WAG Deduction on floor for "cheerleading"????

[my4buffaloes]

We had a girl last year that had a very serious, dramatic routine. By the time she had competed it for 2 seasons we all knew that it would either score great or mediocre depending on how the judges liked dramatic. Which is ridiculous because artistry does not automatically mean upbeat, fun, smiling, etc.

 

[Jenny]

I think your deductions are different for artistry but in FIG the deductions are for appropriateness to the music , so a dramatic music and routine with a lot of cheesy smiling would get deducted ! But I think expression is not just about the face it is about the whole body and movement expressing the music. I'm not a fan of taught facial expressions, I think it should flow through the whole body from the music in a more natural way.

 

[CoachAlex]

The way the artistry component (up to .3) is SUPPOSED to work is the music, choreography, expressions, etc are all supposed to match. So if your routine is to “Walking on Sunshine” and you are out there looking pissed off at the world, then that doesn’t match; AND if you have dramatic music from say, Phantom of the Opera and you are smiling and bopping around then you should also be deducted because it doesn’t match.

Personally I think gymnasts look ridiculous when they have a classical or dramatic piece and they plaster this dumb smil on their face. The best “dramatic” routine is AJ Jackson from Oklahoma - yes, most college routines are super upbeat and smiley and hers is the complete opposite and it is AMAZING. Unfortunately, I would guess at the higher levels you tend to have older judges who may have very preconceived notions of what they like.