Nice topic Jane!
What works for me or rather what attracts me to a dance performance...
Firstly, the dance form, the song, and the theme.
The quality of dance ofcourse. The movements need to be to the point...to the beat.
If there are lifts, how effortlessly are they being executed is very important.
If there is a prop, how is tht being used in the dance sequence.
The use of the stage.
obv, the chemistry between the couple is important.
Now, this show is Dancing with the stars, so i look to see how well the choreographer brings out the best in the Star...how well he/she projects the star...yet is significant in his/her act as well.
The expressions, lip syncing to the song(for the appropriate parts ofc) are some other things that i see in a performance
A good performer, for me, brings all these things together along with showing us a variety of dance forms.
I know that most of the stars who participate arent Pros. So, being too technical isnt fair with the non-pros.
But if there is a Pro, I'd like the judges to point out the technicalities. I wish Ganesh Hegde does tht. I miss this in JDJ.