Dear Coach:

I love to watch dance competitions and all the dancers look great to me.  What do judges look for when scoring dance routines in competition dancing?

Signed, Dance Fan.

Dear Dance Fan:

·         Footwork is their first consideration…proper heels and toes.  (You can’t fake footwork!)

·         Body balance and weight distribution.

·         Couples’ dance position in relationship to one another.

·         Music interpretation.

·         Projection and presentation.  (How the couples relate to the audience.)

·         Impression the couple makes on the judges.  (How the couples act on and off the floor.)

Dance competitions that are sanctioned by the National Dance Council or Imperial Society of Teachers of Dance rules are judged on a higher level and demand higher performance standards than non-sanctioned competitions.