Two kinds of dancing
Writers on Apache cultures often distinguish between ceremonial dances and social dances, though the line is not always sharp. Ceremonial dances belong to a religious setting, are led by trained people and are performed for specific purposes. Social dances are open to the community and are part of everyday gatherings. Anyone present is generally welcome to join in, within the rules of the event.
This article is about the second kind. It describes social dancing in general terms, since practices differ among the Western Apache, Chiricahua, Mescalero, Jicarilla, Lipan and Plains Apache, and since many details are best learned from the communities themselves.
What Apache social dances look like
Social dances commonly involve a group moving together, often in a line or circle, to songs sung by a singer or group of singers, usually with a drum. Participants of different ages may dance side by side. Some dances are slower and some are lively, and the music, steps and names depend on the community and the occasion.
Because forms and names vary so widely, no single list can cover every nation. Round dances and line dances are widely shared across Native communities in North America, and Apache communities hold dances of this general kind. Some Apache social dances were also shaped by contact with neighboring nations. Plains Apache people in Oklahoma, for example, take part in dance traditions shared with southern Plains neighbors, while Apache communities in Arizona and New Mexico have their own customs.
Social dance versus sacred dance
Several features usually separate the two.
- Purpose. Ceremonial dances carry religious meaning, such as a coming-of-age rite or a healing. Social dances are for enjoyment, courtship historically, friendship and community life.
- Participation. Sacred roles are held by people with specific training or family responsibility. Social dancing is generally open to those who attend.
- Dress. Ceremonial regalia is specific and often treated with great care. Social dance dress is usually everyday clothing or festive clothing, though people may wear regalia at larger events.
- Sharing. Details of sacred dances are not usually discussed in public. Social dances are more openly shared, though visitors still need to ask about photography and recording.
A common mistake is to treat all Apache dancing as sacred, or to treat it all as performance. Both views flatten a varied tradition. A person who dances at a community gathering is often simply taking part in the evening, in the same way people join dancing at weddings elsewhere.
Why social dances matter
Social dances do several things at once. They bring extended families together, which fits the wider importance of Apache family and kinship ties. They give younger people a low-pressure way to learn songs and steps by joining in rather than by formal instruction. They connect people from different settlements and reservations, and they give elders a place to be heard and respected.
Social dances also play a role in Apache song preservation and in keeping Apache languages in use. Songs that are sung at dances are learned by repetition, often by children standing beside parents and grandparents. For many families, a dance is one of the few settings in which several generations sing together.
Change over time
Apache social dances have never been frozen. Historical sources suggest that dances and songs were adopted from neighbors, adapted and sometimes dropped. In the reservation era, federal policies discouraged many Native dances and ceremonies, and some communities held gatherings quietly or in altered forms. Later changes in law and practice allowed more open observance.
Today many communities combine older social dances with intertribal dances from the Apache powwow circuit, which are widely shared across nations. A single weekend event may include an Apache social dance, a powwow session and a public meal. Each community decides how those pieces fit together.
If you are invited
If you are welcomed at a social dance, a few general courtesies apply.
- Ask the host or organizers what is open to visitors and what is not.
- Do not photograph, film or record without clear permission. Rules differ, and some events forbid it entirely.
- Wait to be invited before joining a dance, and follow the lead of those around you.
- Dress modestly and comfortably, and avoid costume-like clothing.
- Do not offer money to dancers or singers unless the event invites it.
The nations’ official websites and cultural offices are the best sources for event information and visitor rules, which change from year to year. Because Apache cultures vary, a courtesy that applies in one community may not apply in another, so asking is always better than assuming.