How to Score the Most Points in Competition

By Joelle Martinec

Here are some hints and tips about what I look for when I am judging competition.

1. Find your mark…

o     If the dancers start onstage (and are supposed to be center) make sure they find their center mark – most dance competitions have some kind of center T or X. The first impression is always important and that is the one thing I look for right off the bat.

o     If the dancers start onstage and are supposed to be off center… make it obvious. The judges should never have to question what the formation should be.

2. Make an entrance…

o     Most times a big fancy entrance before the music does not enhance the number. Better to get the dancers on stage in their correct spots (centered and evenly spaced), rather than having them flap in, off time with each other.

o     As a judge I would rather have the dancers set and ready to go as I am handing off the score sheet from the previous number. The more time I have to look at the dancers, the more time I have to find the flaws.

3. Remember the age of your dancers…

o     Don’t forget the dance competition stage is a family showplace. If the number would please a crowd in a nightclub, it is most likely not right for the competition stage.

o     Be careful in hip-hop numbers… watch too much booty bumping or -pardon the phrase - crotch squats. Again if it would be in most rap videos, it might not be appropriate for the dance competition stage.

o     Take a step back and remember the venue that is being choreographed. In my years of judging I’ve seen some numbers that I’ve scored very low because of the content, not necessarily because they were bad numbers, just not right for the venue they are placed in.

4. Props (to you)…

o      If your dancers are using props such as hats or canes – start using them in rehearsal as soon as possible. Time and time again I see dancers with hats who are supposed to physically hold onto the hat - hold the air next to the hat or forget to take the hat off when they are supposed to.

o     When adding extra elements to a number – discuss and rehearse what happens if something goes wrong, i.e. dropping the prop or the hat/glasses/hairpiece falls off.  Props need to be rehearsed just as much as that turn section. When a prop falls find an appropriate moment to pick it up or kick it off stage. It is ideal to be able to pick it up if you or any other dancer are going to need it again during the number. When a fallen prop stays on the stage everybody (including myself) misses most of the number, because we are watching to see what’s going to happen to the item. The prop should be a supporting character, not the star.

o     If a big set piece is brought on the stage… use it. Don’t spend the time building the stairs just to have the dancers pose on them at the end. When chairs are brought on the stage find ways to utilize them, make them a partner for the dancers; swing canes overhead or jump over them instead of just using them to pound on the floor. A prop should be used during AT LEAST half the number.

5. Costuming…In my opinion this is a very easy place to score points.

o     Make sure the costume fits the number (all black for “The Colors Of The Wind” doesn’t make much sense or if the choreography has a lot of open legs towards the audience shorts and/or tights instead to little briefs and no tights are more appropriate).

o     Costuming should be appropriate for ALL the dancer’s body types in the number. Not everybody should be wearing tiny tops or no tights. Your dancers will put on a better performance if they are comfortable in what they are wearing.

o     All pieces of the costume should stay where they start; this includes rhinestone necklaces and/or hairpieces. When piece fly off, they pose a potential hazard for the performers. If they dancers walk on stage wearing these items, they should walk off stage wearing them too (unless of course the choreography calls for their removal).

o     Legs – if wearing tights they should be uniform, meaning length should be the same. If wearing fishnets is everybody wearing or not wearing tights underneath and what length tight if so (I always recommend a full length tight under fishnets). There are varying opinions about tights on different colored skin. I say tights and shoes should match the color of the skin of the dancer.

6. To Shoe or not to Shoe…

o     Barefoot dancing has become very mainstream in the past couple of years (I understand, I enjoy dancing barefoot), but it is not always the best choice.  When deciding whether or not to wear shoes or go barefoot there are some things to consider:

o     Choreography – technical elements still need to be executed correctly. Pirouettes or fouette turns do not get to become hops because the dancer’s feet are sticking to the floor or they don’t know how to lift their toes.

o     Style of costume – if the dancers are wearing very ornate costumes or full length pants, a shoe will help finish that line off. Does the barefooted-ness enhance what the dancers are wearing?

o     Strength of feet – let’s face it, when dancers are barefoot a lot of emphasis is placed on their feet. If the dancers cannot stretch their feet completely, they should be wearing shoes, this will help camouflage this weakness.

7. Choreography…Is dance an art form or a sport? 

The answer is it is both. The convention/competition world has definitely added the sport element to the art form.

o     I love technical elements in numbers, but if a three minute number has three turn sections in it, I feel this is a bit of overkill. Let me see the dancers do one fabulous a la seconde/fouette section and then show me their technique in some off center turns. Same thing goes for leg hold turns and right leg battments. Show me some creative ways to express technique. In the same vein, if the dancers are not proficient at fouettes or on pointe they should not be competing with those elements. Keep working in the studio until these elements can be done technically correct.

o     Stage the choreography. 10 dancers doing the same thing all the same direction for 2-3 minutes is not very exciting. Find ways to move your dancers around the stage (especially in duo/trios). Use upstage/downstage techniques as well as stage right/ stage left passes. Add levels, for example, when one group is doing a jete – roll another group to the floor. The more levels in the number the more you will hold the interest of the judges, and to score high it’s good to keep the judges interested.

o     When bringing multiple numbers to the one competition, the more diversity the better. Your tap, jazz and, lyrical numbers should all have very different choreography in them as they are very different dance styles. I say don’t put fouette turns in your tap numbers. See if you can find a creative way to incorporate turns into the tap routine using the sounds they can make on their feet. In the jazz routines; if one number has a lot of traditional technical elements in another jazz routine show us technique in other ways (off center turns, extensions in non-traditional positions, balances, etc.)

8. Style vs. Technique…

o     If you are confused about what is what, take your hints from ballet class. A technical battment or develope has a hip that is down; a stylized battment has a hip lifted, a parallel foot, and the arms pressing into the hips. When one stylized element is thrown into a number that otherwise has pretty straightforward technique, that element could affect the technique score.

9. Have fun…

It’s simple if you are having fun choreographing the number and the kids are having fun performing the number, most likely it will be very enjoyable to watch. Stand out, take some chances, and of course “Wear It Out”!