Hoop dance contest brings the best of the best to Heard Museum grounds
Staff Reports | Digital Free Press
The Heard Museum is excited to present the 33rd Annual World Championship Hoop Dance Contest on Saturday, Feb. 18, and Sunday, Feb. 19.
The event features dozens of the top Indigenous hoop dancers will compete at the Heard Museum’s Libby Amphitheater for the prestigious World Champion title and prizes totaling $25,000 across multiple age divisions, according to a press release.
“Our Hoop Dance Contest is a beloved event that the community looks forward to every year,” said David M. Roche, Dickey Family director and Heard Museum CEO. “It is more than a contest; it is an opportunity to learn from those preserving their history and legacy. We see hundreds of people from all over the world travel to join us in celebrating Indigenous talent and culture.”
The annual World Championship Hoop Dance Contest is recognized as the premier competition for the art of hoop dance throughout North America, event promoters say.
The art of hoop dance honors cultural practices shared by multiple Indigenous communities. With roots in healing ceremonies, traditions and practices, today’s hoop dance is shared as an artistic expression to honor Indigenous traditions throughout the U.S. and Canada, according to a press release.
Over the years, as the hoop dance community has grown, dancers have incorporated new and creative designs in their regalia and intricate footwork in their dancing while still respecting the fundamentals of the form. Individual routines can feature as few as four to as many as 50 hoops, which are manipulated to create various formations such as animals, insects, and globes.
