COPY CATS!!! They Just keep biting

[dancing_plumes]

I know there has to many more out there, What do you's do, how do you handle the situation, when someone just outright copies your style of dance or style of outfit. It becomes really fustrating, when it is a adult, I can see children picking up things, but a adult!!!
So all you trend setters do you have a monkey see monkey do, stalking all your ideas.

[MayChe]

There's not much you can do. Isn't that what trendsetting is? I think it's ok as long as they recognize that they didn't start the trend first. Give credit where credit is due.

[apacheheart]

Yeah,it's crazy sometimes.I can see if you watched a few dancers,incorporated their moves to your own style just to enhance it,but to copy an outfit and dance style exactly is just a no-no.There's alot of folks out there who will use bits of things they happen to see on other dancers just because they're "feelin'"that particular item,and as long as it's just for looks and it has no real significance other than eye candy,then go ahead.Beadwork styles are VERY personal to some dancers and one should exercise caution should they ever get the notion to copy someone else's colors or patterns.
As far as dance moves,I know guys who watch powwow dance videos like they're watching fight footage! They will rewind,fast forward,and study for hours ONE particular move ,then try to figure out how they can switch it up to make it "their own"...To me,as long as you acknowledge the originator of that move,and not copy another dancer's trademark steps to the letter,and claim them as yours,then it's all goot....keep smilin'1

[superndngyrl]

What can you do? Go all rezzy and beat the other person up? no.

I think everyone takes moves and design styles from everybody else. Its hard to be original out there.

[WhoMe]

Sometimes it boils down to making a "fashion statement."

I just saw a Dakota elder who said that in her day they wore plain colored dresses to dance in. Then some young girls from the Ft. Berthold reservation came to their reservation with bright calico colored dresses. The next summer this was becamethe trend in dance dresses at the Standing Rock reservation powwows.

I remember when my sister was performing with us and made friends with some Aztecs. They taught her how to sew on rhinestones to her beadwork. CopyCat? Yes. She wore them on her crown at the Gathering and the rest is history!

I also made a black and white eagle tail fan for my ex when she was asked to be head lady dancer at a large Oklahoma powwow. Until then, southern women only used hawk, macaw and other assorted bird feathers as fans. She protested and said that she didn't want to carry a "man's fan" in the arena. But she did ... and the rest is history.

[Nezbah]

Hmmmmmmm well my take is that originality is what gets you noticed. I see many many dancers who either dance the same style as say, so and so, etc but who is going to get noticed? the one who dances like so and so or the one who dances his own? I think and hope more experienced judges will judge based on their own dance styles than a copy cat, but then again, we also know its more about who's who than anything. I just tell my son, dance your style, dance what's in your heart. He watches videos of other adult dancers but will put a lil more spin on a move that he likes. However, he's really only watched about 1 DVD of dancing, everything else is something he conjures up in his mind or what he's feeling at the time. Dancing should come from the heart and not a video.

However, if you do copy someone else's move, like others say, give the credit where its due. My lil one will say, hey, I wanted to use a move Adam Nordwall, Randy Paskemin, or someone else did that one day....... And there are some dancers who have taught him or even 'given' him their moves, you can't assume something without asking that dancer. Go up and ask them hey, where'd ya get that move? or compliment them, than to judge them from afar. I have always taught my son to respect everyone style and learn from the ones he's admired the most. But in the end, its just about heart.

But I don't think people should get all jawned out because someone 'took' a move, it should be more of a compliment that someone likes your style of dancing enough to mimick it. Getting all upset about it is just a waste of time, only in your heart you know where a move or a style truly came from, knowing that should be enough to just let it go.

I think thats a $1.00's worth there.....hahaha.

Shoooooooooot, just dance, dance from ya heart, let your feet go and just dance!

[southernx_hunnie08]

Shoooooooooot, just dance, dance from ya heart, let your feet go and just dance!

that is how i feel i mean yeah there is a lot of people out there that would copy your dance style or the way that ur outfits look and use them but you should feel honored about it that someone even likes the way u do things...obviosly if u think it looks good then others would think the same way and want to use it.....to e it wouldn't bother me one bit ......


but that is just my opinion on it...

[Mato Winyan]

It all depends on how it all comes together too. There are only so many geometric designs out there for example. So of course they are going to be used all over the place. Now if there is someone that knows you and has the same design..... order...... and colors...... then I would have to go have a "talk". Now if it is our family designs and colors......... THEN comes the beat down.

[Coyot_In_The_House]

What came 1st Da Chicken or dee Egg?

Is it possible your "moves" or "style" was borrowed as well? Even worse it could be borrowed and you don't even realize it? Now before you get your tail feathers in a bunch...The I, Me, My Syndrome won't get you far....

[tweety_rez]

copy cats

Yes, I know what you mean. I think copy cats are just a part of life as loathesome as it may be.

What I really dislike and guess I doesn't really matter is cause they do it anyways is copy cat beadwork. Do you have any idea how long it takes to make beadwork and then turn around and next season someone has your same background color and same or near same design? DANGGGGGG.

For example look at southern dance in womens, one person showed up with tipi on their crown....now everybody seems to have tipis in their beadwork. One person had a eagle and now there are so many eagle outfits but dang when they get down to using the same back ground colors tooo??? Why don't we just mass produce beadwork and put made in China on it?

Can you tell some body copy catted me????? (is catted a word?)

Where is originality safe these days? Can people just respect the art and originality and then move on to create their own work please?

[shorty]

you must be pretty dang AWESOME if everyones tryn to copy you look like n do like u caz some of us never get copied !~but itz all good lol~~!

[billyjoejimbob]

You are gonna hafta start copyrighting your moves!!!

[tweety_rez]

Nothing said about moves

Hey billy whatchamajigger nobody said nothing about copying my moves, but I did say coping beadwork. I am talking about art, not everyone has the ability to design good art.

Thats all I was talking about, to heck with moves, there are only so many moves that can be done, so yeah the are all gonna look pretty much the same out there, just that some put more soul into it.

[origstyle_singer]

Tell me about it!!

Yah, so here this one time.....As a singer....I was forever being the "drum hopper" back in the day. This was when there were mostly just Tradish pow-wows and you could just sing with anyone. So there I was just as happy as can be. Singing with this drum and that and just carrying that drum stick around in one hand got to be too much. So I just stuck it in my back pocket and would walk, jog, and/or run to the next drum in line. Next thing you know.....a bunch of singers at the next pow-wows after and since have carried their drum sticks in their back pockets. What a bunch of copy cats!!! AAAYYYYYEEEE!!!
Couldn't resist this one...
Or as "Whome" says..."and the rest is history".

[tweety_rez]

Examples of what I'm talking bout

http://www.powwows.com/galleries/showphoto.php?photo=653&cat=518&perpage=45

Here is one of the first I seen sporting Tipi on their beadwork and center of crown.

Now check out all these copy cats!!

http://www.powwows.com/galleries/showphoto.php?photo=11048&cat=518&perpage=45

and then

http://www.powwows.com/galleries/showphoto.php?photo=8760&cat=518&perpage=45

and

http://www.powwows.com/galleries/showphoto.php?photo=6659&cat=519

I could go on and on....and how do you know who is the copy cat? Well Like I said first Tookie came out with hers and all the rest appear in the next seasons.