Energy levels: Consistent or Crazy at the front?

[JimmyJatt463]

There are many styles of dancing bhangra and I've noticed a change in energy management recently.

Some teams try and keep energy consistent throughout the set and keeps legs/arms going even when dancers go to the back or the side. Other teams seem to relax when they go to the back and energy rises only when dancers are front and centre. This happens in many highly competitive teams as well as freshly formed teams.

Comp rubrics don't outline this issue specifically so wanted to know everyone's thoughts.
What is better? Go ham at the front or consistent energy throughout?

 

[sdadoo15]

I actually think most rubrics do mention this (at least most that I have seen), and almost all tend to favor consistent energy throughout. If the rubrics themselves do not mention this specifically, then almost every judge I have seen will mention to maintain consistent energy throughout during the pre-comp judges meeting.

While it may be more fun to watch one person going ham while they are in the front, I think overall most people like to see all dancers killing it the at the same level regardless of where they are on stage. I've found that the best dancers in my opinion are people who I can follow for an entire performance, whether they are in the front or back left corner of stage, and that can only happen if they have consistent energy. That being said, I don't think any dancer should every hold back what they are capable of when they are in front (ex. dance at 70% when they have the energy to go 90%) just to maintain that team-wide energy consistency.

 

[Howie Magz]

I say consistent energy is the better way to go. However, when people come to the front dead center, I would like them to add a little nahkra to the step. This does not mean that they should look like they are going buck wild. There have been too many instances in the past when people come dead center and go buckwild and look like a chicken who has recently lost its head. In terms of judging, consistent energy throughout will always win, but in today's circuit I have seen so many people when they touch that back of stage all of a sudden slack off. Judges always look to the back of stage in order to catch those people slack off in energy.

 

[scaplash]

Agree with Howie and Sahil- consistent energy def will get rewarded by judges. I think invariably people will go "more HAM" in the front, but the point to consider is the level of dichotomy in energy of people in the front versus the back. There invariably will be one, and I think it adds hype to segment drops and execution, but I think there is a generally accepted level of dichotomy- if it is too high of a difference, it's gonna be counter productive, but if everyone's at 80% and the people in the front crank it up to 90%, I'd be willing to argue that it would be beneficial for that segment.

 

[desi99]

Since when has "High Energy only in the front" became an option for Bhangra? I mean if you are making a set where you are running around the stage 80% of the time and only 20% bhangra, or have unfit dancers that will die out at the 4-minute mark, by all means, do what you have to do.
But Then again That is just ridiculous. go Ham or go Home. Dance as a team with the same exact style and energy level, and don't be that one person who stands out.
Conserve your energy, in slow graceful segments like jhoomer, chaal/jugni, sammian, etc.

 

[Jasnoor98]

Strongly agree with what's been mentioned above. I had recently been complemented in a performance for noticeable energy by one or two judges, which seemed to be a positive critique. When we had asked what separated our performance from those who placed above us, surprisingly another judge mentioned that perhaps "orange jodi was a bit out of place" for the same reason. This quality definitely fits into the list of things that discern like first, second, and third placings.

Energy levels vary across teams just by virtue of the segments they use and the speed of their dancing. I think its helpful when dancers avoid excessive personal nakhra and move variations (also been called out for that myself haha). It's tempting to dance like this because the audience remembers those dancers after the performance is over, frequently in a good light but sometimes negatively too. Giving a bit more audience interaction with stronger moves definitely helps the performance when you're in the front, but this is all weighed relative to how your team members dance too.

Great question by the way.