Post by Okwes on Feb 20, 2006 19:53:30 GMT -5
Women's Southern Traditional
Southern traditional dancers also may wear cloth regalia. Cloth,
ribbons, beads, and silverwork were obtained in trade and each tribe
adapted their use to suit their own tastes and styles. The use and
adaptation of new materials to express native identity is an ongoing
process.
The judges will be looking for elegance, poise, and proper elements
of the dance such as the slight bowing at the honor beats that
characterizes Southern Traditional Dance.
Originally in the dances that eventually evolved into the current day
pow-wow, women dancers remained in the background or on the perimeter
of the dance arena. With this in mind it is easy to understand the
more subdued movements of the women traditional dancers.
As they remain relatively stationary, the knees are bent in time with
the drum, creating a slow, graceful up and down movement of the body,
shifting the feet slightly and turning.
In some traditions, this symbolizes women gazing into the distance,
looking for their warriors to return home. From earliest times,
dresses were decorated with natural materials, bones, shells, elk's
teeth, quills, dentallium shells and natural paints.
In the 1800's, with the acquisition of beads from traders, women
would often spend a winter or two beading the entire top of their
dresses. Most traditional women dancers also may carry a fan of
eagle, hawk, or other feathers, a purse, and a shawl.
The colors and designs of the regalia may have special symbolic
meaning pertaining to clans, family position, or tribal traditions.
Traditional women wearing cloth regalia are more readily identifiable
as to tribe, as each tribe has maintained a specific style of cloth
dress. At certain points during the song, a woman may raise her fan,
either upon hearing a word or phrase or during the honor beats.
The dance is one that demonstrates the strength, status, and beauty
of Native American women. Judges will be looking for gracefulness,
stature, poise, and overall presentation.
Southern traditional dancers also may wear cloth regalia. Cloth,
ribbons, beads, and silverwork were obtained in trade and each tribe
adapted their use to suit their own tastes and styles. The use and
adaptation of new materials to express native identity is an ongoing
process.
The judges will be looking for elegance, poise, and proper elements
of the dance such as the slight bowing at the honor beats that
characterizes Southern Traditional Dance.
Originally in the dances that eventually evolved into the current day
pow-wow, women dancers remained in the background or on the perimeter
of the dance arena. With this in mind it is easy to understand the
more subdued movements of the women traditional dancers.
As they remain relatively stationary, the knees are bent in time with
the drum, creating a slow, graceful up and down movement of the body,
shifting the feet slightly and turning.
In some traditions, this symbolizes women gazing into the distance,
looking for their warriors to return home. From earliest times,
dresses were decorated with natural materials, bones, shells, elk's
teeth, quills, dentallium shells and natural paints.
In the 1800's, with the acquisition of beads from traders, women
would often spend a winter or two beading the entire top of their
dresses. Most traditional women dancers also may carry a fan of
eagle, hawk, or other feathers, a purse, and a shawl.
The colors and designs of the regalia may have special symbolic
meaning pertaining to clans, family position, or tribal traditions.
Traditional women wearing cloth regalia are more readily identifiable
as to tribe, as each tribe has maintained a specific style of cloth
dress. At certain points during the song, a woman may raise her fan,
either upon hearing a word or phrase or during the honor beats.
The dance is one that demonstrates the strength, status, and beauty
of Native American women. Judges will be looking for gracefulness,
stature, poise, and overall presentation.