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

It is said that in the early days of the plains, when the tribe would designate a new place for their ceremonial site, the young dancers would beat down the grass. The young warriors would shuffle around the circle, sweeping their feet from side to side to lay down the tall grass. The would grab handfuls of grass and hang it from their belts to make the sway with the wind.

The Grass dance is a reflection of the tradition from these old times. Even though the Grass dance has such a long history it is still considered a modern dance style, as it is in a constant evolution of style and clothing.

The Traditional dancer is an evolution of the Old Style dancer. However, he is not bound by the materials and customs of an former time. The clothes of the Traditional Dancer are a reflection of today's trends in Native Danceware.

The clothes of the Traditional Dancer are similar to an Old Style Dancer. Every year, changes in color, design, and style make their way though the pow wow fashion scene just as they do in main stream America. Currently, there are several identifying traits of the traditional dancer:

• there are no bustles to a grass dancer's outfit.
• the entire set of grass dance clothes is decorated with yarn, especially over the shoulders, waist, and aprons. It is common for these yarns to be white to allow maximum visualization of movement.
• the roach is normally worn flat, with rockers holding long "dangles" to exaggerate head movement.
• beaded headbands are very common, featuring long drops over the temples

The primary dance step of the Grass Dance is a sideways shuffle step. The dancer utilizes a wide array of foot movements to keep his fringes moving, but there is very little upper body movement. The Grass Dancer is very bendable, agile, and fluid in his display.

When done correctly, the Grass Dance is a spellbinding display. It is truly unique among the Pow Wow Dances.

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