hi, i'm into dancing since 2000. i have teached social dancing for 2 years, and than i went to a new academy as a student and i'm now into an advanced level in dancing (i train a lot read a lot and watch lots of videos), dancing is my passion, all my collegues consider that i have a very good artistic knowledge and that i'm a very good dancer, two weeks ago the owner of the academy (who is my dance teacher) suggested that i become a judge in my countrie's dance federation, and he told me that they are choosing a new group of judges and he wants me to be among them (of course professional people will train us and we will have to pass tests and exams), but do u think that with my experience i can become a judge? (i'm now 25 years old. is judging a difficult responsibiliy? or am i complicating things?
One other thing is that i love competing, but i don't have a partner, and i prefer telling my teacher to find me a partner so i could compete instead of judging.

Please could you give me your opinion, and if u were in the same situation what would you choose competing or judging? p.s. i'm not afraid of becoming a judge because i know that i'm a serious person and i can succeed. Please give me your opinion. thx.

Hey latindiva! i suggest you choose the thing you love most, and if competing is what you love than go for it, choose your partner and train but i tell you that being a judge is a wonderful thing also it proves that you are a hell of a professional!

As an accredited teacher myself, it is best to chose between judging an competing as you cant do both for the same event.

Of course you cannot compete and judge in the same competiton.
My question is what does it need for a person to become a judge (am i qualified to become a judge?), and if i had to choose once for all between becoming a judge or competing, what do i have to choose?

Latiniva. I would think very carefully about this one. If you become a judge, is it going to be a lasting thing. Will you still be wanted as a judge in ten years time. If during that time you met somebody who would make a good partner you can only dance as a professional or socially. If I were about 50 years old maybe, At 25 I don't think so .
You appear to have a different system where you live than here. Here I don't know of any judge who was not a competitor with several years experience at competing. But if you feel that is the way you would like to go then. Good Luck.

You're right Quickstep, but in my country latin and ballroom dancing is still weak, and the federation is trying to improve the competitions, schools, workshops... that's why they are choosing young qualified teachers and students to train them to become judges or competitors by sending them abroad to train and bringing some professional dancers and judges to train them. Anyways i thank you for your opinion and i will talk to my teacher to see what to do , i have to choose between these 2 things

Hi Latindiva
Here are my views on this.
Once you become a serious judge, it will be hard for you to ever compete again, because you will be 'one of the judges' in the eyes of the competitors and you will be seen as having an advantage.
Also, think of this: If your federation is trying to promote dancing and competitions, the last thing i would have thought they'd need is one of their good dancers giving up competing. You don't have a partner at the moment, but you may have in a year or two. I'm sure everyone here sincerely hopes it's sooner than that.
You can encourage youngsters in schools or whatever by being a trained teacher and using your competition dancing knowledge in that way.
God forbid you would ever have to stop dancing through injury. But if you did, THEN be a judge.

Latindiva,

Have you danced championship level ballroom or latin?

Rha

hi everyone! thank you for ur help.
Rha, when i started dancing i trained with my ex partner, and we competed in some inter-schools championships, we won several times in latin and ballroomm dancing. But now since i moved to that new school, i don't have a partner, but i'm still training hardly to improve my skills. I spoke yesterday with my teacher and told him i like to compete, he suggested i start training with my fiance (who actually used to dance before but stopped for work purposes), and suggested that for now i strat with the judge training and in 2 years i might quit judging and turn into competitions. I felt somehow releaved and agreed with my fiance to start training seriously. For now i'm waiting for the federation to call me for a meeting.
Anyways i will keep you all in touch with what will happen because i feel that this forum is helping me a lot to find answers to my questions.

Hi Latindiva,

I don't think you understood the question because you have not answered it. Let's leave it there.

Regards,
Rha