The Showdown was a spectacular affair. All groups should be congratulated for putting on a great show. There can only be one winner, however, and it is a shame that the aftermath of the Showdown has been characterized by bickering and poor sportsmanship, instead of congratulations. As a member of the AHANA Leadership Council, I would like to come out on my own terms to address many of the thinly veiled attacks on our recent event.
First of all, for those who spoke out against an event "that pits apples and oranges against each other and asks judges to decide which is better," (See "Almost Phaymus," Feb. 1) the Showdown has traditionally consisted of two categories. Groups can either take part in the cultural dance competition, won by MASTI this year, or the dance competition, which was won by F.I.S.T.S. The Showdown brings all types of dance groups together, and demonstrates the incredible diversity of performing arts within the AHANA community.
It also gives many performers a stage and an audience that they otherwise would not be able to reach. I believe the competitive style of the event contributes to, if not determines, the high level of energy we all saw. If there were no trophies, would groups have performed at that level? What's more, if Phaymus had won, would they be calling for the abolition of the competition aspect of the event? I think not. The idea that hip-hop groups like Phaymus and Synergy should not compete with step groups like F.I.S.T.S is incongruent with the high level of competition and performance that the ALC has worked hard to foster.
Splitting up the 11 dance groups according to the type of dance they do is ludicrous. Following that line of thought, F.I.S.T.S. would be in a group all by itself (Step), and Fuego would too (Latin dance). That would leave just Synergy and Phaymus in hip-hop dancing from Boston College, and while I'm sure these groups want to go head to head, perhaps they shouldn't aspire to do it on the ALC's budget. In response to the claim that the judges had no idea what they were doing, and that they made a mistake, "robbing" Phaymus, I ask: rob them of what? Was something promised to Phaymus because they were "robbed" last year, too? The judges this year were completely different from last year's, so any misgivings concerning the fifth annual Showdown are null now, and have absolutely no bearing on what happened this year. We stand by our selection of judges, and I find it presumptuous that people are questioning these judges, since they all have acclaimed dance and performing arts accolades.
