Ann M. Axtmann
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- May 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780813049113
- eISBN:
- 9780813050010
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Florida
- DOI:
- 10.5744/florida/9780813049113.003.0001
- Subject:
- Music, Dance
This chapter introduces the Native American intertribal powwow as a popular and prolific performance genre. Powwows are spiritual, social, and communal events that occur annually throughout North ...
More
This chapter introduces the Native American intertribal powwow as a popular and prolific performance genre. Powwows are spiritual, social, and communal events that occur annually throughout North America and vary significantly by geographical region, tribal and community organizers, and participants. Powwows are also present in our daily lives through music, television, and film; photojournalism; and academic studies. After examining some of these sources, Axtmann discusses the importance of studying powwow through its everyday movement and dance––and, more specifically, proposes bringing choreographic tools, Laban Movement Analysis, and notions of “performance” and “performativity” to this project. In particular, she considers the genocides historically suffered by Native peoples in relation to how the body expresses itself through dance. Finally, Axtmann announces the central topics of her book by chapter, introduces key terms that will be used throughout, and explains how her own identity as a non-Indian dancer, choreographer, and performance scholar is located within the project.Less
This chapter introduces the Native American intertribal powwow as a popular and prolific performance genre. Powwows are spiritual, social, and communal events that occur annually throughout North America and vary significantly by geographical region, tribal and community organizers, and participants. Powwows are also present in our daily lives through music, television, and film; photojournalism; and academic studies. After examining some of these sources, Axtmann discusses the importance of studying powwow through its everyday movement and dance––and, more specifically, proposes bringing choreographic tools, Laban Movement Analysis, and notions of “performance” and “performativity” to this project. In particular, she considers the genocides historically suffered by Native peoples in relation to how the body expresses itself through dance. Finally, Axtmann announces the central topics of her book by chapter, introduces key terms that will be used throughout, and explains how her own identity as a non-Indian dancer, choreographer, and performance scholar is located within the project.
Ann M. Axtmann
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- May 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780813049113
- eISBN:
- 9780813050010
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University Press of Florida
- DOI:
- 10.5744/florida/9780813049113.001.0001
- Subject:
- Music, Dance
Our complex post-millennial world forces us to grapple with issues related to the survival of the earth and its peoples. Acknowledging the critical role of dance in society, this book looks at how ...
More
Our complex post-millennial world forces us to grapple with issues related to the survival of the earth and its peoples. Acknowledging the critical role of dance in society, this book looks at how Native American powwow dancing––primarily in the northeast region of the United States––contributes to our understanding of these concerns. The following questions guide this study: Why do intertribal powwows attract so many people within the population at large? What are some of the dynamics between Indians and non-Indians that influence powwow? Within the context of a profoundly transcultural performance genre, how do bodies in motion––in everyday movement and dance––reveal and generate beauty and power in the centuries-long history of powwow dance, the use of space and time, and in how race is performed every year by both Indians and wannabes at hundreds, if not thousands, of powwows across North America? The overall purpose of the book is to describe and analyze the complexities of powwow dance performance by examining such events as the Grand Entry and intertribal competitions and such expressions as the grass, traditional, and fancy dance styles. To a great extent, the book confirms what Native Americans can teach us about living harmony with our environment, honoring diversity among one another, and including dance, music, and the visual arts in our daily lives.Less
Our complex post-millennial world forces us to grapple with issues related to the survival of the earth and its peoples. Acknowledging the critical role of dance in society, this book looks at how Native American powwow dancing––primarily in the northeast region of the United States––contributes to our understanding of these concerns. The following questions guide this study: Why do intertribal powwows attract so many people within the population at large? What are some of the dynamics between Indians and non-Indians that influence powwow? Within the context of a profoundly transcultural performance genre, how do bodies in motion––in everyday movement and dance––reveal and generate beauty and power in the centuries-long history of powwow dance, the use of space and time, and in how race is performed every year by both Indians and wannabes at hundreds, if not thousands, of powwows across North America? The overall purpose of the book is to describe and analyze the complexities of powwow dance performance by examining such events as the Grand Entry and intertribal competitions and such expressions as the grass, traditional, and fancy dance styles. To a great extent, the book confirms what Native Americans can teach us about living harmony with our environment, honoring diversity among one another, and including dance, music, and the visual arts in our daily lives.
