Dancers keep one hand on a hip, and hold a large fan in the other. The dance style is a graceful, subtle combination of steps that is not as fast as Fancy dancing, but equally as complex. In recent years it has become Traditional Dance, it has spread well beyond the Northern Plaines. Modern Grass Dance suits are heavily fringed with yarn, which emphasizes a flowing dance style. Grass dances often make complicated moves while keeping one foot in the air with a great deal of upper body movement, especially the head and shoulders.
Slow songs provide the best opportunity to appreciate the fluid movements of the Grass Dance.
Northern Traditional Originally associated with Northern Plains, especially the Lakota s, traditional dance is now one of the most popular and widespread styles in the country. It s roots lay in the Grass Dance, which was shared by a number of tribes across the Plains. Traditional dancers are distinguished by a large single bustle worn on the back, and dance low to the ground with a lot of upper body movement. Like their male counterparts, Shawl dancers use spins, intricate footwork, and make use of the ribbons and fringes on their dance clothes to emphasize a fast-paced style of dancing. This category encompasses the traditional dance style of many tribes.