Developing the Judge’s Eye

A 36-volume collection for deepening judging practice

This planned English-language collection will extend the ideas introduced in Judging in Dance. Each volume will focus on one aspect of observation, comparison or decision-making, helping readers better understand what may influence their own way of judging.

A progressive editorial collection

The 36 volumes are organised into three groups of twelve publications. They will be readable in sequence, as a coherent progression, or individually, according to a particular question or area of interest.

Each volume is designed as an independent publication centred on a practical situation, a human mechanism or a difficulty that may arise in judging.

Part 1 — 12 volumes

Understanding internal mechanisms

Attention, perception, memory, emotions, fatigue, visible posture and cognitive biases.

This first group explores what may influence the judge’s eye before the influence is fully recognised.

Part 2 — 12 volumes

Judging under pressure

Disagreement, isolation, panel dynamics, time constraints, uncertainty and constructive doubt.

These volumes examine what happens when a decision must be made quickly or in a sensitive context.

Part 3 — 12 volumes

Refining and sharing one’s perspective

Explanation, calibration, criteria, personal preferences, changing styles and feedback from experience.

The third group considers how an adjudicator’s perspective can evolve while remaining personal and reasoned.

What the volumes will contain

Concrete situations

Differences between adjudicators, first impressions, audience influence, fatigue, reputation, disagreement and difficulty expressing a decision.

Points of reference for reflection

Each volume will offer explanatory keys, useful distinctions, self-observation questions and ways of stepping back from an immediate reaction.

A cross-disciplinary approach

The collection will not be limited to one dance discipline. It may concern the judging of an individual, a couple, a duo, a group or a formation.

Reflection without standardisation

The aim is not to make all adjudicators think alike, but to make mechanisms more visible, reflection more precise and explanations more conscious.

Who will the collection be for?

new and experienced adjudicators;

people responsible for sharing and discussing judging practice;

teachers, coaches and choreographers interested in understanding the adjudicator’s perspective;

dancers, couples and groups wishing to understand how a performance may be perceived;

anyone interested in the human mechanisms of observation, comparison and decision-making.

The collection will not be a rulebook, an official federation programme or an imposed scoring method.

Continuing the reading with the Judge’s Assistant

Each volume will be usable with the Judge’s Assistant to explore a concept, reformulate an observation, examine a personal situation or compare several possible interpretations.

The Assistant is multilingual and replies in the language of the question. Readers will therefore be able to use the collection and continue the discussion in the language they feel most comfortable using.

The Assistant does not replace the publications, official rules or personal experience. It helps readers make fuller use of the collection and continue the reflection it encourages.