Ho-Chunk Nation

Hello Everyone, Thanks for taking time to read this. Any help is appreciated. I have a 9 yr old girl and a 6 yr old boy who want to learn to dance jingle and fancy, but i have no experience myself and we live in west tennessee which is far from home and family in wisconsin. I was wondering how did everyone else learn? Is it just thru family and friends and attending pow wows? What are the first steps i should take into them learning? Anyone know of any pow wows in tennessee?

Iowa_Boy

This may depend on your family and when you can visit them. Speaking strictly of the fancy dancing (I'd go to the jingle forum for their advice, its a little more complicated), there are several talented HoChunk fancy dancers. Perhaps you are related to any of them and can have them step into a traditional role of teaching your son. Or if you are not, next time you return to WI you may attend a local powwow and connect with one of these dancers. WI also has very talented Menominee and Potawatomi fancy dancers as well, it may be easy to find someone that your family knows.

Learning to fancy dance is a complicated "thing," not only is there the physical movements (dance) and regalia, but there is also the specific meanings that tribes may or may not (depending on the tribal traditions) assign to the movements and regalia. Also may tribes of "rules" about the proper way to handle oneself or to act as a dancer in the "circle." So not only to you need to learn the movements, how to make the "stuff" (you may make some and buy some, that is very common), but you will need to learn the "rules" as well.

Hey, what's everybody else got to say?

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