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Have you ever wondered about the background and experience of the sports dance judges around the dance floor? Have you ever wondered if they were ever competitive dancers before they became judges?
Becoming a sports dance judge is not an easy task. It requires a deep understanding of dance, both technically and artistically, as well as many exams and experience. Here is an overview of what it takes to become a judge in sports dance and why it is a mark of high quality that all head instructors at Bendixen Dans are national and international judges in Dans Danmark and De Danske Danseskoler, as well as in their international parent organizations WDSF and WDC, respectively.
It’s hard to become a sports dance judge
Unlike many other sports, where the referee simply ensures that the rules are followed, a sports dance referee assesses the performance of the dancers. This means that the judge must not only know the competition rules, but also be an expert in the discipline and be able to distinguish the good dancer from the bad.
1. Knowledge
While it’s theoretically possible to become a judge without ever having been a dancer, it’s important to have a deep understanding of dance. You can learn the theory through books and video courses, but it’s not enough to pass an exam or be ready to judge a real competition. For the exam, you must be able to demonstrate a deep understanding of the technique and all the figures written in our technique books for both men and women.
2. practice
To qualify as a judge, you must also be able to perform the steps. It takes years of working with a coach to develop an understanding of how the theory is applied in practice and to understand the mechanics of the body. It’s also a great help if you also have years of experience as a teacher, where you have an understanding of the causes of the most common mistakes made by sports dancers.
3. Artistic
A dance performance is more than just steps and rules. How do you explain the connection between dancers in a couple on the dance floor? How do you describe the difference between a winner’s charisma and that of an average dancer? No book can teach you that; you need to build artistic skills.
All of this comes with experience. When you’ve been a dancer long enough, it’s easier to see who’s good and who’s not. An experienced judge can catch all these small details. You can probably start by judging beginners and build up your experience competition after competition, but nothing can replace the real experience of being a dancer on the dance floor.
All lead instructors at Bendixen Dans are judges
At Bendixen Dans, all of our lead instructors are national and international judges. It reflects not only our commitment to dance, but also our understanding of what it takes to perform at the highest level. Being a judge means we have the experience and quality required to guide our learners to success.
Becoming a sports dance judge is a complex and demanding process that requires both technical knowledge and artistic understanding. It’s a sign of quality and experience, and at Bendixen Dans we are proud that all our lead instructors meet these requirements. This means we can offer our students the best guidance and support on their dance path.