CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Every day at Frontier Park, people of all ages gather inside the Native American Village to watch vibrant dance performances.
The shows are done by the Little Sun Drum and Dance Group, which is based out of the Wind River Reservation in central Wyoming. The group represents northern Arapahoe and Oglala Lakota tribes.
CFD attendees can catch the dancers in the village at 11:15 a.m., 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. until Saturday, July 29.
Below are the types of dances featured and what they symbolize, according to Sandra Iron Cloud, coordinator of the drum and dance group.
1. Men’s Fancy
The Men’s Fancy is a fast-paced and highly athletic dance, according to Iron Cloud. Each bustle, or man’s regalia, weighs anywhere from 12 to 15 pounds and is made from hackle and goose feathers and flagging tape.
2. Women’s Fancy
Featuring an outfit of colorful shawls, the Women’s Fancy is a dance that uses a quick and upbeat tempo. In the ’50s and ’60s, young Native American women put shawls on over their traditional dancing outfits, bringing a positive change to the dance circle, Iron Cloud said.
“Some say that this dance is representatives of the butterfly emerging from a cocoon, moving on to the next level in life,” she said.
3. Men’s Traditional
The Men’s Traditional is one of the oldest forms of Native American dancing. Each performer dances with a different style and expresses their own unique story, Ironcloud said. The dance features the Lakota style, where dancers move counterclockwise, and the clockwise Northern Arapaho style.
4. Women’s Traditional
Like the Men’s Traditional, the Women’s Traditional is an older form of Native American dancing. Attendees can see the Lakota stationary style, where dancers stand in one place, and the walk-around style, which is common for the Northern Arapaho people, Iron Cloud said.
5. Men’s Grass
The grass dance is inspired by a Native American story about a young boy who was lame and handicapped. Frustrated that he could not keep up with others, the boy went out to a field and cried. The spirits heard and listened to his concerns. He was given special grass, and was told it would bring good feelings to him.
6. Women’s Jingle
The Women’s Jingle dance is another healing dance rooted in an old Native American tale. A grandfather once had a very sick granddaughter. In a dream, he was shown how to fasten strands of grass to a dress. His granddaughter and three of her other friends were instructed to dance in a special style with the grass dresses. In doing so, the granddaughter became well.
7. Hoop Dance
Hoop dancer Zariah Whiteplume of the Northern Arapaho tribe preformed a solo routine following the men and women’s dances. For the past two years, Whiteplume competed at the International Championship for Woman Hoop Dancers in Salt Lake City, placing first and second, respectively.
“The hoop is in a circle representing the meaning of life with no beginning and no end,” the 19-year-old said before the performance. “This dance is a healing dance where I’ll be making various formations such as the bird, the eagle and the butterfly.”
Whiteplume will offer Hoop dance workshops at the village at 4 p.m. until July 29.
