Media Larry & Jessup Yazzie, Native Pride Dancers
Meskwaki Tribe member Larry Yazzie and his son, Jessup, discuss and perform traditional Native American dances
Native Pride Dancers
Native American dancers from the group Native Pride Dancers demonstrate the traditional eagle, fancy, grass and hoop dances
On Stage: Native Pride Dancers
On Stage: Native Pride Dancers
The eagle is considered a sacred animal to Native Americans; because the eagle can soar so high, it is believed that it can communicate directly with the Creator. Eagle feathers are an important part of the regalia for both men and women. The eagle is represented by a dancer who looks and moves like a proud, soaring bird in the Eagle Dance. You will also see the eagle appear in the Hoop Dance, which shows other elements from the natural world as the dancer uses a different number of hoops to create a butterfly, a tree, the sun, and the moon.
The Fancy Dance is usually performed by young men, and was originated in the 1950s to attract Powwow visitors. The Fancy Dance is also known as the Bustle Dance, and is said to have come from Oklahoma. This dance is very flashy and colorful, and has the fastest movement of any other dance; and, therefore, requires that the dancer has stamina, strength, and coordination. What distinguishes the Fancy Dance is the outfit worn by the dancer—a twin bustle decorated with colorful fringe that flows freely while performing the ruffle with fast foot movements. The colorful fringe is said to represent the Rainbow Spirit. The headdress broach that the dancer wears has two feathers that are moving at all times while dancing; and at times, the dancer’s face is not seen because of the flowing fringe. Dancers also carry decorated coup sticks.
The Grass Dance is said to have originated with the Omaha Tribe. Stories told of the dance tell us that this dance is known as ceremonial. In the South, tribes believe it was connected to a warrior society and that scalps were attached to the dancers’ clothing to celebrate a victorious battle. To the northern tribes, the Grass Dance is said to be a blessing ceremony for new ground. The dancers trampled the ground to prepare for a village, and grass was tied to the dancer. The fringe attached to the dancer’s regalia sways with the movement as if to inspire the natural movement of tall prairie grass. This dance represents the balance of life, thus the dancer performs the same movement on either the right or left. The regalia worn by the dancer are covered with yarn and ribbons that sway, and he wears lots of color. The hoop is a symbol of “the never-ending circle of life;” it has no beginning and no end.
The Hoop Dance is used in traditional healing ceremonies in many tribes across North America. The significance of the hoop only enhances its embodiment of healing ceremonies. For many years, the Hoop Dance has evolved to incorporate new and creative movements and intricate footwork. The Hoop Dance made its modern transition when Tony White Cloud, Jemez Pueblo, played a pivotal role in the evolution of the dance, and began using multiple hoops in a stylized version as “founder of the modern Hoop Dance.” Each dancer may have his or her own unique interpretation of the intertribal Hoop Dance. The dancer can present the dance using as few as four hoops to as many as 50 hoops. The hoops are manipulated to make many different designs such as animals, butterflies, and globes. The dancers are judged on five skills: precision, timing/rhythm, showmanship, creativeness, and speed.
Native Pride Dancers - Millennium Stage (January 9, 2018)
Native Pride Dancers - Millennium Stage (January 9, 2018)
The Native Pride Dancers educate, inspire, and motivate through the beauty and power of Native American music and dance! Learn about the dances, the regalia (dress), and the meaning and importance of the traditions of Native American peoples from cultural educators, musicians, dancers, and singers who are members of numerous tribal nations including: Meskwaki, Navajo, Dakota, Lakota, Ojibwe, Lumbee, Cree, Pueblo, Choctaw, and Chickasaw, to name a few.
-
Producer
Kenny Neal
-
Updated
January 7, 2020
Related Resources
Collection Indigenous Peoples of the Americas
Experience and honor cultures of the Indigenous peoples of the Americas through dance, music, literary, and visual arts. Watch Native Pride the eagle and hoop dances, trace the life of a Navajo weaver, learn how Keith Bear makes a flute, make a listening doll, and meet fancy dancers Larry and Jessup Yazzie.
Media Keith Bear: Flute Maker
Musician, storyteller and flutemaker Keith Bear sheds light on the art and tradition of making flutes in the Native American tradition in this video interview.
Kennedy Center Education Digital Learning
Eric Friedman
Director, Digital Learning
Kenny Neal
Manager, Digital Education Resources
Tiffany A. Bryant
Manager, Operations and Audience Engagement
JoDee Scissors
Content Specialist, Digital Learning
Connect with us!
Generous support for educational programs at the Kennedy Center is provided by the U.S. Department of Education.
Gifts and grants to educational programs at the Kennedy Center are provided by The Paul M. Angell Family Foundation; Bank of America; Capital One; The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation; Carnegie Corporation of New York; The Ednah Root Foundation; Harman Family Foundation; William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust; the Kimsey Endowment; The Kiplinger Foundation; Laird Norton Family Foundation; Lois and Richard England Family Foundation; Dr. Gary Mather and Ms. Christina Co Mather; The Markow Totevy Foundation; Dr. Gerald and Paula McNichols Foundation; The Morningstar Foundation; Myra and Leura Younker Endowment Fund; The Irene Pollin Audience Development and Community Engagement Initiatives;
Prince Charitable Trusts; Dr. Deborah Rose and Dr. Jan A. J. Stolwijk; Rosemary Kennedy Education Fund; The Embassy of the United Arab Emirates; The Victory Foundation; The Volgenau Foundation; Volkswagen Group of America; Jackie Washington; GRoW @ Annenberg and Gregory Annenberg Weingarten and Family; Wells Fargo; and generous contributors to the Abe Fortas Memorial Fund and by a major gift to the fund from the late Carolyn E. Agger, widow of Abe Fortas. Additional support is provided by the National Committee for the Performing Arts..
The content of these programs may have been developed under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education but does not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education. You should not assume endorsement by the federal government.