Sometimes we get lucky and stumble onto a great evening of entertainment. That was certainly the case last night when we happened to catch the Native American Cultural Presentation Pre-Show at The Lost Colony.
It wasn’t just Native American chants and pounding drums, although that was certainly part of the evening. What made it so special though, was the time and effort that went into explaining what the dances meant and their origins.
Although there were certainly dances specific to local tribes, last night what was on stage was a far more inclusive program that began with a men’s Grass Dance from the grasslands of the Great Plains.
According to the narration, the Grass Dance is the traditional dance that would have begun the ceremonies of the people of the Great Plains. The dance and costume imitates the tall grass and prepares the grounds for what comes next.
What was included were healing dances, a beautiful shawl dance and, of course a war dance. But what was emphasized in describing the war dance was that it was about intimidation—this is how strong we are, don’t mess with us—and creating an alliance.
The narrator went on to describe what is called the Smoke Dance, a vigorous fast dance the grew out of the war dance. He told the audience the Smoke Dance is considered the fastest dance of all the dances of the native peoples.
But, he went on to say, there was also a woman’s version of the dance, that some say is even faster.
The Smoke Dances were performed and it was a tough call about which was the faster, but probably a slight nod had to go the Stevie Lowry dancing the Woman’s Smoke Dance.
The Native American Cultural Presentation Pre-Show at The Lost Colony will be featured at 8:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday throughout the summer.
So many surprising things to do and see on the Outer Banks. Stop by for a visit and discover the unexpected while staying at a Brindley Beach Vacations home.