Tootie_SweetSthrn

Okay, Now I've Been To Many Pow Wows In Which I Contest In, But There Is Always Something That Seems To Confuse Me. And That Is If It's Appropriate To Bow When The Heartbeat Of The Drum Comes On In A Northern Song. I Mean Sometimes I See Other Southern Dancers Bow, But Other Times They Just Keep Dancin'. I Asked My Grandmother And She Said That It Was Really Up To Me, But I Just Wanna Know What The Right Way Is....can Someone Please Help Me Figure This Out!?!?!?!?!?!?!

WocusWoman

It really is up to you; I northern traditional to most songs. Now if it's announced that some drum is going to specifically do a southern traditional song, I will dance the southern style with the "bowing." Don't be confused; dance with your heart, that's what looks best.

Blackbear

You already asked grandma... that was the right thing to do.. go with what she said. I could be wrong but as I was told it, southern dances southern style, northern dances northern style, how you are dressed, not what type of drum...

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Don't worry that it's not good enough for anyone else to hear... just sing, sing a song.

WhoMe

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Good advice Blackbear.

Regardless if you are a northern OR southern traditional dancer, you need to dance that style. There are even regional/tribal differences in both northern and southern styles of dancing that are specific and adhered to.

Southern women who bow during the three hard beats are symbollically doing it for a reason. The same is true for northern women who hold up their eagle fans during the honor beats of a northern drum, they are doing it symbolically.

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"Today, recognizing and respecting the origins of powwow aids in our Cultural Survival. If enough people break the rules because they are not satisfied...."We will have no culture."

WhoMe

Tsiniti

Why is it that Southern women bow? I have NEVER seen a Southern Cloth Dancer Bow!!! I have seen many not all, raise their fans. Does this mean these dancers don't know what they are doing? I live in the South, I see mostly Southern Dancers, only one person has ever bowed(and she wasn't a cloth dancer), and they were from Florida. Maybe TN just isn't south enough?

Do what Grandma says!! She would know the most.

I was taken in hand and taught by several elder ladies in their 60's and 70's, not because they felt I didn't know what I was doing, but because they'd known me long enough to know there were no Pow Wows in this area while I was growing up! The oldest Pow Wow in TN is 23 yrs old this year, I'm 45! Certain people have cut me down for what I didn't know, without taking into consideration what one learns along the way. This is my fourth year of getting to Dance at Pow Wows, but that doesn't mean I haven't been watching and learning before setting foot in that arena.

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Your Heart Shows by how Your Words and Actions Affect Others.

Nah I ain't NO WANNABE! I don't gotta wannabe when people wannabe like me!

Mato Winyan

Wow.. this is really a tough one. Why do they bow? That can be different reasons to different women. I hate pat answers since us being women are so diverse. Some just bow down as a sign of respect or honor for the drum.. some the creator.. some both.. some probably to acknowledge the great earth goddess. Some women will take several small steps inward toward the middle of the circle (southern drums are usually in the center of the circle in some areas) and that is to honor the drum and the song/prayer that is being sent up.

Southern cloth dancers do bow... there are some great videos out there that can back this fact up. ;) As far as the women raising their fans and not bowing not knowing what they are doing... welllllll .. umm.. ahhh .. wellllllll.. ahhh. not trying to be hard here but I would have to answer yes. Now I know in your area that this is done almost across the board. Even further south I've seen it in North Carolina. But that is a south eastern thing. That is not the way south western. Not at all. The only time I've seen the fan raised is while they are bowed.. the fan is brought up almost to shoulder level.. the back was bent over ... not just slightly.

We were just recently down to a powwow as invited drum and there were alot of "different" things going on that just are not done anywhere else. It would be so great if you could travel and observe different dances.

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"We see it as a desecration not only of a mountain but of our way of life. This is a genocidal issue to us. If they kill this mountain, they kill our way of life." ~Debra White Plume

AhDay_EveryDay

Been Waiting For A Real Topic Like This....
I Have Danced All Over The United States, And Northern Song, Southern Song, Whuteva I Still Bow. The Only Songs I Don't Bow On Are Rounddances.
The Bowing In The Kiowa Southern Style Of Dancing Is Symbolic Of A Woman Looking For The Trail Of Her Companion Out On A War Party. I Think (Especially When Dancing Against Northern Style) That Bowing Sets Me Apart From The Northern Style Where Some Just Keep Dancing, Some Raise Their Fans. The Important Things To Remember When Bowing Are To Bend At The Waist And Not At The Neck, And Keep Your Shoulders Back. Otherwise Your Dress Will Slink Forward Or Your Shawl [-and Fringes] Can Start To Snap. I Bend Pretty Deeply, So I Take Smaller Steps When I Bow So It Won't Look Like I'm Lunging Forward.
Personally *L* And I'm Not Trying To Make Any Enemies But To Me No Doubt The True South Is Oklahoma When It Comes To Southern Dancing.
- Side Note- You Know Who You Are... STOP. Going. Up. On. Your. Toes. When. You. Dance. Southern. !!!!!!! Then Going Flat Foot When You Bow...That Drives Me Nuts, Seriously.

WocusWoman

Yes, AhDay; sounds like you know how to do it correctly. I'm Northern Buckskin through and through, but I've observed much, and the way you dance sounds correct to me.

Tsiniti

Thank You Mato. Apparently I need to get out West some more. When I was out west, there were no Pow Wows .... ah well, never made to the Oklahoma area, when something good was going on.

Now that I finally do get to go to Pow Wows, Trail of Tears in Hopkinsville Ky (their 16th yr my 14th) and learning dancing the last 4 yrs. I've watched others, and had some come to me to learn, and I promptly tell them I'm not a dance teacher, ask one of Those ladies (someone I've seen for several years) as I said, even though most of the Pow Wows are local to my area, there have been Dancers from all over the US, and Mexico. But I'm also the first to admit there is much to learn that I haven't. Which is why I can only give observations.

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Your Heart Shows by how Your Words and Actions Affect Others.

Nah I ain't NO WANNABE! I don't gotta wannabe when people wannabe like me!

ajibik

And here I thought it was because they lost a contact lens.

[chuckle]

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Mister Ibik, White Earth Ojibwe

WhoMe

I'm not trying to be "some how" with the following statement, but just adding "food for thought."

Almost every southern women's traditional dancer can give you 'personal' reasons why they bow during the three hard beats . . . but 99.99% of these dancers canNOTgive you their tribe's "traditional" reason why it is done.

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"Today, recognizing and respecting the origins of powwow aids in our Cultural Survival. If enough people break the rules because they are not satisfied...."We will have no culture."

WhoMe

ojibwaysweetie

crazy jibik :p

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AhDay_EveryDay

Oh Really? I Just Did....! *L* I Feel So Special All A Sudden!

slippin_at_sipi

wow, u really explained it goot on this one....i was always curious about the southern women dancers...very beautiful to watch, its nice to know the true meaning now--thx!

WhoMe

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Awday:

Yes you are very, very special.

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"Today, recognizing and respecting the origins of powwow aids in our Cultural Survival. If enough people break the rules because they are not satisfied...."We will have no culture."

WhoMe