User:SHAE2019/Fancy dance

The fancy dance was originally invented by an Oklahoma man named, Gus McDonald, who is also a Ponca man. This dance is performed by many different types of Native American tribes at events called "Pow Wows" and dance competitions. It is known for its flashy display and memorable performances. So, in terms of culture, yes, this article's content is relevant to its topic. The article is pretty full in detail but it seems as if they are talking about the men more than they are the women. The views are mostly underrepresented as they are just stating facts about the fancy dance. The article is well organized. It is broken down into sections that include history, description, and competition. The article can be improved by giving more fuller details, or some inside view from fieldwork, or quotes. Also, they can talk about women more and how they take play in "Fancy Dance".

At contest powwows, there are different kinds of categories and they can be gender or age-specific. "For example, the jingle dress dance is typically performed by women, while the Smoke Dance was historically performed by men. However, with the resurgence of two-spirit traditions, and the progression of women’s rights movements in the 20th century, some powwow organizers and First Nations allow dancers of the opposite sex to participate in traditionally male- or female-specific dances." (thecanadianencyclopedia.ca). Other dances are categorized by age that includes; adults, teenagers, and younger children. The judge evaluates the dancers based on the dance category as well as how good you are at dancing. It is known for its flashy display and memorable performances. The events are often described as "timed perfectly." Every time a dancer steps on stage every step, turn and movement is timed perfectly (nationalcowboymueseum.org). Each dancer is covered in brightly covered feathers and beadwork. The dancer's outfits were elaborate and usually had tribal and personal significance making the dances even more meaningful to their culture.

Women: Traditional women dancers give more of a majestic, or impressive dance than the men do. Most women wear fringed shawls in one arm and in the arm they hold a fan made of eagle feathers. Their movements are very small which makes their shawl and fringe go to the rhythm and their gowns often represent something in nature, like their closeness.(Menominee Fancy Dance Bustle)The gowns represent nature as it is made with animal skins and decorated with teeth from elks, shells, and even porcupine quills. Beadwork is also popular in Fancy Dance and the women often wear their hair in two braids which also include eagle feathers. Also, their outfits consist of leggings and deerskin moccasins. There is a lot of talk about men in fancy dance but it is very popular in girls and women as it requires fast movement along with spins and leaps. The women are known to dazzle the audience with their busy and flamboyant outfits. Another type of dance for young women is the Jingle Dress dancers as it requires gracefulness while doing zig-zag like moves to make their outfits jingle.