Abstract
PurposeThe aim of this study was to assess the reliability and validity of the new judging system in DanceSport.MethodsEighteen judges rated the 12 best placed adult dancing couples competing at an international competition. They marked each couple on all judging criteria on a 10 level scale. Absolute agreement and consistency of judging were calculated for all main judging criteria and sub-criteria.ResultsA mean correlation of overall judging marks was 0.48. Kendall’s coefficient of concordance for overall marks (W = 0.58) suggesting relatively low agreement among judges. Slightly lower coefficients were found for the artistic part [Partnering skills (W = 0.45) and Choreography and performance (W = 0.49)] compared to the technical part [Technical qualities (W = 0.56) and Movement to music (W = 0.54)]. ICC for overall criteria was low for absolute agreement [ICC(2,3) = 0.62] but higher for consistency [ICC(3,3) = 0.80].ConclusionThe relatively large differences between judges’ marks suggest that judges either disagreed to some extent on the quality of the dancing or used the judging scale in different ways. The biggest concern was standard error of measurement (SEM) which was often larger than the difference between dancers scores suggesting that this judging system lacks validity. This was the first research to assess judging in DanceSport and offers suggestions to potentially improve both its objectivity and validity in the future.
Highlights
DanceSport consists of three different disciplines: Standard dances (Waltz, Tango, Viennese Waltz, Slow Foxtrot, and Quickstep), Latin-American dances (Samba, Cha-Cha-Cha, Rumba, Paso Doble, and Jive) and Ten Dances
Extreme difference between judges exist in variability of their marks, e.g., between judge #3, and judge #7 (s = 2.30, CV = 0.40)
Lower coefficients were found for the artistic part [Partnering skills (W = 0.45) and Choreography and performance (W = 0.49)] compared to the technical part [Technical qualities (W = 0.56) and Movement to music (W = 0.54)]
Summary
DanceSport consists of three different disciplines: Standard dances (Waltz, Tango, Viennese Waltz, Slow Foxtrot, and Quickstep), Latin-American dances (Samba, Cha-Cha-Cha, Rumba, Paso Doble, and Jive) and Ten Dances (five Standard and five Latin-American dances). A dancer’s success is determined by technical and tactical skills (Uznovicand Kostic, 2005; Howard, 2007; Uznovic, 2008; Laird, 2009) morphological and motor abilities (Koutedakis, 2008; Lukicet al., 2011; Prosen et al, 2013), psychological preparation and aesthetics of movement (Lukicet al., 2009; Cackovicet al., 2012). Efficiency in DanceSport has been suggested as a determining factor for a judge to award marks for the dancers’ performance (Bijster, 2013a,b). This is pertinent since judges have a big influence on the rules, judging and, the final result for a dance performance. Judges are responsible for quickly and accurately discerning the quality of technical elements and overall aesthetic appearance of a dancer’s performance based upon their perception
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
