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I heard that dancing backward means you are retreating. Anybody else heard of this?
Do you dance backward or in a circle when you contest?
Do you dance backward or in a circle when you contest?
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Powwows will continue to evolve in many directions. It is inevitable. -
"Retreat Hell, we're fighting in a different direction!" :)
Seriously though, that's what I've been told; so I don't dance backwards. Sharp zig zags yes, backwards no. -
Yeah, i have heard the same.
I always dance clockwise, even when some traditional dancers are dancing the other way. In small powwows, i find myself sometimes the only one dancing that way.
I guess it's just that different cultures and nations believe differently.I'm interested more in self determination than gender equity. In other words, changing white men for white woman in the structures of power, does nothing to transform the opression in my community.
"You need to find yourself a girl, mate... Or, perhaps the reason you practice three hours a day is that you already found one and are otherwise incapable of wooing said strumpet. You're not a eunuch, are you? [looks down]"
-Captain Jack SparrowComment
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A lot of tribes out west, the men dance counterclockwise becuase they say thats how the men danced in the old days. Symbolic of them going to protect the women and children.Comment
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I think whome means backwards ala Michael Jackson.
Nah, I don't do that.Comment
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A moon-walking tradish dancer? argggh - a mental image I did not need this morning !!Comment
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confused? when you say backwards do you mean moving in the oposite direction then your facing or do you mean counter clockwise?
Some nations dance counterclockwise (they consider clockwise backwards, like my husbands people, he's Mohawk) And some Nations dance counterclockwise during the honor song for those who have passed on. There are lots of different examples of why someone may go counterclockwise depending on their Nation, so figure this out as it pertains to your Nation before you do it.
SuzzeComment
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Originally posted by SuzzeQ4 View Post
Suz,
I mean like walk foward, walk backward = dance forward, DANCE BACKWARD.
The reason for this post is I have been reading powwow programs and some say "the traditional dancer tells a story of encountering the enemy or searching for tracks of an animal.
So expounding on what I heard "dancing backward symbolizes retreating"... either the story the traditional dancer is portraying is he retreated while the others warriors continued to fight or ....
the traditional dancer is telling the story of one smart animal who covered his tracks by walking backward! *LPowwows will continue to evolve in many directions. It is inevitable.Comment
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Interesting, sounds like a goot question for my uncle up on the Umatilla Rez, he's an old traditional dancer.Originally posted by WhoMe View PostComment
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AH! now I get it, wasn't sure. In that case I have no idea & will leave the answering to the guysOriginally posted by WhoMe View Post
SuzzeComment
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I have always been taught never to move backwards while dancing because it symbolizes retreating.The things you are doing today are the traditions of twenty-five years from now.
-Daryl Baldwin: Miami
https://www.facebook.com/SpottedeagleFansComment
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northern trad.
never dance backwards, and never dance counter, just because you seen it done, dancing counter in the longhouse is different that dancing counter at powwows, please ask elders who know whats going on when it comes to dancing counter at powwows, myself included,
thanks
ebteComment
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Hi,
I know that Switch dance exist (men dance women's dances et women dance men's dances).
I've seen a man who are dancing jingle dress dance with lot of fun. I seem to do caricature of women's jingle.
But as I've been told that jingle dress dance is a important...11-27-2007, 08:01 AM -
Hey Ladies;
I come from a Northern Region of Ojibway Territory. Up here we dont have competition pow-wows, and when I first seen one in Southern Ontario I was shocked at the way ladies are dancing the most sacred dance of all... the Side Step.
I was comparing the Original Way...02-08-2005, 08:06 PM -
I was at a dance a while back and heard the contemporary word thrown around a lot. We joked about it, talked about it and never did come to any real definition.
My question is this. What do you all think about this term? Are we simply seeing evolution in the dance or is this something...I like to dance contemporary way.6I like the tradition or old way41I'm not sure what this stuff is about.2Who cares.002-12-2003, 01:47 AM -
I've been to a few powwows lately and have noticed that when the Women Southern traditional do their round dances, they have two very different styles of dancing. I have always seen the ladies dancing the slow graceful "walk" style and they bow their heads down. Lately I have been seeing...08-28-2003, 07:29 PM -
Good Afternoon everyone, I've browsed this board may times but I haven't seen much info on my cultural dances. So to get the ball rolling what do the rest of you think about smoke dances as competition at many powwows up hear in the NY/NJ area?
I'm also interested in learning what everyone...06-29-2000, 04:24 PM
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