US Open 2013 – Update #8

It’s gorgeous again today! Sunny blue skies, warm breeze, loverly!

In five minutes – Jack and Jill prelims!

Jim Tigges’ “Relative Placement” lecture was great! Scorekeeper Lance Shermoen was there too, “Mr. Relative Placement” himself – We are in the presence of greatness,” as Jim said. (Here’s Lance and Mary Ann at the Open in 1985.)

Jim distributed a hand-out I’m sure you’ve seen – one of the best explanations out there - which Jim tells us he wrote deliberately as a “dry technical manual” which could be universally understood by anyone at any event in any corner of the planet.

Here is Jim’s and Lance’s answer (with a story about Charlie and Jackie) to this famous question:

“Hey WHAT THE WHAT?!?

“I got three 1st places! Nobody else got three 1st places!

“WHY DIDN’T I WIN?!?

“How did this couple win that’s not fair! They get three 12th places, and not a single 1st place vote, AND YET THEY WON?!?

“THAT MAKES NO SENSE!!!”

Here’s the answer.

Yes, you got three 1st places.

But only three.

MOST of the judges (four of them, since there are usually seven judges) – MOST of them didn’t put you first.

In fact they put you behind that other couple.

MOST of the judges thought the other couple beat you.

(Pretend you got 1-1-1-3-3-3-3 and they got 12-12-12-2-2-2-2)

So that’s what’s cool about Relative Placement: the word “most” – or “majority.” Did most of the judges think you were better — or worse — than the other couple?

It’s what the majority thought of your dancing.

With seven judges, four is the majority. With nine, five is the majority. Relative Placement pays attention to every vote of every judge. Every vote is weighted equally. And always — the majority determines who beats who. M. The majority determines who beats who-m.

Also cool – it’s like basketball. Doesn’t matter if you win by a little or by a lot, you still win. Every point matters (and judges are not allowed to give ties – they have to put you better or worse than everybody else.)

Also cool – last place doesn’t necessarily mean you’re horrible. It just means the other guys beat you this time. Of course it doesn’t mean you’re not horrible, either. You might actually be truly horrible.

Lance’s story about Charlie and Jackie:

“Once upon a time Shag was not yet understood in the swing world, or accepted. And Charlie and Jackie got three 1st place votes. And 2 dead last. Two 12th places.

If an “Average” had been used those two 12′s would have killed them. They probably would have come in last place.

But with “Relative Placement” they won and lived happily ever after, because the majority of judges put them in 1st place.

And I just checked the time and ooops! JJ’s have started! More about Yvonne’s lecture on judging later …

Running down to see what’s going on in the lobby, pool area, practice rooms, and Prelims in the main ballroom.

If you want to watch you can do it here: Global Dance TV

Happy Thanksgiving!