Communication with Audience
by Julia A. Ericksen
There are three components to dancers’ communication with the audience. The content, that is, technique and choreography, counts for 7 percent; the tone, or personality, counts for 38 percent; and body language, which includes the physical body, body toning, wardrobe and makeup, as well as floor craft, use of space, musicality, and facial expression, counts for 55 percent.
Is Ballroom Dance an Art or a Sport?
by Julia A. Ericksen
When dancers talk about their rankings, they sound more like athletes than artists. In fact, there is widespread debate in the world of ballroom and Latin dance about whether it is more of an art form or a sport. If dancing is mainly a sport, then technique and athleticism should be valued over emotional connection. The International DanceSport Federation (IDSF), which organizes major amateur competitions, is the association recognized by the International Olympic Commission as the official sponsor of DanceSport. The IDSF presents ballroom as a sport, albeit a sport with artistic merit, like ice dancing. The IDSF has been in conflict with its professional counterpart, the Word Dance Council (WDC). The WDC emphasis is on art, not sport; its instructions tell adjudicators to judge two aspects: technical merit and artistic impression. Since dancers usually compete as amateurs before becoming professional, they move from one governing body to another. Thus they begin their careers considering themselves athletes but must become artists when they turn professional. In addition, professional dancers typically perform shows in addition to competing.