By Reinhard Egli 26/11/2016

Reinhard Egli, a Swiss dancer, photographer and editor of dance!, the Swiss DanceSport Magazine, wrote extensively on the topic of competition manipulation in his online publication.

With his permission, the Task Force to Combat Competion Manipulation in DanceSport had parts of "Kampf gegen Manipulation" translated into English and re-publishes excerpts of the editorial as Part I (of III) below. 

Read the full text in German in dance!

Part I

Competition Manipulation | Eternal Topic

Competition manipulation – either directly by adjudicators or through a process of selecting adjudicators who are willing to collude – has been a steady companion on DanceSport’s path from inception to date. Its history tells of countless “curious occurences.” Some manipulations were proven; many other cases of alleged manipulation continue to haunt our memories forever.

The system of adjudication that dates back to the early 20^th century and the zealously protected opacity of the process offer the ideal basis for manipulation. To this day, there are traditional tournaments where only a select group of adjudicators from one single nation decide on the outcome, and where the results are published without the depth of individual marks. 

Until now, an adjudicator is only able to make a single and rather simple statement, either “I like it!” or “I don’t like it!,” with his or her marks. Frequently, without the need to justify such a judgmental call in any way whatsoever.

Only with the development of a new judging systems did WDSF finally succeed to set certain standards in the differentiation and in the transparency of the results arrived at through the process of adjudication. However, this system is only deployed from the round of 24 until now. And what remain the sine qua non requirements for this system, as well as for the old system, are the ethics and the integrity of those using it: the adjudicators.

Business With Interaction

For a trainer to be successful in this international business, he or she requires two things: a network of contacts and influence. To get them, it is helpful to be able to look back at a successful career on the floor, first and foremost, then it’s a matter of officiating regularly at major competitions and lecturing at congresses and camps. Finally, it requires a few successful couples that list him or her as one of their trainers.

For a couple to be internationally successful, it is well advised to get the latest knowhow from one or more of the renowned trainers and to work on its abilities with great persistence. Then it should build a reputation through results and by participating in as many workshops or training camps as possible. If an adjudicator knows the abilities of certain couples from private lessons or from workshops, it will either consciously or subconsciously influence the way they are perceived in a competition. It was this very mechanism that brought couples to England for two or three months of training every year until the start of this millennium. By now, the couples flock to either Italy or Russia.

The interaction between trainers and couples – whereby the couples need successful trainers and vice versa – can cause dependency. A dependency that the trainer could abuse to his or her financial advantage.

To be continued!