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Primarily, the question must be raised: what is considered “performance” in dance? In order to investigate dance aesthetic performance tests, firstly the meaning of the term has to be put into the particular context of this modality, as the definition of a successful performance in dance is diverse and presents challenges. In the sports realm, a successful performance could be measured by analysing the number of gold medals, the scores of a game season or the speed of an athlete. As dance is a performing art, the main goal of the dancer is not to jump higher or win the game, but to transmit at their best the subjective content of a dance piece created by a choreographer. Similarly, the function of a dance piece is not to win a gold medal, but to express and inspire sensations and emotions to the audience (Krasnow & Chatfield, 2009, Rafferty, 2010). Thus, a successful performance in dance involves a qualitative aspect which is complex to identify, to quantify and to score accordingly. It is comprised of different elements that embrace technique skills and artistic expression skills. Therefore, in order to achieve a successful performance in dance, aesthetic proficiency is required. (Krasnow & Chatfield, 2009).
Difficulties in assessing aesthetic competence go beyond the artistic element but extend to the fact that today there is a diversity of dance styles and manifestations. Dance has few determined parameters that can categorically level and rank the multiple artistic manifestations of the art form. Classifying dance is a complex task: currently, the question "what is dance?" is common in several spheres of the sector: the debate goes beyond the academic environment and also encompasses dancers, choreographers and dance teachers (Mcdonaugh, 1990). The discussions are due to the multiplicity of artistic manifestations that today can be considered as representations of dance. From folkloric and traditional dance from each region of the world to theatrical dance styles and musical shows there is a great diversity of elements (Bourcier , 2001).
Considering the complexity and subjectivity of assessing dance aesthetic performance, previous authors investigated potential test protocols to measure this variable. Literature has attested the need to develop standard performance evaluation metrics, since without such parameters it is not possible to interpret the implications of an experiment in dancers or to track the development of a dancer across time (Angioi Et Al, 2009; Chatfield, 2009; Krasnow & Chatfield, 2009, Twitchett et al, 2011;). To the knowledge of the current authors, most of the interventional studies conducted with the aim to enhance dance performance do not test aesthetic proficiency: physical components or psychological parameters are assessed but the primary goal of dance performance is not evaluated. Therefore, the impact of those interventional studies on dancers remain unclear.