The Judging Criteria In Ballroom Dancing

Judging ballroom dancing is difficult business and you need experience to be able to do it well. True, there are a few set parameters on which the couples are rated but in any competition, the relativity factor is very important. Every couple has to also be judged in comparison to the others and this is the tough part.

Let's look at the rateable factors. These are Timing, Posture, Hold, Line, Poise, Presentation, Togetherness and Power and each competition could just have a few more on the list.

Timing is so important. You blow that and you're out. This is why couples practice so much so they can be sure of getting the timing right in their sleep. You just have to be in perfect time to the music.

Posture is equally important. That grace, that elegance just will not be present without perfect posture. If you maintain perfect posture throughout you can also be sure of perfect balance and confidence, both so essential to dancing. Posture requires a lot of practice but what you have in the end is perfection. So you can see just how vital it is to ballroom dancing.

Hold is how your body parts are held, not just yours but both yours and your partner's, during any dance movement. So your arms, legs, feet and body need to be in the right position at the right time. It also has to be in perfect symmetry with your partner's. If you don't follow this, you are said to be breaking your hold and this could lose you quite a few points.

What is also important is Line which is the position of the body right from your head down to your toes. You have to make sure that your line is perfect. It does not matter if it is straight or curved, the lime should be graceful, elegant and right.

Poise of course is what sets you apart as you glide around the room. This certain something that needs to come from within is what makes for smooth dancing. It is the way the body moves upwards and outwards, the way a woman's body moves perfectly into the man's waiting arm, balancing, connecting and making it a graceful movement.

Of course, in today's world, presentation is so important. It is necessary to sell yourselves to those watching, especially the judges. You need to do more than just dance correctly and gracefully. You need to let the expressions show on your face as well. You need to smile, to involve the viewers. This is the packaging that sets today's dancing apart.

Togetherness in ballroom dancing is a given. You and your partner have to move as one. The leading and the following have to be done without any seeming effort and there has to be a total synchronizing of every move.

All judges have their own unique style of judging and different ideas on what is good and what isn't. Some may place a lot of emphasis on presentation while another on technique. These are individual preferences that one cannot really gauge. Of course, this could mean that two judges look very differently at the same couple dancing. However, when it comes to the rateable factors, one hopes that being more tangible, there will be a greater concurrence among the judges.

Six Ballroom Trends That Are Influencing Fashion Catwalks

The Ballroom Dance industry has experienced an explosive rise in popularity as a result of hit reality television shows including “So You think You Can Dance,” “Dancing with the Stars“ and “America’s Best Dance Crew,” which have reinforced dance as not just an art form but also as a means of self-improvement. With every major network having jumped on the dance reality television bandwagon ...

Vibrant and lively

Highlights include art installations by artists showcased at the National Gallery, evening concerts by youth musicians, graphic design and entrepreneurship workshops, NGO booths, environmental films and a question-and-answer session by a visitor from Occupy Wall Street.

Rugeley dancers hotfoot it for world record attempt

Students have helped to take part in a world record dance attempt to mark the beginning of the Olympic Torch’s journey.

Community Calendar, May 22

SCOTTISH COUNTRY DANCING: 7 p.m. Tuesdays at Eastminster Presbyterian Church, 3200 Trenholm Road. Free. (803) 345-0158 or email billmac85@yahoo.com

Community Calendar, May 21

RHYTHM AND BLOOMS, MUSIC AND ART IN THE GARDEN: 6-9 p.m. Thursdayat Riverbanks Botanical Garden, 1300 Botanical Parkway, West Columbia. Music by Bobby Houck (of the Blue Dogs), cash bar and food vendors. $7; Riverbanks Society members, $5. (803) 779-8717; riverbanks.org