Hoop Dancing | Video

Kristin Clouston | 9/6/2012

Bismarck fourth graders were on their best behavior today when they were treated to a special show at the Belle. Dr. Wayne Fox showed them various Native American dances such as the Grass Dance, Horse Dance and the crowd favorite, the Hoop Dance. Fox is not just a world renowned dancer, but he`s also vice president of Fort Berthold Community College and he`s a former principal and teacher.

The Hoop Dance has been passed down on Wayne Fox`s mothers side of the family and he learned it from his uncles.

"I was probably about 19 or 20 when I picked up the hoops. I never thought it would take me all over the world. I`ve been to Costa Rica, Germany, Japan," he said. "It originated from a society called the Elks Society where the society would come on out and share their dreams and visions by using these hoops and how beautiful the world was."

The hoop symbolizes the circle of life

"I`ll be using 28 hoops and 28 is a very sacred number, I was always told if you, on each eagle wing, there`s 28 feathers, also if you look around the shell of a turtle there`s 28 little squares around it."

Dancers form shapes such as the butterfly, eagle and snake as part of storytelling ritual

"You can never master the dance because you can keep on adding or making forms as you go on so just the creativity."

This is the first year Bismarck schools have included the dancing as part of North Dakota studies

"North Dakota studies is taught in fourth grade, and there is a piece that focuses on the Native American culture in history but it`s a pretty short abbreviated piece without a lot of experience learning going on with it," said Pioneer Elementary Principal Dr.Teresa Delorme.

The students are also going to the powwow and teachers say they hope to make it a permanent part of their fourth grade curriculum.

The powwow at United Tribes lasts all weekend, but Fox says his favorite time to be there is Saturday night because that`s when everyone wears their finest regalia.

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