Purpose of the Hoop Dance

          The Native American hoop dance was traditionally performed for healing ceremonies throughout tribal communities.  The details are very limited when researching what specific healing was needed because these ceremonies were looked at as extremely sacred events.  The most popular thought is that the healing ceremony was to bring balance and harmony back to the world.  Since becoming a popular dance that can be regularly seen at powwows and competitions throughout the United States, the purpose has significantly changed.  The hoop dance has now become a storytelling dance which incorporates one to fifty hoops that create different shapes. [1]

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[1] Native Pride Arts. “Native Pride Dancers: Dancing through Life.” Native Pride Arts. Last modified May 29, 2010. Accessed November 2, 2015. http://www.nativepridearts.org/nativepridedancers.html.