def. A SOCIAL GATHERING, BUT WITH STRONG RELIGIOUS OVERTONE
Before Grand Entry
Originated with KIOWA, COMMANCHE, and ARAPAHO
Only Warrior Society included
Honors Veterans and Outstanding individuals
Order of Dancers differ from place to place
NORTHERN and SOUTHERN DRUM alternate
Honored Indians carry Flags- U.S., State, Tribes, POW/MIA, etc
Indians appointed to lead all the Dancers
Northern Traditional Dancers
COSTUME: Single Bustel, worn low
Roach of deer tail and porcupine quills with eagle feathers
Some wear paint
Buckskin leggins
Breach cloth
Southern Straight Dancers
COSTUME : Colorfull shirts
Breastplate
Otter skin from shoulders to ground
Southern Straight Dancers are equivalent to Northern Traditional Dancers
WOMANS TRADITIONAL DANCERS
NORTHERN STYLE
SOUTHERN STYLE
COSTUME : Cloth or Buckskin
Two catagories combined when not enough of each
Northern breastplate larger and longer than Southern
Oldest Dance, Called Original Fancy Dance
Used to wear grass
Sometimes called Fancy Dance
Wear fancy bustle, colorfull
Is a Fancy War Dance
COSTUME : Northern and Southern
Two bustles, one high, one low
Roach has rocker to highlight movement
Considerable beadwork
Sometimes combined with Fancy Shawl
Fast tempo - usually younger women
COSTUME : Cloth or buckskin dress with tinklers
COSTUME : Large colorfull Shawl with long fringe
Answer to mens Fancy Dnce, colorfull with lots of movement
JUNIORS, PEE WEE, and TINY TOTS
Honors Flag and Veterans
Everyone remains standing
Round Dance, honors Vets. and Family
Social Dance- do not have to be in costime
WOMANS FANCY SHAWL and/or JINGLE DRESS
FANCY SHAWL
Fastest dance
Shawl extended out from body
Dancers most stop on last beat
When combined with Jingle Dress
1 Shawl Dance
done by each
1 Jingle Dance
JINGLE DRESS
Oldest
Not quite as fancy as Fancy Shawl
WOMAN'S CLOTH and BUCHSKIN
Southern Tradition
Shows reverence to Creator by bowing at different times during dance
Dance fast-faster-and fasest yet
NORTHERN TRADITION
Dances either moving or in place
Raises Fan to show respect for the Creator
Songs longer than Southern, beat steady
Mens Fancy War, or Feather Dance
Usually two are combined with two contest songs
One Northern, one Southern
Southern dance fast-gets faster
Northern dance steady tempo
SOUTHERN STRAIGHT DANCERS
Used to be Warrior Society
Slow moderate tempo
No bustle
Wears Otter skin from shoulders to griund
NORTHERN STRAIGHT DANCERS
Has most participants
Wears bustle and roach
When combined with Southern, Northern and Southern songs used
Tells story of hunt
Looks for signs on ground
Looks for enemy in distance
NOTE: Sometomes spectators are asked to remove hats in reverance
Sometimes spectators are asked not to take pictures
MENS FANCY SHAWL
Women give men shawl and men do shawl dance
SOUTHERN TWO STEP or
NORTHERN OWL DANCE
Only dance where men and women dance together
HONOR SONG DANCE
Can be requested at ant time to honor an outstanding individual
AGE BREAKDOWN
Tiny Tots 1-6
Pee Wee 7-12
Juniors 13-17
Adult 18 up
This page was last updated: November 10, 2008
Why we Dance
To Dance is to Pray
To Pray is to Heal
To Heal is to Give
To Give is to Live
To Live is to Dance
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