My DP and I are considering competing in Pre-Championship Standard, if we do well in our normal level, at our next comp. Our normal level is Gold. We're not sure if we'll be ready for the "plus-one". We'll look at our Gold results and make a decision. What are the reasons for, and against, jumping into the "plus-one" level if you're not ready for it? I'm especially cautious of the reasons against.
For it: You get to try new stuff and dance more. Plus, it gives you a feel for the floor in the next level while you're still at your current level. Against it: This comes from a collegiate point of view, at most competitions I've been to if you're dancing Pre-Champ you have to dance at silver or above in all categories. This shouldn't be much of an issue if you're already dancing gold standard but it might be. Also, there's the chance that you do really well and you place out of gold (if it happens then it was probably time anyway). Basically, if they'll let you do it, go for it.
The only drawback I could see would be the risk of doing really badly and having that image stick with judges in future comps. If you have any coaches who are current judges, you might want to ask them about this. They could tell you whether you're good enough that you'll look like you belong on the floor with the other couples, even if you don't place highly at first.
I think it can, but not always. If OP is dancing collegiately, it's often newcomer, bronze, silver, gold, pre-champ, champ for International events. I've seen that terminology often in the Boston and New York areas...though it's also not always standard in the collegiate world.
Yes. At least in this area at collegiate events, it's not uncommon for people to dance Novice using their Gold routines. And there are usually more couples entered in Novice than Pre-Champ. So sometimes a couple places higher in Pre-Champ than Novice, just because of the numbers. In regards to the OP question, I second waltzgirl.
On the east coast, Novice basically doesn't exist at collegiate comps. Prechamp comes after gold here.
There are a couple comps that have novice level... it's generally 2 or 3 couples registered, at least one of which is a newcomer couple who didn't understand the terminology. I always though Novice was beside Gold, not above it.
If you have routine go for it. If you don't have the routine i would stay in your own level, the risk is that if you place well in pre-champ, you'll land up pointing out of gold and which isn't a bad thing unless you actually don't have the routine and need a bit more time to get that together. I wouldn't worry too much about the reputation thing, to me this is more of an issue for new couples at the champ level.
We have no open routine. I'm afraid for dances like Quickstep, who's character changes dramatically between closed and open, we will look too conservative. Whereas everyone else might be doing scatter chasses. Like waltzgirl recommended, I will ask my coaches, who are also judges, to see what they think as to our readiness for Pre-Champ.
It depends. If your "conservative" is done well, compared to scatter chasses which might not be done well, you will look better. There is, of course, a matter of open material haivng more light and shade (and speed in the case of QS).
For it: one more chance for practice, one more experience to test the water, to test the floor how it is to be compete against higher level competitors. Against: not having open routine could be an issue. You might be doing your basics far better than those who do scatter chasses, but in reality those who had open routine and had been practicing them longer time do have advantages over you. Also isn’t college gold and pre-champ interleave in rounds? If so, make sure you are physically prepared for multiple interleaved rounds. You don’t want to be look like running out of fuel when you get to gold final because of dancing rounds of pre-champ. Definitely consult your coach.
Some do. But not for the specific competition that's coming up next for us. Because pre-champ is part of the evening. So, we get dinner break to practice and get nervous.
[as already alluded to...] Conservative has little to do with it--doing the stuff you do well is what matters. And believe me, the judges do prefer competent basics to flashy eye-sores. I should know--I've won competitions with simple but elegant combinations that I knew I could do well--against much flashier routines/dancers with sloppy execution. Including purely gold routines in open comps [admittedly, we did change the timings here and there]. m
Thanks MM. That makes me feel more confident about entering Open. And I agree about good basics being better than sloppy high-level stuff.
Advice I was given: how about ONE open figure/variation per dance? It could be a figure from another dance (like outside spin from waltz, done in foxtrot), or a timing change as madmax alluded to. If it's too close to the comp, no worries - just do your gold well. You'd be surprised how far that will get you!
I'd be worried about quickstep, personally. I've done this, it was a total disaster, and the one time I felt in danger was quickstep. We just couldn't avoid the other couples with enough dexterity.
Good points by everyone. katherinejh, are you saying that you had a routine that made you almost run into others because of a lack of open "escape" figures? Or are you saying that other couples were doing open figures, were faster, and were almost running into you?
It was a mixture of both. We couldn't get out of the way fast enough because we were lacking creative ways to dodge people and we were getting run down. I wouldn't say don't dance up a level, but be aware that there will be traffic issues.
