You dance for three minutes. The adjudicator sees you for only a few seconds of those three minutes. This guide is about those few seconds.
01A short look at a crowded floor
In the early rounds an adjudicator watches many couples at once and can give each of them only a few seconds. That's why clean basics, consistent timing and a confident frame matter more there than complex choreography.
In the final there are fewer couples and each one is watched for longer. That's where the details become visible.
02What adjudicators look for
The names and weighting of the criteria depend on the competition rules and the federation. But almost every system asks the same questions:
- TimingThe foundationBeing with the music. A couple whose timing drifts can't make up for it anywhere else.
- TechniqueThe bodyPosture, balance, footwork and weight transfer, control in turns.
- ConnectionPartneringClean lead and follow. Two people looking like one dance.
- MusicalityInterpretationAnswering the sections, accents and breaks of the music.
- PresentationPerformanceUse of the floor, stage presence, character and the coherence of the choreography.
03How the rounds work
In preliminary rounds, each adjudicator marks the couples they want to see in the next round. Who goes through is decided by the total of those marks.
In the final, adjudicators rank the couples. Many competitions calculate the final result with the majority rules of the “skating system”: a couple's place is decided by the placing a majority of judges gave them. One judge seeing it differently doesn't change the result on their own.
04The unseen side of the table: the scrutineer
The scrutineer collects the judges' sheets, enters the marks, calculates the result according to the rules and checks it. Judges don't see each other's marks; the table is where the result comes together.
Most mistakes at a competition are caught at that table: a misread number, a missing mark, a sheet that doesn't follow the rules. The reliability of the results depends a great deal on this quiet work.
05Practical notes for competitors
- Wear your number properly and keep it visible. Judges mark you by your number.
- The first eight counts matter. When the floor turns to you, be ready and already in the music.
- Don't hide in a corner. Get into the judges' line of sight, without blocking another couple.
- Choose a clean basic over a difficult but messy figure.
- If you make a mistake, don't stop. Get back to the music by the shortest route; recovery is visible too.
- If marks are published, read them. How many judges marked you in each round shows you where to work.
