Straight Contest @ Sky City?

[Str8Dancer49]

OK, anybody here saw the straight dance contest and results at Sky City? Kelly deserved to get in, but dang, talk about some hoppin around fools.... and not only over stepping the ending, but dang, just kept on dancing like 3 or 4 beats past the end of the song.... and guys STILL got in. :Thinking

And Luvs was giving some digs against guys like Larry McCurtain and Vernon Harragarra for "running around like racehorses" (buhhhh, we'll agree to disagree on that...), dang Luvs, you shoulda seen this one guy, not only hoppin all over, catching some big air, like a foot off the ground, but guy made about 5 laps around the arena..... and that was just the first push-up!

And for the record, I'm not trying to prop myself up here.... but I sure as he!! don't hop! Dang, I'd never really noticed how bad some of those guys can get till Luvs and MaggieB started talking about it - I saw those guys and thought "THAT'S what they mean by hoppin!" And just for the record, I sucked on Friday night's go 'round, and figured I was out, even though I NAILED my songs on Saturday.... but when Otto Hamilton, Angelo Normand, and some other styley cats get shut out by some of those dudes acting like a kangaroo and can't even get close to the ending, well dang, I just don't know what to say anymore :wall:

OK, discuss amongst yourselves....

[CHEROSAGE]

Just goes to show you what these "Judges" don't know.

I'll just stay to my slower more stylish step.

[uppit]

Hipity-hopping dancing!

Str8Dancer49, don't know which one you were but gotta agree with you. I stopped by Fri.-n-Sat. and got an eye full of what-not straight dancin is. Never seen so many put their dance sticks to the ground and "GO" completely around to make a full circle, including Kelley Switch. If I was judging, that would be one thing a dancer wouldn't get my vote on, along with the running.
I found out who the winners were and the only one I can agree with is the Toppah boy. You talk about nailing the songs, just about all over stepped, that too would not get my vote.
I guess i'm just an ole geezer cause I like the real "Old Style".
Being at a pow-wow like that with a Northern AD, you really can't expect for good ole dancers to win or place. Like the Golden Age being combined, that doesn't give the Straight Dancers a chance. I thought that ole geezer "pawtoeman" had a chance if anyone did. but I heard he got the gate toooo.
"CHEROSAGE", I will agree with you on the Slow Stylish dance step that they do around Pawnee, Red Rock (Otoe's) and Ponca City. Do you think that these young one's have ever been aroung these parts to see just how there suppose to dance? Guess not.

[Str8Dancer49]

yup

You guys got it right - summa those judges knew less than some of those dancers..... and four things you'll never see me do is haul a$$ around the arena (though I'm not the slowest guy out there), jump around, put my stick on the ground, or make a complete turn. Thinking back, the Toppah kid was the only one who placed who didn't do any of those things - I gotta admit that I didn't pay a whole lotta attention to Kelly cause I was so shocked by some of those guys hoppin all over in the first group Sat nite (I was in the 2nd), so I musta missed him putting his stick down, plus I don't usually get to watch him that close when I gotta go up against him.

I'm not sure if it was the AD's fault for not knowing knowlegable judges to pick (though that's propably part of it), but there's a rumor that the tabulators had their hands in the mix more than they should have. Case in point: One woman (who will remain nameless) missed Friday's GE and the first one on Sat; plus missed the contest round on Friday nite and the exhibition Saturday afternoon.... and she still got 3rd in her category! I just can't figure out the math on that one, so that rumor (ugly as it may be) might hold some weight. Oh well.... isn't the first or last time on that kinda deal.... now we'll know what to expect out there.

And uppit, were you the one that talked to me in the parking lot Saturday nite while I was getting changed? Complaining about all those crazy guys? If not, whoever that guy was had just about the same criticisms as you put in your post....

[CHEROSAGE]

I do have a related (?).
Don't the dancers that over step, bow out and leave the arena before the lineup? I know that I haven't been to very many contest in the past few years, but that is the only gentlemanly thing to do. It's just plain manners and honor. I know that I'm not perfect and have over stepped (especially when the drum plays with a song), I just simply walked off and sat down kicking myself. Thank god I was just wearing my Mocs.

I hope that if OUR children and grandchildren have learned nothing else it is to do what is right no matter what.

I think these contest are getting out of hand. We just don't go to very many though I have done well in the past at them. We don't enjoy the cut-throat and hectic schedual. We enjoy the more leisure dances for the family, just have fun. I can still strut my stuff when I get the Spirit. Such a time would be, the Ilonshkas.

