I thought you might like that one.

If they're calling it Indian, Hil, that's fail right there. Even if it is Aboriginal Canadian, you really don't wanna go that road.

No, different team. The Russians' routine was a "tribute" to Australian Aborigines. One of the American teams did an Indian-from-India routine.

If they're calling it Indian, Hil, that's fail right there. Even if it is Aboriginal Canadian, you really don't wanna go that road.

They meant Indian as in from India, I believe.

The theme this year for the original dance was folk dance. Most of the teams went the obvious route and did an interpretation of a folk dance from their own country. Some did other countries' dances without much issue, like the Canadian team that did flamenco. And then there were the Russians.

Here's a video of the American pair doing the Indian dance at another competition: [link]

Oh, a different routine. I couldn't tell from the post.

So...wait, flamenco was okay for someone else to do, but Aboriginal dance wasn't? Was the Aboriginal dance more poorly sourced and performed than the flamenco?

You rang? I was watching on tape delay because the SO was on the road but we just caught up and OMG I did not expect that! I`m still calling Slovakia for the whole thing because both Russia and Canada look eminently beatable. The Czechs were way closer than it seemed in that game, too. I`m looking forward to Finns/Swedes tonight too. Super Sunday!

So...wait, flamenco was okay for someone else to do, but Aboriginal dance wasn't?

I think the issue was the costumes, not the dance.

So...wait, flamenco was okay for someone else to do, but Aboriginal dance wasn't? Was the Aboriginal dance more poorly sourced and performed than the flamenco?

The Aboriginal dance was choreographed mostly from watching a few videos. The original costumes had the male partner in a brown bodysuit with designs to look like paint on dark skin. A bunch of Aboriginal leaders complained, and the Russians responded with, essentially, "But we meant it as a tribute! We're honoring you! Stop complaining!"

I don't know much about the background of this particular flamenco routine. I do know that the Americans who did the Indian dance worked with an Indian choreographer and were doing an interpretation of a specific Indian folk dance, not just piecing together something that looked sorta Indianish.

Also, this quote from their coach is just full of fail.

“Aboriginal, it translates from Latin language, it’s from the beginning,” Linichuk said. “We try to represent a picture of this time when aboriginal people start being in the world. It’s no customs, no country, nothing.”