Differences between old school fancy dancing and new school fancy dancing????

[hermanyhorses]

Old school fancy dancing is that most stick to the same steps and new school fancy dancing is that they swing their shawl all over and just all messed up. But thats my opinion
Tell me your opinion??????

[Kamama]

To me, it doesnt really matter if someone does old school or new school, as long as the dancer is graceful in movement, and can dance on beat. I did old school for several years, and last year decided I wanted to try my hand at new school, just to see if I can...Im 31 years old, so, trying to learn some of those new school moves has been and still continues to be a challenge for me. I'm enjoying it though. I work with some younger girls during the winter and try to teach them what I know. (which isnt everything, and to me, my dancing still needs improvement, but, I can atleast get them started) Some of these girls want to learn the new school moves, and if I am going to work with them, and teach them, then I too, need to learn these moves. Anyways, Im starting to slide off topic here. So, back on track... both are good. I have no preference. Just dance and be happy :)

[ndnMSW]

Old school fancy dancing is that most stick to the same steps and new school fancy dancing is that they swing their shawl all over and just all messed up. But thats my opinion
Tell me your opinion??????

Please, don't be shy.....tell us how you REALLY feel. Aye!

I'm just kidding. I'll post more on this topic later, I got work to do....lol.

[ballin_n_shawlin]

hmmm ol skool or new skool?? u'd have 2 define that for me ha ha... but from what i can see... the fancy dancers now.. just run around, spin, and throw there shawls around.. with out any foot work what so ever!!! not a fan of that... so maybe that makes me ol skool ha ha... but i love watching women with great foot work and who's shawl work is gracefull... there's no reason for a shawl 2 ride up to your shoulder blades (almost an exaggeration lol) and ur skirt thigh high.. just cuz ur running around...

[Dovie Shannon]

i think a good balance of both footwork and shawl work looks good to me.

[Kamama]

Since my last post on here, I've had some time to go to a pow wow, and watch some old pow wow video footage and just watch. Did some searching for old skool shawling and really liked some of the older footwork I was seeing, I was impressed. I really enjoy seeing all the really nice footwork and some shawl work together. Im not all into seeing just spinning and spinning and spinning and spinning, it takes work to do footwork, and I like seeing an even mixture of both. More footwork, and spin when the beat calls for it.

[anishnaabekwe]

Well, I'm so old school my memory may be failing but the way I member it

Fancy dance used to match the rhythm and feeling of the music better. I remember the girls would all spin at the same time on the honour beats and they would spin a bit faster - 360 degree turns used to be popular too.

The footwork I remember was fancier and more complex. Every girl had her own distinct footwork style -- some of them were quite elaborate. The best ones had "balon" that's a ballet term that means you're right on the beat and moving from position to position with smoothness and grace - not jerky. I thought the old style was more graceful and lighter -- more balletic -- your weight was further forward and you danced more up on toes than with the whole foot on the ground and knees bent (like the guys). The MC's would always comment about how ligthly the ladies danced on the earth. I also remember much higher kicks on the downbeat and the spinning was more controlled and graceful, with fancy footwork steps echoed and included while you were spinning. I think we used our whole body more- especially our arms a lot more, raising one arm to an honour beat and kind of swaying our shoulders more with the music - like the way a ladies traditional dancer works her shawl.

Crowhops (double beat) used to be a lot more popular back in the day. We used to beg the drum to give us more and more of them. It was like punking out on Saturday night. There was a lot more intersting and complex footwork for double beat also. We used to actually watch crows hopping on the grass for inspiration.

I think that new school might not look as interesting because the older ladies haven't taken the time to pass on our style to the next generation so a lot of it got lost. They look like they're just running around because they haven't been shown the old steps. On the other hand, I do enjoy dancing exhibitions and inter-tribals with the younger girls - they have a raw energy and a passion that some of us old broads have lost.

I'd like to see more young women interested in fancy. It seems like all the young girls want to be a jingle dancers now a days and I'd hate to see the dance form disappear.

The next generation just has to find their own style. Even if we could teach them all the old steps, they still need to make them their own. One thing pow wow NDNs are real good at is reinventing ourselves. I've always wondered why the young dancers don't incorporate more hip hop into their dancing (not the immodest parts of it, of course)

Well that's just my opinion.

Love to hear what others think.

[nativedancer5]

well back when I danced fancy I was taught REALLY old school like the exabition dance at NMAI powwow a few years ago. but now my daughter wants to dance fancy and since she dances competitively in clogging, street funk and jazz and also a cheerleader and has ballet classes mixed in too. I'm sure she'll bring all that to the circle with her.I'm hoping for a little of old school and new.

myself I like it when it's light and graceful with alot of good footwork.

[pow-wow person]

As I was saying "thats what so cool about fancy shawl outfit has changed and I really like the way the shawls are now. I remember when it was just a shawl, maybe they could get back to the "float like a butterfly" thing instead of trying to put holes in the ground (referring to the footwork) these days it looks like they are really working hard when they are competing, I thought it was supposed to look effortless? " That was a post I put in the other forum but I agree with the footwork being different from back in the day, but the new fancy shawl outfits are great. We actually started putting designs on them in the early 80's, so I was there!! I saw! I was aware, (ahbleza!!)

[they_drag_him]

well back when I danced fancy I was taught REALLY old school like the exabition dance at NMAI powwow a few years ago. but now my daughter wants to dance fancy and since she dances competitively in clogging, street funk and jazz and also a cheerleader and has ballet classes mixed in too. I'm sure she'll bring all that to the circle with her.I'm hoping for a little of old school and new.

myself I like it when it's light and graceful with alot of good footwork.

I heard that ballet does not mix with fancy shawl. French and Native American do not mix.

[pow-wow person]

fancy shawl

I don't think there is much difference in the dance steps its what you do with the basic steps that makes the difference, for a dancer, creating your own style is what makes any style(traditional, fancy, grass or jingle) of dancing unique, there is only so much that you can do with the basics of powwow dancing and the rest is your own.

[nativedancer5]

I heard that ballet does not mix with fancy shawl. French and Native American do not mix

what I was saying that with all of her knowledge and her dancing ability she will be bringing that into her learning the fancy shawl steps as well. One of the early fancy shawl dancers (Julie Roach-Rinconte) has said that she took her tap dancing skills into her fancy dance.

[they_drag_him]

what I was saying that with all of her knowledge and her dancing ability she will be bringing that into her learning the fancy shawl steps as well. One of the early fancy shawl dancers (Julie Roach-Rinconte) has said that she took her tap dancing skills into her fancy dance.

That is a bit odd and strange but if she wants to infuse and mutate, I say let her do what she wants.

[ballin_n_shawlin]

i used a little bit of tap (modified) of course when i danced! i think i see girls do the same thing now.. but don't really realize where it came from! I used love stealing grass dance moves too!! ha ha ha... just as long as it's done w/ grace!! there's no reason 2 look all manly out there dancing :p just MHO

[DancingBlueButterfly]

I teach a few girls in Western Mass ranging from ages 8-16, and I try my best to teach them a mixture of both old school and new. However, some of them don't get the point that they are supposed to look light and airy like a butterfly, and I see them too often either being WAY too stiff, or landing really hard on the ground, especially during turns.
I know myself I have some trouble doing some of the fancier footwork because I'm fairly overweight and have arthritis, but I do try.