However, I maintain that mouthing the lyrics does not. That's not energy intensive, nor does it require much forethought, training or finesse.
Well, yes, of course. Like I said, the lyrics ruined his program....and you absolutely should not get any kind of extra credit for mouthing lyrics - LOL!
I'm on the fence about the issue of lyrics being allowed or not (more leaning toward NO). They are allowed in Ice Dance and almost every Ice Dance performance I've seen that used lyrics was worse off because of it...and that discipline lends itself more naturally to lyrics than any other discipline. There are a few programs where it worked, though, and that almost makes me want to give the benefit of the doubt to other disciplines being able to use them. At the same time, I shudder at the number of awful programs with lyrics that we'd see and I think in non-Dance disciplines that lyrics could become a crutch. Objectivity would be harder to attain as well because having preference for a vocal or not is such a personal thing.