Pros/Cons of NB3

[rajsandhu88]

Hey guys!

Recently, this weekend there was a competition in Stockton that goes by the name of Notorious Bhangra. I have talked to many people including team/committee members and I have come up with a list of the pros and cons of this weekend. This is my own opinion along with the opinion of anonymous people from this weekend, so don't hate.

I'll start off with some pros from this weekend:

1. Teams were properly fed (i.e water cases & snack bags)
2. Majority of committee members were friendly to teams
3. If teams had issues, issues were taken care of right away
4. Audience POV: The show was timely and it ran smoothly

Now moving onto the cons:
1. Although, there were some nice committee members (shoutout to Afsheen, Gurmeen, Anu, Sundeep, and Sam), they were outweighed by the ruder committee members, whose names I will not post.
2. Teams were NOT treated with respect.
3. Attitude was being given left and right by the head of Notorious Bhangra, talking to some teams I heard many complaints about this issue.
4. No official hotel, everyone was scattered around everywhere and there was no way teams could help each other out without having to travel.
5. Mixer was short, ran late and ended early.
6. Some liasions were not taking care of their teams.
7. Audience POV: Hosts were very boring, people wanted to leave early. You want the audience to stay throughout the whole show, so it is important to keep your audience entertained.

Lastly, this is all I came up with, I hope to see teams comment on this thread with their agreements, disagreements, and/or opinions.
Remember to treat your teams with respect because they are the ones running your show. I understand that there will be heated arguments but you must always act professionally. These teams work really hard to make your show a success, the least the committee can do is make them feel welcome.
Thank you to whoever read this and do reply back!

 

[rajiv0224]

Remember to treat your teams with respect because they are the ones running your show.

I wasn't there, but having been both on a committee and on a team, I can safely say that "running the show" is a two-way street. That is, the committee needs to treat the teams with respect, but the teams also must have respect for the committee.

 

[rajsandhu88]

Yes, that is true. But to give respect, respect must be given. Hope that makes sense

 

[ampal]

Hey BTF,
My team, Alamo City Bhangra, had a great time at notorious overall. Will definitely come back. Props to the committee for hosting a great comp. We also made a little vlog so check it out!

Alamo City Bhangra at Notorious Bhangra III Vlog

Pros
1.Amazing Liaisons! Afsheen and Anveer were seriously so nice and accommodating the entire weekend. They went above and beyond to help us out with anything we needed. Love you guys!
2.Welcoming Atmosphere – The committee treated us very well and we don’t have any complaints. We also had a lot of people landing at different times/airports and we were all picked up and dropped off at a timely manner.
3.As mentioned above, the show ran on time and smoothly which is always great.

Cons
1.Stockton – Nothing much to do there and not to mention its reputation.
2.Mixer – Since we were the first team there, we ended up waiting around for hours before it started.
3.I agree with the no official hotel part. It’d be nice to see all the teams in one hotel.
4.Check-In/ID Issues – We had to carry our ID’s with us everywhere and ended up losing one. The mixer was fine but I didn’t understand why we needed them to enter the show. Esp. since we’re out of state, we need those to get back and we shouldn’t be asked to carry those around everywhere.
5.Even though the liaisons knew everything, we would’ve liked a packet that had all the timings of the different events. For example, we had no idea there was a before and after captains meeting until like an hour before. The captains meeting before the comp should have been the mixer night, in my opinion. It was an hour before we were all supposed to be at the venue and we were all trying to get ready.


Overall we had a blast at this competition. The reason for the cons was usually out of the committee’s control. With that being said they're pretty much all forgivable. Not to mention the pros outweigh the cons!

 

[The Honest Truth]

Weak lineup. Should've been a junior competition. Also the comp itself and the Comittee will never be close to Warrior. Leave Delta College to Warrior please. Hands down the best Comittee and consistent comp in terms of quality of lineup in Nor Cal.

 

[Jags209]

Cons
1.Stockton – Nothing much to do there and not to mention its reputation.

Bruh... I will fight you.

 

[Mans]

Weak lineup. Should've been a junior competition. Also the comp itself and the Comittee will never be close to Warrior. Leave Delta College to Warrior please. Hands down the best Comittee and consistent comp in terms of quality of lineup in Nor Cal.

While the lineup was nothing like it was in previous years that doesn't mean the show can't go on. I like to think of Notorious as a stepping stone for smaller teams to show what they got, regardless if they are still in High School/going to college. With a lot of big teams coming out to Warrior (AG, SMD, CAL Empire etc.) its hard for teams to get exposure on stage and can be used as a tryout video for applying to competitions. Plus its not like there's anything else going on in the summer so I mean why not.

