Pvt Butter

and you are???? you can't even post your name in your profile.

badmaninc

NDN sports, good burn.

Sakaway

I didn't see who you said it was but I think I know who you're talking about. If it is the same person I agree about the beat part. Every time I've seen her dance she goes off-beat at some point or another during the song. Don't get me wrong, she's a good dancer........when she stays on beat. But this is just my opinion on dancing and I wouldn't put her down on my ballot strictly because she can't stay on beat. I'm not putting anyone down but just using her as an example. Don't get me wrong!! For me to pick a dancer, they have to be on beat the entire song. That's important in what I look for. Otherwise, why have drums sing if the dancers are going to dance to another song? Ya hear me? I think how certain dancers place depend on the judges. Everyone has their favorite but there are judges who don't know what "on beat" is and therefore look at dancers who wouldn't otherwise be noticed by judges who know about the proper beat to dance to.

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Kakeeya

And this comment is based on what????? Where did I post that I only pick my friends for dancing??? Grow up and quit whining.

Pvt Butter

derrrrr....so off topic. we were discussing offbeat dancers and dancing offbeat. Don't post here if you don't understand the thread.

moochwah

At a powwow a couple weeks ago, there were several well-known fancy shawl dancers in attendance. The first night of the powwow, when the drum began for their competition dance, these dancers immediately jumped at a running pace trying to outdo each other. They were going so fast, we could see their spandex well above their butt area. Their shawls were flying at their shoulders. Two elders standing behind me said to each other that dancing has changed. It is no longer the beauty or style or beat of the dance but how fast and how high dancers can go. These comments made me look at the dancers more closely. Heck, they were dancing faster than the beat! Of course, they all placed 1, 2, 3, 4 etc! Judges seem to get dazzled by the speed and height. Never mind what makes the dance beautiful.

TTMNO

That's a crying shame. That drum represents so much - it's a shame that for the sake of competetion the beat is ignored and judges are so ignorant that they'll judge based on popularity or anything else BUT DANCING IN TIME WITH THE DRUM.

Tiyospaye Yazzie

You can almost never measure the true ability of contest powwows. Unlike sports that really display actual ability like weightlifting, basketball, running, bullriding or Futbol. It just can't be done, er, measured. Maybe it's because it has so many perspectives and individual minds that make it immeasurable of actual ability.

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Enjoying the ride.
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Kakeeya

I understand the topic, but what I was referring to was the comment you originally made about another dancer, and you using her name. That's why I posted in the first place.

Kiwehnzii

Sometimes when I judge, paying too much attention to one dancer to see if he/her gets off-beat is not a good thing. It is not fair to the other dancers who would also like my attention. Sometimes there are so many dancers that, perhaps, 10-15 seconds of "looking at" a particular dancer is all that one can get. Many times, when I don't get a fairly good look, I request another song and try to focus on those that stood out in the 1st or 2nd song to determine what place they deserve in "my eyes".

Focusing too long on one dancer is unfair.

injunboy

i get the jist of this thread and id like to add some drums arent up to par. they have off days and some days when theyre on the money..... kinda like the dancers.

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Mato Winyan

That's true. Also I believe a judge has to move around to get a good look to see what is going on too. I hate it when they stand like statues. That's why when I judge I always move..... you can't really tell if you don't.

At first when they start the song it seems they like to bunch up and there is no way you can pick one out in the crowd, because like you say...... you only have a few seconds for each one.

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"We see it as a desecration not only of a mountain but of our way of life. This is a genocidal issue to us. If they kill this mountain, they kill our way of life." ~Debra White Plume

Boomsgirl

***** Sounds like a bunch of excuses 2 me...No one said anything about watching one dancer the whole time...anyone who knows dancing could tell who is dancing on/off beat while looking at everyone. The ones who dance off beat and still win because of their friends do it thru the whole song!! But hey, its supposed to be about dancing for your family and everyone getting together so big deal :) but all this baloney ^^^ it made me laugh, like c"mon...everybody knows how judging goes...jus have fun everyone, and laugh when crazy judging happens *****

nativesoul

i've been traveling all summer with my kids, and i noticed that there are quite a few dancers (mainly mens fancy) who dance all crazy like theres a whole nother beat in their head. yet they do win. I like the "old style" when they danced to the beat of the drum (which does represent mother earth) We do need to teach our young people to honor the arena, by disqualifying yourself when a part of your outfit falls off or you dance off beat, what ever it may be. also drum groups need to respect their drum by keeping their area clean. all in all, some dancers have got to be making it on name recognition, or we need to once again address that some pow-wows are just not fair,thats why i tell my kids not to depend on pow-wows to live and pay bills, its not fair out there

jones