Preface
"American Indian Dances Steps, Rhythms, Costumes, and Interpretation" was written with several important objectives in mind, the first of which was to provide a simple and practical book for the teaching of authentic Indian dances. This book supplies source material from which Indian dances can be easily learned and develops dance programs with variation, authenticity, proper theme, costumes, and interpretation; it will help the average dancer and layman to perform, teach, and understand the true purpose and meaning of Indian dancing.
This book is also intended to preserve Indian dances which over the years are being forgotten and to help even Indians themselves to learn, remember, and perpetuate their dances. Still another objective of this book is to help readers make their own inexpensive, yet authentic Indian dance apparel or outfits.
After many months of study, the authors selected twenty-three dances they felt were simple and introductory yet typical of many tribes and representative of many different categories or types of Indian dances. The authors have presented each dance as closely to the true Indian style as possible according to their knowledge and understanding.
The authors wish to thank many Indian tribes, individual Indians, and the Intertribal Pow Wow Group, who so kindly gave information concerning the themes, steps, and patterns of their dances. Also, they wish to thank Mr. LeRoy Condie for his part in kindling their interest in Indian dancing, and Dr. Elizabeth Hayes, head of the dance section of the Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation at the University of Utah, and her associates, who gave valuable suggestions and encouragement in the development of this book.
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