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Men's Pow-Wow Dance Categories
Southern Straight:
Commonly referred to as the "Gentleman's Dance", Southern Straight dancers have two distinct styles of dance. The most popular style is the smooth "gliding" of the dancer as his back, neck, and head are stiff and straight while each step is an elegant stride placed gently on the ground to each beat of the drum. The other dance style is one of a rough bouncing motion. This Straight Dancer will look as if he is taking small hops or bobbing up in the air off the balls of his feet with quick sharp turns. Both of these dance styles will be seen frequently throughout Oklahoma and the Nation as these Straight Dancers demonstrate their skills. Most straight dancers will follow the same routine where they are visually tracing the surface of the earth for the tracks of the enemy or of his prey. When he finds either of these he will let out a loud "whoop" which alerts his brothers that he is hot on the trail. Straight Dancing began in the Southern Plains regions and many of the adornments that comprise their regalia will resemble this. A majority of these dancers will wear porcupine hair roaches on their heads with one eagle tail feather set in a small spinner. Others will wear otter hide/hair hats possibly with an eagle feather or plume at the back of the hat. A long strip of otter hide/hair, cloth, or a ribbon drapes from the back of the neck and comes close to touching the ground. These trails are usually adorned with round mirrors or beaded rosettes. Colorful silk or satin ribbon shirts are topped with either a fully beaded vest and breast plate or just the breast plate minus the vest. Buckskin or cloth leggings will be worn from the waist to the top of the moccasins and some are only adorned with fringe while others will have the edges or seams beaded. Bells or deer toes/dew claws are wrapped around the leg just underneath the knees. Moccasins can be fully beaded or very simple with just enough beads to make small strips around the bottom edges and the top center of the foot. Buckskin fringe and small tin cones are the norm on the top of the mocs. As with most of the men's dance styles, you will normally see sterling silver or beaded cuffs worn around the wrists. Typical hand carrying items will include an eagle tail feather fan in one hand and a weapon or simple staff in the other.
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George Alexander Photos ©
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Southern Fancy Feather:
The Southern Fancy Feather Dancer is a blur of colors and feathers while out on the dance floor. Southern Fancy Dancers pride themselves on being the fastest dancers at a Pow-Wow. Who can argue as you watch them spin and step to "almost" every beat of a blazing fast drum? The songs normally start out at a medium pace and quickly escalate to what normally sounds like a machine gun at the climax of the song. Back in the old days, Fancy feather dancers were required to tap their foot on every beat of the drum and if they didn't, they were disqualified as a result. Modern day Fancy Dancers have opened up the door with more flashy moves including jumping, spinning, cartwheels, and even flipping so they have let the old ways go in the respect that they don't always hit the ground with a foot on every beat. Some prefer the old ways and some the new, regardless of your views, it's always the highlight of any Pow-Wow to watch these athletic men let it all go when it's contest time. Just like anyone that dances, these dancers must learn the songs since there tends to be no shortage of trick songs for this category. Fancy Feather Dancers are easy to spot as they will be wearing a top and a bottom chicken hackle or eagle feather bustle on their upper and lower back. These bustles are the backbone of any Fancy Dancer's regalia. Other typical regalia items include a porcupine hair roach with either a rocker or spinner holding up two eagle tail feathers. A vest or a drape will fit over the head and usually cover the shoulders and a portion of the chest and back. Breechclouts will cover the front thighs and the back of the legs and will consist of beadwork, ribbon, or cloth appliqué. Bells and a strip of goat fur will cover the legs below the knees. Moccasins will be fully beaded or simplistic depending on how often these men have a moc "blowout". Cuffs are typically worn around the wrists and circular arm bustles are tied on just under the arm pit. Hand carrying items are usually a small stick connected with rope and ribbon, fringe, or hackle feather bundles at the end so when the dancers are moving their arms or spinning these items will catch the eye.
Northern Fancy Feather:
Much like their counterparts to the southlands, the Northern Fancy Feather Dancers take a backseat to nobody when it comes to being flashy and demonstrating extreme athleticism while dancing against a fast song. Northern Fancy Dancers are usually more prone to Spinning, hopping, jumping, and body work over fancy footwork but when it's time for them to break out the footwork, and they can lay it down. A Northern Fancy Feather Dancer will plan his dance routine around the type of song that is given to them by the singers, so style usually comes down to the tempo of the drum beat. There are subtle differences between the regalia of the Northern Fancy and the Southern Fancy Dancers but you will notice the difference in the dance styles.
