They often wear dresses that have beaded tops and carry a shawl, feather fan, or a single feather. The grass dance originated from an old warrior s society and was used to express victory over an enemy. It is a freestyle dance, but dancers must follow the changing beat of the drum and must stop, with both feet on the ground, when the music does. The costumes worn for this dance evolved from colorful fringe and ribbon oriented outfits worn with grasses tucked into belts. The fancy dance is a relatively new dance that involves fast and complicated footwork and rhythm.
Dancers wear brilliantly colored feather bustles in the performance.
This dance evolved from a ceremonial dance and though it has a fast tempo, the movements are more controlled than those in other dances. Pow-Wow is to promote cultural diversity while providing a distinct atmosphere to increase awareness and understanding of the Native American heritage and ethnic identity. Though the Pow-Wow at UW will be at the same time as Montana State University s, KOF members anticipate a large crowd. Between 300 and 500 dancers are expected to attend from Colorado, New Mexico, South Dakota and Wyoming. KOF is one of many sponsors for the Pow-Wow.