What keeps judges honest and ethical?

Another perspective:

A number of adjudicators I've taken a lesson from, have typically placed me one point down from the average score of the other judges.
They know where to look for my problem areas, I suppose.





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Great questions dance mentor! I was aking myself thos questions after emerald ball. There was a specific coouple that was fairly new but blew away much of their competition yet they did not make it to the finals while some dancers that have been around longer yet had a lower level of technique made it. It confused me and was a little upsetting. My friend thought it might be that there is something we dont see that the judges look for and may see which may very well be the situation in many situations. However, I know I have seen exceptions. But once again, great questions and thank you for brining this topic to light!
 
Throwaway Overshare said:
If they're honest, they wonder about both the bad marks and and the good ones too. I recall actually thanking a judge for a low mark in a particular dance, because I thought she was the only one really paying attention.
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I agree...I failed to place at ohio on my first trip there b/c of our own coach...and she was fair
 
two points... I have seen instances where it looked like the judges were collaborating but who the heck knows what they are saying?...I don't think I WANT to know...AND, I do think there are times when to break through you have to work harder b/c it is easier to mark familiar folks well and be done with it...they don't have alot of time to make decisions out there, especially at big comps...meh...I really try hard not to worry about it and to just dance my butt off
 
fascination said:
who the heck knows what they are saying?...I don't think I WANT to know...
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Having worked as a runner and on the dais at many comps, here are some of the standout topics of conversation I recall overhearing:

  • What was the heat number?
  • How many people were we supposed to recall?
  • When is dinner?
  • Am I on the next panel?
  • Is that costume legal?
  • Non-competition related topics, such as how is one's golf game or gardening is going.
 
yea...I have heard as much as well...lol, which is why I don't wanna know...man, if I had to stand there all bloomin' day I am sure my thoughts would wander
 
OK, so each adjucator may have a big number of students, but there's bound to be one that can judge a competition or at least a heat of non-pupils...

Preventing it would be too much hassle I guess, but there goes objectivity.
 
I doubt it...really...I don't know how many comps you have attended but most judges are coaches....they are just naturally suited to do both for a living...the dance community isn't that big....I don't see that there is any flipping way to avoid it, other than the most blatant things...and beyond that....there are plenty of judges on the floor at any given time
 
marktheshark said:
OK, so each adjucator may have a big number of students, but there's bound to be one that can judge a competition or at least a heat of non-pupils...

Preventing it would be too much hassle I guess, but there goes objectivity.
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The minimum # of judges is 3 and the maximum is 9, and even more than that for a pro event (I think 11?) I doubt you can find that many judges who would not know someone who is on the floor. At the very minimum they will know some of the pros at the pro-am competition.
 
marktheshark said:
OK, so each adjucator may have a big number of students, but there's bound to be one that can judge a competition or at least a heat of non-pupils...

Preventing it would be too much hassle I guess, but there goes objectivity.
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Yeah, but the lack of objectivity can work both ways. A coach who has worked with a couple knows their problems and might be more likely to spot them or to be critical if they aren't doing what the coach taught as well as they should. In fact, since people often take lessons from coaches who don't mark them well, for both political and real reasons, judges' self-interest might be to mark couple low to get them to take more lessons!
 
I honestly do not know what is to keep a person who has been asked to judge from showing favortism. If I and other students have made an enemy with a well connected instructor who is dancing his students in our heats and he is friends with a judge and has trash talked us and our professional, what, HONESTLY, is to keep that judge from scoring us down and his little friend up? I'm sure he believes everything his buddy has told him. As for my position, it's bad form to question scores and any evidence I could possibly have of favortism would be shaky at best. I do know that, "Everybody knows they are friends" would not cut it, not one bit.

I mean, honestly. Other than ethics I don't see what would stop this. I just know that there isn't a single thing I can do about it. People are just people, I don't care what sort of hat you stick on their heads. The only answer I have is to dance my best and know that they are only hurting themselves if it is obvious the scores are unfair.
 
Me said:
I honestly do not know what is to keep a person who has been asked to judge from showing favortism. If I and other students have made an enemy with a well connected instructor who is dancing his students in our heats and he is friends with a judge and has trash talked us and our professional, what, HONESTLY, is to keep that judge from scoring us down and his little friend up? I'm sure he believes everything his buddy has told him. As for my position, it's bad form to question scores and any evidence I could possibly have of favortism would be shaky at best. I do know that, "Everybody knows they are friends" would not cut it, not one bit.

I mean, honestly. Other than ethics I don't see what would stop this. I just know that there isn't a single thing I can do about it. People are just people, I don't care what sort of hat you stick on their heads. The only answer I have is to dance my best and know that they are only hurting themselves if it is obvious the scores are unfair.
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well obviously ethics. and the golden rule... but why not just because they honestly don't care enough to screw you over? i mean they're standing all day usually watching dancers that are worse than they are (or at least that they think are), and i imagine it must be hella tiring and maybe even boring. and they're getting paid no matter what marks they put on the pad. so there's no real motivation for them to not do the right thing... i mean honestly if they cared that much to give you a different mark just to cheat you out of a different color 6x2 ribbon or at best gold-plated plastic, then i think they need to reflect on their priorities in life :P
most of all, unless you rear-ended his car, i don't imagine in the average 3-5 seconds that judges get per couple to evaluate in large heats (or up to 20 seconds in smaller ones), that he'll recognize you enough to make his disdain a factor in marking.
 
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