How to Do a Native American Jingle Dance

Listen for musical jingling at a pow wow and you've found the Jingle Dance. Legend says that this women's dance started as a healing dance. Women wearing jingle dresses took sideways steps around a sick person. Over the years, the Jingle Dance has evolved to include tribal differences and is now a staple at dance competitions. Follow these steps to do a Native American Jingle Dance.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Jingle Dance regalia

1. Familiarize yourself with Native American pow wows. Talk to Jingle Dancers about the regalia and the dance steps. Observe before joining in.

2. Wear appropriate regalia. The main distinction of the Jingle Dance is the regalia, which is a dress covered with metal jingles. Although jingles were once carved from wood, they now come from chewing tobacco or snuff lids that are cut and bent into a cone shape. A single cotton or taffeta dress may hold up to 700 jingles in rows or tiers.

3. Start the Jingle Dance in the circle. This important Native American symbol is a staple at pow wows.

4. Keep time with the drum. Move so that the metal cones make a jingling noise. At the end of a dance, both feet should stop with the final beat.

5. Take controlled, zigzag steps with your feet, keeping them low to the ground. The more contemporary styles of the Jingle Dance lift the feet higher off the ground and allow spinning.

6. Alternate doing the same moves on each side of your body.

7. Raise your fan for honor beats on the drum. If you are performing an old style Jingle Dance, raise your hands in healing during the honor beats. Neither fans nor feathers in the hair are allowed in old style dances.

Tips & Warnings

• Contact an area Native American Intertribal Association for a referral to someone knowledgeable about the Jingle Dance style.
• Observe the different dancers' regalia for a general idea of what is acceptable. But never copy someone else's pattern.
• Consider finding a regalia maker for a jingle dress.

[blacksheep81]

on 5/11/2009 please?

[blacksheep81]

on 5/9/2009 actually there are natives who-when they can be sure people are respectful bring non natives into the circle- I don`t have a problem with that. I need some help for a friend of mine his daughter is starting out and they have almost no powwows nearby and he cant take her to far away ones. How is the shuffle step done exactly?

[Lakota99]

on 12/22/2008 Be careful this may go to wannabes' and ppl may make fun of it. You must have a special dream to dance Jingle, or passed down. like what JayBet98 said, Not anyone can do it. This is somewhat disrespectful to the tribe, because, again people who arent native will probably attempt. Otherwise this is okay. ;)

[JayBet98]

on 8/8/2008 One should be careful posting an article of this type, as it can be offensive to many Native peoples/jingle dancers. The dance is passed down from family members/friends, and is sacred and meaningful, not just something "anyone" can walk into the arena and do.