NOAC 98 - American Indian Dance and Singing Competitions

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American Indian Dance and Singing Competitions

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One of the several American Indian Activities that takes place at NOAC are the Dance and Singing competitions. These competitions give Arrowmen from all over the country a chance to compete and be evaluated by a panel of judges. Events include individual dance competition, team dance and team singing.

The real purpose of the competitions is not to be the best team at the conference, but rather to take the judges’ evaluations into consideration and become the best dancer or singers possible. This is a competition of self rather than a competition against others.

There are five categories of individual dance competition: Fancy-Dance (one class),Grass, Straight Dance, Old Style, and Traditional (contemporary traditional). Awards were given to the top finishing dancers according to the judges' discretion
The dancers were great fun to watch - the dances are complex and some are very energetic. The regalia can take a great many hours to research and construct, but the results are incredible.
All dancers are encouraged to participate in the judging of American Indian clothing. This judging was held immediately before or after the dance competition. Clothing critiques and ribbons were given out by a panel of selected judges.
In all, fifteen teams registered in the Dance Team Competition. The team dance competitions are composed of groups of young Arrowmen wearing regalia that is native to different tribal nations and dancing to American Indian rhythms. Several different tribal styles were presented including Choctaw, Cherokee, Hopi, Iroquois, Pueblo and Kiowa at the competition.
Team dancers are also evaluated on the quality of the research booklet they have done for their particular dance(s), as well as the performance and the authenticity and completeness of the attire.
Singing was done in a team fashion, and written documentation was required for each song include where the team got the song and what tribe it is from. Teams will be required to sing a general song and a song for a special event. Songs are restricted to Southern and Northern Plains singing. Teams were judged on the authenticity and quality of presentation of songs.

The winning dancers and singers performed at the evening show on Tuesday evening at NOAC. Many of the dancers also had the opportunity to dance in the show’s opening dance with the Chief of the Lenni Lenape. The performances were great, and all of the participants in the dance and singing competitions should be proud of their efforts.

Revised 8/04/98.

This page was produced as part of the official 1998 National Order of the Arrow Conference web site, (http://www.oa-bsa.org) by the web team of the NOAC Communications and Public Relations Committee. Send any comments to webmaster@oa-bsa.org.

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