Contest powwows

COCO · 01-12-2004, 07:23 PM

Hi everybody,
I have a question concerning the way contest powwows are organized.
I was wondering whether there would be some people on this forum who already were members of a jury at a contest powwow.
My question is: according to which basis do members of the jury attribute points to one dancer instead of another? More precisely, I am curious about the way members of a jury consider a regalia as being good or not? Do the members pay attention at the traditional details on the outfit - like the respect of the traditional designs or colors specific to one tribe - or is it on a more personal and purely esthetic criteria?
Does this question is too undiscreet?? Maybe I shouldn't ask such a question. If so, can anybody let me know please.
Thanks everybody!!! :)

WhoMe · 01-13-2004, 11:30 AM

________

Coco,

The aesthetics of the dance contest concentrate on "dancing" as the primary criteria and the Indian "regalia" as secondary criteria.

Contest judging is not as formal as your question lends itself. There is no jury (although certain contestants may be familiar with juries j/k).

Judges may be picked by a head judge, arena director or powwow committee. If it is a special contest during the powwow, the sponsor's of the supplimental contest usually decide who will judge and the criteria on which the contestants will be judged.

Often times the dance contest rules are clearly stated inside a powwow program - if it is a larger powwow.

Contest judges are normally picked by their familiarity with a certain style of dance. Individually, judges determine how the regalia will be counted into their score.

Hope this helps.

COCO · 01-15-2004, 03:00 PM

For sure it does. Thank you very much for your reply, now I understand better how contest powwows work.

I do appreciate your comments. Thank you WhoMe!!!

:)

EducatedNdN · 01-16-2004, 08:20 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by COCO
Hi everybody,
I have a question concerning the way contest powwows are organized.
I was wondering whether there would be some people on this forum who already were members of a jury at a contest powwow.
My question is: according to which basis do members of the jury attribute points to one dancer instead of another? More precisely, I am curious about the way members of a jury consider a regalia as being good or not? Do the members pay attention at the traditional details on the outfit - like the respect of the traditional designs or colors specific to one tribe - or is it on a more personal and purely esthetic criteria?
Does this question is too undiscreet?? Maybe I shouldn't ask such a question. If so, can anybody let me know please.
Thanks everybody!!! :)

The jury as you call it as some jurys have known to be, are pursuaded in influence to attirbute points by media but in the case of NdNs at powwows the big names and repeat offenders commonly known as 'champions' are usually the chosen. For a more precise selection better to aks the advice of Judge judy or family members or tiyospaye of the tabulators.pila

**ojibwaysweetie** · 01-16-2004, 10:05 PM

cheekyrst....:Chatter

amo · 01-18-2004, 05:00 AM

I dance for the Old Man.
I dance fpr our people....

charliemom · 03-16-2005, 12:20 PM

I think that the mention of juries might have scared off some. The term would be Judges. Would the tabulators then be called the Jury? In dancing more points are better versus court where more points are not good.

**Kiwehnzii** · 03-16-2005, 05:26 PM

I have been selected as jury foreman a few times and it has been my job to select other jurists (usually 3, 5, 7) to convict the guilty dancers of not dancing too well, overstepping, etc. This leaves only the top dancers eligible to recieve final judgement. Sometimes it is so close that a sidebar is required to determine the outcome.

There are times when a contestant has grounds for appeal, and the books will be reviewed by an adjudicator and a final assessment will then be made as to the judgement. Otherwise, the contestants shall accept the verdict and this will be repeated the following week with another jury.

The scales of justice sometimes do tip in favor of a chosen few, but otherwise a fair and impartial jury is apparent.

**Furiously-Fancy** · 03-16-2005, 05:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kiwehnzii

I have been selected as jury foreman a few times and it has been my job to select other jurists (usually 3, 5, 7) to convict the guilty dancers of not dancing too well, overstepping, etc. This leaves only the top dancers eligible to recieve final judgement. Sometimes it is so close that a sidebar is required to determine the outcome.

There are times when a contestant has grounds for appeal, and the books will be reviewed by an adjudicator and a final assessment will then be made as to the judgement. Otherwise, the contestants shall accept the verdict and this will be repeated the following week with another jury.

The scales of justice sometimes do tip in favor of a chosen few, but otherwise a fair and impartial jury is apparent.

To avoid ties a more significant number than the jury count per session, is the jury count per pow-wow. Most people realize that if there are an even number of judges there are bound to be ties. What they sometimes do not consider is the total number of judges for the duration of the pow-wow. Some pow-wows contest all categories twice and some three times or more. I've seen lots of pow-wows run two contest sessions with 5 jury members each session, therefore ending up with an even number in the end. If time permits I think dance offs are purdy kewl anywayz!!I juss wanted to get in on the jury discusssion ayez!!j/k

!!!

