Some Fancy Dancers should retire!!

[old school injun]

I have been to a lot of powwows and I think some well known fancy dancers should retire or switch to traditonal. I t pains me to see them not being able to keep up as they could when they were younger!

[Matasawagon]

LOL :Chatter

[Sweet Syilx]

LOL. Well, I figure if they love doing it, then all the more power to them.

R.

[FancyStar]

The funny part is when they actually take first at those pow-wows, and say " I still got it!"

[powwowpro]

Got any particular dancers in mind with this question? I DO!!! Lol........no really, Grace should never retire cuz she can always keep up. But there are a few who should either retire, get back in shape, quit gripin about getting beat, or just watch a videotape of themselves.

I'm amazed at the women who will think they should still be getting first all the time when they can hardly pick up their feet anymore.......and I'm even more amazed at all the people willing to jump to their defense and act as if they are still in their prime. I admire the women who work hard to stay in shape and are keeping retirement at bay such as:

Grace Her-many-horses
Irene Oakes

The women who are in their 30's but are still kickin butt cuz they work hard to stay in shape:

Shelly Bointy
Donetta Squiemphen (formerly Ewalk), but doesn't travel anymore
????? can't think of anyone else that still dances ??????

Women who are getting older and still shawl dancing good, but having to take it down a notch due to injuries:

Lillian Goodeagle
Cody High Elk-American Horse
Bonnie Thomahsah
Brenda Silva

That's my unbiased OPINION. It does pain me also to see some dancers that can't dance even close to how they used to. If they just love to shawl dance, that's fine, more power to 'em......but quit complainin about not getting first!

[ndnmba]

I don't think fancy dancers ever need to retire, IF they are in shape and not making fools outta themselves. It is kinda hard to watch ladies that you have looked up to over the years start to slow down and lose their edge. Remember Lisa back in the late 80's and early 90's--no-one could touch her, her beadwork was the best and her shawls were always setting the trends. Gracie is still quick and retains her own style. Shelley Bointy is more in shape these days than ever and also has a great beadwork, shawls, and style.

Since alot of the big pow-wows are adding the 35+ category,it will get really interesting when both Lisa and Bonnie move into that age group this winter. I think it will really open up the younger age category to some new winners.

[clrezchik_12]

never gonna quit.

i am never going to retire...ever...i shall be a 90 year old woman and still dancing shawler style....still dancing circles around those younger women....know whutta mean?

[o0onativehoneyo0o]

retirement??
hey whats this about are we forgetting why we dance inthe first place.........do a values check.....here its about healing and celebrating life.....for your self and the people in the circle.......not about winning or losing.....thats just artificial.......

[Two-cents1]

That's really a nice idea, but we all know that not all dancers feel like that, or believe like that, shawl dancers and all other categories. Maybe the ones that think it's all about the contest and "gripe about not taking first" all the time are the ones that should retire since they seem to have lost what dancing is about.

Lol........but that's a whole different thread now isn't it..........

[theepowwowchic49]

I like them

dancing it makes me look even better.

[rwgirl]

I think more pow wows should add the 35 and over categories because it gives the judges a variety of styles to consider. The younger dancers dance more contemporary and I myself, like to see even the golden age jingle and fancy. No one should retire, just because they slow down. The judges sometimes pick them because of the style they represent and that is the style the judges like to pick.
Like I have always said it's all in the judges.

[MishkomekinaakIkwe]

Originally posted by o0onativehoneyo0o
retirement??
hey whats this about are we forgetting why we dance inthe first place.........do a values check.....here its about healing and celebrating life.....for your self and the people in the circle.......not about winning or losing.....thats just artificial.......

Yeppers! Ladies please take these words as a lesson! Remember your roots and where you come from! Have you all read your replies?

[T. Jude Fox]

One should never retire from a pow wow, there are Golden Age Divisions at most powwows, but ya gotta figure if you add a 35+ category that means a whole lot more money the annual powwow committees have to raise. Yeah too we should all remember our own tribes origins of what's now called powwow, but winning is certainly nice too and it's not so much griping, it's just talking, cause peole express themselves how they wish to at powwows and that shouldn't be taken out of context in a webboard or be a primary example.

If we all really want it we can have professional pow-wows that make everyone happy, but that' takes money and hard work. Who's up??

Then again there are only so few indians and pow wows anyway we should take what we can get and find the good times in it.

It's crazy to think of a National Pow-wow Committee or a World Powwow Organization, circuits and such, I still prefer how each rez town does there "own" original/contemp style powwows ...just the way they want to do it, without all the visitors complaining about how it shoulda been. k?

[Blodge_singa_4_life]

well the thought of this idea...well it is sort of "ODD" for me...i mean...if you ever see older ladys dancen Fancy...let them be....they like what there ding...so be it...i mean...what if you were dancen...and someone thought you should just switch to tradish...but then deep down in your heart...you love dancen fancy...wouldnt you feel affended by what other people tell you??...i sure would....so let the older people be...the love doing what there doing...if you dont...deal with it...haha...but much respect for those older ladys still up and kicking:D

[JUS ME]

WHO IS BRENDA SILVA AND WHERE IS SHE FROM