[MayChe]

I just got the GON '09 DVD and I saw a shawl dancer out there in competition with no shawl, only a scarf in her hand. Does anyone know anything about this?

[Wojapi4Me]

Originally Posted by MayChe

I just got the GON '09 DVD and I saw a shawl dancer out there in competition with no shawl, only a scarf in her hand. Does anyone know anything about this?

I don't know the dancer you're referring to, but I do know that it wasn't always "fancy shawl" dancing...it used to be "women's fancy" and it was not uncommon for women to dance with a fan in their hand or dance wands similar to men's fancy dancers. Of course, this is some years ago.

[gramma de]

oh my, there seems to be so much emphesis on how someone should look or how they should dance or what they should or shouldn't wear. It really makes me sad to see and hear all this, because we were really poor and we didn't have all this fancy and flash. We went to be with friends and family and to dance for the joy of it. Sometimes there were specials, or ceremonies. But only were we told how to behave. Now you go to powwows and I think people forget and are too worried about being more Indian than the next guy.
Women wouldn't always wear a shawl, maybe because they didn't have one or want to wear one. But never did you hear someone saying to them, you should this or you shouldn't that. Dancing is a personal thing and while there are some things that should be observed( as told by your family) there is no right or wrong.
When I was young, we called it womens shawl dancing and you had to be a certain age. You didn't see all this fancy feathers in the hair and sparkles.
Its always interesting to see and read all the rights and wrongs.Because many of them I have never heard of...I guess its good to know when you are wrong.

[MayChe]

Originally Posted by gramma de

oh my, there seems to be so much emphesis on how someone should look or how they should dance or what they should or shouldn't wear. It really makes me sad to see and hear all this, because we were really poor and we didn't have all this fancy and flash. We went to be with friends and family and to dance for the joy of it. Sometimes there were specials, or ceremonies. But only were we told how to behave. Now you go to powwows and I think people forget and are too worried about being more Indian than the next guy.
Women wouldn't always wear a shawl, maybe because they didn't have one or want to wear one. But never did you hear someone saying to them, you should this or you shouldn't that. Dancing is a personal thing and while there are some things that should be observed( as told by your family) there is no right or wrong.
When I was young, we called it womens shawl dancing and you had to be a certain age. You didn't see all this fancy feathers in the hair and sparkles.
Its always interesting to see and read all the rights and wrongs.Because many of them I have never heard of...I guess its good to know when you are wrong.

I never said that this dance had to be a certain way, I was only asking because I've never seen it before. I've seen a group of shawl dancers in a team dance without their shawls, but that was the team dance and I didn't dwell on it. But then seeing this young lady dance in what looks like a pretty velvet dress and a scarf in her hand with in the fancy shawl competition was...different.

[gramma de]

...and mine was only a observation of what I see alot of on here. I observe for a living and we Indians, we are a interesting bunch.

[Fancy Maiden]

I went to a powwow over the weekend in IN and i saw a couple girls who had shawls but were holding them like womens traditional but were dancing fancy. They were dressed like womens cloth so i was a little confused when they started fancy dancing. is this old style or something new?

[chazziff]

this is very old style or original style .... way back when it was women's fancy .... around these parts women started out with the shawls on their arms not over their shoulders (not unlike women's traditional) and then they moved the shawl over their shoulders to what is now known as fancy shawl ... and no it not something "new" ...

when there is a category for this around here ... the majority of the dancers leave their shawls on their arms or none at all ... use dance sticks or scarves ...

[skip rabbit]

Originally Posted by Fancy Maiden

I went to a powwow over the weekend in IN and i saw a couple girls who had shawls but were holding them like womens traditional but were dancing fancy. They were dressed like womens cloth so i was a little confused when they started fancy dancing. is this old style or something new?

Were you at Tipton? I was there dancing old style. I love it :) I was surprised to another old style fancy shawl dancer there. Usually, I'm the only one.

[sdlively27]

How does one learn this old style of fancy dance. I'm a new dancer trying to learn fancy shawl just for the love of dancing in the circle with the drum. I like what I saw in the videoes above would love to learn it as well as today's fancy shawl. How would one learn this style?

Thanks

[Kiwehnzii]

Jus watch me when I do switch.

Ayyee.