 

[hardeep_singh]

Cons
1.Stockton – Nothing much to do there and not to mention its reputation.

Bruh... I will fight you.

bro, you dont even lift! #LL #i'llfightyouinboston

 

[GSingh]

Pros:

• Decent crowd (Norcal is always soo dry as far as attendance) 700+
• Stage was good size and music was actually a lot better this year. Last year there were 2 feeds coming to the stage (monitors and the hall echo)
• Show started pretty much on time (RARE!)
• The tech team was better than last year but still some issues (see cons)
• Liaison(s) were good. I can only speak for sundeep who took care of us and made sure we were covered. Mostly we were self sufficient the whole weekend because we had plenty of cars and everything was nearby but he brought us lunch and anything else we needed.
• we got a bunch of water - didn't run out. good.
• We stayed in a hotel pretty much by ourselves because of the hotel situation so we practiced in the parking lot. Usually there's a lot of issues with that but we did our thing and dipped with no problems.
• Backstage everyone was in the same room getting ready, which I like way more than separate dressing rooms because its much easier to get help from each other.
• subway was given to us before the performance. I picked off the pepperoncini's. The jalapenos were too hot for Satinder.
• Pizza was given to us after our performance instead of making us wait till like 11pm like several competitions before.
• Judges meeting was right after the performances so we were able to get feedback and insight about our performance.

Cons:

• Mixer: we thought we were late because of work and stuff but it started shortly after the last of us arrived. Samose for appetizers, traditional roti for dinner -- although never an issue, I'd say not the best thing the night before a comp. Played one game of musical chairs which ended sort of weird. Then picked order. Please skip the balloon popping stuff next year because its not only awkward for the girls, but everyone watching too lol. Waste of time IMO. Much faster to just pick envelopes or something. I know almost every comp does it but mixing up the teams and having danceoffs is always fun. Please do more activities (mixer) so I don't feel like I got all dressed up for a 30 minute dinner party .
• The first judges meeting was at 3:00pm on the day of the comp. I don't want to say its useless to have a judges meeting at that particular time, but it is... because nothing they say at all matters. Teams aren't going to go back and change their set in 2 hours because a judge said something about them liking more/less folk/modern stuff. Judges meetings should happen well prior to the show. Perhaps have a conference on google hangouts or something with all the captains and the judges.
• Hotel issue obviously. We didn't get to interact with any other team outside of the dressing room. Being under the same roof would be cool next year.
• Shirts. Committee knows. Teams know.
• Lighting cues: We sent a crap load, hoping at least half would be accommodated for. All we got was color changes on the backdrop. We had a bunch of dims and flashes at key points but those didn't really happen. This was despite having sent the mix and cues in on time.
• Also mix, it's been said before too but turning in the mix a week before the show doesn't make a whole lot of sense. It should be due at the mixer so that the team has the ability to make last minute changes in crunch time. I've been on a committee doing the music playback and lighting cues. Every venue that we've been at programs the cues during tech rehearsals. Atherton may be different but from my experience, pressuring teams to finish their mix well before the show just adds to the stress. Gurmeen was actually extremely helpful with this and understood our situation. Thank you!
• Requiring ID's at any point after the mixer is also kind of redundant. They already have a wristband which means they've been checked in. We almost lost an ID during tech (lost then found).
• Get every one of the committee members on the same page. I could see who was under stress from being overworked and who was laxin backstage.

none of the above is meant to be personal. This is your 3rd year as a comp, which means you've done something right each year to keep coming back. Hopefully you all will take everyone's feedback sincerely and really make it into a premiere comp on the west coast. need moar bhangra in california.

 

[johr jawani da]

I felt like I was sitting down for a junior comp. This comp has had years where the lineup is stacked to the top and now it's just ehh.. Im my eyes .. And to say something about the Committee . They were horrible a lot of attiude was shown and rudeness .. And overall 5/10 comp.

 

[Sue Sylvester]

Weak lineup. Should've been a junior competition.

I don't understand. Please elaborate.

The terms "senior" and "junior" apply to the age of the dancers on the team. Were there a surplus of competent, gifted junior teams in the area that could not apply and compete at the competition due to some registration restriction on age? Or were you just dissatisfied with the quality of the performances and feel that the competition over hyped the teams and somehow believe the should have somehow advertised the "weakness" or "lack of strength" of the line-up (ie: "NOT-TOR-ious Bhangra 2k14"). Would the competition really have been stronger with only high school teams?

