The single combined class at a competition powwow in which dancers aged 70 and over, women and men on separate lists, compete together whatever their dance style instead of being split into Grass, Fancy, Traditional and the other style lists.
All Styles (Combined) is the last step in the way a competition powwow narrows its lists as dancers get older. For younger dancers the style is the item: Jingle, Fancy, Grass, Traditional, Chicken and the Northern and Southern variants each have their own entrants and placings. Through the Senior and Golden Age bands those lists merge, with Northern and Southern Traditional joined for both sexes and the other styles gathered into a women’s list and a men’s list. For dancers aged 70 and over the source collapses everything into one list per sex, so the class is simply named for what it is: every style, together.
On the template behind this page the item is assigned to a single group, Living Treasure, covering ages 70 to 99, and appears twice: once for women and once for men. Every dancer enters as an individual and wears a registrar-issued number. A woman of 72 is placed against other women in the group and a man of 72 against other men; they are not ranked against each other, and nobody in the group is ranked against a dancer from a younger band.
Because the class mixes styles, a head judge cannot lean on a single style’s conventions the way they can for Grass or Jingle. A dancer who has danced Fancy Shawl for decades and a dancer who has danced Traditional for decades stand in the same arena and are marked by the same panel, so the real work for the organiser is agreeing in advance how a mixed field will be compared.
The rules the template follows allow one category per contestant, with no switching once registered, so an older dancer who might be entered in a younger band’s style list should be directed to the Living Treasure list instead. The rules also allow the committee to combine any category with fewer than five registered dancers; in a small field the two Living Treasure lists are the most likely to be affected, which is why registrars usually ask about it early.
There is no single judged round for the class. The rules the template follows describe a point system built up over the weekend, starting with the Friday grand entry, with each contestant’s number recorded at every grand entry. This page covers how the class is organised for the people who run it; the dance steps, the dress and the regalia belong to the communities that practise them and are deliberately not described.
Where All Styles (Combined) is run
On eTalenter this item is used in one template, the competition powwow template, assigned to the Living Treasure group (ages 70 to 99) for women and for men. Competition powwows are held across the United States and Canada, usually over a weekend, and each organiser publishes its own style names, age bands and merges. A single all-styles list for the oldest dancers is how the powwow behind the template does it; another event may set a different starting age, keep some styles apart, or run an honouring rather than a contest, so always read that organiser’s own notice before assuming the same arrangement.
- United States (the competition powwow the template is built from)
- Canada and other competition powwows in North America, each with its own published rules
Key facts
- An Individual item: one dancer, one registrar-issued number, one entry
- One template class: Living Treasure, ages 70 to 99, with a women’s list and a men’s list
- Every style is judged together: there are no separate Grass, Fancy, Jingle or Traditional lists at this age
- It is the last stage of the merging that begins at Senior (40 to 59) and Golden Age (60 to 69)
- One category per contestant, with no switching after registering
- Placings come from points accumulated over several sessions, starting with the Friday grand entry, not from one round
- The template uses a 100-mark working scale and no time limit because the source prints neither
On eTalenter, All Styles (Combined) is filed under On Stage and typically scored with Marks. It appears in 1 ready-made event templates — each one can adjust its time limit, age-group assignment and scoring setup independently.
Across the templates that use it, All Styles (Combined) is most often entered as an Individual competition, commonly run for Male, typically scored out of 100.
What judges look at in All Styles (Combined)
What a All Styles (Combined) panel is actually weighing up, and where the marks are usually won or lost:
- The source prints no scoresheet for this class, so the points below are organiser guidance for agreeing yardsticks with the head judges, not rules from the source
- One list per sex: check that women are marked against women and men against men in the Living Treasure group, and that nobody from the Senior or Golden Age lists has been added by mistake
- A fair yardstick for a mixed field: agree before the first song that each dancer is marked by the conventions of his or her own style, so no style is rewarded for resembling another
- Staying with the drum: whether the dancer follows the singing, handles the changes on the beat and finishes with the last beat of the song, adjusted for the pace each dancer can safely keep
- Consistency over the weekend: points accumulate across grand entries, so steady, dependable presence in every session generally counts for more than a single strong song
- Arena conduct and secure regalia: respecting the arena director’s calls, keeping to the dancing area, and regalia that stays fastened so nothing has to be fixed during a song
Treat these as the judging focus, not a fixed rubric: publish your own weighted criteria for All Styles (Combined) under Scoring Setup, or start from judge scoring and tabulation software.
How to prepare for All Styles (Combined)
How entrants and their teachers usually get All Styles (Combined) right on the day:
- Confirm the age on the day of registration: 70 or over belongs here, while a dancer aged 60 to 69 belongs in the Golden Age lists and should be directed there
- Remind older entrants that the registrar’s record is final: one category only, no switching, so choose the Living Treasure list before the desk closes
- Register online before the closing date and note the Saturday onsite cut-off, since a late entry can mean missing the first points of the weekend
- Plan the weekend around rest: shade, water, a seat close to the arena and a clear picture of when each session starts, because points are recorded at every grand entry
- Agree the yardstick for a mixed field with the head judges and publish it in the rules, so dancers and families know what is being weighed
- Ask the registrar early whether a small list may be merged under the fewer-than-five rule, so no one is surprised at the arena
- Check every fastening on the regalia a week ahead and pack a small repair kit, so a loose piece never costs a grand entry
Ready-made event templates that include All Styles (Combined)
Open any template to preview it in eTalenter and install it as a live, editable event.
| Template | Category | Score label | Competitions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Powwow Dance & Drum Competition (Denver March Powwow) | On Stage | Marks | 2 |
Frequently asked questions
Is All Styles (Combined) judged individually or as a team?
Across eTalenter’s templates it’s most often run as an Individual entry, commonly for Male, though an organiser can set either participation type when assigning the item to an age group.
Which dancers use All Styles (Combined)?
On the template, women and men aged 70 and over, in the Living Treasure group. Dancers aged 60 to 69 use the Golden Age lists, and younger dancers use the style-by-style items.
Why are all the styles judged together?
At the powwow the template is built from, the number of dancers in each style falls with age, so the lists merge band by band until, from 70, a single list per sex remains. An organiser with more older dancers could keep styles separate in their own event.
Are women and men ranked against each other?
No. The item is assigned twice on the template, once for women and once for men, and each list is placed on its own.
Can a dancer switch to a different category after registering?
Not at the powwow the template follows. Contestants enter one category only and cannot change once registered, so decide before the registration desk closes.
How are winners decided, and is there a time limit?
Winners come from points accumulated across sessions, beginning with the Friday grand entry, with each number recorded at every grand entry. The source gives no mark scale or time limit; the template uses a working scale of 100 marks and no limit, and an organiser who wants either should set it in their own event and publish it with their rules.
Want the full judging picture? Read judge scoring and tabulation software, or browse every on stage competition item.
Try All Styles (Combined) in eTalenter
See every ready-made template that runs All Styles (Combined), and install one as a live event — age groups, rules and scoring included.
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