Hey Auntie I always wanted to do jingle dress dancing in a powwow. How would I start?
Yeah for you!
So, I think the best way to start would be to make some jingle dress friends.
Come with a winning smile, an open heart, and respect. Let whoever you meet know what it is that you love about jingle dress, what you’ve learned, and what you would like to learn about it. Also, it never hurts to throw in a compliment or two about what you appreciate about that persons dance style, or regalia.
Once you start meeting people, you can ask about how they first got started, if they or someone else made their regalia, and if they would be willing to show you a few moves so you can go out the first time with a little confidence.
Just so you know, dances are usually around 3 minutes 30 seconds, which takes an enormous amount of stamina, so to get prepared you could check out Coeur D’Alene’s work out video’s called Powwow Sweat. You could always start with the intertribals before working your way up to dancing in the jingle dress category.
As always, you’ll want to feel the situation out and be respectful of the sacred connection of dance.
Good luck and have fun!
Love,
Auntie Manda
