Of no real interest ...

[hrj]

... to anyone not in the SCA in the West kingdom.

Ya know, I think I'm just going to skip October Crown. Too much assorted hoo-hah going on and I'd probably spend most of the weekend either dodging it or being bored silly by other people obsessing over it.

On the whole A&S champion/Golden Poppy front, I can neither acquiesce in "Winning the Golden Poppy is just too gosh darn hard so we'll take the A&S champion's title away from the Poppy and come up with some silly, easy contests to pick a champion" nor can I get all worked up by "Ohmighod! It's the end of the world! The Golden Poppies are being dissed!" Royalty have the right to do all manner of silly and wrong-headed things and they have the right to be held responsible for the silly and wrong-headed things they did down the years to come. Actions. Consequences. Deal. If I let myself get torqued by silly and wrong-headed things in the SCA, I'd have quit a long time ago.

The A&S championship should be damned hard to win! I did it twice (actually probably three times, but that's another story) and I wouldn't be nearly as proud of that if the competition had been dumbed down for fear no one would win it. I find it hard to believe that lowering the bar on the championship and marginalizing the role of the Golden Poppy will result in increased interest in the arts ... but hey, I could be wrong. (I have this silly notion that the way to increase interest in the arts is to Do Art -- and to do it to as high a standard as you know how.) All of which together also makes me uninterested in supporting the watered-down championship by helping judge all the added-at-the-last-minute competitions. (Although I suppose it's naked egotism to assume that I'd be asked.)

And then all sorts of people have been poking sticks in the 4th peerage order ant-hill and watching it boil over.

And if I cared about such things, there's the bit about the results of crown tourney being a foregone conclusion.

Maybe I'll just schedule another mundane camping trip for that weekend. The last one was really fun and it's time for another. Maybe something with a little hiking this time.

Comments

[klwilliams.livejournal.com]

I'd say Do Art to a high standard, while allowing an easy entry option for the person new to the art. For example, Hole in the Wall is a much easier entry option for dance than any of the Italian dances, but we don't dance it anymore. There's also a lot less dancing in general than twenty years ago. Hmm.

[etfb.livejournal.com]

Me, I miss the Bear Dance. It's the only dance that didn't feel like full-body chess, but it doesn't happen any more, now that people take themselves seriously.

And if you think the WK takes its A&S seriously, check out Lochac some time. Apparently we make you guys look relaxed and a little lazy, or so I've heard from Westies who've made the trip.

[kareina.livejournal.com]

They still dance Bear Dance in Ynys Fawr, come on down for a visit!

[dr-zrfq.livejournal.com]

I confess to being uninformed despite many years in the SCA (and dancing)... what's the Bear Dance?

[kareina.livejournal.com]

A dance that has been done in Lochac for ages. They taught it to me on my first visit here in 1990. I would be surprised if someone told me it is actually a period dance, but it is kind of fun. There are words to the song, something about "Dancing bear, dancing bear, with your paws in the air...". It is one which is quite fast, and if there are live musician available, often gets faster as it goes. Much opportunity for spinning and clapping.

[liadan-m.livejournal.com]

False Turkish Bransle

Minor Nitpick

[shalmestere.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't consider HitW an easy "entry option," myself, unless one is comparing it to something like Goddesses or Hyde Park. At the risk of comparing apples to oranges, I can think of Italian dances that are as easy as HitW--and more fun :-) (Anello, Belfiore, Petit Riens...).

Re: Minor Nitpick

[dr-zrfq.livejournal.com]

Petit Riens is easy to learn the basics for... but at least in those areas that go to Pennsic and Gulf Wars, one also has to learn defensive tactics, which are not so easy. ;->

20 years ago in the middle of Atlantia, HitW was considered one of the basic five dances that everyone seemed to be taught early on. The other four were Belle Qui/Carolingian Pavane, Black Alman, Maltese Bransle (SCA traditional version), and Black Nag. (No idea why that was picked as the intro ECD.)

