I am sure that many are familiar with the Zoolander scene when Derek Zoolander gleefully runs onstage to accept his VH1 Fashion Awards Male Model of the Year award, completely oblivious to the fact it was instead meant for rival Hansel.
I am sure at least 1,500 people are familiar with a similar, less comical, and more realistic scene that occurred Saturday at the 2007 AHANA Leadership Council Showdown.
As a freshman on the Phaymus dance team in October, it did not occur to me how big of a deal Showdown was. All I knew was that I was practicing for the "big time" and that my dance captains were whipping out all the stops this year. It was not going to happen again; they were no longer going to be shortchanged.
The makeup of the 2007 "Phaymily," which includes the eight returning members who were accustomed to the feeling of disappointment in the Showdown results and 17 new members who know important this was, refused to let it happen again. Phaymus is a team run on the fuel that is a passion for dancing, a motor that is durable enough to sustain mistreatment, and a team of leaders and dancers determined to go miles beyond of what was expected of them.
The controversy surrounding this year's Showdown, all ticket sales aside, was driven by Fuego's place in the dance category instead of the cultural performance, F.I.S.T.S.' place in Showdown as a step group, and the politics that could potentially influence the decision among the hip-hop groups.
F.I.S.T.S. put on a hell of a show, I was in shock from the difficulty of Fuego's routine and the great technique of the group's dancers, and I thought Synergy's circus theme was creative. But despite my own participation in the group or personal biases, I am not sure how the judges could decide that Phaymus' performance only yielded fourth-place results: on what basis?
During the final pose, I cannot describe to you the feeling we all had to experience: the Phaymus signs go up, people at the edge of their seats, and an overall awe-inspiring reaction from the crowd - people who seemed to be impressed with these underdogs. The congratulations backstage served as additional reassurance.
"And the winner for best dance is…fffaaa…" We rush the stage. "The winner is F.I.S.T.S."
After that incident, other than feelings of embarrassment and disappointment, was the little bit of satisfaction that came from knowing that many of the audience members were outraged at the final outcome and that people were rallying behind the group that apparently was never supposed to win. Many of those supporters went to the point of joining the growing Facebook group titled "Phaymus was robbed at Showdown 2007," which currently has 71 members, even including the captain of Fuego. The group has cited Phaymus as The People's Champ.
Fortunately, the dedication and devotion to the group that got us to Showdown in the first place will continue to drive us forward. I can guarantee you that founders Kevin and Jermaine will not allow our spirits to be broken by a competition that pits apples and oranges against each other and asks judges to decide which is better.
Imagine Drumline against the Boston Symphony in a competition, or a ballet-versus-cheerleading competition. Such comparisons are unfair to the techniques unique to each respective style of music or dance. Contrary to the doctrine of Showdown, F.I.S.T.S., Fuego, Synergy, and Phaymus competing against each other in a "dance" category was never going to work in a fair way. This category should be changed from "dance" to "best in show," and the competition factor should be eliminated. It serves no purpose than to arouse confusion and debate among not only between the groups but also the audience members with contrasting preferences.
Showdown itself has amazing appeal beyond the competition factor. The ALC put together a very good atmosphere for the show and rounded up very personable hosts. The relationship among the groups of talented dancers and the response from the audience members was much more substantial than allowing six judges to define for the 1,500-plus in attendance who "the best" was.
They were judges that, in essence, were empowered to belittle not only the hard work of many groups but also the judgment of those that camped out, those that flew in, and those who clearly decided for themselves who the winner was. In that sense, Showdown would be a more legitimate event without the faulty judging aspect.
As the noise from the show quiets down and becomes a distant memory, the hard work and creative efforts of the other groups are overshadowed by the sole group that six judges happened to decide was "the best."
Without judges, Zoolander moments wouldn't have to happen, F.I.S.T.S. could participate without anyone questioning whether they belonged in the competition, Fuego and its impressive salsa dancing could remain in the dance category without debate, and Phaymus would not have to feel shortchanged every year.
ALC needs to realize how the current format promotes a divided mindset by taking advantage of the groups' passion for dance and the competitive makeup of the Boston College student body. This competitiveness cannot be stretched to create a show that takes away objective judgment in deciding the fate of teams - teams that will now have to start from scratch for next year's show. We hope that measures and changes in policy will be taken by Showdown 2008 that will restore our faith in any validity of the event as a competition.
Nidia Fervy is a Heights staff columist. She welcomes comments at fevry@bcheights.com.
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