Folk dances

Different aspects of dances all represent something special and meaningful to each specific tribe. Firstly, the purposes of the Native American’s dances are for entertainment, religious rituals, successful hunts, harvests, to give thanks, prayer, victory, mythology, along with many more. (Weiser- Alexander and Alexander) In the video Native American Indian

From the travel, I learned about Powpow is meticulously divided into four types of dances such as women’s dances, men’s dances, youth’s dances, tiny tots and couple’s

Australian Aboriginals used danced to communicate stories of the cultural spirits and legends, along with tell stories of the past, present and future with those in their community (Cheeky Dancers, n.d.). There is a sense of pride when they dance and pass on their history and culture to the generations after them (The age, 2013). Aboriginal people are proud of their heritage and dance allows them to express their thoughts and views of the world the way they see

Sun Dance is a highly sacred ceremony for many sects of Indigenous peoples in North America. The Sun Dance ceremony is practiced mainly within Plains tribes and has survived as a tradition for hundreds of years. The nations amongst which it was created include the seven tribes of the Lakota nation, the Blackfoot, the Cheyenne, and the Arapaho. Over time the ceremony spread to the southern Plains tribes, the Kiowa and Comanche, as well as the northern Plains peoples, such as the Crees of Saskatchewan and Sarcees of Alberta. Many others across the Plains region now practice Sun Dance, including the Ponca, Hidatsa, Ute, Ojibwa, Pawnee, and more. The original name derives from the Lakota term Wi wanyang wacipi, meaning “sun gazing dance.”

The Sioux Grass Dance is considered to be the most popular style of Native American Music. As one dances to this music, they follow a pattern known as “toe-heel.” This consists of the individual placing the left foot in front of the right and repeating with the other foot. Each male dancer makes many

Given that this “visit” was more like a virtual experience, I was still able to access a couple of my senses, just as if I was at the actual exhibition. Through the use of anecdotes and detailed images, I am able to see all of the personal experiences an individual had while practicing a particular dance and what it meant to them. In this exhibition, there are ten different dances displayed, including the: Yup´ik Yurapiaq and the Quyana (Thank You) Song Dance, Yakama Girl’s Fancy Shawl Dance, Cubeo Óyne Dance, Yoreme Pajko’ora Dance, Mapuche Mütrüm Purun, Tlingit Ku.éex ' Entrance Dance, Lakota Men’s Northern Traditional Dance, Seminole Stomp Dance, Hopi Butterfly Dance, and finally, Quechua Danza de Tijeras (Scissor Dance). All parts of the exhibit were insightful, but the two that sparked my interest the most were the Yup´ik Yurapiaq and the Quyana (Thank You) Song Dance and the Quechua Danza de Tijeras (Scissor Dance).

The, “Sorrow of the Lonely and the Burning of the Dancers”, is a ethnography written by anthropologist Edward Schieffelin, derived from his fieldwork with the Kaluli people of Papua New Guinea. The main focus of the book of the book is how many of the fundamental notions that are implicit in Kaluli culture are found in the Gisaro ceremony, which Schieffelin uses as, “a lens through which to view some of the fundamental issues of Kaluli life and society” (p1).

The “Ndani” is performed by a group of eight dancers composed of seven females and one male. The dancers are all wearing shirts with sleeves rolled up to the elbows and pants also with the bottom rolled up to about the middle of the tibia; females are wearing a tie while the male has a waistcoat on. The dance is executed without any soundtrack; the rhythm is given by the taps of the dancers on the floor of the stage and on their own body; some words are often sporadically pronounced with or without forming a complete sentence. The dance begins with a dark stage, and only the taps and claps of

The Zuni Turkey Dance is an Native American Indian dance performed to entertain and to get people knowledgeable about their cultural heritage. It appeals to unfamiliar and familiar people. This dance appeals to an audience because it is a form of entertainment. Entertainment can be defined as a performance that pleases and audience. In the Zuni Turkey dance we can see the art of ;dancing, drums/musical instruments begin played ,costumes, and hymns.The performers are enthusiastic and full of energy attracting every eye in the audience.

