Nav Aujla said:
The teams that are scared to step outside the box are the teams that are not capable of doing so. When NJ did vibc, sgpd did groundshaker everyone could not even comprehend what had just happened. If you do not take risks, you might as well buy a ticket to the show rather than compete in it. Top teams have the ability to do raw bhangra as well as modern bhangra. Being creative is not sitting at home and watching a select number of teams and altering what they have just altered in order to get props for your respective team.
Bhangra is not just a folk dance anymore, it is evolving into its own art form. Start expressing yourselves through it and stop being scared of what others think.
I feel like I've been saying this for years now. Finally, someone gets it.
Barua said:
I'm about to go off on a tangent here, but bear with me. I just thought of a new approach to judging:
Specialized judging.
That is to say, each judge would be asked to focus on 1-3 different aspects of the judging rubric, and judge only those criteria across all teams. This would allow each judge to focus his/her attention on only what is necessary, instead of trying to follow every single facet of every team's performance, allowing him/her ample time to take notes and process everything.
Another reason I like this is because each judge is naturally specialized in different areas already. Some, such as myself, are traditional-minded, and the first thing they look for is proper form and grace. Some are creative-minded and like to see unique formations and choreography. Some value uniformity above everything.
So why not play to these strengths and have the judges judge what they know best?
In theory I think this works.
However (and not to be combative or sound like an a-hole), I'm not so sure how I'd feel about itemizing each aspect of a performance. What about the big picture, and the individual elements working together for one performance as a whole? And what about the winner in the moment, the atmosphere during each performance? On the one hand we can proudly claim that bhangra is an art form, and on the other we are itemizing it. Maybe I would just need a little more convincing.
As far as the performances go-I think every team BROUGHT IT. Each individual performance could have placed, if not win, a competition. But I think we can agree that the three standing above the rest were JJ, UNC, and NYPD. Each of them were, simply, amazing. And I say this not because I calculated everything-I say it because each team had a "moment" (I relate everything in moments and I don't know where I got it from), and they were brilliant.
We can all make an argument for each of these teams. Each deserved to win it for their respective reasons.
So I don't blame the judges for reaching the decision for UNC. At very minimum, I can respect it. They were INCREDIBLY clean. They were creative. Drumline-GENIUS IDEA and the crowd ate that shit!! UNC worked their moment like the rent was due that night (again, I don't know where I got this). It's another one of those cases that you had to be there in the crowd to "get it."
But if you asked me, I think everyone walked away a winner that night.
BK pulled off an incredibly clean and fun routine-easily their best yet.
VCU was clean as hell and fun to watch.
AEG-3 person joris, outside of the box thinking, Navi Sandhu-Loved it.
SMD is back, and they will take no prisoners.
APD-I mean, your boy just got engaged!!
NYPD is not "the third all-guys team from Canada." They are a FORCE to be reckoned with!!
JJ-you guys still got it. 16 man folk and intelligent routine.
UNC-Brilliant.
I take that back. If you ask me, I think the real winner of Elite 8 2012 was the audience.