The only thing I don’t like about the CoP is that we don’t get to know which judge gave what score. Actually I don’t think I have much complaints about the PCS, but since I’m just a viewer and have not experience of ice skating, I’m not sure of what would make better a skater over other one. The only information I’ve got is what the rule book says, so I’m trying to understand it as I watch some competitions on TV. Maybe we should talk about that a bit, and if some of the posters that have practiced the sport can give their view of what should we look in the different areas of the PC, I think it would help us a lot to get to understand this, rather than just say that the PCS only exist for the judges to play around with the positions. I know most people believe that, and with good reasons because of past issues in judging, but we should try to see beyond that, after all, it is not good to say that all judges are corrupted, I imagine there are good and bad judges, as in everything. Anyways, I’m getting OT here.
This is the info we get of the PCS from the ISU website, I’m sure most of you have read this documents, but just to have the info handy, here it is. They define the PC as follow:
1. Skating Skills:
Over all skating quality: edge control and flow over the ice surface demonstrated by a command of the skating vocabulary (edges, steps, turns, etc), the clarity of technique, and the use of effortless power to accelerate and vary speed.
Criteria:
a)Balance, rhythmic knee action, and precision of foot placement
b)Flow and effortless glide:
b.1)Rhythm, strength, clean strokes, and an efficient use of lean create a steady run to the blade and an ease of transfer of weight resulting in seemingly effortless power and acceleration.
c)Cleanness and sureness of deep edges, steps, and turns
c.1)The skater should demonstrate clean and controlled curves, deep edges, and steps.
d)Varied use of power/energy, speed, and acceleration
d.1)Variety is the gradation – some of which may be subtle
e)Multi directional skating
e.1)Includes all direction of skating: forward and backward, clockwise and counterclockwise including rotation in both directions.
f)Mastery of one foot skating
f.1)No over use of skating on two feet.
g)Pair Skating and Ice Dancing: Equal mastery of technique by both partners shown in unison.
h)Ice Dancing: Compulsory Dance – Ice Coverage
2. Transitions/Linking Footwork & Movement
The varied and/or intricate footwork, positions, movements, and holds that link all elements. In singles, pairs, and synchronize skating this also includes the entrances and exits of technical elements.
Criteria:
a)Variety
b)Difficulty
c)Intricacy
d)Quality (including unison in Pair Skating and Ice Dancing)
e)Balance of workload between partners (Pair Skating and Ice Dancing)
f)Variety of Dance holds (not excessive side by side and hand in hand – Ice Dancing)
Transitions can be short or long, including the use of blade, body, head, arms, legs as dictated by the music. (Minimum use of cross-cuts)
3. Performance/Execution
Is the involvement of the skater/couple/teams physically, emotionally, and intellectually as
they translate the intent of the music and choreography.
Execution: is the quality of movement and precision in delivery. This includes harmony of movement in Pair Skating and Ice Dancing.
Criteria:
a)Physical, emotional, and intellectual involvement
In all skating disciplines each skater must be physically committed, sincere in emotion, and equal in comprehension of the music and in execution of all movement.
b)Carriage
Carriage is a trained inner strength of the body that makes possible ease of movement from the center of the body. Alignment is the fluid change from one movement to the next.
c)Style and individuality/personality
Style is the distinctive use of line and movement as inspired by the music. Individuality/personality is a combination of personal and artistic preferences that a skater/pair/couple brings to the concept, manner, and content of the program.
d)Clarity of movement
Clarity is characterized by the refined lines of the body and limbs, as well as the precise execution of any movement.
e)Variety and contrast
Varied use of tempo, rhythm, force, size, level, movement shapes, angles, and, body parts as well as the use of contrast.
f)Projection
The skater radiates energy resulting in an invisible connection with the audience.
g)Unison and “oneness” (Pair Skating and Ice Dancing)
Each skater contributes equally toward achieving all six of the performance criteria.
h)Balance in performance (Pair Skating and Ice Dancing)
i)Spatial Awareness between partners – management of the distance between partners and management of changes of hold (Pair Skating and Ice Dancing)
j) The use of same techniques in edges, jumping, spinning, line, and style are necessary concepts of visual unison; both skaters must move alike in stroke, and movement of all limbs and head with an equal workload in speed and power.(Pair Skating)
4. Choreography / Composition
An intentional, developed, and/or original arrangement of all movements according to
the principles of proportion, unity, space, pattern, structure, and phrasing.
Criteria:
Criteria:
a)Purpose: (Idea, concept, vision, mood)
To reward the intentional and quality design of a program.
b)Proportion (equal weight of all parts)
Each part and section has equal weight in achieving the aesthetic pursuit of the composition.
c)Unity – purposeful threading of all movements
A program achieves unity when: every step, movement, and element is motivated by the music. As well, all its parts, big or small, seem necessary to the whole, and there is an underlying vision or symbolic meaning that threads together the entire composition.
d) Utilization of Personal and Public Space
Movement phrases are distributed in such a way they communicate from every angle in a 360 degree skater-viewer relationship.
e) Pattern and Ice Coverage
Movement phrases are designed using an interesting and meaningful variety of patterns and directions of travel.
f)Phrasing and Form (movement and parts are structured to match the phrasing of the music)
A phrase is a unit of movement marked by an impulse of energy that grows, builds, finds a conclusion, and then flows easily and naturally into the next movement phrase. Form is the presentation of an idea, the development of the idea, and its conclusion presented in a specific number of parts and a specific order for design.
g) Originality of Purpose, Movement, and Design
Originality involves an individual perspective of movement and design in pursuit of a creative composition as inspired by the music and the underlying vision.
h) Shared Responsibility of Purpose (Pair Skating, Ice Dancing, and Synchronized)
Each skater has equal roles in achieving the aesthetic pursuit of the composition with equal steps, movements, and a sense of purpose in unifying the composition.
