If the first thing of the game plan is reputation ,and the judge did know nothing about the couples, including their reputation . How can the reputation be thought first or prejudged ?
Unfortunately, prejudge exists commonly world wide.
Some compititors said , you must let the judges knew you. They even can make you out after first round regardless how good you are. So, almost all of them did all they could before the compete.
There are a few hornest judges ignored the pre- advice from the powerful people or parties, they gained reputaions even they could not change the mispresent.
The fact is that The result must full fill each special party benefit , even their future. At the same time, the most of competitors should do some contributions on their own ways.
How big the glamous of famous and gain?
So, I prefer to enjoy the DVD performed by the famours dancers in the world , regardless their order in the top 24 of the world.
ylchen

The audiance always know who the winner is or should be,and the Judges are usualy correct. We have not been marked by a Judge because he gave the mark to his own couple,but when his own couple don't get to the final he has marked us as second or third. It's only fair to give the mark to his own couple because we are all at the same leval and the differance is slight and he has to make a living.

Yes,there may be slight different in the top 6 . It is not a good reason to make a living . I hope that the judeges selected by the couples and audiences each function. Their behavior are recorded at that time for reference.

The first impression is the 'look'.There's no such thing as a semi-final - the judges will have an opinion before the final because they've seen the dancers in the semi-final. So it's as important as a final. The 'look'?? I don't know - i wish i did! Has something to do with Authority, posture, calmness, grace and smoothness of movement I don't believe footwork comes into it except as it affects the factors just mentioned (which of course it can). Steps don't matter. Simple steps executed perfectly with graceful smoothness and poise - better then fancy steps performed well enough.
When you watch a great soccer player, or tennis player, you can sense the greatness quite quickly (assuming you're expert at these sports yourself)How do you tell it? It's hard to define. They just do all the right things all the time. Even simple things like moving with the ball or moving to the ball. Great players don't do fancy moves all the time - they do the 'everyday' moves briliantly. I guess it's the same in dancing.

I could not agree with Phil more...

We have coached for many years with a coach that is often a judge at many of the regional comps that we attend.... Trust me, there is no "who we are" going on there... We are judged based on our performance and not that we are potentinal income to this coach. Often we dread when he is judging us because next time we get together we will hear..."And,what the hell were you doing on the floor!!" I am pleased that we are judged for what we did and not who we know....

I also agree that the steps are of the least importance.. What good is it doing difficult steps if you have no balance or good frame... From a far all they see for thoes 30 seconds is your presence... end of story...

On another note it is this very thing of being judged that has caused us to make a difficult decision... Just a few weeks ago after 10 years with a studio training 3 times a week for comps, we walked away.... Some how we lost the enjoyment of dance in our pursuit to do well at comps and be judged well... It all of a sudden became work, a chore , stress and not fun... We lost the whole reason for this to begin with.... Now we are going to back to square one to dance, well because we love to dance, no more no less....

Dont let it comsume you guys, dont let it stop being fun.

Phil. Just a small point here. There are many competitions where twelve couples take the floor, The next round is the final. And in some events the first round is the final.I'll tell you a little story. This lady, a mother of one of the competitors saw what she thought was a judge marking his card before the music even started. So at the next competition she is overlooking the floor with a pair of binoculars reading the score card. She saw this same judge put his pen to paper before the music had started and didn't write anymore, then the score card was collected.

Don . We also witnesed a Judge that before the waltz started ,he turned his back to the floor and wrote down the positions.

Dave and the rest. The question seems to have got lost. What would you look for and in what order if you were judging a Modern Waltz. First even before the music begins poise, after a couple of steps is the poise still there. Anybody that is not standing up straight shouldn't get a second look. Rise and fall. Next time you are out see who has the best rise and fall, and look for those who have little to none. Is there any swing and on three sway. Are the feet coming together or are they passing. That should be enough to select six for a final in the one minute thirty seconds allowed. Now the final. We know they are all standing up straight. Good rise and fall. Feet coming together. More chance now to look at the content and the footwork within the groups. Timing for the Waltz. It is not very often that we would see any couple out of time. If they do go out of time they should not be there competing.

Poise and hold is the criteria to eliminate the ones I don't want to see again. So the first 2-3 couples are out. Timing for me is more then just keeping time, I want to see good interpretation of the music, which in my opinion can only be achieved with good footwork, rise/fall, swing ...., I couldn't tell what depends on what.

Ahnungsloser

Ahnungsloser. The thing that I was trying to point out is. Even before they start dancing or within the first few bars. If the poise is incorrect it does n't matter how well they may do their Scatter Chasses or their Woodpeckers they will not get a second look. They blew it right at the beggining and are now off the screen. I as a judge am looking at the couples I was first impressed with and will not be going back, there isn't enough time.