[dad]

out of curiousity... when your judging a category...how do most of you pick 1st,2nd,3rd...and so on.... what i'm triing to say is... do you judge dancers by there ability to dance real good or just because your good friends with them or because of who they are..... the reason i'm asking is there are time when judges go for dancer that are off beat or over step.. or they start off on beat but through the song they get off beat real bad not because of the drum ..or they are out dance but other good dancers....yet they still place real high or beat out other good dancers. you know there are alot of real good dancer out there but not quite big name enough. just wonder what everybody's opinion about this matter..

[kiyaanii mom]

Everyone is going to say "by the way they dance"

Except the Super honest. LOL

[kiowakat]

I judge by the way they dance, but I also judge the way their regalia is lookin lol

[kiowakat]

which brings to mind another thing about judging. I judged a dance a year ago and it was all good until we got to the prize money. When it was time to collect the dancers came up in street clothes, which bummed me out, cause I couldn't tell who I voted for LMAO....

is this normal now days???

[sneek a peek]

well its kinda hard to judge when they all stare at you like they are watching wether you pick them or not.....

[ajibik]

By THEIR dancing.

[badmaninc]

I pick whoever is willing to offer me the best deal. AYE!!!!

What I will always deduct points for is if somebody is up there chewing gum or they are just trying to hard to look cool. If you powwow dance then you should be proud of the dance itself rather than the image you are trying to convey. Wearing gangster thug life junk. Same with fancy shawl dancers who show their belly piercings. I always consider dancing but also you have to look how respectful the person is when they are out there.

[LiLT206]

I judge by the way they dance... WHEN I judge lol.. I've only judged once.

But some people, can be very good dancers, and at a smaller powwow, won't dance as good as they can, but some people pick them anyways because they 'already know how they dance' so... yeah.

[crazynavajoe]

Originally Posted by sneek a peek

well its kinda hard to judge when they all stare at you like they are watching wether you pick them or not.....

LMAO - NO DOUBT!!! I thought I was the only one who hated that!!!

[ABENEWA KWE]

Originally Posted by kiyaanii mom

Everyone is going to say "by the way they dance"

Except the Super honest. LOL

lol ...funnnieeeee ... hey .. i judge by the way they dance & their outfits .... no favortism here ... and care less for big namez .. if your good your good in my book.

laterz

[ABENEWA KWE]

Originally Posted by badmaninc

I pick whoever is willing to offer me the best deal. AYE!!!!

What I will always deduct points for is if somebody is up there chewing gum or they are just trying to hard to look cool. If you powwow dance then you should be proud of the dance itself rather than the image you are trying to convey. Wearing gangster thug life junk. Same with fancy shawl dancers who show their belly piercings. I always consider dancing but also you have to look how respectful the person is when they are out there.

[kneegrow_native]

[kneegrow_native]

First and foremost......DO THEY DANCE IN BEAT!!!!!!!! If not, they I do not pick them.

Next, dance ability, and if there are two dancers who are two close to call, then I wait to see who has the better endurance, if they are the same then I check out their outfits and go with the better put together outfit. But if one blatantly over or understeps, drops something off their outfits it helps my decision making process.

Also, if someone comes running onto the floor while the dance contest is already going, I don't care how good they dance or who they are, I don't consider them.

[wndcty]

I admit I will pick some of my friends, but I can't help it if they are good but I never pick by big names, usually I'm more critical of them, As a spectator I watch who dances intertribals and notice who only makes grand entry and walks around. I go to alot of pow-wow's in MN, SD, ND, WISC and MT, don't go to Canada much anymore, but I will be fair I don't give my friends an automatic first either, but I keep my eyes open for the dancers with great ability regardless of their outfits, especially the little kids, I hate it when so and so go running out there to fix something on their little ones outfits just so everyone will know that he/she is a big name's kid. Then it carrys to jr, teens etc. Also I notices people all of a sudden say Hi ! to you after you are a judge. I was a judge in Prairie Island one summer, and did I have old friends shaking my hand, I thought they forgot who I was, because I used to dance jingle in the 70's and 80's and used to win at bigger pow-wows when they started having jingle dress catergories, I met alot of people and made many dresses for some of the old style champs. But any who, it usually comes down to who you are and who you know....for reals.

[WhoMe]

I give high scores to the dancer who makes an effort to give me a good show! (this does not count in the traditional categories as I look for someone who 'really does' dance traditional!)

If you watch a lot of champions (in fancy, grass, shawl), they dance around the outside of the other dancers. They go from judge to judge and "turn it on" in front of each individual judge or group of judges. (It's part of the game for those of you who are new).

I'm CERTAINLY NOT going to give a good score to someone who dances on the far side of the arena in one area (again I am not talking about traditional dancers).

[yeeee]

I VOTE FOR THE GUY I CAUGHT A RIDE WITH --OR-- I VOTE FOR THE DUDE OR BABE THAT CAUGHT A RIDE WITH ME TO THE POWWOW!!!!

don't tell me there is no one out there that hasn't done that!!!

[Wakalapi]

1. Footwork. Are their foot movements consistently sharp and crisp (not mushy and sloppy)
2. Honor Beats. Do they do something to appropriately "acknowledge" the drum for this?
3. Stopping. Do they stop in sync with the drum, or do they take extra steps and later realize DUH THE DRUM STOPPED?
4. Outfit. I can understand beginners/underbudgeted/whatever but does their outfit at least show that they (or their relatives) put forth some EFFORT?
5. Endurance. 3rd or 4th dance and still smilin' and goin' strong? Or got that "wherez the bathroom" or "my knees hurt" long face going on?
6. Tail. Do they hesitate for a moment at the end of the last pushup in case the drum adds a tail to the song? Movement during the pause before the tail is a big turnoff for me.

I run a youth drum with boys age 6-13 (mostly 10-12), all from Yakama Valley or just south at Georgeville/Goldendale. At the Wapato Longhouse Christmas Powwow I was asked to judge Jr. Boys. There were lots of local boys, including some from my drum.

Who'd I pick? Forrest Scabbyrobe, a boy that I don't really know, because I thought he had the best FOOTWORK. (Most of the other boys did good in that dance, but this was a "pick one per judge" type contest.)

[stillrezin]

i judge and give the edge to the girl who sang behind me at the drum or if she showed me some leg.