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.”

There were issues with the music not being authentic as well.

I had read that the Russian officials weren't going to let the dancers make any changes to their routine or to the costumes. Although obviously they did make changes.

Liese, I'm surprised at the beatablility of the Canadians!

I totally wish we could back up to Vancouver next weekend. I didn't have enough fun! I'm not done with the Olympics yet! I'm not going to Russia in four years (or London in 2)! WANT MOAR!

Fake dark skin and that quotation from the coach are pretty damned fail. I do think using the term Aborigine to mean Australian Aborigine is sloppy, especially at a Canadian event, but from the costume I saw at the link they're pretty clearly not being generic, and if they were, good luck with that.

“We try to represent a picture of this time when aboriginal people start being in the world. It’s no customs, no country, nothing.”

That's just another version of "Oh, I'm color-blind."