74 • DANCING TIMES 74 • DANCING TIMES

Judgement time

WWW.DANCINGTIMES.CO.UK • SEPTEMBER 2017 • 75Photograph: GUY LEVY courtesy of the BBC.

JUDGEMENT TIME

David Sycamore and Denise Weavers judge at major events such as the UK Closed, British Open and World Professional Championships. They also draw on experience when evaluating attributes like technical ability, characterisation of the dance, musical interpretation and presentation. “There’s not very much an adjudicator can do to prepare for a particular competition,” notes David. “Rather, it’s the years of competing and teaching that provide the necessary knowledge to make an informed assessment. There is nothing as good as explaining a concept to a third party in order to acquire a deeper understanding of the subject oneself.

“Indeed, an adjudicator should not approach a competition with expectations of how particular couples might perform. The level of a couple’s performance can and does change from one event to another, and this should be reflected in the adjudicator’s placings for each individual event.”

There is, of course, a psychological element to competing. Vernon recalls recently judging the same couple two days running: in 10 Dance and then in Latin. “In the 10 Dance they were very successful, because they walked onto the floor knowing they were one of the top couples – as some of their Latin competitors weren’t in 10 Dance. Then,

in the Latin, they seemed overawed and didn’t dance as well. So there are all these different factors, and as a judge, you have to really respond to what you see in the moment.”

The same principle applies to Strictly, with the judges sometimes

lamenting that a routine that looked strong in rehearsal hasn’t gone as well on the night – or in the deciding dance-off. That’s a vital contributor to the drama of live television. However, under pressure to supply witty quips, the Strictly judges do sometimes use prepared remarks, hastily adapted to the new situation – Len Goodman,

As Shirley Ballas joins the Strictly Come Dancing panel, Marianka Swain delves into the world of ballroom judging

O ne of the joys of Strictly Come Dancing is that, come Saturday night, an entire

nation feels empowered to judge ballroom. “You call that a six?” “I can’t believe that didn’t get a ten!” And it’s not just scoring. Head to the blogs, social media or – the Wild West of Strictly commentary – the Digital Spy forums, and you’ll find furious discussions about the couples’ relative foot action, arm placement and chemistry.

Of course, spectators have the luxury of lengthy discussion, and of passing comment in relative obscurity. The Strictly judges must make

their decisions in a limited amount of time, both selecting a score and expressing a pithy, TV-ready opinion – all in front of millions of viewers.

Adjudicators in the regular ballroom world aren’t on display in the same way, but they still have to make important decisions very quickly. Rather than watching just one couple and scoring them, they’re making speedy assessments of several at once, whittling down multiple heats. “There really isn’t time to drift off!” says Vernon Kemp, who’s judged at numerous mainstream, medallist, pro-am and same-sex competitions. “You have to trust your experience and

make a swift call on, say, who the best six out of 12 are in a semi-final. Some you can see immediately aren’t at that standard, others are immediately strong, and then there are those in the middle with marginal differences.

“Often there are more couples you’d like to bring back, and you can end up with seven or eight in a final with a split judging panel – though some competitions prefer to run a deciding round rather than have extra. But you’re not judging dancers against a set standard, like in an exam – it’s all about how good they are in relation to one another, and who’s the best on the day.”

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Judgement time

WWW.DANCINGTIMES.CO.UK • SEPTEMBER 2017 • 77

in particular, grew overly reliant on song title puns, rather than responding organically to the performance.

Normally, ballroom judges don’t have time for any response other than placements, explains Vernon. “I remember a dancer asking Donnie Burns, who’d just judged their competition, what he thought of their performance. He replied ‘I was judging – I didn’t have time to watch your dancing!’”

Of course, the Strictly judges vocalising opinions is hugely important in terms of educating the audience, so that they understand the marks given and can themselves look out for dodgy samba rolls or well-executed fleckerls. The judges form a more extreme version of a diverse ballroom panel, with Len Goodman – and now Shirley Ballas – coming from ballroom, Darcey Bussell from ballet, and Bruno Tonioli, Craig Revel-Horwood, Arlene Phillips and Alesha Dixon from entertainment and musical theatre.

As this is television, “characters” are necessarily exaggerated, from old-school Len to flamboyant Bruno tumbling off his chair or pantomime villain Craig drawling putdowns.

Fundamentals are balanced with entertainment on Strictly, creating

an extra challenge for the judges. Should you penalise the celebrity for their professional’s choreographic or musical choices when they overwhelm the dance style? If the audience is having a great time, is that worth forgiving a botched step or illegal lift? How much should the rules be relaxed in theme weeks?

There’s also the gender issue, with some judges making allowances for male celebs having to lead, and different backgrounds – is a rugby player producing a decent samba on a par with a stage school-trained actress doing a great one? The Strictly panel often acts as mentors as well as judges, guiding celebrities through their “journey” and encouraging those with less experience. Without the latter, Strictly wouldn’t inspire ordinary viewers to have a go at dancing themselves.

Vernon thinks Shirley Ballas has all the experience necessary to handle her new role. “She’s a very talented coach, she was a very talented competitor, and she knows what she’s doing and what she’s looking for.” Millions of Strictly armchair judges will be watching closely… n

Subjectivity reigns, with innovation proving divisive, and some judges prioritising passion or pluck, others elegance or technique.

While less subjective, some competitive trends do affect judging, such as a recent tendency for Latin couples to dance at the very edge of the floor, says David. “I believe it stems from their desire to be as close as possible to the spectators, but it’s detrimental to the performance. One of the qualities of competitive Latin is creating volume in the use of space between and around the floor.”

However, judges still prioritise fundamentals over fashion, believes Vernon. “For example, you might hate a certain in-trend arm movement, yet if the best couple on the floor are using it, you still have to mark them first. You can’t have artistry without technique – movement quality, topline, timing – and for me, the couple has to be believable and connected. That matters more than decorative elements.”

7. Craig, repeatedly, with relish: “Disaaaahster.”

6. Bruno to John Sergeant: “It looked like Dad’s Army does the paso.”

5. Len to Jake Wood: “Spank me gently with a wet chamois.”

4. Craig to Jeremy Vine: “It was like watching a stork that had been struck by lightning.”

3. Bruno to Alesha Dixon: “My pulse is racing, my heart is pounding – it’s diva time!”

2. Len to Gleb Savchenko: “You flew across the floor like a rampant crab.”

1. Arlene to Matt Dawson: “I just want raw sex.”

Seh-ven memorable Strictly judgements

Le�: New Strictly Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballas. Right: Adjudicator David Sycamore.

Photographs: Le� RON SELF. Right Courtesy of DAVID SYCAMORE.