I got talked into teaching an introductory Italian dance class at a newcomers schola this spring -- I decided on Petit Riens and Amoroso. (Most of the folks were familiar with ECDs, so the only step I had to teach was the piva.)

InterKingdom Anthro, Dance Ed.

[shalmestere.livejournal.com]

Hmmm....When I started (Midrealm, 1980) the basic five would have been Mannschaft Pavane, Entre-Courante, Horses' Bransle (to the wrong music), Montarde (ditto), and SCA Maltese (ditto--except that it wasn't Arbeau's Bransle de Malte, either). (HitW and happy-clappy Russian stuff (Korobushka and Troika) were right up there, tho.)

[mad-duchess.livejournal.com]

Yup, I hear you. If it weren't that a friend is getting an award, I'd probably skip it too.

[kareina.livejournal.com]

Sigh. It is difficult *wanting* to go, but being on the wrong continent *and* having too much work to do to finish the thesis to make it, and sit here watching folk who could easily make it saying "I'm not sure I want to go"...

[mariedeblois.livejournal.com]

Interesting. A&S competitions is a current topic of discussion here in the Outlands as well.

[ursula]

And in An Tir.

[thread-walker.livejournal.com]

funny.. I'm stoked about Crown, but I'm stoked "despite" the stuff you list. Cuz I'm on the same page with the same stuff (as you've already heard), but totally looking forward to coming out of my hermit hole to socialize that weekend. maybe hang out and torture the needleworkers. maybe get to see people I haven't seen in a while... and be chill...

[aastg.livejournal.com]

Funny, I was -you should excuse the expression- jonesing for some SCA camping, and this is the first October Crown we've been able to go to for what, 3 years?

So yeah, it's practically a foregone conclusion that the Kingdom would have to hock up a couple of hairballs. Guess I'll have to pack some extra towels...

Sorry you won't be there (but I understand), and I completely agree about the Poppy & Doing Art.

[goldenstag.livejournal.com]

Once again the quote from "A League of Their Own" comes to mind: "It's supposed to be hard. If it weren't hard, everyone would be doing it! It's the hard that makes it great!" -- Jimmy Dugan (I am quoting this off the top of my head, so may have gotten it slightly wrong ...)

[xrian.livejournal.com]

Foregone conclusion? I seem to have missed that part.

Sigh. I'm determined to go, if only to prove to myself that I *can* get out of the house and go camping. And I strongly suspect the Needleworkers would like to see me. They gave their "service award" to a Mystery Person who couldn't be at June Crown, and I strongly suspect I know who it is. Besides, I have embroidery I'd like to work on.

And I'd like to get out of hearing range of ugly *mundane* politics for a while. It just gets worse and worse.

[vittoriosa.livejournal.com]

:-( I totally get your reasons for not wanting to go, but we'll miss you!

(And on the A&S thing -- yeah, I agree, it's ridiculous, but I think it's important that those who *do* enter get a fair shake from judges who really know their stuff. Even if the championship itself is watered down, one would hope that most contestants will enter full-strength art pieces.)

[shalmestere.livejournal.com]

If it were an indoor event, I'd agree with you; I generally find, however, that at camping events I can avoid the stuff I don't enjoy (court and Court Culture) and focus on the things that I do (music; dancing; quality time with the dogs). OTOH, I don't live in the West, and can't really gauge how easy/difficult it would be to avoid the current dhrama you (and a couple others) have described :-)

I'd skip it, too.

[etaine-pommier.livejournal.com]

If I let myself get torqued by silly and wrong-headed things in the SCA, I'd have quit a long time ago. That's why I took five years off - and I find I am considering another hiatus. I seem to be losing ability to not engage, and that bodes badly for my happiness.

If it weren't for the fact that I have a breast cancer fundraiser to run, I'd skip it and we could do something :-)

Meanwhile, though - we'll miss you at B4B!

Re: I'd skip it, too.

[hrj.livejournal.com]

Nothing personal, but I don't consider a cocktail party fundraiser for a non-SCA (however worthy) purpose to be on the positive side of an event's attractions. Which is to say, you would not see me at the B4B even if I were at the event. Sorry.