Interpretive dance and regalia styles reflect individuality

Observer Staff

8/16/2005 12:00:00 AM

Just as dancing has always maintained a special significance to Native people-whether medicinal or social, traditional or competitive-the regalia cloaking each dancer retains its own spiritual value.

The dedication and care sewn into each piece is a large reflection of the individual creating the regalia. New traditions mingle with old, telling a different story for each person.

The community often only sees the finished result, the intricate beadwork and beautiful details, overlooking the hard work and many hours spent from concept to completion.

Traditional Male Dancers: Traditional male and female dancers preserve the oldest style of Native American dancing. The older male dancers sometimes use storytelling movements to act out feats of bravery, imitating animals with side-to-side movements, challenging an enemy or representing an animal in a story of war, battle or hunting.

Traditional dancing is an opportunity for men to dance in the way of their fathers and grandfathers.

The dance style is similar to the outfit itself-elaborate, expressive and powerful, but not so flashy and exuberant as other men's styles.

Regalia is much more likely to reflect Tribal affiliation than those of other men's dance styles. The ensemble may frequently include pieces handed down for generations within the family, and may range from a look of dignified simplicity to the dramatically elaborate.

The headdress, called a roach, is often made of porcupine hair and deer tail. The porcupine quill ornament supports the feathers and symbolizes all existence. Some wear a turban of otter, wolf or other material.

A bustle-most frequently handed down from generation to generation-is made of sacred eagle feathers. A breech cloth and leggings made of deer or elk skin are worn along with bells or deer hooves to keep in step with the beat of the drum.

Traditional Female Dancers: Traditional women dancers are an affirmation of ageless honor and respect for Mother Earth, giver of life and the Creator.

Though times have changed and brightly colored satins and ribbons are seen now, dresses of buckskin or wool-usually adorned with beads or quill work, elk teeth, bone or antler shells-traditionally decorate a dancer's regalia. Colors tend to be somewhat gentler and more subdued than those of other women's dance styles. Long, flowing fringes, which represent waterfalls, are traditional pieces still worn today.

Dancers carry a shawl on their arms into the Sacred Circle. These women dance in a sedate and stately manner, in which they may move slowly about the circle of the arena, but often will simply stand in the same place, rhythmically dipping and swaying to the beat of the drummers.

Northern dancers may remain in one position or area, while southern dancers may move clockwise around the drum. The essence of the dance is dancing in perfect harmony with the drum, never breaking the spirit. Spectators stand to honor the women who possess the gift of life.

Jingle Dress Dancer: The legend of the jingle dress derives from an Ojibwe community that was ravaged by sickness. A young girl longed to help her people. She dreamt of the dress for four nights in a row. When she asked her grandmother what the dream meant, she told her to make the dress because it would stop the sickness.

This dance is aptly named for the tin cone "jingles" that cover the dancer's dress, literally from head to foot. The dresses are made of cloth and usually contain 365 brass cones, a prayer for each day of the year. Tobacco offerings were made each sunrise as the cones were rolled from tobacco can lids and attached to the dress.

There are usually seven rows of cones, one to represent each of the Seven Teachings. An eagle wing fan carried in the right hand or a scarf carried by the dancer may be used in a sweeping motion to wave or wipe away the sickness.

The movements of the dance are bouncy and energetic, so that the jingling of the dresses matches the beat of the drum and provides a constant rhythmical accompaniment to each song. To become a jingle dress dancer, one must have dreamt about being one. With each step that these dancers are taking, they are praying for a sick friend, relative or Tribal member. Jingle dresses are frequently passed down by generation.

Grass Dancer: The grass dancer came from the great plains of the West. Elders would ask young men to stomp down tall grass to prepare a clearing for a ceremony. The tall prairie grass swaying and moving in the wind gave them the idea for a dance.

This dance style is easy to recognize by the striking outfits, which are covered from shoulder to ankle with long, thick flows of bright, multicolored cloth fringe.

Early grass dancers wore tufts of sweetgrass, which has evolved into strands of ribbon, yarn or strips of leather on a yolk and breech cloth made of beautiful bright colors to create a rippling grass effect.

A roach made of deer tail and porcupine hair with two eagle feathers on top complete this dancer's regalia.

This dance is an expression of the harmony of the universe and is performed in perfect time to the music, responding as the grass rises to the motion of the wind.

Dance movements are distinctive for their sliding, shaking, and spinning motion, rather than the high, kicking steps of the fancy dancer.

Fancy Feather Dancer: Men's fancy feather dancing is based on the traditional Warrior Society dances, but has evolved into a competitive style dance for modern warriors.

It is said to be the most exciting to watch and possibly the hardest regalia to complete.

The dance is easily recognizable by its frantic tempo and colorfully distinctive outfits.

The regalia features two very large, vividly colored double bustles, which are worn on the dancers' back.

Smaller bustles may also be worn on the arms as well.

Brightly colored beadwork and accessories including hackles and a roach adorned with an array of different colored feathers may also be worn.

These men are undoubtedly some of the most energetic of all the powwow dancers. Their steps are quick but graceful with a high powered twist.

The intricate footwork, spins and colorful regalia are a reflection of the dancer.

Fancy Shawl Dancer: The outstanding feature of these dancers' outfits is the graceful, brightly fringed shawls that drape the young women's shoulders.

They are a perfect compliment to the twirling, prancing, pirouetting steps of this showy, high spirited dance.

The word fancy refers to the footwork, not the shawl.

The dress and decorative beaded accessories are vividly colorful and match the flaring shawls.

This style of dance symbolizes the life of a butterfly from her emergence of a cocoon.

It is thought to have originated as the Butterfly Dance.

When her mate is killed in battle, the female butterfly mourns and goes into a cocoon symbolized by the shawl.

The shawl has brightly colored fringe, usually made from ribbons, and is worn with leggings, a skirt and a yolk. The colors and design reflect the dancer.

The butterfly travels over the world looking for happiness, stepping on every rock, until she finds beauty in just one. Her emergence from the cocoon celebrates freedom and a new life. This exuberant and delightful dance is undoubtedly the flashiest of the female dancing styles.