Jingle dress dance is a type of traditional dance perfumed by men and women with metal rows making some sounds in their dresses. The metal rows are made from some can lids and they are left hanging on the dress and placed closer to each other in order to produce different melodic sounds when the dance is ongoing. It is a type of dress that many people believed that it offers healing when a person is unwell. The dress originated from a time when there was an outbreak of a disease and hence was believed to offer healing to the affected and infected. The dance has spread to other many tribes even though it originated from the ojibwe tribe.
Unlike other forms of pow pow dancing, the jingle dress dance is always very beautiful and colorful to see hear and listen to. They sounds are always very nice to hear since it happens in unison. One therefore enjoys the art greatly especially when they are the traditional ones. There are different drum beats that the women have to dance to. They also have special songs that they sing to go along with the dance making it a very spectacular act in music.
The jingle dresses are made of old clothes and other old materials without decorative beads. They are of different colors and made of shiny materials with embroider and beading that makes them look spectacular. They come in different sleeve sizes and runs down to the ankle. They have a thick belt at the waist to protect it mostly made of leather materials. They wear moccasins on the feet that are decorated similarly to the dress. You can view here for more information.
The dance also has some specific moves and there are moves that dancers are not allowed to do. The dancers are never allowed to move backwards, cross their feet or finish a circle. They always keep their foot close to the ground and keep them light. One hand is kept on the hips holding the purse while the other holds the tail feathers and spins it through the dance.
The dance has faced a wide spread resistance from many government operatives. Many governments have even gone ahead to ban the dance though the spirit is still always there and it has continued to be practiced among many communities to preserve their cultural and spiritual beliefs. Many people have committed to practicing the dance. The points above therefore shows the characteristics of a jingle dress dance. Click here for more information: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jingle_dress.