 

[DamanSingh]

Also the comp itself and the Comittee will never be close to Warrior. Leave Delta College to Warrior please. Hands down the best Comittee and consistent comp in terms of quality of lineup in Nor Cal.

Committee*

Why the comparison?

 

[The Honest Truth]

Weak lineup. Should've been a junior competition.

I don't understand. Please elaborate.

The terms "senior" and "junior" apply to the age of the dancers on the team. Were there a surplus of competent, gifted junior teams in the area that could not apply and compete at the competition due to some registration restriction on age? Or were you just dissatisfied with the quality of the performances and feel that the competition over hyped the teams and somehow believe the should have somehow advertised the "weakness" or "lack of strength" of the line-up (ie: "NOT-TOR-ious Bhangra 2k14"). Would the competition really have been stronger with only high school teams?

Don't get me wrong, every small team needs a stepping stone comp and Notorious is great for that. Its just that the majority of the teams that went were all relatively new and very, very young so you already knew ahead of time who kind of had the comp in the bag. Maybe "weak" wasn't the right term to use. I think Notorious would be great if they advertised themselves by becoming the first big Under 18 compeition that had the best local as well as National high school teams (independent or school teams) compete against one another. When you book Delta to host the comp which every one knows is where Warrior takes place your essentially trying to compete with them and saying you could it better which is far from the truth. Plus the rude Comittee members on the Notorious Comittee only add on to the problem.

 

[Mans]

Weak lineup. Should've been a junior competition.

I don't understand. Please elaborate.

The terms "senior" and "junior" apply to the age of the dancers on the team. Were there a surplus of competent, gifted junior teams in the area that could not apply and compete at the competition due to some registration restriction on age? Or were you just dissatisfied with the quality of the performances and feel that the competition over hyped the teams and somehow believe the should have somehow advertised the "weakness" or "lack of strength" of the line-up (ie: "NOT-TOR-ious Bhangra 2k14"). Would the competition really have been stronger with only high school teams?

When you book Delta to host the comp which every one knows is where Warrior takes place your essentially trying to compete with them and saying you could it better which is far from the truth.

Not sure about the past but Warrior Bhangra was held at Bob Hope Theatre this year and not at Delta. And just cause you hold it at the same venue doesn't mean you are competing, not like they are held at the same time.

 

[Sue Sylvester]

Don't get me wrong, every small team needs a stepping stone comp and Notorious is great for that. Its just that the majority of the teams that went were all relatively new and very, very young so you already knew ahead of time who kind of had the comp in the bag. Maybe "weak" wasn't the right term to use. I think Notorious would be great if they advertised themselves by becoming the first big Under 18 compeition that had the best local as well as National high school teams (independent or school teams) compete against one another. When you book Delta to host the comp which every one knows is where Warrior takes place your essentially trying to compete with them and saying you could it better which is far from the truth. Plus the rude Comittee members on the Notorious Comittee only add on to the problem.

What % of the teams were really that young? Of the four placing teams, it seems like there were plenty "senior" teams. I can see your point of view if you had 7 brand new high school teams and 1 experienced dominant senior team, but a competition isn't obligated nor should have to be forced to restrict their line-up based on availability of teams.

Not every competition needs to have the best teams. Like you implied, competitions like these offer smaller teams the opportunity to perform, to take part in the competition experience and to simply, exist. There is nothing wrong with having a line-up composed of less experienced teams and the only time that should be up for critique is when the competition advertises it or hypes it up to be something it's not (ie: claiming the line-up to have teams who are captained by the direct descendants of The Bringer Of Storms, Zeus Hyetios). Just because another competition also books your venue shouldn't force you to do something different as long as you think you can still sell the show. Your comment about them "trying to do better than Warrior" seems more like hearsay and the irrelevant quip about the rudeness of the committee members (which could be The Honest Truth but it has nothing to do with this discussion of whether a competition should become a junior event or not) makes you seemed a bit biased.

 

[DamanSingh]

When you book Delta to host the comp which every one knows is where Warrior takes place your essentially trying to compete with them and saying you could it better which is far from the truth. Plus the rude Comittee members on the Notorious Comittee only add on to the problem.

There are a variety of factors that impact venue selection (cost, availability, location, tech staff, venue quality, etc). The committee chose the venue most accommodating to their needs, not because they wanted to "compete" with another show. As Mans said, the two competitions aren't even in the same time frame - they are months apart, so the competition between them is minimal.

No one organizes a show with that childish, "we can host a better comp than you can!" mentality that you alluded to.

You shouldn't suggest that the competition is not deserving of a particular venue simply because you don't like the show.

