The Web Site for the Study of Native American Pow-Wow Ettiquette and Tradition

Also called Fancy Feather Dancing, the Fancy Dance is one of the newer dance styles at Pow Wows. It has origins from Native American soldiers visiting Europe during he World Wars and bringing back much of what they saw in the French Cancan dancers. In the 70's the Fancy dance spread as a way to entertain tourist in local reservations.

The Fancy Dance is a true test of a dancers speed, agility, and endurance. The unofficial object of the Fancy Dance is to keep every feather in constant movement all over the dancers body.

The clothes of the Fancy Dancer are designed to direct attention to the dancer. Color schemes are very rigid, but they are also very bright and loud. The traits of a fancy dancer's clothes are:

• The Fancy Dancer wears at least tow bustles. One on the lower back and another, slightly smaller, between the shoulder blades. These bustles are made almost completely of brightly colored hackles and plumbs.
• Large roaches are worn with silver rockers and two coup feathers. Beaded head bands with drops are common also.
• Clothing usually consist of biker's shorts. Fringe aprons cover the shoulder and waist. Large cow bells are commonly used below the knees, and Angora fur covers the shins.
• There are no restrictions to the materials that can be found on the regalia. Beadwork, Reflective tape, mirrors, bicycle mirrors, CD's and sequins are often parts of the Fancy Dance's clothes
• There are two major styles of Fancy Dance, northern and southern. Southern dancers tend use lots of reds, yellows, and oranges. They also to use more hackles in there bustles, and add two small bustles on the arms. Northern fancy dancers tend to be a little more reserved, sticking to blues and greens, and preserving more of the natural feather in the two back bustles

The primary dance step of the fancy dancer is a high step where the leg bells get a chance to ring while the dancer moves from place to place. However, the part of the dance that characterizes the dance is a wild furry of free form movements consisting of twist and spins. Better dancers can add flips and splits to this furry. Very little point-to-point movement around the circle is accomplished during this phase of dancing, so fancy dancers ten to isolate themselves away from the central movement of the dance arbor so they will not interfere with other styles.

Fancy Dance is a showboat dance style. It is typically done by the young and athletic who like lots of attention.

Glazner, Chris et all, 2000 Fancy Dance. Southern Native American Pow Wows<http://library.thinkquest.org/3081/fancy> 2001, September 26