Officials' Brief 26/02/2013

2.0 – In A Nutshell

The Judging System 2.0 limits the Components that are to be graded by the adjudicators to four only. It acknowledges that two Components cover technical aspects of the performance and that the other two assess the latter’s artistic qualities.

• Technical Quality – TQ
• Movement to Music – MM
• Partnering Skill – PS
• Choreography and Presentation – CP

While the panel consisted of nine adjudicators grading all Components at all times previously, System 2.0 calls for twelve adjudicators on the panel to be divided into four groups – and for each group of three to assess only one Component. The Components will be randomly assigned to the three adjudicators immediately prior to each dance.

Grading continues to be on the established scale from 1 (Very Poor) to 10 (Outstanding) and 0.5 fractions can still be awarded for further differentiation. In computing the score (average) for each Component between the three grades given by the assigned group of adjudicators, the lowest and the highest grade count only 50% towards the average.

The actual “workload” of the adjudicators is reduced in terms of assessment as well as the mechanics of entering values on the touch-screen terminals. Only one Component needs to be considered at one time, only one value needs to be entered after the assessment is done. This, in turn, leads to the Judging System 2.0 being applicable for group dances as well. Even in a group dance with up to eight couples on the floor, and the duration of just over two minutes per dance, an adjudicator has the necessary time required to grade each couple individually.

That allows for the System 2.0 to be used from the quarterfinal stages in a competition – and for group dances to be performed in the final too. Two out of the five dances in the final are group dances now. And the three solo dances are selected in a random draw. The order in which the five dances are performed in the final is Solo-Solo-Group-Solo-Group.