History of the Modern Hoop Dance Summary:

In Dennis Zotigh’s article History of the Modern Hoop Dance, shows how hoop dancing came to be today. This dance originally “used the hoop in traditional healing ceremonies, and the hoop's significance enhances the embodiment of healing ceremonies.” There were medicine men who used this dance as a practice in ceremonies to heal people, and is considered sacred. In 1930, a man named Tony White Cloud from Jemez pueblo started to modernize the hoop dance, and made many traditional formations with his hoops, made from willow wood. Hoop dancing began to spread all over different tribes performing this dance. In 1990, an idea came up for having a World Hoop Dance Championship that would be a crowd pleaser at the Indian Village of the New Mexico State Fair. All the dancers would dance together for a grand entry in the beginning of the competition. Then each dancer would dance individually to a live song, and they would be scored on precision, timing/rhythm, showmanship, and speed. Later that year, they wanted to continue the competition in a larger area. They moved it to the Heard Museum in Phoenix Arizona, and called the competition the Tony White Cloud Memorial World Championship Hoop Dance Contest. They began to add new aspects such as judges, a tiny tot, youth, adult and senior division, and if the dancers preferred to dance in the grass, or on a cement stage. 

This history is not new to me. I have heard the same history of hoop dance by family, many individuals who hoop dance, or are involved in the hoop dance championship. Before every performance we talk about the history of hoop dance, to inform the audience, or crowds that are watching. We tell them the true meaning of the dance, and where it originated. My family and I have always attended the World Hoop Dance Championship every year. Most years we are successful to place in one of the divisions, or make it to the second day of the competition. This competition is a lot of fun to watch, and to see all of the dancers in their beautiful regalia, and show their own version of hoop dancing.

Storytelling Through Hoop Dance Summary:

In this lesson, Storytelling Through Hoop Dance, written by multiple hoop dancers, Michael Goedel, Terry Goedel, Patrick Willie, Meredith Little, and Kelina Anderson, share another aspect of hoop dance, which is storytelling. Hoop dancing is a way of telling one's story. Storytelling brings benefits such as to “promote a positive attitude towards people from different lands, races and religions.” Using hoops, creates and shapes, symbols, and designs to tell a story. Hoop Dancing is performed everywhere and “it has become an intertribal dance, meaning different tribes now do it across regions.” There is no exact tribe that originated this dance, but many tribes use this dance in their culture, and have stories of how it came to be. The Plains Indians in North America share a story “of a “dying man” who wants to do something that others will remember and use after he is gone. The Creator, in response, gives him a single wooden hoop and tells him that for each living thing he creates with the hoop, one more hoop will be given to him. He uses his body and the hoop to create images. With each added hoop, the man miraculously grows stronger. In the end he creates the forms of all other living things.” 

As hoop dance has grown more and more, people create many designs, to represent where they are from, what they believe in, or what they like. Like the paper stated this is an intertribal dance, there are many nations across North America that practice and perform this dance. Hoop dancing always makes you appreciate not only what your identity is, but others as well, and learn about where they come from. Hoop dancing does not have a specific tribe it originated from, but my family told me that it originated in Taos Pueblo. Yet there are many native nations that have an origin story of hoop dancing, which all are unique, and bring out the positive qualities of hoop dancing. The story from the Plains Indians is a beautiful story that shows that hoop dancing really is a healing dance.

Native Hoop Dancers Stay Connected to Culture Through Competition Article:

In the Santa Fe New Mexican article Native Hoop Dancers Stay Connected to Culture Through Competition, has information about the Lightning Boy Foundation, the instructors, and some of the students. The Lightning Boy Foundation is based in Pojoaque Pueblo, where practices take place. “The foundation blossomed from the memory of Valentino Tzigiwhaeno Rivera, a student of Nakotah LaRance, the nine-time champion at the World Championship of Hoop Dance, who grew close to the young prodigy” They both inspire a lot of hoop dancers to keep performing in their honor. The group's instructor Shandien LaRance talks about what her role is in this foundation that will help benefit the youth. “...she takes a supportive role in their lives to keep them connected to their culture and the values hoop dancing teaches such as persistence and respect. When she sees a student veering off course, she reminds them to come back to hoop dancing and reconnect with themselves.” The youngest student in their class is “Zayden, of the Nambe and Santa Clara Pueblos, picked up dancing at his grandmother’s house when he began watching Native dancing videos on YouTube” Another student is “Fia Jones McCoy, 11, competed for the first time at the Lightning Boy event. Fia, who is Muscogee Creek and Shoshone, was feeling mixed emotions at her last practice. She was nervous but excited to do her routine.” Her mother Topaz Jones is from Muscogee Creek Nation and states “We’re so far away from home, and it’s hard because we’re not there with [our families],” Jones said. “So, we hope they carry it through their whole lives. I tell them to keep dancing so you can teach your children.”

My Aunt is Shandien LaRance, and my family all contributes to the Lightning Boy Foundation. The foundation was inspired by a former student and performer, Valentino Rivera, who sadly passed away when he was 8. My uncle Nakotah LaRance started teaching hoop dance to other native kids, besides my family. I have seen a lot of growth in the hoop dance community due to how many kids that he worked with and that my aunt worked with as well. I have also seen a lot of growth in the skill set, and personality of each student in the foundation, and how they continue to strive by practicing hoop dancing. There is also a lot of diversity of tribes that are brought along into this group of children, and a lot of the children or parents always have a cultural exchange of their own culture and language. 

After a Successful Championship, Hoop Dancers Performed at the Santa Fe Indian Market article:

In the article After a Successful Championship, Hoop Dancer Performed at the Santa Fe Indian Market, has the turnout of the competition. On August 6th and 7th, 2022, the first annual Nakotah LaRance Youth Hoop Dance Championship “had 38 registered dancers.” All the dancers were from 3-22 years old. This competition was in honor of “Nakotah, a world championship-winning hoop dancer, helped inspire and start the nonprofit foundation” of the hoop dance group. There were four divisions, the tiny tot, youth, teenage, and collegiate division, and the “top three dancers in each of three divisions would receive prize money, with the best dancer in the collegiate division winning $1000.” In the article the Co-chair of the Lightning Boy Foundation “LaRance said that the community is requesting the championship to continue, and it will return next year on August 5 and 6, 2023, at the Museum of Indian Culture in Santa Fe.” 

I participated in the first Nakotah LaRance Youth Hoop Dance Championship in  his honor. He was the person that taught me how to hoop dance, and inspired me to continue hoop dance. Even outside of hoop dancing he was a great uncle, and always had great memories and laughs with each other. I feel that the competition inspired the kids to keep dancing as well as giving them medal prizes for participation. I do hope that there are more participants in the upcoming years of this event, because it did mean a lot to my family and myself to see these dancers perform, and for the event to be a success. 

Research Log 4: