How did you get started dancing?

[Kituhwa]

I don't dance myself but I've always thought of taking it up, I'm thinking about it more seriously now and just wanted to read some stories of how others got their start. Like who taught you? Was it a family tradition? Do you make your own outfits? Did you start as a child or as a teenager or adult? And etc.

peace

Kituhwa

[AlmostThere]

geeze I dont even memba. Musta been forced too !!!

[Mia Gahdus]

I think my mom went into labor at a powwow, went to the hospital and had me, then went back to the powwow...hmmm.
I think my first steps were at one, too. The Denver powwow, my mom has a pic, even! I should find it...

I guess it's always been a part of my life. It's not something I had to make a choice/decision about.
My aunty always made my regalia and we always had a ceremony when she would give it to me to wear for the first time.

I know that it has been hard for me to raise my girls the same way I was raised. None of their aunty's makes regalia or knows how to do the ceremonies. So, it has been left up to me and it's hard to get everything done....

When I have taken my nieces to a powwow, I just tell them to watch the other little girls and copy them. Once they have the basic steps down, then they can make their own dance.

Hope that helps, some

[kalifaz_beech_beauty]

I think my mom went into labor at a powwow, went to the hospital and had me, then went back to the powwow...hmmm.
I think my first steps were at one, too. The Denver powwow, my mom has a pic, even! I should find it...

I guess it's always been a part of my life. It's not something I had to make a choice/decision about.
My aunty always made my regalia and we always had a ceremony when she would give it to me to wear for the first time.

I know that it has been hard for me to raise my girls the same way I was raised. None of their aunty's makes regalia or knows how to do the ceremonies. So, it has been left up to me and it's hard to get everything done....

When I have taken my nieces to a powwow, I just tell them to watch the other little girls and copy them. Once they have the basic steps down, then they can make their own dance.

Hope that helps, some

Thatz koolerz! I don't dance I don't get how u all can know when all them songs stop. It looks 2 hard and 2 much to remember. But I love watching everyone get down, specialie da guys!

[MeezeeKwe]

I was conceived at a Pow wow and started dancing when I was a embryo.

[ndldy68]

I started dancing when I was about 5 years old. In our family our whole family danced. Not because we were forced, but we really liked traveling and getting out there and being with friends and family. I started out in trad. than went to Jingle. I last danced when I was about 25 years old. Still would like to get back into it. I now have 3 children and they enjoy dancing also. My youngest daughter dances jingle and my son dances grass. I hope that their children carry that on. I make my daughters dresses and it takes some time to do. I really love doing that for her and she tries her hardest out there. She stills has a lot to learn about wearing that dress, but I think that she will get there.

[Kituhwa]

Thanks Guys

Thanks everyone that was really helpful. The last post you said you started when you were 25? Well I'm 25 now as well so its good to know such a thing is not unusual.

[Lumbee Pride]

Hatcher and Jacobs

My 1st non-competition pow-wow was to raise $ for Hatcher and Jacobs. I was encouraged to dance-so I went for it. I didn't see myself really wanting to become a part of the pow-wow world. I was speed skater!! LOL* Anyway, I loved the feeling and haven't stopped since.....

[blackraven26b]

man i started when i was about 18 months old....thats what my mother told me ne ways...and i hve seen pics when i started

[shorty]

i was 8 :)

it was my first powwow~!~!~! i loved it

[Kituhwa]

thanks again guys

Thanks again everyone, I wonder, are there as many people dancing now? Where I live, sometimes it doesn't seem there are as many as there used to be, even just a few years ago. Maybe I just have not gone to enough powwows this year to notice.

[kiiyaaniiasdzaa]

starting out

I always wanted to dance when I was little but never knew how to start. When I met my boyfriend 7 years ago he was a singer and I started going to more and more powwows. I then started asking around got some hookups and before I knew it I started dancing.

[kiyaanii mom]

I've been dancing since I was a little girl. Powwows are not traditionally Navajo, but my parents were powwowing when I was little, so that's why I guess I started.

I don't dance anymore, since I had my kids. But I still go and love to go. I sew and bead my own stuff and the kids stuff.

[Kituhwa]

Hi

I think that would be fun, making your own outfits and all. It might be even kind of fun to where something like to like, the grocery store, or the mall, just to mess with people ha ha. But, I'm no good at making stuff like that, I can draw and paint anything I want, sure would be nice to do some other kinds of art though.

[Mia Gahdus]

Yesterday, I was fortunate to be able to attend the aimovement.org talks at The Wolves Den. An elder there spoke about the powwows and dancing. He said that the dancers are not there to put on a show. That a lot of dancers are dancing because of the spiritual aspect.
Anyways, the message I got, was that, as long as you have the Creator and/or the people in your heart when you are dancing, you can't go wrong, kwim?
When I am dancing, it is because I want to feel like I am a part of my people and culture. That I am one, helping to create a whole.
Hope I am making sense, lol!
It does seem as if powwows have become a kind of spectator type of ...thing...as if it's a performance and not spiritual.
Hopefully, we can keep it on the spiritual path. A cultural event, rather than a 'performance', kwim?

I just really liked what he said and wanted to share. It made sense to me.