Intro:
I am a Native American hoop dancer. People ask me lots of questions about hoop dancing. Some of the questions are based on misconceptions (like "Where do you buy your hoops?") Here are the top 10 misconception that I have been asked.
Misconception #10: Native Hoop Dancing is just like hula hoop dancing.
Native American hoop dancing is nothing like hula hooping.
There is a surprisingly big community of hula hoopers. They call hula hoop dancing "hooping". From the little that I've seen, they (mostly women) hula hoop to music wearing very little clothes. They often use big, rigid hoops that they swing in broad circles around their bodies. Some say it is entertainment; other say it is exercise.
Native American hoop dancing is very different. The hoop is a important symbol to many tribes. It is a symbol that can be used to represent many things. In Native hoop dancing, the dancer to use their numerous hoops to represent many objects (eagles, butterflies, snakes, etc.) Hands are used far more than hips; hoops do not swing around bodies but are moved carefully from formation to formation. Like in nearly all Native social dances, modesty is key.
There are also spiritual elements to Native American hoop dancing. The internet is not really the place to explain these.
The bottom line is Native American hoop dancing is very different than hula hooping.
- (Note: I know very little hooping. If you would like to know more about it, visit hooping.org for the best information.)
Misconception #9: All Native American Hoop Dancers know each other.
All Native American hoop dancers do not know each other.
Native American hoop dancers live throughout North America. A few even live elsewhere. There is no registry of hoop dancers or an organization where we all belong to. Not many events invite more than one hoop dancer. A hoop dancer from Northern Canada is unlikely to come across a hoop dancer in the Southwest United States, over two thousand miles away.
So, just because you meet one hoop dancer, it does not mean he/she knows about another specific hoop dancer.
Misconception #8: Native American Hoop Dancers take classes to learn how to dance.
Native American hoop dancers do not take classes to learn hoop dancing.
Native American hoop dancing is not learned in a studio, like ballet. They also do not learn from videos. Native American hoop dancers typically learn hoop dancing under the guidance of another, more experienced dancer. The expert dancer is very often a family member or close family friend. This way both the moves and the beliefs can be kept alive.
Misconception #7: Every Native hoop dancer has the same beliefs and/or is from the same tribe.
Hoop dancers are from various tribes and have different belief systems.
Hoop dancers come from tribes all over North America. In addition to their traditional beliefs, dancers have modern influences.
Native American hoop dancers even vary in the way they see their hoops and their dances. Some might think of hoops as sacred. Others might see them as dancing accessories. Likewise, some might encourage photography and video recording. Others might request that no records are made of them.
Misconception #6: Native hoop dancers only dance.
Native American hoop dancers have lives outside of hoop dancing.
Each Native American hoop dancer has a "real life" outside of hoop dancing. We have homes, jobs, go to school, help our family - just like everyone else. Hoop dancing is part of our identity but it's not our whole life.
Misconception #5: Native American hoop dancers buy their hoops.
Native American hoop dancers do not buy their hoops.
Making Native American dancing hoops is an art. Dancers (or their families) make each hoop by hand. The hoops are customized by diameter, width, and flexibility. Colors are selected either to match the dancer's outfit or have special significance to the dancer or his/her tribe.
There are two basic ways of making hoops. "Old style" uses all traditional materials. "New style" uses modern materials. There are many dancers that use a combination.
Learning how to make hoops is, in itself, an honor. If you are interested in the details, ask a hoop dancer.
Misconception #4: Native hoop dancers are uneducated.
Native American hoop dancers are often very educated.
Of all the adult American Indian hoop dancers I know, every one of them has attended an university. Of the dancers that have not reached college age, they are growing up in families that emphasizes education.
I, myself, am an honors student. Outside of classes, I spend at least 5 times more hours studying per week than practicing my hoop dancing (although I think both are important.)
The nature of hoop dancing requires a lot of concentration, math, memory, multi-tasking, planning, and focus. These are traits that help people succeed in school too. It is not very surprising that Native American hoop dancers are often educated.
Misconception #3: Native American hoop dancers are only male.
There are both male and female Native American hoop dancers.
When American Indian hoop dancing started becoming popular throughout North America, it was assumed by many that only men and boys could hoop dance. Some people think this was supported by the fact that women's powwow outfits (all styles require calf length skirts) do not easily allow for hoop dancing leg moves. In reality, no full powwow outfit, men's or women's, can really be used for hoop dancing.
Today, it is widely accepted that women and girls can hoop dance. The Hoop Dance World Championship, from the start, has allowed females to compete in all division and there has been a number of female World Champions.
The majority of Native American hoop dancers are still male but the number of females is growing.
Misconception #2: Every powwow dancer can hoop dance.
Not every dancer who participates in Native American powwows can hoop dance. And, not every hoop dancer does powwows.
Powwows are Native American social events where many people (from lots of tribes) dance. Powwow dancers have a wide range of experience. They range from the dancers who enter the dance circle once or twice in a decade to the hardcore competitors who hit a powwow every single weekend.
The vast majority of Native American dancers specialize in a single dance style. There are at least 8 powwow dance styles plus tribal and regional styles, not even counting hoop dancing. Each style is a living dance; they can evolve drastically over time. The styles takes a lifetime to master and regularity to keep with the changes.
It is rare that a dance can reach world-class quality in more than one Native American dance style. It is also rare to find a dancer that can be a champion hoop dancer and powwow dancer.
Misconception #1: Native American hoop dancing is just a sport.
Native American hoop dancing is far more than just a sport.
Native American hoop dancing is many things:
* it is a form of storytelling,
* it is our culture,
* it is our connection to the past,
* it is our way of passing on knowledge from one generation to the next,
* it is the understanding that in a circle everything is connected,
* it is really knowing that some things cannot be forced, bought, or sold,
* it is the comfort in knowing that the dance will survive longer than us.
Most importantly:
* it is not for others to steal or appropriate.
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