Capturing Some of America’s Original Dances: Inside the Thunderbird American Indian Dancers’ Powwow

Over the course of three days in July, the Thunderbird American Indian Dancers hosted its 42nd annual powwow at Queens County Farm Museum. Founded in 1963 by members of the Mohawk, Hopi, Winnebago and Kuna (San Blas) tribes, Thunderbird is the oldest resident Native American dance company in New York, and puts on the city’s largest powwow, drawing dancers from more than 40 tribal nations for a series of performances and dance contests, as well as crafts and food stands.

Dance Magazine joined Saturday night’s sunset bonfire to capture some of the competitions, and asked Thunderbird director Louis Mofsie and company dancer Michael Taylor to share their insights on the place of dance within the powwow.

The powwow is a social gathering
where we get together to dance and sing, to meet old friends and make new ones. Originally a Western/Great Plains tradition, it does not have any religious or ceremonial significance—our religious and ceremonial dances and songs are restricted and closed to outsiders.

Read more @ https://www.dancemagazine.com/powwow-dance-styles/