In addition to the established routines that constitute the main part of a compe

tition, competitions will sometimes include special categories and events in whi
ch pre-established routines are not allowed. For example:
Improv, in which contestants dance to random selections of music and must improv
ise.
Dance-off or dance-down. A group of contestants is taught a short routine while
on stage, over a period of just a few minutes. The contestants must then perform
the routine in groups while observed by judges. The pool of contestants is redu
ced by the judges through a process of elimination until only one dancer the winner rema
ins.
Judging[edit]
The judges at a dance competition are typically professional dancers. They usual
ly sit at the front of the audience, facing the stage, and observe all of the da
nces. Each judge completes a scoresheet for each routine by awarding points for
various categories such as; technique, facial expression, costume, choreography,
and over all impression. They may also write comments on their scoresheets or,
in some cases, record audio comments for the benefit of dancers and their choreo
graphers. When audio comments are recorded, they are typically given to dancers
on CD or DVD media to allow review of a performance while listening to real-time
judge commentary.
Process[edit]
Adjudication categories vary at different competitions, but commonly judged cate
gories cover aspects such as showmanship, technique (i.e., proper form, executio
n of movements, transitions), difficulty of the routine, costume, choreography,
and musicality. At some competitions, points may be deducted if the costume or m
usic is deemed inappropriate for the age of the dancers. Also, judges may disqua
lify a routine if it violates any rules of the competition.
The points issued by each judge are totaled to compute the judge's score. Typica
lly, a maximum of 100 points can be awarded by an individual judge (i.e., a perf
ect score). All of the judges' scores are then added together to produce a final
score. At some competitions the lowest and highest judges' scores are discarded
before computing the final score. For example, a competition might employ five
judges, each of whom may award up to 100 points; when the low and high scores ha
ve been discarded, the resulting final score will have a maximum possible value
of 300 points.
Standards[edit]
There is no industry-wide standard for scoring. The maximum number of points iss
ued by each judge, as well as the maximum possible final score, varies among com
petition production companies. Although it is common for judges to issue a maxim
um of 100 points each, at least one company implements a system in which judges
may issue up to 200 points, based on the rationale that such a scoring system is
similar to that employed in public schools.[2]