American Indian Dance Theatre is a professional performing arts company presenting the dances and songs of

Native Americans in the United States Native Americans, also known as American Indians, First Americans, Indigenous Americans, and other terms, are the Indigenous peoples of the mainland United States ( Indigenous peoples of Hawaii, Alaska and territories of the United State ...

and the

First Nations First Nations or first peoples may refer to: * Indigenous peoples, for ethnic groups who are the earliest known inhabitants of an area. Indigenous groups *First Nations is commonly used to describe some Indigenous groups including: **First Natio ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

History

The group was founded in 1987 with

Hanay Geiogamah Hanay Geiogamah (born 1945) is a playwright, television and movie producer, and artistic director. He is currently a Professor in the School of Theater, Film, and Television at the University of California, Los Angeles. He also served as the direc ...

as director and Barbara Schwei as producer.

Raoul Trujillo Raoul Maximiano Trujillo de Chauvelon (born May 8, 1955) is an American and Canadian actor, dancer, choreographer, and theatre director. A former soloist with the Nikolais Dance Theatre, he is the original choreographer and co-director for the ...

served as choreographer and co-director. The creation of the company resulted from the success of a previous production lead by Geiogamah and Schwei the previous year. The group includes members from many different tribal backgrounds. Their first performance was in Washington, D.C. at Ford's Theater. It made its New York City debut in 1989 in Manhattan's

Joyce Theater The Joyce Theater (“The Joyce") is a 472-seat dance performance venue located in the Chelsea neighborhood of New York City. The building opened in 1941 as the Elgin Theater, a movie house, and was gut-renovated and reconfigured in 1981-82 to re ...

. They tour to various locations including the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, North Africa, and the Middle East. In 2006, American Indian Dance Theater joined a

multicultural The term multiculturalism has a range of meanings within the contexts of sociology, political philosophy, and colloquial use. In sociology and in everyday usage, it is a synonym for " ethnic pluralism", with the two terms often used interchang ...

consortium called the "Cultural Roundtable" at the

Los Angeles Theatre Center The Los Angeles Theatre Center is an institution in Los Angeles, which is operated by the Latino Theater Company. In January 2006, the Latino Theater Company won a lease to operate The Los Angeles Theatre Center for 20 years and got a $4 millio ...

in order to attract various audiences in the downtown Los Angeles area. Other performance groups belonging to the Cultural Roundtable include the

Latino Theater Company The Latino Theater Company (LTC) is a theatre producing organization based in Los Angeles, California. History Latino Theater Company was founded in 1985 by its Artistic Director, Jose Luis Valenzuela. Founding members included Lupe Ontiver ...

, Playwrights' Arena,

Robey Theatre Company Robey Theatre Company is a Los Angeles-based non-profit theatre company. History Robey Theatre Company was founded in 1994 by Danny Glover and Ben Guillory. It takes its name from the pioneering Black actor and activist, Paul Robeson. Robey' ...

Culture Clash Cultural conflict is a type of conflict that occurs when different cultural values and beliefs clash. Broad and narrow definitions exist for the concept, both of which have been used to explain violence (including war) and crime, on either a mic ...

and Cedar Grove OnStage.

Features

The company aims to tackle stereotypes and allow for an understanding of their culture through different platforms, such as live performances, television, and films. Their performances include both ceremonial and seasonal dances that all tell stories of the Native American heritage. Geiogamah noted in one interview that the performances act in opposition to Hollywood depictions and inaccurate media, ensuring the dances are authentic, but also educational. He also created a system to categorize the different types of American Indian dances that stem from 430 tribes in the U.S. A few examples of the tribes include the Zuni, Yakima, Warm Springs, Apache, Assiniboine, Navajo, Sioux, Cherokee, Cheyenne, Chippewa, Comanche, Southern Ute, Cree, Creek, Crow, Kiowa, Hidatsa, and Delaware. Geiogamah researches and combines different elements of the dances to form new content while still keeping the authenticity and meaning of the originals alive. These dances also involve music and costumes with a large focus on tradition. One distinct feature of this group is that the dancers involved originate from 20 different tribes. Within the performances, there are dancers, drummers, and singers, and there is large focus on details such as the animal masks, the traditional jewelry, and handmade feathered and beaded costumes.

