In the Irish dance world- competitions are pretty much a closed circuit of people (per region) and there are only a dozen or so judges that rotate...So I was wondering if favoritism (conscious or not) comes into play when they see a dancer that they recognize vs. someone that they don't?

I think I've seen this happen before. I didn't do too well at a competition out of my region and it was my first time at that competition. Also, it was my first "bad feis", so I was wondering the same thing.

Yeah. At my last (and first feis back) I was placed REALLY badly and when i told my TC he was surprised. When I told a few of the other girls- without batting an eyelash they said "the judges didn't recognise you"

It wasn't a "bad" feis for me at all. I mean, I didn't expect top three (being my first competition back after many years) but I thought I did well. (minus my tired half step on my hornpipe, lols)

Without a doubt. There is a particular judge that places me consistently in the bottom 3 or four people, even when the other 2 place me top five. Politics play a huge role in the ID world, unfortunately, so it can vary from the dancer to the school. I believe that a particular dancer never won worlds because her TC was so disliked and had alienated so many people.

I usually have the same 2-3 judges, and I always end up placing 3rd or 4th. But at my last two feies I had a new judge, and both times I have had her I got all firsts in the dances she judged. I guess she likes me.

Don't even get me started, I have this rant on the way home from every feis. Unfortunately I have noticed that this sort of favoritism happens almost everywhere. Its a part of life and we must get on with it

Now I'm not an Irish dancer, but it happens everywhere at dance comps! I'd rather competitions not pick from the same 6 judges every time! It's a little ridiculous. Sometimes it's in your favor, but most of the time, it's sadly not. You almost have to pay your way in nowadays!

While I have judged many competitions as a judge and a human being its natural to look at someone twice if you have seen them before however that will not necessarily give them more points...as they are just a familar face!!

^oh BS. Yes there is a LOT of bias - both psychological and institutional - working against new competitors. I would love to explain further, but I just can't. Most judges won't admit to bias - even though it OBVIOUSLY exists - because they don't want to implicate themselves or the adjudicating bodies that employ/certify them. I haven't judged seriously in almost 20 years, and I have no intentions of judging again, but even now I wouldn't feel comfortable providing specific examples to back up my opinion.

I have judged dancers whom I have seen before and it does not affect my opinion, at all. If you do well, or not, you are judged as I see you dance, at that particular moment.

I cannot speak for all judges, just for me.

It really depends more on the adjudicating body than on the individual judge. A lot of comps brief the judges on dancers' previous scores and rankings. Their excuse is that it promotes consistency, but it also induces bias against dancers who haven't competed with that company recently. I mean, if you compete at a star power comp one week, and then you get a completely different score at a star power comp the next week, the judges look like idiots. And the companies don't like that. There is also bias in favor of groups who spend a lot of money with the judging company. Judges who push back against these "guidelines" typically don't last very long.

edit: For the record, I picked Star Power because I have absolutely no affiliation with them and I don't know anything about their judging guidelines. My comments are really referring to any generic adjudicating organization.

edit #2: I just realized... I'm pretty sure I picked Star Power because I just watched dance moms. lol.

i can never understand how you can go to a comp and be placed 1st then go toanother and not even make the finals how does that work

foxy6 wrote:

i can never understand how you can go to a comp and be placed 1st then go to another and not even make the finals how does that work

It depends on your talent level at each competition. If the competition is tougher, who you are up against, it will give the less better dancers, in comparison, a lower score. It is that simple.

I will not judge where I am briefed on what level to judge. I base all of my judging using the same standard. I just against perfection, period.

I have judged dancers I have seen before and it does not affect me. I judge on what I see, period. I am sure that is not always the case for other judges, as I have seen it from the other side of the fence.

My daughter is a retired Irish Dancer. She was in Open Champs and danced for 13 years. Over those years, she had been judged by a certain number of adjudicators many, many times. In hindsite, all the judging was done very fairly. Don't forget, there are no set rules so much of the judging is very subjective. Irish judges definitely have different preferences than American judges. My own daughter was very athletic so we pretty much knew what the outcome would be during different feisianna. Yes. Some judges knew who she was--after 13 years how could you NOT know??? As such, the judging had been extremely fair--sometimes after the feis, familiar judges would tell her the probem she had if she was having a bad day. There is nothing wrong with that.
In the end, it all evens out. You will have a panel of judges that like your style or schools' steps or your look. Sometimes you will have a panel that does not care for your style or steps. Take the good with the bad. Remember there are only 3 percent of natural dancers who will always be at the top--the other 97 percent has to work harder and will teeter-totter in the results. Main objective. Have fun and dance for yourself.