PhD, Associate Professor V.A. Aleksandrova^1
1Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, Moscow

 

Keywords: dance sport, elite dancers, performance rating criteria.

Introduction. As of today, the problem of the dance sport performance rating has not been resolved. Being an acute issue, selection of the rating criteria is always the subject of much controversy [3, 4].

Objective of the study was to develop the dance sport performance rating criteria making it possible to optimally estimate the elite dancers’ physical fitness level in the competitive dance routines.

Methods and structure of the study. Subject to the study were 10 dances including 5 Latin and 5 other standard dances, with the leading trainers and ballroom dance judges of the 1st Russian and international categories (n=60) engaged in the expert opinion poll under the survey.

Based on the data obtained by the expert opinion poll and interviews, we have put together a set of the most relevant criteria to rate the key physical qualities including endurance, strength ability and flexibility [1, 2].

Experts believe that the coordination abilities manifest themselves in the athletes’ technical skills, which, to a greater extent, affects the comparative evaluation of the dance couples of the same skill level and, accordingly, the overall ranking results. Therefore, there were no specially developed criteria for assessing the elite dancers’ coordination abilities in the competitive dance routines [2].

Results and discussion. The criteria for evaluation of strength abilities, endurance and flexibility are presented in Tables 1-3.

 

Table 1. Endurance rating criteria applicable in technical performance scoring in competitive dance routines

№	Endurance rating criteria
1	Ability to maintain proper body positions and movements
2	Ability to maintain figure rhythmical structures
3	Ability to maintain dynamic movements
4	Ability to maintain musical sense throughout the tune

 

The criteria characterizing dancers’ endurance level, according to the experts, are the same for both standard and Latin American dances, as these criteria reflect for the most part the ability to maintain the proper motion modes, shapes, steps, while all being in harmony with the musical accompaniment (see Table 1).

As for the dancers’ strength abilities, the experts divided the criteria here: those most indicative of the state of these physical qualities in standard dances and in Latin American dances. Combining the selected criteria, it can be noted that, while dancing, the strength abilities are mainly reflected through the amplitude of movements, steps, etc., as well as mandatory maintenance of the body, arm and leg positions throughout the dance (see Table 2).

As for the dancers’ flexibility rating criteria, we can say that, taken together they are characterized by = swing, lightness and plasticity of performance (see Table 3).

 

Table2. Strength abilities rating criteria applicable in technical performance scoring in competitive dance routines

№	Strength abilities rating criteria
Standard
1	Swinging and powerful movements
2	Keeping arm positions throughout the dance
3	Swinging transition from the lower position (полуприседы) в верхние
4	Keeping back straight
Latin
1	Swinging and powerful movements
2	Tricks
3	Keeping leg positions throughout a dance
4	Dynamic footwork

 

Table 3. Flexibility rating criteria applicable in technical performance scoring in competitive dance routines

№	Flexibility rating criteria
Standard
1	Light and swinging movements (steps)
2	Fluent transition from position to position (countermotion positions)
3	Battements, ronds, developpes performed with swinging and light movements
4	Shapes performed with light and natural movements
Latin
1	Light and swinging movements (steps)
2	Battements, ronds, developpes performed with swinging and light movements
3	Plasticity of movements during transition from one movement into another (rotations, turning motions, lower and upper body posing)
4	Good correlation of the movement sequences with the musical illustration throughout a dance

 

It should also be noted that good correlation of the movement sequences with the musical illustration throughout the dance characterizes both technical and physical fitness of the dancers.

Conclusion. The developed criteria enabled us to evaluate the dancers’ physical fitness level directly in the dance competitive routines. This set of criteria is recommended as an efficient toolkit for the trainers to control the dynamics of the dancers’ physical condition throughout the training process.

 References

1. Aleksandrova V.A. Planirovanie fizicheskoy podgotovki tantsorov [Physical training process design for dancers]. Moscow: [s.n.], 2016, 163 p.: il.

2. Aleksandrova V.A., Shiyan V.V. Otsenka koordinatsionnykh sposobnostey vysokokvalifitsirovannykh sportsmenov v balnykh tantsakh [Evaluation of coordination abilities of elite ballroom dancers]. Teoriya i praktika fiz. kultury, 2012, no. 6, pp. 56–58.

3. Mashkov A.V. Ob obyazatelnoy i proizvolnoy programmakh ispolnyaemykh figur i tekhnicheskikh deystviy na klassifikatsionnykh sorevnovaniyakh [On compulsory and arbitrary programs of figures and technical actions in classification competitions]. Sportivnye tantsy: byul. no. 2 (25, mart – aprel) Mater. VI Vseros. nauch.-metod. konf. po problemam razvitiya sport. tantsev, 18-22 fevralya 2002 g. [Proc. VI nat. res.-pract. conf. on development of dance sport ‘Sports dances: bul. no. 2’ (25 March - April), February 18-22, 2002], Moscow; RSAPC. Moscow, 2002, Ch. 2, pp. 9-15.

4. Mashkov A.V. Osnovopolagayuschie printsipy pri razrabotke pravil sorevnovaniy po sportivnyim tantsam [Fundamental principles in development of competition rules for dance sport]. Mater. Vseros. nauch.-prakt. konf. ‘Sovershenstvovanie sistemy podgotovki v tantsevalnom sporte’ [Proc. nat. res.-practical conf. ' Improvement of dance sport training system']. RSUPEST publ., Moscow, 2010, pp. 24-29.

 

Corresponding author: nikiri@mail.ru

 

Abstract

The study overviews the competitive dance rating criteria applied to score physical fitness levels of elite dancers. Subject to the study were 10 dances including 5 Latin and 5 other standard dances, with the leading trainers and ballroom dance judges of the 1st Russian and international categories (n=60) engaged in the expert opinion poll under the survey. Based on the data obtained by the expert opinion poll and interviews, we have put together a set of the most relevant criteria to rate key physical qualities including endurance, strength ability and flexibility. This set of criteria is recommended as an efficient toolkit for the trainers to rate the dancers’ physical progress and to make timely and necessary adjustments to the training process when necessary.