- Joined
- Jan 27, 2014
How? The same steps and turns in the same order. What's directly opposed to what?
The Level 4 requirements do not specify an exact order for turns and steps, or explicitly set out what turns and steps must be included (although the possibilities are incredibly constrained).
Skaters choosing to omit the balance-challenging upper body movements would not be doing the exact same step sequence as those who included them— which to me, seems to ruin the whole point behind having a compulsory sequence in the same order. They’d be doing an easier sequence that could earn them higher GOE than they may be able to get on a Level 4, and so their execution of the element would not be directly comparable to the skaters actually doing a Level 4.
There could be something like Key Points in ice dance patterns. In fact I think it’s the closest thing to what you describe. But that’s building up, not down.
If skaters can have different music, then their execution is not directly comparable, either. The timing and control needed to match the specific sequence to one piece of music may be considerably less demanding than another, and there’s nothing in the GOE or Base Value to make up for that; it only specifies the sequence should match the music.
There would have to be a strictly compulsory sequence of steps and turns (easily set out) and strict requirement for what moves needed to include upper body movements (less easily set out, but doable) and in what directions, and where to alter speed, and so on.