5. Interpretation
The personal and creative translation of the music to movement on ice. To reward the skater who through movement creates a personal and creative translation of the music. As the tempo binds all notes in time, the ability to use the tempos and rhythms of the music in a variety
of ways, along with the subtle use of finesse to reflect the nuances of all the fundamentals of music: melody, rhythm, harmony, color, texture, and form creates a mastery of interpretation.
Criteria:
a) Effortless Movements in Time to the Music (Timing) Note: Timing is a separate component in Compulsory Dances.
The ability to translate music through sureness of rhythm, tempo, effective movement, and effortless flow over the ice surface by: rhythmic continuity, awareness of all tempo/rhythm changes in a variety of ways.
b) Expression of the music’s style, character, and rhythm
Maintaining the character and style of the music throughout the entire program by use of body and skating techniques to depict a mood, style, shape, or thematic idea as motivated by the structure of the music: melody, harmony, rhythm, color, texture, and form. The total involvement of the body and being should express the intent of the music.
c) Use of finesse to reflect the nuances of music.
Finesse is the skater’s refined, artful manipulation of nuances. Nuances are the personal, artistic ways of bringing subtle variations to the intensity, tempo, and dynamics of the music made by the composer and/or the musician.
d) Relationship between the partners reflecting the character of the music.
Interpretive unison is an equal partnership with the same degree of sensitivity between partners not only to the music, but also to the equal understanding of the music’s nuances. There is an intimacy between the partners that is characterized by a feeling of “surrender” to the music and possibly to each other that creates an entity greater than the two of them.
e) Appropriateness of music (original dance and free dance)
OK, so there you have the definition. After reading them, I think this is probably the hardest part to set scores to, because in some parts there are technical things to watch (like the skating skills) but in others is how the skater plays a part in their program and how it reaches the audience (and the judges in the same way. We are all watching, but the judges are the ones giving the scores, that’s the difference).
Now, about the meaning of the scores, here’s the scale from 1 to 10 and their meaining:
1= Very Poor
2= Poor
3= Weak
4= Fair
5= Average
6= Above Average
7= Good
8= Very Good
9= Superior
10= Outstanding
In the same document, they include the characteristics of each PC:
1.Characteristics of Skating Skills:
a) Balance and rhythmic knee, action and precision of foot placement
b) Flow and effortless glide
c) Cleanness and sureness of deep edges, steps and turns
d) Power/energy and acceleration
e) Mastery of multi directional skating
f) Mastery of one foot skating
Pair Skating and Ice Dancing –
g) equal mastery of technique by both partners shown in unison
Ice Dancing –compulsory dance–
h) ice coverage
2. Characteristics of Technical Transitions:
a) Variety
b) Difficulty
c) Intricacy
d) Quality (including unison in Pair Skating and Ice Dancing
e) Balance of workload between partner (Pair Skating and Ice Dancing)
f) Variety of Dance holds (not excessive side by side and hand in hand– Ice Dancing)
3. Characteristics of Performance/Execution
a) Physical, emotion, and intellectual involvement
b) Carriage
c) Style and individuality/personality
d) Clarity of movement
e) Variety and contrast
f) Projection
g) Unison and “oneness’ (Pair Skating and Ice Dancing)
h) Balance in performance (Pair skating and Ice Dancing)
i) Spatial awareness between partners –management of the distance between partners and management of changes of hold (Pair skating and Ice Dancing)
4. Characteristics of Choreography/Composition
a) Purpose (idea, concept, vision)
b) Proportion (equal weight of parts)
c) Unity (purposeful threading)
d) Utilization of personal and public space
e) Pattern and ice coverage
f) Phrasing and form (movements and parts structured to match the phrasing of the music)
g) Originality of purpose, movement and design
h) Shared responsibility of achieving purpose (Pair Skating and Ice Dancing)
5. Characteristics of Interpretation/Timing
a) Effortless movement in time to the music (timing)
b) Expression of the music’s style, character and rhythm
c) Use of finesse to reflect the nuances of the music
d) Relationship between the partners reflecting the character of the music (Pair Skating and Ice Dancing)
e) Appropriateness of music (Original Dance and Free Dance)
f) Skating primarily to the rhythmic beat (Free Dance)
I think this definitely give us the info of the things to look for in a program, and I like that they are classified in different areas rather than just one general score like in the past. (for example, maybe a skater can have certain flaws in the Skating Skills, but that shouldn’t reflect on the interpretation or choreography if the skater can project better in those areas, IMO). In general, since these areas are very subjective to the audience, there will always be that question of wuzrobbed, but I don’t think that feeling will change, no matter what type of scoring they use.