The most interesting part that I found was the dancing part. The Native Indian are always good at express their emotion through the dancing. Every tribe has they own way to express the reverence for natural, the delight of hunting and the desire of victory. These wonderful conversations between the Manitou and people, has formed the special art in the Native American. Certainly, there are music accompany with dances, and the instrument are contain spiritual symbol as well. For instance, drum plays an important role in the Powwow. The article “Without the drum, there would be no Powwow” mention that “ Our drum has character, we have that powwow spirit, and people dance.” Drum is not only represent the core of Native people faith, but also is the heartbeat of the creator. Powwow drum are often make by circle, because circle stands for lifecycle. People surrounding and beat the drum, like the life turning and returning.

These are the traditions of the Nootka tribe.The tribes around Vancouver Island have a history of songs and ceromonies.Their main ceremony they had was the wolf dance also called the Tlugwana.Another ceremony they had was Tsayek. Daring witch they fast and pray for

This dance emphasized community and tribal themes through earthly movements that swept from the ground and reached to the sky in circular patterns. The Hunt was one of my favorites because of the pure stamina and drama. The men exploded in out of control movement that released emotions of fiery passion that motivated their every move.

The Deadman Dance can be best described as “stiff movements, those jerking limbs” (61) “Used to be an Elder would be on his own, facing all the others as they stood tight together, shoulder to shoulder” (61) The dance originated from the Noongar mimicking the movements of British soldiers, and has taken on various forms since then. Bobby adds his own variation of the dance, a swaying, rocking motion as if he were performing the dance on a rocking sail boat. “Bobby stepped out among the others, stiff-limbed and moving jerkily to the sound of his own frightening whistle” (62) The dance is significant to people of the Noongar as it showcases a form of togetherness, and individuality. “but with him it was a dance of life, a lively dance for people to do together, each man dancing same as his brothers except for the one man on his own, leading them.” (61) The reason the dance is called Deadman, “Sometimes, even though it’s a dance, you just stand dead still while one person our front moves his hand very fast, bends his arm at the elbow until the fingertips quiver beside his face. Then he stops dead still and everyone facing him does it the same, but all together.” (62) The Noongar have different variations of rituals and traditions to address different scenarios, such as, death, birth, marriage etc. For example, “No matter, but we need a dance performed, a corroboree. These visitors are our friends and we want to welcome them properly, make them feel at home. But only you, our Noongar friends, can truly do that.” (52) Bobby was the first one to make the dance his own, nobody had changed the dance before as they usually would follow what the tradition/rituals told them to do. “But Bobby changed all that; he made the dance his own.”

I must say that my hole spring quarter has been dedicated to deepening my overall understanding of West-African dance alone. In preparation this to study with the Urban Bush this summer I wanted to make sure that I was able to develop a stronger foundation in my West-African dance technique this quarter. My Mondays and Wednesday from 2:00-6:30 were dedicated to Professor Parker's ( Makeda- Kumasi) West-African dancing and drumming classes held at UCR. I also seeked outside the classroom to gain a community experience of this dance genre so that I could compare and contrast the similarities and differences I found. My goals were to truly embody the many elements that are associated in this dance genre. In my discoveries I was able to

Hawaii, also known as the “Aloha State” is located North of the Pacific Ocean and is known for its beautiful views, lush environment, and most of all, for its traditional dance, the Hula dance. The misconception that I have, along with many other people, is that this dance mainly involves moving your arms and hips from side to side in a peaceful manner. To me, hula dancing is being performed during a luau with instrumental calming music and the dancers are swaying to the beat. In other forms, it can also be very fast paced with the dancers moving their hips in a very quick motion. When I think of Hula dancers in Hawaii I envision that the people performing the dance are happy because it is a celebration of their culture and history. People often forget the importance of hula dancing because tourism and popular culture, therefore it is not appreciated in the form that it should be. Thesis: This essay will look at the cultural importance of the hula dance by evaluating all of its history, variety, and presentation forms.