Native American Culture Dance Essay

On October 10th I went to a festival at the Meadows Center in San Marcos that celebrated the stories of Native Americans through several different dances, drumming, singing, storytelling, and art. It was the Sacred Springs Powwow. This Powwow was held by the Indigenous Cultures Institute whom is a member of the Sacred Springs Alliance. There was a mix of Native American cultures that were at the Powwow and they called themselves Coahuiltecans. There were several tents that sold merchandise and food from their Native American culture, but I stayed at a specific Native Culture Tent that held Native American storytellers, flute players, youth performances, and dance demonstrations. The dances that occurred, and the flutes that were played are

It isn’t very hard to believe that the hosts started with this dance since the Gourd Dance is traditionally done before a powwow. The dance was performed in a circle with only men in it. In terms of mise-en-scene, the setting was in a tent and the costumes that were worn consisted of feathers on some of the dancers’ heads; everyone had a gourd/rattle. Another attribute was a gourd sash that was tied around their waist. Most dancers were also wearing a red and blue, vest or blanket over their shoulders. The choreography present in the dance was the lifting of the feet according to the drumbeat while standing in a single spot while shaking their rattles. I also noticed that their choreography and rhythm were based on the drum beat. Dynamically, when there were harder beats, the dancers would dance in place. When the drummers changed to softer beats, the dancers would dance a short distance from where they were. The line and form of the dancers were very stiff with mostly just leg movement. Since it was in a tent, the lighting was based off of sunlight, therefore the lighting was a medium setting and it did not make a remarkable effect on any of the dances. Overall the dance was abstract, showing the dancers’ emotion towards the beginning of the powwow, which resembled a positive