MrzDancerMom

Hello, all my kids dance. My son is No. Tradish (he is Tachi/Lakota/S.Ute ndn). He has all his regalia and loves to dance.

But I need help or advice on how we can help him get the 'bounce' in his steps. I think he gets self-conscience out there at pow wows when he dances and he 'freezes' up. His dad used to Tradish dance as well and has helped him practice at home and I am a dance consultant for our rez community dance group and he attends that as well.

He needs to get out of his rutt and start 'moving' around more. And I keep on encouraging him and all. So if any of you seasoned/experienced dancers out there can lend some words...please do so.

Pila Miya!

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~*~If you get mad, you just have to get glad again~*~ No sense in wasting your time with anger~*~

>!< KIMIMILA>!<

sookout sh'nob

I used to know this guy down at Prairie Island and he danced sort of crouched down all the time - it looked like his bustle was always pointing up from the center. It was pretty cool. He didn't bounce his steps. He didn't prance around. He just hunkered down and sorta waddled - but man it was cool.

Emmit Eastman doesn't bounce either - and he's one hell of a dancer.

My sister is a fancy shawl dancer and she doesn't take backsteps.

My brother dances Fancy Feather and doesn't spin - he's all footwork. He just smiles and nods when people tell him he needs to spin more. He just doesn't spin- it's not his style and we don't push him, you know?

He'll get where he needs to be when he needs to be there. I think maybe the important thing is that he's dancing at all.

Maybe the boy's a straight dancer? I don't know. Be patient - he'll get there.

MrzDancerMom

thanks so much.
You know sometimes we need nice words like that to sit back and take a nice look at it all. ;)

He keeps in time and moves his fan and staff when needed and he goes on like that. You know and his movement is very suttle at times. Sneak up he is great at and also crow hop if he dances it.

Thanks for the insite.

__________________
~*~If you get mad, you just have to get glad again~*~ No sense in wasting your time with anger~*~

>!< KIMIMILA>!<

Joe's Dad

These words right here ring so true!

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sookout sh'nob

Thanks folks - I hmm'd and haw'd for a couple of days on whether I should post or not. I wasn't sure if it'd turn out too good. With your post there, it sounds like he dances how a lot of the old guys around here do. They really jam out, but it's subtle - not showy. I've been working hard to get that for years now. It sounds like maybe he's ahead of me on the evolutionary curve.

I'm glad it turned out good.

MeGwetch

scottlollar

I see it a lot in new dancers around here, some Boy Scout, some not. It's like they are concentrating too hard or something. They hear all the negatives - 'don't do this', 'don't do that', 'you don't want to offend' - and they get worried.
I tell 'em to relax, practice dancing to music they are more familiar with - Rock, Country, Hip-Hop, whatever. Tell them to get up on their toes, not touch their heels to the ground - just for practice. It will help them get lighter on their feet. Also have him try dancing only on his heels, not using his toes. I know it's not the right way to dance, but it will get him to think outside the box. This will help him relax while dancing and allow him to listen to the songs more.
I was taught that the two feathers in the spreader are supposed to move as much as possible. So, tell him to practice bobbing his head while dancing. Suprisingly, this helps get the back and shoulders moving, which helps get the hips and legs moving and a bounce begins to occur. It's strange to think of it that way, but it works.
I was teaching a boy around her who crouched so low all the time and took so large a step, he ended up looking like a letter 'S' from the side (all curved angles and no part stacked on another), no matter what suggestions we gave him. He loves dancing, but he's comfortable with how he dances.
Like has been said, we can give him all the suggestions we want, but he'll get there when he gets there...

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Scott

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Quick to judge,
Quick to anger,
Slow to understand
Ignorance and prejudice
And fear walk hand in hand.
--Neal Peart(from the song Witch Hunt)

MrzDancerMom

Thanks, i appreciate the help in here.
I know that as a parent; sometimes we (I) could nag and make it a negative.
He is comfortable with his dancing and yes from all the talk, I think it does 'slow' him down.

Pila Miya!

__________________
~*~If you get mad, you just have to get glad again~*~ No sense in wasting your time with anger~*~

>!< KIMIMILA>!<

SuzzeQ4

One of my son's dance Men's Trad too (the other grass). For the bounce (regardless of style) I get them up on thier toes and just bounce before they start, it really seems to help the kids.

I also remind them it's all free-style & not "do this & then next do this"

A Little About My Son...
My son has an intelectual disability called "non-verbal" it doesn't mean that he can't talk (believe me) it means that he only learns verbal things & doesn't learn visual (non verbal) things. So I really wandered how he would learn to dance. But he is so determined (which has got him farther then the med. proffession thought) & he just loves dancing. So he practiced all the time & he is great now. At first he looked very spastic, then kind of robotic, then he looked like he was dancing to a devo song (if your old enough to know who that is). But he finally got it & now he kicks but...lol...so I'm very proud of him. But not all dancers dance exactly the same 'cause how boring would that be.

Anyway back to the bounce, my son uses only a slight bounce, hardly noticable, just enough to keep him all fluid.
But I think you got the right idea about just letting him be, but if he ever wants a bounce, use my suggestion.
Suzze

MrzDancerMom

Omg it has been long time since I have been on here. And I do greatly appreciate the comments and suggestions. yes, it would be boring if they all danced the same way. And your story of your son was a wonderful one. It is so great how our kids perserver no matter what is going on in their lives. I remind my kids that the words together "I CAN'T" are bad-ugly words making yourself sound less than. So I tell them to use...I CAN...I WILL TRY..and then next thing they know it..they are doing it.

My son has gone a long way too. The last pow wow we were at he had great compliments from some elder men tradish dancers. Which was something great to see and hear. And one of them said that "not to worry about everyone, it is just you and the drum. You dance great..and that he is going to make an excellent dancer." Just words like that encourage more. We are done right now with pow wows...lol..if there is ever such a thing. But we have practice for our youth dance group every Thursdays and we also perform 'mini-pow wows' as an educational program for non-ndns. So he has came a long way.

Thanks so very much!

__________________
~*~If you get mad, you just have to get glad again~*~ No sense in wasting your time with anger~*~

>!< KIMIMILA>!<

SuzzeQ4

Thank you.
I was very interested to hear that a youth dance group. I run a dance class for the ndn kids in our community. Sharing info and tips on this could be very interesting.
Suzze

redthunder

As stated above, dance your own style. But one thing i hate seeing is when people have them "bobble heads". Someone above posted that they need to make the 2 roach feathers move as much as possible, which i was taught that the whole body needs to flow together, not your head looking all out of control. I think it looks real boy scoutish to do that and i would stay clear of that. Just my opinions.

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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 Sparrow