Northern Traditional:
Originating from the plains of the north, this symbolic dance style is truly one of a kind. The Northern Traditional Dancer is defined by the single eagle feather bustle they wear on the lower back. This dance style normally has a slow to medium tempo beat which allows the dancer to emphasize the high stepping legs and bouncing head swaying from front to back and side to side. The warrior's shoulders and arms are proudly displayed to show their enemies the fearless pride and strength they possess. Traditional dancers much like Southern Straight dancers follow a set pattern while in the dance arena. These dancers will survey the lay of the land, tracking his prey or his unfortunate enemy while releasing a loud "Whoop" or war cry depending on the tracks he has discovered. Traditional dancers never spin in a complete circle and will always face their enemies no matter what the circumstances are. Regalia for this dance style will include various head wear depending on the region or tribal affiliation across the Northern United States and Canada. Some dancers will wear the typical porcupine hair roach with two eagle tail feathers set in spinners. Others will wear wolf, coyote, or buffalo skins with the skinned head of the animal covering the dancers head. Another popular head covering for this dance style is the feather head dress, otherwise known as a "feather hat". This head dress will have bunches of predatory feathers tied into the hat that allows them to flow and bounce on every step the dancer makes. A lesser worn head wear at a Pow-Wow is probably the most highly identifiable as it is often seen in the movies. This would be the typical war bonnet where a long row of eagle feathers are tied into a hat and lay backwards perfectly aligned giving the appearance of a spread peacock tail. The war bonnet is usually only worn by dignitaries from their representative tribes and when a bonnet is worn, a back bustle normally isn't. Other regalia items include a fully beaded vest or a shoulder drape. A long bone breast plate will hang from the collarbone to below the crotch to protect the dancer from flying arrows or spears. Typical breechclouts tie on from the waist and cover the thighs and the back of the legs. Some dancers will wear full buckskin or cloth pants while some choose to forgo the pants in lieu of beaded leg ties with fringe that resides below the knees. Sheep or goat skin will be worn around the ankles with large bells or deer toe/dew claws as noise makers. Moccasins are normally fully beaded and will often have intricate designs and colors. Thick rawhide or beaded cuffs are typical wrist adornments of the Traditional Dancer and hand carrying items include a small shield and eagle feather fan in one hand and either a weapon or a staff in the other.
Grass Dance:
Grass Dancers are the epitome of grace and symmetry. To watch this beautiful dance performed by a skilled dancer will quickly make this dance category one of your favorites. The Grass Dance is one of the oldest recorded dances in Native American history. While there are at least three different leading stories as to where and how the grass dance began, this is not for us to debate. If you watch a skilled dancer closely, you will see that his steps aren't supposed to be wild like those of a Fancy Feather Dancer. The basic dance step for the grass dancer is based on a "double step" they take with one foot and then repeat with the opposite foot. Once they begin dancing, they will often spin one way and then spin back the other way. Elders say that the proper way to Grass Dance is to initiate a set of steps with one foot and then you do the same thing with the other foot, hence the symmetry. As a Grass Dancer sways, bends, and contorts his body; he will make sure to keep perfect time with the drum beat. Most of the songs for Grass Dancers are slow to medium pace but some of the Original Style singing groups make those dancers kick up the dirt with a fast paced song. You will recognize a Grass Dancer by looking for the following regalia. As per typical male head wear, Grass Dancers will almost always wear a porcupine hair roach with either two eagle tail spinner feathers or they will opt for the more recognizable eagle plume floaters that fork into a V-shape on top of the head. The shirt is usually adorned with beadwork and either colored yarn, ribbon, or strips of cloth that represent the long flowing prairie grass. Some dancers will wear breastplates while others prefer to wear a long beaded harness that hangs around the neck and the two long strips of beadwork will dangle down towards the knees. Front and rear breechclouts will typically have the same type of yarn, ribbon, or cloth as the shirt. The leggings of a Grass Dancer are usually cloth pants that have fringe like material on the sides of the legs and wraps around the pants below the knees. Bells are usually worn around the ankles and the dancer’s moccasins are usually fully beaded. Hand carrying items might include a small staff, medicine wheel, eagle tail feather fan, or pouch of some type.
Chicken Dance:
The Chicken Dance is really a society dance originating from the Northern Plains tribes. It has only become popular recently in the Pow-Wow arenas throughout the United States. Some will argue that this dance doesn't belong in the Pow-Wow arena, but once a dance becomes "mainstream" there is no going back. Never-the-less, we will enjoy watching skilled Chicken Dancers thrill the crowds with their rendition of the plains prairie chickens ritual mating dance. Chicken Dancers will imitate the prairie chicken by rocking their heads back and forth as if they were pecking at the ground as they spin from side to side in slow majestic movements. The first time you see this dance performed, you might quickly draw comparisons to Northern Traditional, Grass Dancing, and in some instances, slower Fancy Feather Dancing. Regalia belonging to the Chicken Dance are usually a porcupine hair roach and two long pheasant tail feathers that curl backwards with colored plumes on the end. Traditional dress for the typical Chicken Dancer is very minimalistic. Popular are black colored tight shirts and leggings with a drape covering the chest and back. The fringe for a Chicken Dancer is very short unlike that of a Grass Dancer or Traditional Dancer. Breechclouts are very simple shapes such as a square or an oval with short fringe along the outside edges. The bustle of the Chicken Dancer is small in comparison to that of the Traditional Dancer in that it only uses small pheasant or eagle feathers circling the outside of the bustle board with bunches of small loose feathers or plumes in the center. Bells and sheep or goat skins adorn the dancer’s ankles. Moccasins can be either fully beaded or simplistic in nature. Some dancers choose to wear arm bustles and most will use the typical beaded wrist cuff. Hand carrying items include a mirror board or a gourd in one hand and an eagle tail feather fan in the other.
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Dance Categories 
51st Annual Kiowa-Apache Blackfoot Society Ceremonial
