Poll: Merging Sexes in Single Dance Heats

[syncopationator]

This poll is based on the issues discussed in the thread: "Segregation in Pro/Am Events"

For more back ground go to:
http://www.dance-forums.com/showthread.php?t=27200

The Poll question is: Would you prefer that single dance and freestyle heats be unisex in order to create more competition?

[mamboqueen]

I don't see an actual poll, Sync.

[syncopationator]

I don't see an actual poll, Sync.

its there now

[mamboqueen]

gee, guess which one I picked? *LOL*

Did you do Hotlanta last year? Orange shirt, by chance? If so, we were in the final together. You were a few spots ahead of me...but then again, all the "younguns" were at the top of the heap. Might have to do a poll about those lousy combined age groups!

[syncopationator]

gee, guess which one I picked? *LOL*

Did you do Hotlanta last year? Orange shirt, by chance? If so, we were in the final together. You were a few spots ahead of me...but then again, all the "younguns" were at the top of the heap. Might have to do a poll about those lousy combined age groups!

That was me! I loved that comp... where else do you get a quarterfinal in a closed bronze/silver scholarship?

But they also had 3 dance championships in A B and C divisions as well.

[danceronice]

I don't care. Just as long as I'm competing against people who are actually bronze, whatever gender they may be! (I don't have a problem competing against men. I would have a problem dancing, say, Smooth against cantskiforlife, as he'd whip my butt!)

[mamboqueen]

That was me! I loved that comp... where else do you get a quarterfinal in a closed bronze/silver scholarship?

But they also had 3 dance championships in A B and C divisions as well.

Yeah, I didn't do the latter as he had another lady there. I just kept praying I wasn't going to trip down those stairs in the dark. It would be *so* me to do so. Did we have a quarter? I guess we did. I just remember that the rythym scholarship was like double the size, which I'm not used to seeing.

[njdancegirl]

That was me! I loved that comp... where else do you get a quarterfinal in a closed bronze/silver scholarship?

But they also had 3 dance championships in A B and C divisions as well.

A quarter? Will be trying to add that one to the list as well...

[syncopationator]

A quarter? Will be trying to add that one to the list as well...

and if you make the final, you get to come out from behind the curtain in a dark ballroom with the spot light on you.

I loved this comp and definitely will be there again this year.

[mamboqueen]

and if you make the final, you get to come out from behind the curtain in a dark ballroom with the spot light on you.

I loved this comp and definitely will be there again this year.

you're forgetting about the death walk down the stage stairs. I don't know if my teeth were clacking loud enough for anyone to hear...!

[tanya_the_dancer]

I think quarter and semi-finals in closed events are going to happen more often for a while, actually more so than in open ones, since with all the influx of new people into bronze events, it will take some time for them to work their way up. HOA had several quarterfinals this year in its B scholarships, and even a semifinal in its A scholarship. Bronze smooth was huge at St. Louis starball this year, too.

[syncopationator]

I think quarter and semi-finals in closed events are going to happen more often for a while, actually more so than in open ones, since with all the influx of new people into bronze events, it will take some time for them to work their way up. HOA had several quarterfinals this year in its B scholarships, and even a semifinal in its A scholarship. Bronze smooth was huge at St. Louis starball this year, too.

I hope so. I've seen it in the B events already, especially in the american style. A events have not caught on - $$$ I'm sure.

[tanya_the_dancer]

I hope so. I've seen it in the B events already, especially in the american style. A events have not caught on - $$$ I'm sure.

There are not enough younger competitors for A events to become as big as B events. I don't think there ever will be. A lot of women my age have much younger kids and usually more of them, too, so obviously they're spending time and money on them. Quite a few local dancers that I know started dancing once their kids grew up. Although sometimes you would have an older competitor dance in an A event, because the teacher has another student at the same level and this is how both of his students get to dance a scholarship event.

[Laura]

I wanted to vote in this poll but the vote I wanted to cast doesn't exist. I'm in favor of making the open bronze/open silver/open gold heats unisex, but leaving the regular bronze/silver/gold heats single-sex.

[syncopationator]

I wanted to vote in this poll but the vote I wanted to cast doesn't exist. I'm in favor of making the open bronze/open silver/open gold heats unisex, but leaving the regular bronze/silver/gold heats single-sex.

the problem with this I think is that most people don't enter the open syllabus heats unless they have some open material in their routines. I usually enter them anyway even though I don't have any open material.

[Josh]

That was me! I loved that comp [hotlanta]... where else do you get a quarterfinal in a closed bronze/silver scholarship?

Most large comps... Heritage for example. And I hope to see you at hotlanta in a couple of months, sync!

[Laura]

Most large comps... Heritage for example.
Emerald Ball had a quarter-final in Silver Latin (had a semi in Bronze).

[Easy]

My vote made it a 4 way tie :)

[mamboqueen]

and you call yourself Easy!

[Easy]

Easy goin' most of the time. Hmmm....3 votes since i voted, but no posts other than yours MQ.

I tend to like the 2nd and 3rd answers for the poll....uh oh...if you put them together, you come up with the number 23...yikes!!!

[syncopationator]

Looks like roughly 75% of respondents would not be against competing in a merged heat. Even if you remove the "I don't care" responses, its still roughly 67% with 25% or 33% who absolutely would not want to be merged. It would be interesting to know which genders voted for which option (i.e. if most of the "Yes" responses were made by ladies and most of the "No" responses were made by gents then I would argue there isn't much support from the gents to change. I guess that's the flaw in the poll).

[LucyDiamond]

I voted "Yes - Make all heats Unisex"

[NielsenE]

I voted "I don't really care"

(Then again I'm almost always against imposing any one rule set on competitions... I like variety) and TBH the single dance heats don't really matter to me.... I might do more than the minimum required for the championships/scholarships because I want more floor time (for practice, video, photographer, judge exposure, enjoyment, etc) but I don't really care about the placements or amount of competition in the Single Dance events... I actually like the very different challenges of maneuving on the highly mixed ability floor (ie combined Open A1 Smooth Waltz with Newcomer Bronze C3 Smooth Waltz). Learning to chnage my couple movement estimator to take account of more varied people sharing the floor has been a good experience -- its not something that either regular social or competitios directly address.

[Easy]

If there are any votes from Florida, we might have to count them again. ;)

[dressgirl]

I'm from FL. I know it says NC, but my heart only lives there. Body and cat live right near you Easy. So, yea, we probably need a recount.

I feel a hanging chad coming on.

[Easy]

:o:o:o

[latingal]

I wanted to vote in this poll but the vote I wanted to cast doesn't exist. I'm in favor of making the open bronze/open silver/open gold heats unisex, but leaving the regular bronze/silver/gold heats single-sex.

I'm with Laura on this one. There wasn't a selection such as this (or leave things the way they are choice) in the poll. Me thinks this might skew the poll results....

[syncopationator]

Maybe I should start a new poll.

[syncopationator]

I also wonder if all of the "No" responses really care if others that do want to dance in a merged heat should be able to do it at their option.

[tanya_the_dancer]

I voted "I don't care", but I am a girl. I can see, though, that guys who do not want to compete against women, might not want other guys migrate to women's heats either since that reduces their competition pool.