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

The Strait Dance is a very elegant and formal dance compared to the other modern dances of Native America. Coming out of the Southern Tribes, the strait dance is often seen and the "jacket and tie" of Native American Dancing.

The Strait Dance is a very rigid and formal dance, with very little room for individuality and expression. However, it is very elegant, graceful and fluid. Strait dancers demand a high amount of respect.

The clothes of the Strait Dancer demand a very specific look. Outside of color schemes and beaded patterns, there is very little difference from dancer to dancer. The traits of a strait dancer are:

• The materials of the Strait Dance Regalia are very fine and of a higher standard than other Pow wow dancers. Silver is a very common material for roach spreaders, belt ornaments, and drops. A well-defined color scheme is very apparent.
• There are no bustles to a strait dancer's outfit. The only feathers are in the roach, on fans, or on several drops.
• One defining piece of regalia is the drop, a piece of otter decorated with silver and ribbonwork. It is tied to the back of the neck and barely touches the ground.
• Strait dancers carry a fan of some sort, as well as a thin dance staff.
• There are two varieties of Strait Dancers, Kiowa/Comanche and Ponca/Osage. Kiowa/Comanche dancers use larger amounts of German silver and wear tabbed leggings. Ponca/Osage wear dark blue below the waist with fancy ribbonwork.

The primary dance step of the Strait Dancer is a very subtle Toe-Heel. Unlike the Traditional Dancers, the steps are very fluid and seem to almost be not much less than slow steps. A much higher attention to the drum and the singing is paid by strait dancers, but all of the movements are very graceful.

The dancers walks very tall and noble. His dance staff is held out on front, almost like a blind man's cane. The fan is carried close to the body. Most of the movements are made by changing direction and the focus of movement, not in moving individual body parts.

When done correctly, the Strait Dancer should seem to dance slowly but gracefully with a large touch of elegance and class.

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