Performances

Some notable events include the Pillow debut performance in which the company collaborated with two Hawaiian groups in 1995 and 1998. Another includes performances with the titles "Eagle Dance" and "Hoop Dance" in which the stories of creation are told and communicated through the sign language of the Native peoples. The Eagle Dance tends to vary depending on the region in which it is performed, but the underlying theme of maturity and growth is still present within each. The Hoop Dance comes from a legend in which a man who was dying aspired to leave a mark on earth and was given the opportunity to obtain more hoops for every natural form he was able to recreate. Another notable dance performed by the American Indian Dance Theatre includes "The Warrior Prepares," which explains how the concept of warriors came to be.

Recognition

The group has been nominated for both a Grammy and Emmy award. In 1993, they had an Emmy nomination in the category "Outstanding Children's Program."

Influence

The company was mentioned as inspirations for other tribal dance groups, such as Indigenous Enterprise, due to their influential means of story-telling.

Films

*''American Indian Dance Theater. Vol. 1, Finding the Circle'' (1996). Originally produced in 1989 as a segment of the PBS television series ''Great Performances''/''Dance in America''. A production of WNET/Thirteen in association with Tatge/Lasseur Productions, Inc. Directed by

Merrill Brockway Merrill La Monte Brockway (February 28, 1923 – May 2, 2013) was an American television producer known for producing the PBS television series ''Dance in America''. Biography Brockway was born on February 28, 1923, in New Carlisle, Indiana. He ...

. Phoenix, Arizona:

Canyon Records Canyon Records of Phoenix, Arizona is a record label that has produced and distributed Native American music for 56 years. History Canyon was founded in 1951 by Ray and Mary Boley, who had opened the first recording studio in Phoenix, Arizona ...

& Indian Arts. Presents a variety of Indian dances, performed on stage and at various international powwows. Includes Plains Indians' hoop, eagle, and Apache Crown Dances, the Zuni rainbow dance, powwow dances (grass, men's traditional and fancy, women's fancy shawl),and Plains snake and buffalo dances. *American Indian Dance Theater (1996). ''Dances for the New Generations''. Produced in 1993 for PBS ''Great Performances''/''Dance in America''. Produced by Barbara Schwei and

, in association with Phil Lucas Productions. Directed by

Phil Lucas Phil Lucas (1942 – February 4, 2007) was an American filmmaker of mostly Native American themes. He was an actor, writer, producer, director and editor for more than 100 films/documentaries or television programs starting as early as 1979 whe ...

and Hanay Geiogamah. Performances of Native American Indian dances performed with traditional drums and music. The dancers wear native costumes and makeup, and perform in various venues, including a powwow. Includes dances from the Northwest (

Makah The Makah (; Klallam: ''màq̓áʔa'')Renker, Ann M., and Gunther, Erna (1990). "Makah". In "Northwest Coast", ed. Wayne Suttles. Vol. 7 of '' Handbook of North American Indians'', ed. William C. Sturtevant. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Instit ...

and Kwakiutl), Northeast (

Seneca Seneca may refer to: People and language * Seneca (name), a list of people with either the given name or surname * Seneca people, one of the six Iroquois tribes of North America ** Seneca language, the language of the Seneca people Places Extrat ...

and

Penobscot The Penobscot (Abenaki: ''Pαnawάhpskewi'') are an Indigenous people in North America from the Northeastern Woodlands region. They are organized as a federally recognized tribe in Maine and as a First Nations band government in the Atlantic ...

), and Plains Indians.

References

External links

* {{Authority control Native American music Folk dance companies Dance companies in the United States Dance companies in Canada First Nations culture Performing groups established in 1987 1987 establishments in Canada 1987 establishments in the United States Native American arts organizations