Native American Dance Research Paper

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

For many tribes of Plains Indians whose bison-hunting culture flourished during the 18th and 19th centuries, the sun dance was the major communal religious ceremony . . . the rite celebrates renewal - the spiritual rebirth of participants and their relatives as well as the regeneration of the living earth with all its components . . . The ritual, involving sacrifice and supplication to insure harmony between all living beings, continues to be practiced by many contemporary native Americans. -Elizabeth Atwood LawrenceAs the most important ritual of the nomadic Plains Indians, the Sun Dance in itself presents many ideas, beliefs, and values of these cultures. Through its rich symbolism and complicated rituals we are able to catch a glimpse

Dance began as a form of communication and storytelling. Thousands of years ago dancing served as a way for people to tell a story and helped distract themselves of the hardships they faced. Furthermore, dance was a form of storytelling through communication, which then turned into using storytelling through dance as entertainment. According to the History World, many dancers during the BC time danced in front of only a few people to get a story across. That later turned into hundreds of thousands of people as dance was used by many. Today, dance is also a form of entertainment and storytelling, but in a modern sense. However, today perfection and technique are stressed more than they were in the past. Yet, the passion for dance has not changed. Many dancers who share this passion also have many of the same qualities. Among a discourse community of trained dancers, one expects to find individuals who are healthy and active athletes, expect perfection from themselves through competition, and religiously attend dance performances.

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

Native American music has many different musical styles. Within every Native American tribe there is a variety of musical styles and instruments. In response to the research that I have conducted, there are three main musical styles that are going to be my point of focus. The Sioux Grass Dance, the Zuni Lullaby, and the Iroquois Quiver Dance are the principal methods which contribute to Native American music.      

The third Mexican cultural activity that has survived and influenced the development of Chicana cultural practices in the U.S. is the Folklorico dances. These dances can be seen in the U.S. especially when there is a Mexican celebration or event. I personally experienced begin part of a group that danced folklorico. The dresses we used for the dance were inspired by the Yucatan look. We also accessorized with a crown of flowers made with fabric, long earrings, and a necklace of perals. We also combed all our hair back, and used make-up. It took alot of time to learn the three dances, and a lot of practice for the dance to come out good. In the end it was all worth it because I learned how to dance and how the women dress to dance. This cultural

Every country and nation has they own special festivals and music, and Native American is no exception. First, the native music related many aspects such as ritual, life and work. They like to combine music with dance, and the Native American music always created rich percussion instruments. For example, the hand drum, log drum, water drum and rattle, etc. Powwow is an important festival and ritual for the Native American, and it is a symbol for the tradition culture of Native Indians. Powwow, is a social gathering by the Native American tribes, and they singing and dancing. Powwow is not only a method that the Native American expresses the enthusiasm of the life and peace, but also enhances the sense of identity and cohesion. Hence,

In the Native community there are numerous styles such as Grass, Old Time Sioux, Northern Traditional, Prairie Chicken, Fancy, and Straight dance. Each of the dance styles were brought about for their own reason and created by different Native tribes throughout North America. The origins of the Prairie Chicken dance start with the Blackfoot and Cree tribes in the Northern Great Plains. When the tribes arrived in the Great Plains they were amazed by an animal that was called the Prairie Chicken. The Native people were so mesmerized by this bird that they started a brand new dance style to show off the power and confidence of this bird. This style is called the Prairie Chicken dance. In order for the Prairie Chicken dance to be labeled as one the best Native American dancing styles it should be a high energy dancing that draws the audience in to watch, have stunning regalia that catches the eyes of countless people, and have hand items that are stunning.

The reason Fancy Shawl dancing is very big because a lot of people are very interest in seeing one dance this style of dance because it really grabs their attention from a perspective. The hard work that their ancestors put in just so they can be where they are now is very sad, but grateful because they are showing them they should not be afraid to be who they was born to be. The most impact that affected the women Native Americans is when the women decided that they wanted to dance with the men. That affected them a lot because that gave the future women who wants to dance that opportunity to dance and when they was blessed to dance with the men in the arena is very praised to them. It gave the men and women equality, because they was able to be in the arena with their warriors as equals. The ancestors that are looking down on the Native Americans that are sharing who and what they are would be very proud of how good the future of their bloodline turned out to

While researching for Native American music and dance, I initially approached this essay with the idea that native americans used music and dance like we have done today. When researching I have discovered that dance is used as a form of entertainment and storytelling. But after reading multiple authors and sources on Native tribes music and dance, they are multiple tribes that not only use music and dance as a form of entertainment, but use it as mean to tell the history of their tribe and to pass on their teachings to others.

Dance is one of the most beautiful, expressive forms of art known to mankind. It expresses joy, love, sorrow, anger, and the list truly goes on for all the possible emotions that it can convey. Dance not only can express how one feels, but it can tell a story or even be used to praise a higher power. Dance has intricately played an important role to every culture over the course of time. Two forms of dance that have not only stood against the test of time but have influenced the development of other various styles of dance is none other than Classical Ballet and Modern Dance.

The roots and customs of Native American tribes run deep. A feeling of respect and tradition is in the air. Every little detail has meaning and a certain level of pride and of importance to each individual taking part in the ceremony. According to Access

Dance is the word that is broadly that used to define a human behavior characterized by expressive movements of the body. It is the grace, artistry, and classicality and precision that distinguishes ballet from other dance styles. People have danced for many different reasons such a religious, entertainment, tribal rituals, exercise or to simply to express something that cannot find voice in words. For as long as people inhabited Canada, there has been dance and it has subsequently played a role throughout Canadian history. In Canada dance history began with indigenous dance of First Nations Peoples, but with the arrival of European settlers came more European dance forms such as ballet, which have shaped dance in Canada into what it is

Dance is said to have existed prior to the invention of written languages, and was perhaps an essential aspect of storytelling for the passing of knowledge and information from generation to generation. And it has been, since time immemorial, a part of every culture and religion as a means of self and collective expression.

These dances eventually evolved to include praise songs and myths that were enacted by trained dancers and actors. By the end of the 5th century BC, these dance dramas were part of entertainment and provided social and political commentary on the times. Amongst the Romans, dance waxed and waned in acceptance by the powers that ruled. Until 200 BC, dance brought life to Roman processions, festivals and celebrations. However, in 150 BC all of the dancing schools were closed as Roman nobility considered dance as suspicious and even dangerous activity of the masses. Dancing has come a long way since ancient times. But there are still some similarities. When people thought up these dances they were trying to express themselves, their emotions, their problems and beliefs. Today we do the same thing. We make up dances according to our attitudes, beliefs, thoughts and feelings. The future will also contain dances that will reflect that society. There are many different kinds of dances. There is ballet, line dancing, slow dancing, the list goes on and on. Some of these dances are slow. Some of them are fast. They all use different type of instruments. Each dance representing a time, an event, an expression or feeling. Each dance expressing something different. Dances will never die. They are too interconnected in the