Just my observations!!!!!!!!

[Str8Dancer49]

Hey Bob.... you hit the proverbial nail on the head! I've gone and sat down several times cause I missed the ending on a song - just made me work 100 times harder and really LEARN those songs. Heck, even if it's a brand new song, you got 3 push-ups to listen to that ending before you gotta stop! And I've really got no big problem w/ folks who "fake" the ending - you know, end w/ a foot in the air, freeze real quick, then walk out of it like you meant to do that! haha.... we've probably all done that once or twice. My problem is w/ the guys who just dance right past the end of the song as if the drum and the song was just a suggestion.... it's not only an issue of "manners and honor" like Bob said, but it's also an issue of respect for that drum.

You're right about the contests getting outta hand - I think that's exactly why no one hardly ever sits down anymore. My deal is this - if I'm judging, people who straight out miss the ending don't EVER get my vote, and it seems the judges' job is to enforce those rules.... so, I don't think we can blame dancers for not sitting down if the judges are gonna go ahead and vote for them anyway. Maybe the AD's should start publicly pointing out guys who missed - "You missed the end - go sit down!" Gaw, think how quick that would get all this stuff under control! Really no different than a whipman at a formal dance announcing that sombody broke a rule... not meant to shame any one out, just to educate and reinforce those rules. When I see a dancer take himself out of the contest due to an over step, I'll try to go shake his hand, slip him a buck or two (when I got cash! being broke sucks!) to show my appreciation for that honorable act, and maybe to help out w/ a cup of coffee or coke for the road - cause I definately know what it's like to not get in and be riding on vapors, hoping you make it around that next corner and get to the house! haha...

And Bob.... do you ever go to the Comanche War Dance?... one's coming up at the end of October.... from some of your previous posts, I know you know Melvin, Jr., so I'm thinking I've at least seen you around someplace.... anyway, that's where I'll be, cause like you said, that's one place you can go and dance and worry about the Spirit instead of the almighty $$.

[records_all_drumz]

Sup peeps, y'all make some good points about straightdancin. Sounds like maybe sizzortail sang a trick song or two and most dancers went over huh? Were they straight dance songs or the trot dance version? just curious.

I have my feeling who cut up, hopping around the arena 3-4 four times on the first push up.

Never seen most of these guys dance before just a few. That first place winner switch? is he a good old style type straight dancer or contemp?

[WhoMe]

_______

I don't want to bash Kelly (Switch) for winning at Acoma Sky City because he is a good and humble person.

The truth of the matter is . . . At competition powwows, the people who select their judges, pick people who are familiar faces on the Powwow Trail - even though their judging experience on a specific style of "traditional" dance may be limited to the competitors they see at other competition powwows.

This is the sad truth.

So of course you can expect them to judge straight dancers on how hippity hoppity, shakity shoulders, dance azz-backward, make funny faces and put their stick to the ground and dance circles around it! . . . All the things traditional straight dancers are taught NOT to do.

But as it has been said over and over annnnnnd over here in powwows.com "If it is a competition powwow, you can do anything you want?"

[LSS]

_______

I don't want to bash Kelly (Switch) for winning at Acoma Sky City because he is a good and humble person.

The truth of the matter is . . . At competition powwows, the people who select their judges, pick people who are familiar faces on the Powwow Trail - even though their judging experience on a specific style of "traditional" dance may be limited to the competitors they see at other competition powwows.

This is the sad truth.

So of course you can expect them to judge straight dancers on how hippity hoppity, shakity shoulders, dance azz-backward, make funny faces and put their stick to the ground and dance circles around it! . . . All the things traditional straight dancers are taught NOT to do.

But as it has been said over and over annnnnnd over here in powwows.com "If it is a competition powwow, you can do anything you want?"

This is so very true. It has pissed me off when I've been out there dancing my butt off and to see someone w/ a big name doing something bass-ackwards to take top place

What do you do?

[Sharky]

:karate:

just my two cents worth, I've also noticed the racehorses in the areana and have often woundered about the judging. It's a good thing that I go to these Pow wows to enjoy the dance and meet other people. I love to straight dance and am never concerned about money and winning. I just try to do my best and honor the traditions and the ones of the past. I am actually more concerned with keeping in practice and shaking out my duds so that I will be prepared for the soicety dance later in the summer.