dance is art so I can see how it would be 3 10s. It's an art of expression not just technical know-how.
Yes, you are so right DeafDucky
It is an art, and at the same time every dance has a certain set of rules pertaining to the particular dance's style movements.
One wouldn't, for example, dance a waltz to the tune of a tango, or use the steps of a tango to dance a paso doble.
There is a lot of those particular movements and positions which define a certain dance style,
therefore, on technical aspect, you are being judged how close you are following this set of rules.
For instance, while dancing a waltz, you will be judged not only if you are following the steps of this particular dance correctly,
but how do you hold your Waltz hands, your partner Waltz hands (are those at the right height? Waltz angle?
at the right amount of pressure? positioned well?), is your Waltz body lined properly? your partners? are you too close? too far?
are both your Waltz movements fluid? too lax? too stiff? your Waltz heads too close? too far?
your facial expression - do they relate to the music, the subject of the song, the dance?
are they pleasant to look at? etc etc
best explained here:
http://blogs.bu.edu/ballroom/competitions-101/what-judges-look-for
Freedom of expression, or in other words- the imaginative (artistic) side of the dance such as choreography, costumes, makeup,
hair and so on is one part of the dancing, the technical is another,
and the judges have a hard work to watch and asses who is, in their opinion, doing what job on the scale from ?? to ??
I guess, since on DWTS the highest score is 10, it would be on a scale from 1 to 10.
Fuzzy.