 

[Saab]

1. Competitions should be able to rationalize turning music in early. If you don't do sound until the day of the show, you should get music the day before the show - most people who hire their own sound guys usually can deal with shitty music. Also, we have evolved so that, although we may still pick up the occasional odd high frequences(reference toronto, 2007 to present), they are mostly mixed well enough to be played through a generic auditorium sound system.

2. Groupme/Walkies/Fbook messenger - these tools should be leveraged so that people can always communicate. A good liaison should be able to to tell you exactly whats supposed to happen before it happens, explain why something doesn't happen if it's supposed, and figure out how to fix it. Liaison's without the ability to do either of the prior

3. Requiring ID's *all the time* shouldn't be a requirement. This isn't TSA and you are not a beer distributor. Liaisons should have an accurate account of who is on a team if there are any random "Roster changes". This should be communicated.

4. Lastly, on the day of the show, there really should be someone in charge of show logistics. Makings sure teams are contacted, people are in the audience, and the show runs smoothly shouldn't be the responsibility of one person. Delegate and let people know, and if you can't find any, think of creative solutions that come in advance. You should literally assume the worst thing is going to happen(Troll in the dungeon, ITS A TRAP, Reading the entire "A series of unfortunate events" books) and either plan for emergencies or establish a chain of command to handle certain issues. Most long standing competitions have explicity internal organiz ational structures to make sure things run well. Do that too!

5. Judging should continue to be refined and adapted. A lot of judges are now retired or nearly retired contemporary dancers who excellent knowledge of bhangra. Most everyone understand the need to be properly notified of how things are going to be judged and how they are going to be judged in relation to the rubric. Judging isn't cut and dry, but a long thought and talked about process that ensures that teams don't get all fuckity when they realize their hard work got flushed down the toilet like three all bean enchiritos.


Bottom line : Indulge teams - at the end of the day you will probably end up spending more time talking to us then any audience member, and our blood, sweat, and tears give y'all the ability to pocket whatever dollah dollah bills y'all need to pocket to throw the competition. Also, setting a professional tone will almost always give you a professional response back.


PPS - went to Notorious One. Thought it was great - just want to point out things this competition and other competitions can work on in general.

 

[yraparla]

3. Requiring ID's shouldn't be a requirement. This isn't TSA and you are not a beer distributor. Liaisons should have an accurate account of who is on a team if there are any random "Roster changes". This should be communicated.

Disagree on this. Competitions should definitely confirm IDs when handing out wristbands or w/e to verify and keep account of all those performing/given special access. This is for insurance and liability purposes and imo important for extreme circumstances. It's not about preventing identity fraud, it's about keeping accurate account of who is allowed where (consider communication with security for example).

Committees just don't need to be so dick about it. But that' pretty much the slogan for most comp complaints anyway: "Yea it was annoying but w/e it was fine except committee were assholes about it"

 

[Saab]

3. Requiring ID's shouldn't be a requirement. This isn't TSA and you are not a beer distributor. Liaisons should have an accurate account of who is on a team if there are any random "Roster changes". This should be communicated.

Disagree on this. Competitions should definitely confirm IDs when handing out wristbands or w/e to verify and keep account of all those performing/given special access. This is for insurance and liability purposes and imo important for extreme circumstances. It's not about preventing identity fraud, it's about keeping accurate account of who is allowed where (consider communication with security for example).

Committees just don't need to be so dick about it. But that' pretty much the slogan for most comp complaints anyway: "Yea it was annoying but w/e it was fine except committee were assholes about it"

Sorry, this should have definitely said at all times. Once is ok and for underages it definitely makes sense, but checking id repeatedly after the fact is pointless.

 

[2 roses Sonia]

Pros: Dancers seemed like they worked their tails off. Nice venue, very spacious. I heard most of the liasons were very helpful. The free lanyards were very cool.

Cons: Ok so where to begin. It was VERY hot the whole time I was there. I would of paid extra for the already over priced ticket for some A/C!!! The hosts were a joke I enjoyed the dances and the giddha more than the dry sense of humor that was displayed. For example "if you are from doaba then sit down"?????? What the heck was that all about! I heard the ID's where very unessacary. Teams didnt get a yellow shirt, instead were given a cheap replacment. I feel as if a lot of corners were cut. I seen some committee members sitting around and others running around. For three years in a row I have heard that there are altercations from the same rude committee members (girls), this comp is notoriously known for that now. People where sneaking in if you're hosting an event then at least pay for some decent security. They said no in and outs but I seen it with my own eyes. For having to put up with those annoying posts for weeks it really was more bark then bite.

overall: I had a good time with my friends but I definitely will not be coming back to notorious I was bored most of the time just my opinion.