Mixed Open Division--Could it be a thing?

[flying_backwards]

what stops a teacher/student couple from competing in am/am events?

I think in teacher/student only the student is judged, right? And I believe that category is not intended for regular am/am partners. Rather, it is supposed to give more chances for lower-level amateurs, who may not have their own partner, to borrow a higher level partner. They can even pay the teacher. So it gives higher-level amateur's a way to offset comp expenses.

Student/student at NDCA is only open to students who are also eligible for pro/am. Whereas an am/am at an NDCA is also open to students who (for example) assist or demo for a teacher in a group class as a volunteer. Such a volunteer is not eligible to compete pro/am. Likewise, a student who volunteers for their collegiate team to teach beginning students becomes ineligible for pro/am, technically, but is still eligible to dance as either teacher or student in teacher/student at USAD, and is still eligible to dance in am/am in both USAD and NDCA. At least that is how I read it. I am aware the rule is routinely ignored. Not that it matters to me since I don't do pro/am.

Back to the topic of this thread, I totally agree it would be nice to merge some categories to have bigger fields and many qualifying rounds. Mincing categories so finely that not even a full final can be filled just isn't sporting. Notice how the pro-am Blackpool festival which preceded the traditional Blackpool had some small fields so small they split the floor.

But then, I also like to report sample size when citing statistics. What if every placing were a numerator, with field size the denominator?

 

[FancyFeet]

@Mengu Darn you and your logic

Seriously, have toyed with turning pro, and if the right partner came along, I think I would... but I get to dance as the am part of a pro-am couple. Changing status doesn't solve my partner problem.

But to play out this purely hypothetical and fun scenario, who would enter an 'open' comp:

• Open am couples who want to test themselves against pros before making a decision to turn pro
• RS pros who want more opportunities to dance
• Open am couples who want more opportunities to dance
• Pro who is no longer eligible for RS with his/her pro partner and has a high-level student
• Pro whose partner is injured/pregnant/other and has a high-level student
• Pro who has a high-level student who begs/has cash/is good and they want to showcase

 

[Spookisgirl]

@Mengu Darn you and your logic

Seriously, have toyed with turning pro, and if the right partner came along, I think I would... but I get to dance as the am part of a pro-am couple. Changing status doesn't solve my partner problem.

But to play out this purely hypothetical and fun scenario, who would enter an 'open' comp:

• Open am couples who want to test themselves against pros before making a decision to turn pro
• RS pros who want more opportunities to dance
• Open am couples who want more opportunities to dance
• Pro who is no longer eligible for RS with his/her pro partner and has a high-level student
• Pro whose partner is injured/pregnant/other and has a high-level student
• Pro who has a high-level student who begs/has cash/is good and they want to showcase

Perhaps a pro in senior age category who doesn't feel competitive with younger pros, but has a high level student?

I think all your examples are viable--at least on some level. I used the example of the senior I age category because 35+ seems a popular category for pro/am (recognizing that 50+ is even more so). I am not sure if it would work well at the adult age category.

 

[Spookisgirl]

Notice how the pro-am Blackpool festival which preceded the traditional Blackpool had some small fields so small they split the floor.

Actually, according to the DSI commentary, the reason for split floors was a time issue because there were TOO many entries to do one final at a time. The plan to try to eliminate splitting the floor next year (hence the two days). They received much more pro/am entries this year than anticipated and had to adapt. I believe finals were all split floors but earlier rounds were not.

 

[Kitnhead]

Yes, that is correct. The finals, in some groups, were split floors (like male Latin and Ladies A Latin). The initial groups were full floor. Ladies B International Ballroom started in a first round with two heats. Some finals were on full floors (B and C Ballroom). And forgive me, I am using the "American" B and C terms. They were actually called things like A3 (I can't recall the actual category names, but they were equivalent to the A B and C used in the U.S.).