you're being an armchair critic, keep in mind that some of your experience of the dancing is shaped by the TV. You are less aware of differences in speed than the judges are, and your perception of timing may be skewed by the poor quality of the feed, and whether the station broadcasting the feed has done anything to fix problems with it. Cup of China had a particularly poor feed this year.
You might want to hit the pause button at the end of each performance so that your judicial deliberations are not affected by British Eurosport guys. Or not; your choice. (If you're looking for British Eurosport coverage, always check out frida340's channel on youtube. She is not up as quick as NikaQuest who posts the Russian feed, but it is often worth the wait.) frida340 did not put up the Shibutanis, so I have used the Universal Sports version for them.
Davis & White Die Fledermaus 9.82
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvF5bIfB2kA
Virtue & Moir Funny face 9.82
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jb-rY-i7K94&feature=related
Pechalat & Bourzat Pharoah & His Mummy 8.89
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbngjuptYiQ&feature=related
Weaver & Poje Je Suis Malade 8.68
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPPNxEayioc&feature=related
Bobrova & Soloviev Faust 8.11
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6GRdWygP5Y&feature=related
Shibutani & Shibutani Sun Valley Serenade 7.96
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEj7qFr7wBg
Again, I would have switched B/S and S/S as far as this mark. S/S did a really good job relating to the music. Their moves are actual accents to the music (twizzles as transitions; lifts to end sections, etc.). I feel B/S's attempt to do that with Faust was shallow at best. In fact a bunch of the crescendos came during their twizzle sequence and I feel like they just twizzled through them with no mind of the music. For some reason the judges at CoC overscored those guys in PCS and it seems that the last two judging panels have not been so kind.
I think I would have put S/S in the low 8s, but not as high as W/P in the mid 8s as I feel they did not look at each other very much. I feel with a swing dance there needs to be a little more connection between the partners and I didn't quite feel like that with those two. It could be the nature of the elements, but at times I felt they were dancing two parts of a swing dance that happened to happen at the same time.
Actually, I think it would have been more interesting competition if C/L had made the final instead of B/S. C/L had the unfortunate chance of facing some tough competition at both their events making their inclusion in the final nearly impossible. I think unless B/S improves some things, I think C/L is more of a threat to the Shibs for top 5.