**Kiwehnzii** · 03-17-2005, 01:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Furiously-Fancy

To avoid ties a more significant number than the jury count per session, is the jury count per pow-wow.
I've seen lots of pow-wows run two contest sessions with 5 jury members each session, therefore ending up with an even number in the end.

Ya know something FF? You are the only other person besides my partner who thinks like me. I have never had an equal number of dance judges per powwow in more'n ten years. It works 90-95% of the time.

**WocusWoman** · 03-17-2005, 02:47 AM

charliemom · 03-17-2005, 11:19 AM

Does a tie mean an Hung Jury?

**Kakeeya** · 03-17-2005, 11:39 AM

At our powwow they make one of the jururs vote like 5.5, or 6.8, 9.9 etc to avoid ties. Not really sure how they tabulate that but I saw ties (hung juries) anyway and wonder how that happened.

**Furiously-Fancy** · 03-17-2005, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by charliemom

Does a tie mean an Hung Jury?

No. In Pow-wows 101 "Hung Jury" refers to a jury consisting of 100% male (stud) judges....ayez!!

01-12-2004, 07:23 PM	#1 (permalink)
COCO Pow Wow Visitor Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 6	Contest powwows Hi everybody, I have a question concerning the way contest powwows are organized. I was wondering whether there would be some people on this forum who already were members of a jury at a contest powwow. My question is: according to which basis do members of the jury attribute points to one dancer instead of another? More precisely, I am curious about the way members of a jury consider a regalia as being good or not? Do the members pay attention at the traditional details on the outfit - like the respect of the traditional designs or colors specific to one tribe - or is it on a more personal and purely esthetic criteria? Does this question is too undiscreet?? Maybe I shouldn't ask such a question. If so, can anybody let me know please. Thanks everybody!!! :)

01-16-2004, 10:05 PM	#5 (permalink)
ojibwaysweetie PowWows.com Addicts Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Heart of the Great Lakes, Ontario Canada Posts: 4,928	cheekyrst....:Chatter __________________ "Gaa wiin daa-aangoshkigaazo ahaw enaabiyaan gaa-inaabid"

03-16-2005, 12:20 PM	#7 (permalink)
charliemom Tiny Tot Dancer Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: montana Posts: 72	Contest Powwows. I think that the mention of juries might have scared off some. The term would be Judges. Would the tabulators then be called the Jury? In dancing more points are better versus court where more points are not good.

03-17-2005, 02:47 AM	#11 (permalink)
WocusWoman N8tiffUmatillaMAMA Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Interior Alaska Posts: 2,693	Lol

03-17-2005, 11:19 AM	#12 (permalink)
charliemom Tiny Tot Dancer Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: montana Posts: 72	Jury Does a tie mean an Hung Jury?

01-13-2004, 11:30 AM	#2 (permalink)
WhoMe PauWau Coordinator Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Land of 370 Broken Treaties Posts: 5,442	________ Coco, The aesthetics of the dance contest concentrate on "dancing" as the primary criteria and the Indian "regalia" as secondary criteria. Contest judging is not as formal as your question lends itself. There is no jury (although certain contestants may be familiar with juries j/k). Judges may be picked by a head judge, arena director or powwow committee. If it is a special contest during the powwow, the sponsor's of the supplimental contest usually decide who will judge and the criteria on which the contestants will be judged. Often times the dance contest rules are clearly stated inside a powwow program - if it is a larger powwow. Contest judges are normally picked by their familiarity with a certain style of dance. Individually, judges determine how the regalia will be counted into their score. Hope this helps.

01-15-2004, 03:00 PM	#3 (permalink)
COCO Pow Wow Visitor Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 6	For sure it does. Thank you very much for your reply, now I understand better how contest powwows work. I do appreciate your comments. Thank you WhoMe!!! :)

01-18-2004, 05:00 AM	#6 (permalink)
amo Junior Dancer Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 111	I dance for the Old Man. I dance fpr our people....

03-16-2005, 05:26 PM	#8 (permalink)
Kiwehnzii Oldfart Join Date: Mar 2001 Posts: 2,858	I have been selected as jury foreman a few times and it has been my job to select other jurists (usually 3, 5, 7) to convict the guilty dancers of not dancing too well, overstepping, etc. This leaves only the top dancers eligible to recieve final judgement. Sometimes it is so close that a sidebar is required to determine the outcome. There are times when a contestant has grounds for appeal, and the books will be reviewed by an adjudicator and a final assessment will then be made as to the judgement. Otherwise, the contestants shall accept the verdict and this will be repeated the following week with another jury. The scales of justice sometimes do tip in favor of a chosen few, but otherwise a fair and impartial jury is apparent.

03-17-2005, 11:39 AM	#13 (permalink)
Kakeeya PowWows.com Addicts Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: By a mountain on the Rez Posts: 2,525	At our powwow they make one of the jururs vote like 5.5, or 6.8, 9.9 etc to avoid ties. Not really sure how they tabulate that but I saw ties (hung juries) anyway and wonder how that happened.