The Northern Traditional class for men aged 18 to 39 at a competition powwow, scored individually; “No.” stands for Northern and the class is one of five men’s lists in that age band.
No. Traditional is the Northern Traditional class for men in a competition powwow. On the template behind this page it has a single class: male dancers in the Adult band, aged 18 to 39, each entering as an individual with one registrar-issued number for the weekend. “No.” is short for Northern, which is how the source distinguishes this class from the Southern style that sits beside it in the men’s programme.
The listing comes from the published dance categories and rules of one competition powwow in the United States. Its men’s list for ages 18 to 39 reads Grass, Fancy, Northern Traditional, Southern Straight and Chicken, so an organiser running this template has five men’s lists in the band and every man belongs on exactly one of them. Northern Traditional and Southern Straight are separate items with separate entrant lists, and neither is a spelling of the other.
The younger classes work differently. Junior and Teen boys dance in a plain Traditional class, which is its own item, and from the Senior band upward the source folds the Northern and Southern men’s classes into one merged Northern and Southern Traditional class, which the template also carries separately. This item is therefore the 18 to 39 class only, and a man outside that age band should be directed to the item that matches his age.
The class has no single judged round. The rules the template follows describe a point system that builds across the weekend, starting with the Friday grand entry, with each contestant’s number noted at every grand entry. Dancers register in advance, enter one category only, cannot switch once registered and dance in full regalia. The contest committee may combine any category with fewer than five registered dancers, so a small Northern Traditional list can be merged on the day.
This page explains how the class is organised for the people running it. It does not describe the steps, the dress or the regalia, which belong to the communities who practise them; the organiser’s part is making sure the dancer can say which list he is on and that the registrar has written it down correctly.
Where No. Traditional is run
On eTalenter this item is used in one template, the competition powwow template, assigned to male dancers in the Adult band. Competition powwows are run across the United States and Canada, usually over a weekend, and each publishes its own style names, age bands and merges. The Northern Traditional and Southern Straight split of the men’s adult programme is how this one lays out its schedule; another powwow may use different names, combine the two or add further styles, so read that organiser’s notice before assuming the same class exists.
- 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, male only: Adult (18 to 39)
- “No.” means Northern; the Southern men’s class beside it is called So. Straight and is a separate item
- Junior and Teen boys enter the plain Traditional item; older men move to the merged Northern and Southern Traditional item from the Senior band upward
- Placings come from points accumulated across sessions beginning with the Friday grand entry, not from one round
- One category per contestant, no switching after registration, and a class with fewer than five dancers may be combined
- The template uses a 100-mark working scale and no time limit because the source prints neither
On eTalenter, No. Traditional 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, No. Traditional is most often entered as an Individual competition, commonly run for Male, typically scored out of 100.
What judges look at in No. Traditional
What a No. Traditional panel is actually weighing up, and where the marks are usually won or lost:
- The source gives no scoresheet for this class, so the points below are organiser guidance for agreeing yardsticks with the head judges, not rules from the source
- Accuracy with the drum: whether the dancer hears each change of pace, stays with the beat from the first note and finishes exactly when the song does
- Consistency across sessions: points add up over several grand entries, so a steady run through the weekend usually outweighs one memorable song followed by tired ones
- Staying within the class: committees generally mark a Northern Traditional entrant against the Northern style, not against the Southern men’s class listed next to it
- Regalia that holds together for the whole song, so that nothing falls, drags or distracts the judges from the dancing
- Arena conduct: listening to the arena director, keeping to the dancing area and showing respect to the head judges and to the other dancers
Treat these as the judging focus, not a fixed rubric: publish your own weighted criteria for No. Traditional under Scoring Setup, or start from judge scoring and tabulation software.
How to prepare for No. Traditional
How entrants and their teachers usually get No. Traditional right on the day:
- Settle Northern Traditional versus Southern Straight with the dancer before registration and explain that the registrar’s record is final once he has registered
- Check his age on the day: 18 to 39 belongs here, a boy under 18 should be in the plain Traditional item, and a man of 40 or over belongs in the Senior, Golden Age or Living Treasure classes
- Register online before the closing date and note the onsite cut-off on Saturday afternoon, because arriving late can mean missing the first points of the weekend
- Build stamina as well as technique by dancing several full songs in a row, then plan breaks for water, food and rest between sessions
- Practise to songs the dancer has not heard before so that following the drum and ending on the beat comes from habit rather than memory
- Go over every fastening on the regalia a week ahead and pack a small repair kit so a loose piece never costs a grand entry
- Ask the registrar to confirm his number was logged at each grand entry before the final totals are read out
Ready-made event templates that include No. Traditional
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 | 1 |
Frequently asked questions
Is No. Traditional 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.
What does “No.” stand for in No. Traditional?
Northern. The source lists Northern Traditional and Southern Straight side by side in the men’s programme for ages 18 to 39, and the template keeps them as separate items.
Is No. Traditional the same as the plain Traditional item?
No. Traditional is the Junior and Teen class for boys and girls. No. Traditional is the adult men’s class for 18 to 39, with its own entrant list and its own place in the schedule.
Can a man enter both No. Traditional and another men’s class?
Not at the powwow the template follows. The rules allow one category per contestant, and a dancer cannot switch once he has registered.
Where do men over 40 dance?
Not in this item. From the Senior band upward the source merges the Northern and Southern Traditional classes into one, and the template carries that as its own item.
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 dancer’s number recorded at every grand entry. The source prints 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 the rules.
Want the full judging picture? Read judge scoring and tabulation software, or browse every on stage competition item.
Try No. Traditional in eTalenter
See every ready-made template that runs No. Traditional, and install one as a live event — age groups, rules and scoring included.
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