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Show Songs and Dances The Utes greatly enjoyed singing and dancing. Their belief that animals had souls led them to imitate the actions of animals in the Bear Dance, the Dog Trot Dance, and the Turkey Dance. The Utes danced in their winter encampments, on their hunting and raiding parties, and any other time they felt like doing so. For the dances there were appropriate songs, but the Utes also had songs for serenading their neighbors, smoking their pipes, and welcoming guests. Although there were many traditional songs and dances, special ones were invented for special occasions, or simply to express the dancers' emotions. The Utes were famous for their dances and taught them to many of the Plains Indians. Some Utes danced in the Buffalo Bill Wild West i>hows in the early 1900's and most of the dances performed in the show were Ute dances even though dancers from many other tribes participated. Most of the dances were given titles by the white men when they first saw them done and the names correspond to what they had seen. The Lame Dance, for instance, imitated a person walking or attempting to dance with a lame right leg. This dance was performed only by women and it was not unusual for one hundred to take part. Two parallel lines were formed not less than thirty feet apart, the women standing one behind another facing west. Four drummers sat facing the dancers with a line of singers directly behind them. The drummers and singers were usually men. The women danced toward the drummers and singers until they were close to them, then the leaders turned toward each other with the rest following behind. The leaders danced toward each other until they almost met, then they turned away from the drummers and singers to a point opposite that from which they started. The rest followed, forming a double line. Another dance was the Tea Dance, which probably began as an imitation of the white man's custom of afternoon tea. The Utes liked to dance and sing, so instead of merely sitting down and having tea, they sang three songs. The first they danced to, the second and third they sang while passing around a pipe for everyone to smoke, then tea was served. When the dance was held outdoors, the participants danced around a fire. The men gave their bracelets and other ornaments to women who danced with them. There was no special time |
