It's an interesting question, Joe.
For example, despite the fact that the arms are key in any flamenco dance, I find Abbott's arm movements in his Flamenco SP this year excessive & irritating-and yet, I assume, they are authentic, as his choreo was done by Najarro.
Perhaps this is because, like you, it's their feet I am really interested in and I don't want to be distracted.
OTOH, I don't want to see airplane arms, like Kimmie Meissner used to have.
I really prefer the arms to not draw attention to themselves, except for some key choreographic moments in the men's and ladies.
In dance, I like to see good use of arms, as well as every other part of the body. I am not very consistent
Paul & Islam have a great use of arms in their SD twizzles this year (check them out on IN)
Davis & White had a great use of arms in last year's Bollywood OD.
Now that I think about it, my attention drifts to the arms in the formulaic part of ice dance-the twizzles. I'm fickle. I get tired of seeing the same thing and am happy to have a new highlight. The same is true of some of the graded step sequences, which get repetitive, because there are only so many ways you can show one of each kind of turn on each foot. The character of the dance, which is a requirement in dance PCS, is often shown by what they are doing with their arms & upper bodies rather than their feet.
This is the a sad feature of COP dance judging, IMO. But it makes it a gradable sport.
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No one told me...
