- Joined
- May 27, 2018
Adult dance sometimes has very... subjective judging. There aren't very many adult dancers, so not every judge will have a lot of experience with the adult level and what to expect. They may hold you to a standard that's too high for adults, i.e. closer to standard track, while others set the bar low all depending on their personal experience. If they've, for example, only seen adult skaters in their 20s or 30s and then suddenly are testing an adult in their 40s or 50s, they might have set a higher passing standard for the younger adults and assumed (incorrectly) that the older skaters could reach this level. (Not saying this to be disparaging to older skaters at all, but instead saying this from personal experience / the experiences of skaters close to me, unfortunately.) If you had tested those dances in front of another judge, you might have passed with flying colors. Unfortunately it can be hard to predict.
I found jf12's comment very interesting about judges failing you if they think you are actually much better and just were a bit sloppy that day. And yes, everyone will have to retry at some point - it can be devastating, but you will feel even more satisfaction when you finally pass!
Not sure if I'm helping here, but good luck! Ice Dance is a wonderful and, at times, frustrating, discipline and I know you won't regret sticking with it and trying again! Will be rooting for you
Almost everyone feels this way the first time they get a retry, especially if you've been sailing through tests before - I definitely did. You can ask any elite skater or coach on tests they've had to retry, and get ready for some great stories about failing pre-preliminary moves, failing european waltz twice after having already passed senior moves... these types of stories are common! I also think that judges should have consistent standards, but often they enjoy giving retrys to people who look like they could easily pass but are a little sloppy. They don't appreciate 'good' skaters not skating up to their potential. A retry doesn't mean you're not a good skater. It only means you will be that much better when you do pass.
I found jf12's comment very interesting about judges failing you if they think you are actually much better and just were a bit sloppy that day. And yes, everyone will have to retry at some point - it can be devastating, but you will feel even more satisfaction when you finally pass!
Not sure if I'm helping here, but good luck! Ice Dance is a wonderful and, at times, frustrating, discipline and I know you won't regret sticking with it and trying again! Will be rooting for you