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.
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.
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.
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